Just a gentle plug...
It's back... and BIGGER THAN EVER!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn-rEqIRGdQ
Cinema Museum - Info and booking page:
http://www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/2024/ken ... weekend-3/
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ken ... pe/1371001
Silent Laughter 2024 - Cinema Museum, London
Re: Silent Laughter 2024 - Cinema Museum, London
and the programme notes have been unleashed too!... (just to make you realise what you may be missing!)...
http://www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/wordpres ... redits.pdf
The notes are written by Glenn Mitchell, Matthew Ross, Michelle Facey and Uli Reudel... (oh, but they don't include the EXTRA super surprises that we've got tucked up our silent sleeves... yuckety yuk yuk)...
http://www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/wordpres ... redits.pdf
The notes are written by Glenn Mitchell, Matthew Ross, Michelle Facey and Uli Reudel... (oh, but they don't include the EXTRA super surprises that we've got tucked up our silent sleeves... yuckety yuk yuk)...
-
Matthew Ross
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Mon May 13, 2024 1:09 am
Re: Silent Laughter 2024 - Cinema Museum, London
Well, we had a grand old time at the Cinema Museum last weekend. The house was packed pretty full for most of it - lovely to see that there's still an audience for the likes of Charley Chase, Syd Chaplin, Charlie Murray, Pat & Patachon or Marion Davies, as well as the "big guns".
I thought that a few of the rarer bits and pieces we saw might be of interest to y'all:
SHE LOVES ME NOT (1918). This is a rare Harold Lloyd one-reeler that hasn't come out on DVD and doesn't seem to circulate. We viewed the BFI's 35mm copy. It's a fab little film! Harold and Snub work more in tandem than rivalry for a change, united in their quest to stop Bud Jamison taking Bebe Daniels to the seaside. Some funny gags, including the pair hiding in some barrels, which turn out to be full of paint, and later clinging to the side of a railway restaurant car and stealing items from Jamison's meal.
OH! WHAT A NURSE! (1926) The culmination of Syd Chaplin's drag films for Warner Brothers, this feature was unavailable for many years. Serge Bromberg very kindly let us give this film it's UK re-premiere (since restoration, it's only been screened at Pordenone last Autumn). It features Syd in two drag roles - the lonely hearts columnist 'Dolly Whimple', and later the nurse of the title. The plot is a bit overly complex, but there are still space for loads of great routines. Some highlights:
- Syd's attempts to eat a super-quick breakfast as he rushes off to work (with a hard boiled egg in each cheek)
- A lovely scene of pantomime as Syd tries to convey a message to Patsy Ruth Miller
- A flirtatious game of Hide and Seek with Edgar Kennedy
- The long-suffering Kennedy getting a health check up from Syd, with a full-sized wall thermometer, a hammer and a boiling hot spoon!
All in all, lots of fun.
HAZEL FROM HOLLYWOOD (1924)
A one-reel cutdown of this scarce Dorothy Devore film, set behind the scenes of a film studio. Sadly it was lacking any intertitles, which made it a bit confusing to follow, but there were some fun sight gags debunking stunts and filmmaking techniques. Always nice to see Miss Devore, too. This print was kindly shared by Chris Bird.
HOYT PAA EN KVIST/ THE MANNEQUINS (1929)
Pat and Patachon's films are a bit of a mixed bag, and are perhaps an acquired taste. This one is a real charmer, though, full of lively sight gags and gentle character moments. There are some very Langdonesque touches, including a lovely, slow sequence where Patachon battles with his conscience as he debates whether to steal a loaf of bread. In fact, I think of Patachon as a kind of blend between Langdon and Curly Howard. Uli Ruedel provided a nice introduction to their work before the screening. This one is available to view on the Danish Film Archive website (it is here in Europe, anyway, not sure about the US?)
THE GORILLA (1927)
This one was fantastic - in the mould of THE BAT and THE CAT AND THE CANARY, but I thought it was perhaps the funniest of the three. Fred Kelsey and Charlie Murray appear as incompetent detectives, with Charles Gemora as the gorilla, and Syd Crossley in a juicy comic role as a butler. Impressive lighting, camerawork and some fantastic character comedy from Murray. This screening was kindly enabled by the Cineteca Milano, and Steve Massa introduced, via video link.
Charlie Murray was a recurring theme through the weekend: we also saw the recently rediscovered THE PILL POUNDER, with Clara Bow, A FATAL FLIRTATION, from Chris Bird's collection and the BFI print of HOGAN'S ARISTOCRATIC DREAM. The latter was a great little Keystone, with a gentler pace than usual and some elaborate costumes and settings as tramps Murray and Bobby Dunn dream themselves into a Regency setting. And a lovely, clear print too!
