Charley Chase: At Hal Roach: The Talkies Volume Two 1932-33

By 1932 Charley Chase had seen his status at the Roach studio fall due to the booming popularity of Laurel & Hardy. It had to of been tough witnessing their ascent. Stan and Babe were both friends and companions to him, so there was no animosity towards their success. But Chase had been the top dog on the lot throughout the 1920s, first as the creative head supervisor of production, then as star comedian who stepped in to fill the void following Harold Lloyd's departure. Now he was relegated to the number two position. In the eyes of some, he may even had slipped to the third spot behind Our Gang, whose series was always a fan favorite among industry exhibitors.He countered those feelings by exploring new veins of comedy to keep his series fresh. His character is still basically the same man about town from his silent films who suffers public embarrassment and shame. But the glaring difference now is that his sophistication level has been tamped way down. He now gets easily flustered around women and can't speak. He's practically jumping out of his skin by Anita Garvin's overt come-ons in HIS SILENT RACKET (33). GIRL GRIEF (32) sticks him inside an all-girls school just so we can watch him squirm. But it's not just women. He can also get tongue-tied asking parents for their daughter's hand in marriage in NOW WE'LL TELL ONE (32) and NATURE IN THE WRONG (33). But becoming squirrely around the opposite sex is not set in stone. Like his previous shorts with a war setting (and there are 3 on this set), he revives the fresh and flirty Charley that we come to expect from all service men. So just when we think we have Charley nailed down in the sound era, Chase introduces a more naive aspect to his talkies persona. YOUNG IRONSIDES (32) (a marvelous short) has Charley hired to prevent a millionaire's daughter from entering a beauty contest. While traveling to Atlantic City by train, he strikes up a conversation with the lovely Muriel Evans in the dining car and immediately spills the beans about his confidential mission. Muriel, of course, is the daughter he is suppose to find. But she is so good natured that she spends the entire running time helping Charley trying to find herself. What a gal!Which brings us to Charley's work career. He use to exert ambition and strove for success in his silent comedies. Now he seems settled and content to slave away at menial office jobs. He's like Harold Lloyd in Preston Sturges SIN OF HAROLD DIDDLEBOCK -- never really moving beyond his youthful ambitions. Granted, the depression is still at its height in 1933 so Charley is unemployed a lot in these films. But when he is employed it is usually as a clerk. THE TABASCO KID (32) is set at a western dude ranch filled with cowhands, but Charley is no cowboy. He is ranch owner Billy Gilbert's accountant who handles the payroll. He is an efficiency expert in THE NICKEL NURSER (32), and two more midlevel clerks in FALLEN ARCHES (33) and MR. BRIDE (32) . Chase always enjoyed poking fun at conventional life, so we shouldn't be too surprised by his career choices.And in case I haven't emphasised it enough yet, there is much fun to be had in all this 2 disc set of shorts from Kit Parker Films. First off, they are definitely in the mode of all Hal Roach products of the time. Gags like Charley and Del Henderson drinking liquid soap and then blowing animated bubbles (IN WALKED CHARLEY) can be seen in various incarnations in L&H and Our Gang shorts. Running gags occur throughout most of these shorts. None more obvious than Charley continually taking spills on a runaway bike in MIDSUMMER MADNESS (33). And Chase has the same affinity as Stan Laurel in taking an idea and then milking it to almost the entire length of a short. Half way through GIRL GRIEF cats are introduced as Charley tries to turn in for the night. However, his bed has been sprinkled with catnip and more and more cats appear at his bedroom window. As he tosses one out, three more wander into the room. Just when we think he has resolved it so we can move on, the sequence starts right back up and continues to the final fade out. A bomb hidden inside a laundry truck takes up half the footage of HIS SILENT RACKET. The cast runs around frantically and the bomb squad is called in (sad that we had a bomb squad even back then) but it culminates in a great concluding sight gag that makes the entire sequence well worth it.In fact, any of the shorts that harken back to the silent comedy era elevates its status in my eyes. THE NICKEL NURSER (folks being shot in the rear by a shotgun), YOUNG IRONSIDES (all of the shenanigans on the boardwalk), FALLEN ARCHES (the hitchhiking gags), MIDSUMMER MADNESS (constant trips into the lake) and LUNCHEON AT TWELVE (the well crafted tit-for-tat painting sequence) (33) all give off a great silent slapstick vibe as Chase reworks many sequences and gags from his silent shorts and show him at his finest.After watching the entire set I would suggest starting over and take in the film commentaries by noted film historian, collector and tallest man in the room, Richard M. Roberts. You will hear more information than you can shake a stick at.

