American Slapstick

Reviewers on American Slapstick

“The sad fact is that most of the silent comedians have been forgotten. This is unfortunate since many of their films are funny, but without name recognition there is little incentive to restore their films and almost no economic reasons to put them out on DVD. That's where American Slapstick comes in. This three DVD set collects 17 silent era comedy shorts, all of them new to DVD, and presents them in a nice three disc set. All Day Entertainment in association with Reel Classic DVD have collected some rare and wonderful comic gems.

David Kalat of All Day Entertainment (yes, the same David Kalat who provided the wonderful commentaries for the Dr. Mabuse films of Fritz Lang) has selected a wonderful series of shorts that showcases these forgotten comics but also presents some rarer films of Lloyd and Chaplin. Just about all of the films are funny at least part of the time, and while a couple do fall flat (Beauty and the Bump, I'm looking at you) even these have their interesting points.

This is a very good selection of rare and seldom seen silent shorts. This set gets a strong Recommendation, especially for comedy fans..”

--John Sinnott, DVD Talk

"The highlight of American Slapstick is Syd Chaplin's "A Submarine Pirate." While his brother might have gone on to create masterworks unparalleled in silent comedy, 1915 found Syd's work perhaps even a little smoother than what Charlie was doing at the time.

The other lost silent star most worth finding here was Snub Pollard. His graceful delirium as he's hit by a brick was a scream, which is good, because he gets clobbered a lot in various ways in this one; he's also good at finding ingenious solutions—such as a piano ride down a busy city street—to the many problems that crop up.

While the shorts featured here are uneven, Larry Semon, Charley Chase, and the Ton of Fun (who thankfully don't do as many heavy-guys-crashing-into-things gags as you might expect) all provide good comic performances.

What might surprise you is that the lost Charlie Chaplin shorts unearthed here are some of the weakest material on the set. Chaplin was the greatest silent star, but it seems his best material has been picked over. However, you'll find a great Harold Lloyd short ("Pay Your Dues") and a Stan Laurel gem ("Smithy") amid the discoveries on this set.

The comedy in this set is a bit repetitive, since it usually boils down to a chase and people throwing things at each other. Since the set goes from 1914 to 1929, you'll notice some refinement in performances and gags as the silent era progressed. Most obviously, the title cards go from simple titles to whimsical lines like "The man who lived downstairs thought he was the original reason why girls left home, but no one agreed with him." There's also a hint of plot, if not logic, in the later shorts.

As you'd imagine with a set containing vintage shorts from the 1910s and 1920s, you'll notice lots of lines, grain, spots, and flickering. Occasionally, it's tough to read a scene, but most of the shorts still come across well enough. It looks like a few of the title cards have been replaced for readability, but the originals were mostly preserved. The modern soundtrack, in stereo, has an authentic feel to it.

David Kalat provides a commentary on "A Submarine Pirate." He shows a love for silent comedy, but his delivery is mile-a-minute as he rushes to get his points in. Couldn't he have slown down and done commentaries on two or three of these? Each short has a brief text description that puts it into historical context.

A bonus short called "Getting Ahead," apparently put together in the 1960s or 1970s, uses silent and sound clips to illustrate maxims for living. Stuff like "I never think of the future. It comes soon enough." The future, as depicted here, includes lots of pies in the face. Figures. There's also a 1916 promotional booklet for Charlie Chaplin included in DVD-ROM format.

If you've never seen silent comedians at work before, you'd probably be better off starting with the classics (Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush comes to mind first) or a collection of the more commonly shown works of a star like Chaplin or Buster Keaton.

American Slapstick is for people who are serious about silent comedy. In his commentary, David Kalat admits to being thrilled just to find Syd Chaplin's "A Submarine Pirate" and add it to this collection. If you've seen quite a few silent shorts and share that thrill of discovery, you'll appreciate this collection. "

--DVD Verdict

"American Slapstick will mean different things to different people. For hardcore comedy fans, it's a look back at where it all started. For die-hard cinephiles, it's a peek into a seminal era in film history. For some, this will be a hit-or-miss situation, with some flicks catching their eye but others leaving them cold. I probably come closer to the latter.
I'm definitely a film buff, though comedy isn't my favorite genre and I dont' always get into the older stuff. However, I still wanted to give this one a shot and I can tell you there are some real gems on here. The classic cinephile - particularly the one with a love of comedy - will find this a treasure trove from start to finish.

All of these certainly have cinematic value, though some reach into the present a little better than others. Comedy is a changing form and often very subjective within a cultural context.

For me, the more elaborate and/or wacky stuff was what really appealed to me. "Lizzies of the Field" with Billy Bevan. It's a crazy Keystone flavored flick that sends a bunch of cars on a mad race to the finish line with a variety of absurd but highly entertaining pranks manifesting along the way, culminating with a stick of dynamite being used in a rather not-to-be-recommended way.

"Heavy Love" with The Ton of Fun - the collective name for this trio of heavyweight (ahem) comedians. The guys cause all sorts of destruction as they struggle to build a house with their hilariously terrible carpentry skills.

