BECOMING
CHARLEY
CHASE
Name a comedian in the first part of the 20th century--Charley Chase worked with them, either on or off screen. He was a brilliant comedy writer, film director, and a major movie star. Almost single-handedly, he transformed the world of screen comedy from chaotic slapstick violence into a newly sophisticated comedy of manners, and laid the groundwork for the modern sitcom.
He was the world's biggest skinny man--and this is where his legend begins.
This deluxe 4 disc collection provides a comprehensive look at Charley Chase's early years, from his days as a budding talent at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios to becoming one of Hollywood's most in-demand comedy directors to his breakthrough as one of the top box office draws of the 1920s.
DISC ONE:
CHARLES PARROTT AT KEYSTONE (AND MORE!)
PEANUTS AND BULLETS 1/30/15 Music by the Snark Ensemble 12:13
LOVE IN ARMOR 3/11/15 Music by Ben Model 13:29
SETTLED AT THE SEASIDE 03/29/15 Music by Redwine Jazz 6:32
THE RENT JUMPERS 04/08/15 Music by Redwine Jazz 11:01
LOVE, LOOT, AND CRASH 04/24/15 Music by Ben Model 12:21
A VERSATILE VILLAIN 05/29/15 Music by Ben Model 13:00
HE WOULDN'T STAY DOWN 05/30/15 Music by Ben Model 14:23
MARRIED TO ORDER 10/30/20 Music by the Snark Ensemble 16:11
Bonus: "THE PARROTT CHASE" 45 minute documentary featurette
and optional audio commentaries on all shorts
DISC TWO:
CHARLEY CHASE BECOMES JIMMY JUMP
AT FIRST SIGHT 01/06/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:57
ONE OF THE FAMILY 01/26/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 10:13
JUST A MINUTE 02/03/24 Music by Ben Model 12:17
POWDER AND SMOKE 02/10/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:57
HARD KNOCKS 03/02/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 10:41
DON'T FORGET 03/23/24 Surviving extract Music by the Snark Ensemble 2:59
THE FRAIDY CAT 03/30/24 Music by Ben Model 10:46
PUBLICITY PAYS 05/04/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:55
YOUNG OLDFIELD 06/22/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:41
STOLEN GOODS 06/29/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 10:30
JEFFRIES, JR. 07/06/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:27
A TEN-MINUTE EGG 7/20/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:56
SEEING NELLIE HOME 07/27/24 Partial reconstruction from surviving material Music by Ben Model 5:43
OUTDOOR PAJAMAS 09/14/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 8:38
SITTIN' PRETTY 09/28/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 10:15
TOO MANY MAMMAS 10/12/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:00
Bonus Material:
ACCIDENTAL ACCIDENTS 11/9/24 surviving extract Music by Ben Model 2:12
EVOLUTION OF A GAG: tracing the history of the mirror gag 7:37
and optional audio commentaries on all shorts
DISC THREE:
JIMMY JUMP BECOMES CHARLEY CHASE
THE POOR FISH 12/07/24 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:30
THE RATS KNUCKLES 01/04/25 Music by Ben Model 9:17
HELLO BABY! 1/1/8/25 Music by the Snark Ensemble 10:29
FIGHTING FLUID 02/01/25 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:50
SHOULD HUSBANDS BE WATCHED? 03/14/25 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:34
IS MARRIAGE THE BUNK? 03/29/25 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:54
BAD BOY 04/12/25 Charley Chase's first surviving two-reel short Music by the Snark Ensemble 18:24
BIG RED RIDING HOOD 04/26/25 Music by the Snark Ensemble 9:47
LOOKING FOR SALLY The last appearance of Jimmy Jump 05/10/25 Music by Ben Model 20:20
NO FATHER TO GUIDE HIM 09/06/25 Music by the Snark Ensemble 19:09
Bonus: "THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE" music featurette
and optional audio commentaries on all shorts
DISC FOUR:
DIRECTED BY CHARLEY PARROTT
A ROLLING STONE Billy West 01/20/19 Music by Ben Model 18:48
THE FLIRTS Harry Mann & Jimmie Adams 04/08/19 Music by the West End Jazz Band 21:38
THE DUMB BELL Snub Pollard 07/16/22 Music by Ben Redwine and Redwine Jazz 9:23
SOFT PEDAL Paul Parrott 12/16/22 Music by Ben Model 9:50
COURTSHIP OF MILES SANDWICH Snub Pollard 06/24/23 Music by the West End Jazz Band 19:12
JUS PASSIN THROUGH Will Rogers Music by Ben Model 27:05
DEAR OLD PAL Snub Pollard and Paul Parrott, the last film directed by Charles Parrott before he became Charley Chase 11/11/23 Music by Redwine Jazz 9:38
Bonus: Interview with Charley's daughter June Chase Hargis 14:31
and optional audio commentaries on all shorts
how to buy
All Day partnered with VCI Entertainment to publish this set. It remains available for sale directly from VCI.
Click here for more information.
This DVD was once planned to include a booklet, with essays about the films, photos, and liner notes--and you can still have access to this booklet at the Silent Comedy Mafia message board.
Have you been bitten by the Snub bug? All these terrific Snub Pollard shorts on AMERICAN SLAPSTICK VOLUMES 1 & 2 and BECOMING CHARLEY CHASE probably got you hungry for more. Well, we here at All Day Entertainment feel your pain--and we've responded. Exclusively available from this website is our version of FRESH PAINT.
This one-reel short was directed by Alf Goulding and released to theaters March 7, 1920. It stars Snub Pollard and Marie Mosquini, with Harold Lloyd's brother Gaylord Lloyd as a bike messenger, Noah Young as a jealous husband, and Eddie Boland as an artist.The musical setting is derived from jazz recordings by Manolo Camp and Reno Project, published under a Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike Generic 2.5 license.
