Topic: Charley Chase 1927 silents DVD/Blu-ray forthcoming

[falsealarms]

Sprocket Vault will release the 1927 Charley Chase silents on DVD and Blu-ray "soon," though no exact date has been announced yet.

Here's the announcement: http://www.silentcomedymafia.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3097

Interesting (but good) that this is getting a Blu-ray release when the Chase talkies were relegated to just DVD.

[metaldams]

Sprocket Vault will release the 1927 Charley Chase silents on DVD and Blu-ray "soon," though no exact date has been announced yet.

Here's the announcement: http://www.silentcomedymafia.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3097

Interesting (but good) that this is getting a Blu-ray release when the Chase talkies were relegated to just DVD.

I was literally thinking about this the other day when watching the new Laurel and Hardy set.  I believe the post Pathe stuff (I’m assuming the Pathe stuff was PD since it’s been released) was under copyright but now that 1927 is public domain, the MGM films can be released.  This is my guess, anyway.

This is wonderful news and of course I’ll buy it.  These last few years of Charley Chase silents have always been a holy grail for me and a big missing link in my Chase viewing and understanding.

[falsealarms]

From Paul Gierucki, one of the producers of the set:

I can now officially report that the long unavailable surviving reel of NOW I'LL TELL ONE, which features appearances by both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, is included in the impending CHARLEY CHASE AT HAL ROACH: THE LATE SILENTS (1927) DVD and Blu-ray sets! More, it is absolutely hilarious!

[falsealarms]

Perhaps overshadowed by the new Laurel & Hardy 1928 set that just came out, but this Chase set finally streets on Tuesday 11/26. As of this post, it's about $25 on Amazon, or half of the Laurel & Hardy 1928 set.

I haven't seen a single film on this set - if anyone here has, curious which ones are considered the best.

Films on the Chase set:

There Ain't No Santa Claus

Many Scrappy Returns

Are Brunettes Safe?

A One Mama Man

Forgotten Sweeties

Bigger And Better Blondes

Fluttering Hearts

What Women Did For Me

The Sting of Stings

The Lighter That Failed

Now I'll Tell One (Reel 2)

The Way Of All Pants

Us

Assistant Wives

Never the Dames Shall Meet (surviving footage and still recreation)

Extras

The Merry Widower

Call of the Cuckoo (excerpt)

Smile, Buttercup, Smile

Photo Gallery

Commentary tracks by Richard M Roberts

[NoahYoung]

Is "The Way Of All Pants" complete?  I thought all that existed was the clip in THE FURTHER PERILS OF L&H. I've seen "Fluttering Hearts" which is probably still on youtube where I downloaded it from. If not on archive.org. It is very funny.

I've seen the clips from The Sting of Stings and Us in THE GOLDEN AGE OF COMEDY and 4 CLOWNS, respectively.
Call of the Cuckoo is very funny, but it is a Max Davidson short, and his parts are the best. I assume it is only clips because the whole short is on one of the new L&H collections. The "plot" is pretty much stolen from Buster Keaton's ONE WEEK.

Other than those, I'm not sure there are many people still alive who have seen the others (except those who workled on the set) -- so when the set is released we will find out which ones are the best!

That being said, late silent Chase at M-G-M is supposed to be the creme de la creme. I just wish his talkies were as consistently funny. There are many gems there but unfortunately it is roughly 50/50 to find an above average Chase talkie. With L&H it's like 90/10! (I won't get into the whole statistical thing with how they can't all be above average by the definition of average. Are we talking average for Chase, or all shorts at Roach, or shorts from anyone in that era?)

[metaldams]

I watched the first disc.  All I’m going to say is that WHAT WOMEN DID FOR ME is one of the most bizarre silent shorts I have ever seen.  Very, very enjoyable and funny.  FLUTTERING HEARTS I have seen before - another funny one with a nice Oliver Hardy turn.

The shorts ranged from acceptable to great - par for the course with Charley Chase (I agree with Noah’s talkie assessment, by the way).  Looking forward to digging in to disc two.

[NoahYoung]

Interested to hear how the rest are.

I suppose the next release will contain all of 1928, and LIMOUSINE LOVE will finally be available in any video format in the U.S. (It was released on 16mm, though.) I know they're going in order, but I would have included it as a bonus on one of the prior discs lest they never release a 1928 set. The forces of nature seem to not want LIMOUSINE LOVE released and I'm glad I downloaded a copy from the tube while it was available.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Though the first reel remains lost, it was great to finally see Charley's "Now I'll Tell One" — not to mention the separate appearances of Stan and Ollie.  Another gem was the British print of "The Way of All Pants." Looking forward to the 1928 set.

[NoahYoung]

Another gem was the British print of "The Way of All Pants."

Complete? When was it found?
thnx

[Dr. Mabuse]

Complete? When was it found?

The British print (titled "The Way of All Dress") runs 20 minutes. Here is a May 2016 post from Richard M. Roberts of Silent Comedy Mafia: "If you are coming to Cinevent . . . we will be showing a full two-reel version of "The Way of All Pants" from a new print struck for a restoration-in-progress from material that came into my hands awhile back and of which we have been doing said restoration with Steve Stanchfield and Paul Gierucki."

[Tony Bensley]

The British print (titled "The Way of All Dress") runs 20 minutes. Here is a May 2016 post from Richard M. Roberts of Silent Comedy Mafia: "If you are coming to Cinevent . . . we will be showing a full two-reel version of "The Way of All Pants" from a new print struck for a restoration-in-progress from material that came into my hands awhile back and of which we have been doing said restoration with Steve Stanchfield and Paul Gierucki."

I must have really missed something as I still thought only one reel of the two reel THE WAY OF ALL PANTS was known to exist. On the other hand, I had heard that both reels of Now, I'll Tell One supposedly exists. That was probably some 10 years ago though, and Reel 1 has yet to surface.

CHEERS!