A show of 9.5 films by Chris Bird and Dave Glass let us see some real rarities, including RAINBOW ISLAND with Lloyd and Pollard, a longer version of the surviving extract of Langdon's HORACE GREELY, JR and 365 DAYS with Snub Pollard. A surprise hit was the Hall Room Boys comedy HIGH FLYERS, with Sid Smith. Beginning with some fun gags set in a nursery, it made its way then a sublimely ridiculous climax as the pair chase a runaway baby (actually a doll) which is tied to some helium balloons. Soon we're in Harold Lloyd territory as they chase the baby up a skyscraper: accompanied by a monkey, for good measure. Only in silent comedy...
We also ran three of the brand new Charley Chase 1927 restorations, which were WONDERFUL. But I've written more about those in the Chase thread.
That's just a quick taste of some of the goodies we saw. Thanks to everyone who shared their collections, and gave us permission to screen these rare and wonderful films.
Matt
I thought that a few of the rarer bits and pieces we saw might be of interest to y'all:
SHE LOVES ME NOT (1918). This is a rare Harold Lloyd one-reeler that hasn't come out on DVD and doesn't seem to circulate. We viewed the BFI's 35mm copy. It's a fab little film! Harold and Snub work more in tandem than rivalry for a change, united in their quest to stop Bud Jamison taking Bebe Daniels to the seaside. Some funny gags, including the pair hiding in some barrels, which turn out to be full of paint, and later clinging to the side of a railway restaurant car and stealing items from Jamison's meal.
OH! WHAT A NURSE! (1926) The culmination of Syd Chaplin's drag films for Warner Brothers, this feature was unavailable for many years. Serge Bromberg very kindly let us give this film it's UK re-premiere (since restoration, it's only been screened at Pordenone last Autumn). It features Syd in two drag roles - the lonely hearts columnist 'Dolly Whimple', and later the nurse of the title. The plot is a bit overly complex, but there are still space for loads of great routines. Some highlights:
- Syd's attempts to eat a super-quick breakfast as he rushes off to work (with a hard boiled egg in each cheek)
- A lovely scene of pantomime as Syd tries to convey a message to Patsy Ruth Miller
- A flirtatious game of Hide and Seek with Edgar Kennedy
- The long-suffering Kennedy getting a health check up from Syd, with a full-sized wall thermometer, a hammer and a boiling hot spoon!
All in all, lots of fun.
HAZEL FROM HOLLYWOOD (1924)
A one-reel cutdown of this scarce Dorothy Devore film, set behind the scenes of a film studio. Sadly it was lacking any intertitles, which made it a bit confusing to follow, but there were some fun sight gags debunking stunts and filmmaking techniques. Always nice to see Miss Devore, too. This print was kindly shared by Chris Bird.
HOYT PAA EN KVIST/ THE MANNEQUINS (1929)
Pat and Patachon's films are a bit of a mixed bag, and are perhaps an acquired taste. This one is a real charmer, though, full of lively sight gags and gentle character moments. There are some very Langdonesque touches, including a lovely, slow sequence where Patachon battles with his conscience as he debates whether to steal a loaf of bread. In fact, I think of Patachon as a kind of blend between Langdon and Curly Howard. Uli Ruedel provided a nice introduction to their work before the screening. This one is available to view on the Danish Film Archive website (it is here in Europe, anyway, not sure about the US?)
THE GORILLA (1927)
This one was fantastic - in the mould of THE BAT and THE CAT AND THE CANARY, but I thought it was perhaps the funniest of the three. Fred Kelsey and Charlie Murray appear as incompetent detectives, with Charles Gemora as the gorilla, and Syd Crossley in a juicy comic role as a butler. Impressive lighting, camerawork and some fantastic character comedy from Murray. This screening was kindly enabled by the Cineteca Milano, and Steve Massa introduced, via video link.
Charlie Murray was a recurring theme through the weekend: we also saw the recently rediscovered THE PILL POUNDER, with Clara Bow, A FATAL FLIRTATION, from Chris Bird's collection and the BFI print of HOGAN'S ARISTOCRATIC DREAM. The latter was a great little Keystone, with a gentler pace than usual and some elaborate costumes and settings as tramps Murray and Bobby Dunn dream themselves into a Regency setting. And a lovely, clear print too!
A show of 9.5 films by Chris Bird and Dave Glass let us see some real rarities, including RAINBOW ISLAND with Lloyd and Pollard, a longer version of the surviving extract of Langdon's HORACE GREELY, JR and 365 DAYS with Snub Pollard. A surprise hit was the Hall Room Boys comedy HIGH FLYERS, with Sid Smith. Beginning with some fun gags set in a nursery, it made its way then a sublimely ridiculous climax as the pair chase a runaway baby (actually a doll) which is tied to some helium balloons. Soon we're in Harold Lloyd territory as they chase the baby up a skyscraper: accompanied by a monkey, for good measure. Only in silent comedy...
We also ran three of the brand new Charley Chase 1927 restorations, which were WONDERFUL. But I've written more about those in the Chase thread.
That's just a quick taste of some of the goodies we saw. Thanks to everyone who shared their collections, and gave us permission to screen these rare and wonderful films.
Matt
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