'Sold At Auction" featuring Snub Pollard is also a riot. Pollard was apparently known for the zany tricks he would come up with for his films and this tale of a man going through slapstick hell to help auction items sell is evidence.

Those are my favorites. But the beauty of this eclectic collection of silent classics and rarities is that there's something on here for everyone. And with a little patience the modern mind can still have fun with the antics of Charlie Chaplain, Syd Chaplain (Charlie's brother who helped him break into showbusiness after which Syd was left in the dust popularity-wise), Billy West (amazing Chaplain imitator), Larry Semon (a slapstick maestro) Jack Duffy (makeup genius), Perry Murdock, Frances Lee (appearing in a skin-showing pre-code movie), Harold Lloyd (in some early stuff before he got into the stunts for which he was known), Eddie Boland, Stan Laurel (yep, him, and Ollie pops up in a couple of films on here, too) and Charley Chase.

This collection runs the gamut of classic silent slapstick styles and it's certainly an important release. These are all fun films in their own right and there's bound to be something on here you'd like.

--Kristopher Upjohn, B-Scared.com

"I must admit that I was reluctant to buy this set thinking "Oh no, not another batch of slapstick comedies" but being the silent film completist that I am I purchased it. Although I'm glad I did, this set is primarily for hardcore silent film afficionados like myself. While there are a couple of offerings from Chaplin and Lloyd and single comedies from Charley Chase and Stan Laurel, the bulk of this 3 DVD set is devoted to lesser known comedians and in a couple of instances truly obscure ones. This would probably make AMERICAN SLAPSTICK of little interest to the public at large. All of the films included here are taken from 16mm source materials and while many of the prints are in very good condition, they are not up to the standards set by earlier collections from Kino and Image Entertainment although this title is being distributed by Image. For the serious collector that is more than offset by the raritiy of some of the comedies in this collection. Do the names Eddie Boland, Perry Murdock or Frances Lee ring a bell? There are also complete versions of frequently excerpted shorts such as Larry Semon's GOLF (1922) and the Ton Of Fun's HEAVY LOVE (1926). The Snub Pollard starring vehicle SOLD AT AUCTION (1923) is one of the more amazing silent offerings I've ever seen complete with an astonishing array of imaginative camera tricks. The set is worth it for this comedy alone although Billy Bevan's LIZZIES OF THE FIELD (great title!) from 1924 is not far behind. Final assessment: AMERICAN SLAPSTICK features an interesting batch of curios from long forgotten or up and coming comedians in mostly good condition with suitable musical accompaniment provided by three different performers. A must for diehard fans of silent comedy but not the ideal set to start off with."

