When Comedy Was King

When Comedy Was King (1960)

*** (out of 4)

Robert Youngson "documentary" showing various clips from the silent era including performers such as Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, The Keystone Cops, Laurel and Hardy, Edgar Kennedy, Gloria Swanson, Harry Langdon, Mabel Normand among various others. The film is a good way for newbies to see these legends in their prime but for me it's rather frustrating because I'd rather be watching the entire films rather than just little clips. I also always have a problem with these sorts of things because the clips are never as funny as they are in the entire movie. Either way, a decent doc that shows how great these guys were.

This enjoyable compilation of footage from an assortment of well-known silent comedies is fun to watch, and it brings back the feel of an era well worth remembering. It would also work as a good introduction to silent comedy for anyone curious about the era. The narration works well enough for the most part, taking an obviously admiring tone, while trying to convey a feel for the era as well as providing some information.

The silent movie years produced a great many fine, talented screen comedians, each of whom had his or her own particular style. Although it would not be possible to do justice to all of them - or even to mention every worthwhile comic of the era - in a single feature, this collection still does a good job of introducing several of the best-known comedians in some features that illustrate their styles and abilities.

Many silent film fans will already have seen most or all of the features that this compilation highlights, but even so, it can be very enjoyable to see these clips from some of the fine classics of the era, plus footage from some comics who were a cut below the best of their time, but who are still worth remembering.

For those less familiar with silent comedy, the selections provide a look at a fair number of the favorite performers of the era. It would be easy to suggest some other stars who would have been very worthy inclusions (Harold Lloyd, for example), but what there is here certainly provides some good examples. Several of the features chosen are from very funny movies that are worth seeing in their entirety if you have enjoyed the highlights.

This film documents a wide range of silent classics with clips from Keystone comedies made by Charlie Chaplin in 1914 through Charley Chase's Movie Night (1929), which provides the framing sequence. Highlighted performers include Fatty Arbuckle in Fatty and Mabel Adrift (1916), Harry Langdon in The First 100 Years (1924), and Laurel & Hardy in Big Business (1929). Other featured performers include Gloria Swanson, Snub Pollard, Anita Garvin & Marion Byron, Buster Keaton, Ben Turpin, and Billy Bevan. The narration is a bit incessant, but educational.

Really astonishing feature length footage of the greatest silent comedy stars and the stunt films that thrilled millions, all lovingly set in a nickelodeon and chapters for each personality and type of film. The voice over is the 'radio with pictures' type that suits and I guess seems like the Joe MacDoakes shorts or some inventor- cartoon narrator. The scenes are hilarious and exciting and reveal a rich heritage of silent movie history and the recognizable stars that made them justly famous. Each sequence is different and equally terrific. The Harry Langdon maid in the kitchen clip is fall down funny; My personal favorite is the awesome train stunt with Gloria Swanson tied to the tracks which had me screaming.

If you enjoy watching silent-era, slapstick comedy films, then, you're in for some real good laughs while viewing "When Comedy Was King".

Produced by Robert Youngson - This 80-minute anthology documentary is a nostalgic tribute to the long-gone era of the sight gag where actions always spoke louder than words.

Featuring such well-known performers as the Keystone Cops, Ben Turpin, Buster Keaton, and Laurel & Hardy - The contents of this entertaining disc also includes 3 bonus shorts for your added viewing pleasure.