Mafia Webinar: "Where and How Did You Meet the Silent Clowns?"

[Richard M Roberts]

A new Silent Comedy Mafia webinar featuring Hooman Mehren, Myself, Glenn Mitchell and Rob Farr talking about where and what films introduced us to a number of the silent comedians:

https://bit.ly/ComedyCollecting3

Get Comfortable.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Richard M Roberts]

We've been getting some nice feedback offline on the webinar, but if anyone on the mafia would like to offer their stories on how they were introduced to the Silent Clowns, feel free.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

[William Ferry]

My first exposure was the Charlie Chaplin Theater, when I was six. Actually, it might have been Funny Manns, the year earlier. This led to the Youngson films a bit later (When Comedy Was King was the first I saw).

[Richard M Roberts]

Yep, that so-maligned CHARLIE CHAPLIN THEATER once more won a convert! And all those cut-up shows like FUNNY MANNS and COMEDY CAPERS that were aimed at kids shows that the effort is never wasted.

My friend who works at out local Fire fighters museum the Hall of Flame told me this week about the reaction to an exhibit I helped them put together about firefighting in the movies. I gave them several silent comedies with a firefighting motif that they run in circulation, and more than once has he seen kids sitting there through the whole movies entranced and laughing. Last week, a kid sat transfixed through all of HIS FIRST FLAME with Harry Langdon, and apparently enjoyed it so much he went home and looked up Harry Langdon on his computer and even drew pictures of what he remembered about the film. We won another convert!

RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Ed Watz]

Thoroughly enjoyed the webinar, thank you all, it was a lot of fun listening to your anecdotes, everyone's comments stirred up similar memories for me.

Speaking of THE CHARLIE CHAPLIN COMEDY THEATRE, I recall as a kid being intrigued by the show's opening & closing credits, featuring Charley Chase in MOVIE NIGHT, segueing into clips from HIS TRYSTING PLACE and THE MASQUERADER. Each of these clips could be seen in expanded form at the start of WHEN COMEDY WAS KING which I found curious: did anyone clear the Chase footage with Roach or Herb Gelbspan?

Years later I got to see nearly the entire run of the CC THEATRE again and was surprised to see clips from Mabel Normand's ANYTHING ONCE! and Chaplin's RECREATION included to pad out a few episodes. Also some of the prints I screened had narration while others didn't.

Although they can't compare with the beautiful restorations we have today it's still a welcome nostalgia trip for me, seeing (and listening to) the CC THEATRE episodes. Those stock themes are forever ingrained in my head.

If you want to relive childhood memories, the syndicated edition of WORK is on youtube:

https://youtu.be/pnOhyOzzQ4A

The two-parter episode of TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE used to be on youtube; it might still be there, but after searching a while I gave up going through the dozens of TILLIE'S to find it.

[Richard M Roberts]

Thanks Ed for the kind words and glad you enjoyed the webinar.

Yes, the wonderful old Thomas J. Valentino Music Library whose tunes graced the CC Theater and Blackhawk releases and innumerable School Educational Films, TV and Radio commercials and anywhere that wanted generic non-royalty music in the 50's, 60's and 70's.

My favorite score for YOU'RE DARN TOOTIN' is still the one Blackhawk compiled from Valentino materials back in the 70's, TOOTIN' just ain't the same without the patented Valentino "BOING-ING-ING-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-" every time Stan Laurel kicks someone in the shins.

RICHARD M ROBERTS