~Chip Kaufmann, Amazon.com

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Reviewers on American Slapstick
“The sad fact is that most of the silent comedians have been forgotten. This is unfortunate since many of their films are funny, but without name recognition there is little incentive to restore their films and almost no economic reasons to put them out on DVD. That's where American Slapstick comes in. This three DVD set collects 17 silent era comedy shorts, all of them new to DVD, and presents them in a nice three disc set. All Day Entertainment in association with Reel Classic DVD have collected some rare and wonderful comic gems. David Kalat of All Day Entertainment (yes, the same David Kalat who provided the wonderful commentaries for the Dr. Mabuse films of Fritz Lang) has selected a wonderful series of shorts that showcases these forgotten comics but also presents some rarer films of Lloyd and Chaplin. Just about all of the films are funny at least part of the time, and while a couple do fall flat (Beauty and the Bump, I'm looking at you) even these have their interesting points. This is a very good selection of rare and seldom seen silent shorts. This set gets a strong Recommendation, especially for comedy fans..” --John Sinnott, DVD Talk
	"The highlight of American Slapstick is Syd Chaplin's "A Submarine Pirate." While his brother might have gone on to create masterworks unparalleled in silent comedy, 1915 found Syd's work perhaps even a little smoother than what Charlie was doing at the time. The other lost silent star most worth finding here was Snub Pollard. His graceful delirium as he's hit by a brick was a scream, which is good, because he gets clobbered a lot in various ways in this one; he's also good at finding ingenious solutions—such as a piano ride down a busy city street—to the many problems that crop up. While the shorts featured here are uneven, Larry Semon, Charley Chase, and the Ton of Fun (who thankfully don't do as many heavy-guys-crashing-into-things gags as you might expect) all provide good comic performances. What might surprise you is that the lost Charlie Chaplin shorts unearthed here are some of the weakest material on the set. Chaplin was the greatest silent star, but it seems his best material has been picked over. However, you'll find a great Harold Lloyd short ("Pay Your Dues") and a Stan Laurel gem ("Smithy") amid the discoveries on this set. The comedy in this set is a bit repetitive, since it usually boils down to a chase and people throwing things at each other. Since the set goes from 1914 to 1929, you'll notice some refinement in performances and gags as the silent era progressed. Most obviously, the title cards go from simple titles to whimsical lines like "The man who lived downstairs thought he was the original reason why girls left home, but no one agreed with him." There's also a hint of plot, if not logic, in the later shorts. As you'd imagine with a set containing vintage shorts from the 1910s and 1920s, you'll notice lots of lines, grain, spots, and flickering. Occasionally, it's tough to read a scene, but most of the shorts still come across well enough. It looks like a few of the title cards have been replaced for readability, but the originals were mostly preserved. The modern soundtrack, in stereo, has an authentic feel to it. David Kalat provides a commentary on "A Submarine Pirate." He shows a love for silent comedy, but his delivery is mile-a-minute as he rushes to get his points in. Couldn't he have slown down and done commentaries on two or three of these? Each short has a brief text description that puts it into historical context. A bonus short called "Getting Ahead," apparently put together in the 1960s or 1970s, uses silent and sound clips to illustrate maxims for living. Stuff like "I never think of the future. It comes soon enough." The future, as depicted here, includes lots of pies in the face. Figures. There's also a 1916 promotional booklet for Charlie Chaplin included in DVD-ROM format. If you've never seen silent comedians at work before, you'd probably be better off starting with the classics (Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush comes to mind first) or a collection of the more commonly shown works of a star like Chaplin or Buster Keaton. American Slapstick is for people who are serious about silent comedy. In his commentary, David Kalat admits to being thrilled just to find Syd Chaplin's "A Submarine Pirate" and add it to this collection. If you've seen quite a few silent shorts and share that thrill of discovery, you'll appreciate this collection. " --DVD Verdict "American Slapstick will mean different things to different people. For hardcore comedy fans, it's a look back at where it all started. For die-hard cinephiles, it's a peek into a seminal era in film history. For some, this will be a hit-or-miss situation, with some flicks catching their eye but others leaving them cold. I probably come closer to the latter. I'm definitely a film buff, though comedy isn't my favorite genre and I dont' always get into the older stuff. However, I still wanted to give this one a shot and I can tell you there are some real gems on here. The classic cinephile - particularly the one with a love of comedy - will find this a treasure trove from start to finish. All of these certainly have cinematic value, though some reach into the present a little better than others. Comedy is a changing form and often very subjective within a cultural context. For me, the more elaborate and/or wacky stuff was what really appealed to me. "Lizzies of the Field" with Billy Bevan. It's a crazy Keystone flavored flick that sends a bunch of cars on a mad race to the finish line with a variety of absurd but highly entertaining pranks manifesting along the way, culminating with a stick of dynamite being used in a rather not-to-be-recommended way. "Heavy Love" with The Ton of Fun - the collective name for this trio of heavyweight (ahem) comedians. The guys cause all sorts of destruction as they struggle to build a house with their hilariously terrible carpentry skills. 'Sold At Auction" featuring Snub Pollard is also a riot. Pollard was apparently known for the zany tricks he would come up with for his films and this tale of a man going through slapstick hell to help auction items sell is evidence. Those are my favorites. But the beauty of this eclectic collection of silent classics and rarities is that there's something on here for everyone. And with a little patience the modern mind can still have fun with the antics of Charlie Chaplain, Syd Chaplain (Charlie's brother who helped him break into showbusiness after which Syd was left in the dust popularity-wise), Billy West (amazing Chaplain imitator), Larry Semon (a slapstick maestro) Jack Duffy (makeup genius), Perry Murdock, Frances Lee (appearing in a skin-showing pre-code movie), Harold Lloyd (in some early stuff before he got into the stunts for which he was known), Eddie Boland, Stan Laurel (yep, him, and Ollie pops up in a couple of films on here, too) and Charley Chase. This collection runs the gamut of classic silent slapstick styles and it's certainly an important release. These are all fun films in their own right and there's bound to be something on here you'd like. --Kristopher Upjohn, B-Scared.com "I must admit that I was reluctant to buy this set thinking "Oh no, not another batch of slapstick comedies" but being the silent film completist that I am I purchased it. Although I'm glad I did, this set is primarily for hardcore silent film afficionados like myself. While there are a couple of offerings from Chaplin and Lloyd and single comedies from Charley Chase and Stan Laurel, the bulk of this 3 DVD set is devoted to lesser known comedians and in a couple of instances truly obscure ones. This would probably make AMERICAN SLAPSTICK of little interest to the public at large. All of the films included here are taken from 16mm source materials and while many of the prints are in very good condition, they are not up to the standards set by earlier collections from Kino and Image Entertainment although this title is being distributed by Image. For the serious collector that is more than offset by the raritiy of some of the comedies in this collection. Do the names Eddie Boland, Perry Murdock or Frances Lee ring a bell? There are also complete versions of frequently excerpted shorts such as Larry Semon's GOLF (1922) and the Ton Of Fun's HEAVY LOVE (1926). The Snub Pollard starring vehicle SOLD AT AUCTION (1923) is one of the more amazing silent offerings I've ever seen complete with an astonishing array of imaginative camera tricks. The set is worth it for this comedy alone although Billy Bevan's LIZZIES OF THE FIELD (great title!) from 1924 is not far behind. Final assessment: AMERICAN SLAPSTICK features an interesting batch of curios from long forgotten or up and coming comedians in mostly good condition with suitable musical accompaniment provided by three different performers. A must for diehard fans of silent comedy but not the ideal set to start off with." ~Chip Kaufmann, Amazon.com

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