Chaplin's Essanay Comedies (1915-1916)

[Professor Echo]

At some point I will most likely pick up the Spanish Blus which is the most my budget will allow for these collections, no matter how iconic they are. Chaplin is my third fave of the three that are usually referred to as the masters of silent comedy, so while it's a worthy goal to have every single short in as most pristine a presentation there is, I can't justify spending more just for improved quality on one or two shorts. There are bigger Blu priorities for my collection, including saving for the MACK SENNETT collection since I am not as familiar with those as the Chaplins, which I grew up with.

Thanks to everyone in this thread and other Chaplin threads who keep us updated on the differences between the various sets around the world.

[jdw89]

Would you all say Chaplin is worth getting into?

[Kevin Bridges]

Originally Posted by jdw89

Would you all say Chaplin is worth getting into?

Comedy is down to taste,what one person finds hilarious,another might find it barely amusing.

Me?I gave Charlie Chaplin a go a few years back and have since bought quite a few of his movies....I think he's great.....he's an absolute legend of film.

This guy was on at our hotel on holiday...he was very good.

[Show spoiler][IMG][/IMG]

[bigshot]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

Chaplin is my third fave of the three that are usually referred to as the masters of silent comedy, so while it's a worthy goal to have every single short in as most pristine a presentation there is

Just three? Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd... Laurel & Hardy perhaps?

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by bigshot

Just three? Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd... Laurel & Hardy perhaps?

Of course! And Charley Chase is right up there as well. I notice as I get older I'm not as all encompassing as I once was when ranking favorites. Not sure why, but list making doesn't come as easily to me as it used to.

[bigshot]

Butt kicking and brick throwing can be high art too! It's not the gag, it's how it's performed.

[jdw89]

I just got the Essanay and Mutual comedies today from Flicker Alley, the packaging was awesome!

[jdw89]

If it has minor shelf wear do you think I should return it?

[pedromvu]

I was wondering if someone can help me remembering in which Chaplin film does this happen:

Chaplin is quite drunk on the streets, and I believe he is trying to get home or something, and in one scene he thinks he is already inside the streetcar when in reality he is hanging from some wire in some kind of outside shop.

I remember it being quite funny and I was quite sure it was on One A.M. from the Mutual set, but nope, hopefully it is one of this set but I have yet to purchase this.

[movieben1138]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I was wondering if someone can help me remembering in which Chaplin film does this happen:

Chaplin is quite drunk on the streets, and I believe he is trying to get home or something, and in one scene he thinks he is already inside the streetcar when in reality he is hanging from some wire in some kind of outside shop.

I remember it being quite funny and I was quite sure it was on One A.M. from the Mutual set, but nope, hopefully it is one of this set but I have yet to purchase this.

I'm not 100%, but I think that this one is PAY DAY.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by movieben1138

I'm not 100%, but I think that this one is PAY DAY.

Thanks just checked youtube and that's it, I guess I need to wait until Criterion decides to do some boxset of the First National shorts then.

[pedromvu]

So from what I am reading here, it is safe to assume that even if BFI releases these shorts, there are no Carl Davis score for them right? So those already existed before for the Mutual Comedies and just weren't used in the Flicker Alley release?

I am just trying to decide if it is better to wait for BFI.

[bigshot]

I had the same question as you, and ended up getting the Spanish set because it is much cheaper than the Flicker Alley and all the films are basically the same. If I have to double dip, I won't feel as burned as I did with the Mutuals. But if supplements mean a lot to you, you might feel differently.

[ArnoldLayne56]

I have this set, which contains two separate cases, one with the 2 BDs and one with the 3 DVDs. They look like standalone products, but are sold in a cardboard case along with the booklet. I'm happy just to keep the BDs and booklet on my shelf.
If anyone is interested in the DVD version, I'll ship it for $25 total.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by bigshot

I had the same question as you, and ended up getting the Spanish set because it is much cheaper than the Flicker Alley and all the films are basically the same. If I have to double dip, I won't feel as burned as I did with the Mutuals. But if supplements mean a lot to you, you might feel differently.

That is tempting but I've heard the transfers might not be exactly the same, mainly that Police and A Night Out were still missing some further restoration work by the time they got released by Divisa, I believe something similar happened with the Mutuals, so I am not so sure.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by ArnoldLayne56

I have this set, which contains two separate cases, one with the 2 BDs and one with the 3 DVDs. They look like standalone products, but are sold in a cardboard case along with the booklet. I'm happy just to keep the BDs and booklet on my shelf.
If anyone is interested in the DVD version, I'll ship it for $25 total.

Thanks, didn't know that, selling the dvd version would help bring the price down, here is an unboxing video I found:

Unboxing - Chaplin's Essanay Comedies - YouTube

[HuggyBear73]

Anyone have both the Flicker Alley and BFI sets? SOunds like the transfers are the same but how about the extras....who wins?

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

Of course! And Charley Chase is right up there as well. I notice as I get older I'm not as all encompassing as I once was when ranking favorites. Not sure why, but list making doesn't come as easily to me as it used to.

I've always preferred Keaton to Chaplin, or at least I find his comedy better. Both are truly wonderful though. You pretty much can't go wrong with them. I cannot fathom how a person can't enjoy their work, it might not be laugh out loud "hilarious - it rarely is to me, but I can always appreciate the humor and find the films a breeze to watch.

I had never checked out Harold Lloyd until blu-ray, and I've still only the few films that have been remastered to blu-ray, but he's right up there on that same level from what I have seen.

There is a dropoff after that for me as far as silent comedies go.

One that could be interesting would be Harry Langdon. I bought the "Forgotten Clown" set from Kino a couple of years ago. I believe one of those was an early Frank Capra directed film as well! Problem was the PQ was absolutely horrible, it seemed like these were solid silent comedies, but it's hard to appreciate a fuzzy pictue where you can barely make out the characters face. Particularly compared to the silents that have been fully restored with nearly perfect image quality. The facial expresssions are HUGE to these films, and if the PQ is too poor to capture that it really takes away from the film IMO.

[hYPE]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Thanks, didn't know that, selling the dvd version would help bring the price down, here is an unboxing video I found:

Unboxing - Chaplin's Essanay Comedies - YouTube

I need to sell my DVD set of this, only needed the blu ray too.

[bigshot]

Originally Posted by AgentOrange

There is a dropoff after that for me as far as silent comedies go.

Ahem! Laurel & Hardy Ahem! Our Gang Ahem! Fatty Arbuckle Ahem! Charlie Chase... There are a lot of great silent comedians, not just three.