Charley Chase at Hal Roach: The Late Silents - VCI Entertainment (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: USA, 1926, 1927
Director: James Parrott (All Films)
Cast: Charley Chase, Eugenia Gilbert, Noah Young, Mickey Bennett, Anita Garvin, Gale Henry, Jean Arthur, Martha Sleeper, Oliver Hardy, Lupe Velez, Edna Marion, Bull Montana, Stan Laurel, Margaret Quimby, 

Release Date: November 26th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 19 Minutes 34 Seconds (There Ain't No Santa Claus), 20 Minutes 28 Seconds (Many Scrappy Returns), 20 Minutes 38 Seconds (Are Brunettes Safe?), 21 Minutes 23 Seconds (A One Mama Man), 20 Minutes 42 Seconds (Forgotten Sweeties), 16 Minutes 4 Seconds (Bigger and Better Blondes), 21 Minutes 2 Seconds (Fluttering Hearts), 20 Minutes 32 Seconds (What Women Did for Me), 19 Minutes 21 Seconds (The Sting of Stings), 15 Minutes 13 Seconds (The Lighter That Failed), 10 Minutes 6 Seconds (Now I'll Tell One), 20 Minutes 58 Seconds (The Way of All Pants), 20 Minutes 12 Seconds (Us), 20 Minutes 29 Seconds (Assistant Wives), 5 Minutes 34 Seconds (Never the Dames Shall Meet)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Stereo With English Intertitles (All Films)
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.95

"Both Charley Chase and the Hal Roach Studios Golden Era was in the late 1920's, and 1927 was the year Charley Chase was the Lot of Fun's Number One star. His films from that period, directed by his brother James Parrott and supervised by Leo McCarey, were not only some of his best but were also some of the greatest comedies from the silent era. Most of these classic shorts have never been seen since their original release, and this set combines materials from film archives and private collections from around the world to bring these shorts together for the first time." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video:

Here’s the information given about the transfers, "This collection is the result of several years of extensive research and restoration work. As the Hal Roach Studio master materials no longer exist, each film was meticulously reconstructed and remastered, sometimes utilizing multiple elements, in varying conditions, gathering from around the world, including several instances in which the only currently known materials were utilized."

Disc one is a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.4 GB (8 Short Films)

Disc two is a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.2 GB (10 Short Films)

The best-looking transfers are A One Mama Man, Fluttering Hearts, Are Brunettes Safe?, and What Women Did for Me, while Many Scrappy Returns, Bigger and Better Blondes, Assistant Wives, and The Lighter That Failed look rough. That said, it is not surprising that most of these only exist from lesser sources since the majority of silent cinema is lost.

Audio:

All of the short films come with one audio option, a LPCM stereo audio track with English intertitles. All of the audio tracks sound clean, clear and balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release are audio commentaries with Richard M. Roberts for all 15 short films. 

Other extras on disc two include an extensive photo gallery (lobby cards/posters/stills), and bonus short films; The Merry Widow starring Stan Laurel (18 minutes 2 seconds, LPCM stereo with English intertitles), and a remake of the Charley Chase short film Now I'll Tell One titled Smile, Buttercup, Smile (10 minutes 35 seconds, LPCM stereo with English intertitles), and an excerpt from Call of the Cuckoo, a Laurel and Hardy short that features Charley Chase in an uncredited role (3 minutes 45 seconds, LPCM stereo with English intertitles).

Summary:

There Ain't No Santa Claus: Charley Chase portrays a father who is short on cash during Christmas time. Instead of paying rent, he buys a tree and presents for his family. While all of this is unfolding, he has to deal with a hostile landlord and his mischievous son, who makes it look like it's snowing. Besides this conflict, other humor comes from a subplot revolving around a watch Charley bought for his wife. Everything culminates with a twist ending that provides one final joke.

Many Scrappy Returns: Charley Chase portrays a man in a harmonious marriage, while his character's brother is in a marriage where they are always at odds with each other. Things come to a head when Charley’s character gets into a fight with his wife. This one has a lot of sight gags; Charley chasing a hat down the street and characters going room to room like a game of musical chairs.

Are Brunettes Safe?: Charley Chase portrays a newspaper man who writes an advice column. Unknown to him, he has a look-alike, a man named Bud Martin, a hellraiser recently released from prison. Everything comes to a head with an all-out brawl.

A One Mama Man: Charley Chase portrays a count on a cruise ship, and once again he has a look-alike who's hired a stand-in for the other. Besides trying to conceal his identity, a major source of humor comes from a character who goes into a trance whenever they hear bells.

Forgotten Sweeties: Charley Chase portrays an absent-minded husband whose wife becomes jealous when an old lover moves in next door. His absent-mindedness is the source of all of the humor as he goes into the wrong home and struggles to do everyday tasks.

Bigger and Better Blondes: Charley Chase portrays a man who is mistaken for a jewel thief. Though there is not much there in the way of narrative, it more than makes up for this with sight gags like a scene where a detective throws several matches near an explosive liquid, which ultimately goes boom. This short is notable for an early screen appearance by Jean Arthur (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington).

Fluttering Hearts: A rebellious woman who is always getting into trouble befriends a millionaire. The story is secondary, as the sight gags are what drive the narrative. There is a character that dresses in drag to get into an establishment, and in one scene Charley Chase’s character walks around with and dances with a mannequin. A notable cast member is Oliver Hardy; he portrays a man behind a blackmail scheme.

What Women Did for Me: Charley Chase portrays a newly hired professor at an all-girls school. Knowing their flirtation makes him feel uneasy, all of the girls do their best to seduce him. The humor comes from the many uncomfortable situations his character finds himself in.

The Sting of Stings: A couple celebrates their new car by taking six underprivileged kids to the carnival. They are all juvenile delinquents, and the humor comes from the trouble they cause.

The Lighter That Failed: Charley Chase portrays a man who is given a lighter for his birthday. Only one problem is that he can't get the lighter to work. The humor comes from the ridiculous lengths he goes to trying to get the lighter to work, with everything culminating in a fire.

Now I'll Tell One: A husband and wife are in a divorce court to end their marriage. The narrative alternates between the courtroom and flashbacks from their tumultuous marriage. Only the second reel of this short film exists, and text info fills in information about the first reel. Notable cast members are Oliver Hardy, who portrays a policeman, and Stan Laurel, who portrays a lawyer.

The Way of All Pants: Charley Chase portrays a man delivering a pair of pants, and before he completes the job, he loses his pair of pants. While he’s looking for his missing pants, the husband comes home, and the comedy ensues.

Us: Charley Chase portrays a man with a fear of flying. While he’s trying to overcome his fear, he meets a woman, and wanting to impress her, he pretends to be an aviator.

Assistant Wives: Charley Chase portrays a man who wants a raise. When put on the spot by his boss to meet his wife, his character has another woman play the part. His character tries to pull off the deception while keeping his wife in the dark, and what unfolds is the source of the comedy.

Never the Dames Shall Meet: All that remains of this short film is 5 ½ minutes of footage; text information and stills fill in what is missing. Charley Chase portrays a man who goes to pick up his wife's sister from a steamship, and instead he ends up with the wrong woman.

Charley Chase at Hal Roach: The Late Silents is a must-have purchase for fans of silent comedy films, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer