When Comedy Was King (1960)

Director:

Robert Youngson

Writer:

Robert Youngson (writer)

Release Date:

29 March 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Documentary

Plot:

A feature-length documentary devoted to the great clowns of silent comedy. |

Plot Keywords:

Dog

Cast

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle	...	edited from 'fatty & mabel adrift' (archive footage) (as Fatty Arbuckle)
Wallace Beery	...	edited from 'teddy at the throttle' (archive footage)
Charles Chaplin	...	(archive footage) (as Charlie Chaplin)
Charley Chase	...	edited from 'movie night' (archive footage) (as Charlie Chase)
Buster Keaton	...	edited from 'cops' (archive footage)
Edgar Kennedy	...	edited from 'a pair of tights' (archive footage)
Keystone Kops	...	(archive footage) (as The Keystone Cops)
Harry Langdon	...	edited from 'the first 100 years' (archive footage)
Stan Laurel	...	edited from 'big business' (archive footage) (as Laurel)
Oliver Hardy	...	edited from 'big business' (archive footage) (as Hardy)
Mabel Normand	...	edited from 'fatty & mabel adrift' (archive footage)
The Sennett Girls	...	edited from 'yukon jake' (archive footage)
Gloria Swanson	...	edited from 'teddy at the throttle' (archive footage)
Ben Turpin	...	edited from 'yukon jake' (archive footage)
Billy Bevan	...	(archive footage)

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Robert Youngson Productions

Trivia:

Footage excerpted from Movie Night (1929), Fatty and Mabel Adrift (1916), Teddy at the Throttle (1917), The First 100 Years (1924), It's a Gift (1923), A Pair of Tights (1929), Cops (1922), Yukon Jake (1924), Big Business (1929) and others.

Movie Connections:

References The Golden Age of Comedy (1957)

Soundtrack:

Mademoiselle from Armentières

Enjoyable Compilation That Would Also Be a Good Introduction to Silent Comedy

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.