I have been a fan of Mr. Chase since first seeing clips from his silent era Hal Roach Studio short subjects in Robert Youngson silent era comedy compilation films, both on TV and on the big screen (in our long-gone local movie palace). He made just a handful of appearances in feature films, but was the king of his domain: the 2-reel comedy. While I consider Buster Keaton the greatest filmmaker and a visionary, Max Linder the screen comedy pioneer, Charlie Chaplin the most graceful performer, Harold Lloyd the best of the best story constructionists and the likes of Harry Langdon, Lloyd "The Poor Soul" Hamilton (post "Ham & Bud") and W.C. Fields the most brilliantly original and unusual comedians, no comics other than Laurel & Hardy get me laughing louder than Charley Chase does.For those who haven't seen his films on Turner Classic Movies or on other DVDs, Chase's m.o. was to plunge his well-intentioned but slightly goofy regular guy character into the most embarrassing and ridiculous situations imaginable. Because Charley plays a dapper fellow, closer to Cary Grant or Dick Van Dyke than the "look at me - aren't I funny" school of comedy, he gets away with the silliest, most absurdist stuff onscreen. Some of the most gloriously silly films of his, such as NATURE IN THE WRONG (1933), in which Charley is a descendant of Tarzan The Ape Man, are on this set. As volume 1 of this series did, this adds early 1930's style risqué humor (not quite as up-front as in the films of Wheeler & Woolsey and The Marx Brothers, but definitely a fun element in the mix) to Chase's singular approach to comedy.Transfers look great and both extras and the commentaries are interesting and informative. This set is highly recommended for the classic movie and comedy fan bookshelf.

The folks at Sprocket Vault have followed up their first volume of Charley Chase talkie short comedies with volume two, which includes fifteen more films that Chase made while at the Hal Roach Studios during 1932-'33. During this period Chase's screen character took on a slightly more polished persona (donning spectacles), but still able to churn out laughs in comic situations this time ranging from science-fiction (NOW WE'LL TELL ONE) to surrealism (NATURE IN THE WRONG). FALLEN ARCHES has Charley in a hitch-hiking scene that predates Claudette Colbert's leg-flashing in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT and is quite funny.After gorgeous Thelma Todd teamed up with ZaSu Pitts for their own series of Roach shorts, Chase had to find another leading lady. Muriel Evans is the most frequently starred, and while scoring in the looks department, she doesn't possess Thelma's comedic sense. However, Thelma returns for THE NICKEL NURSER which, not surprisingly, is one of the best of the bunch. Other reliable stock players are on hand as well, like Billy Gilbert, Dell Henderson and Jimmie Finlayson (king of the double-take).Once again film historian Richard M. Roberts offers audio commentaries on all of the films and his knowledgeable input is a welcome asset. The Spanish four-reeler of LOOSER THAN LOOSE and a poster/stills gallery round out the extras.This great collection of classic short comedies from "The Lot of Fun" is a no-brainer for fans, and belongs on the shelf right next to Charley Chase At Hal Roach Volume One. Let's hope there's a third...Highly recommended.

Very satisfied with this purchase. Very good quality and a wonderful opportunity to enjoy one of the most talented comedians!

I don't have any problems with the transfer or quality of the sound or picture but as many reviews have already mentioned the shorts simply aren't that good.

Wonderful shorts from the Golden Age of two-reel comedies.

チャーリー・チェイス(1893-1940)は、日本では、サイレント・コメディのアンソロジー作品『喜劇の大将』の抜粋映像で紹介されたぐらいで、その主演作が全く公開されなかったこともあり、欧米に比べると、あまり認知されていないコメディアンだ。同じ「チャーリー」であるチャップリンが「喜劇の王様」なら、チェイスは、さしずめ「喜劇の王子様」と言っていいだろう。チャップリンが自由な放浪者であるのに対し、チェイスが演じるのは、日常のしがらみに囚われているごく普通の、気弱でちょっとさえない都会人(なで肩で、ひょろっとした痩身体形も何とも言えないおかしさがある)。そんな彼が、のっぴきならない厄介な状況に巻き込まれることで笑いを惹き起す。特に、ハル・ローチ時代は、ローチ喜劇の特徴であるスラップスティック調が強調され、数々の身体を張ったギャグも披露している。本DVDセットは、 Vol.1 に続き、1932年と1933年のハル・ローチ時代に作られたチェイス主演の短編15本を2枚のディスクに収めたもの。ディスク構成は下記の通り。【Disc1】:●“The Tabasco Kid”牧場で経理を担当しているチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、密かに牧場主の娘メアリー(フランセス・リー)に密かに思いを寄せている。そんなある日、都会から帰省したメアリーを迎えに行った帰途、チャーリーは、盗賊のフランシスコ・ムリエッタ(チェイス二役)一味を見かけ…。●“The Nickel Nurser”三人の娘たちの浪費癖に悩んだ富裕層のトッド(エドワード・ディロン)は、その道の専門家としてチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)を雇い、娘たちにお金の大事さを説くようにお願いするのだが…。●“In Walked Charley”旅行会社の社員のチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、バミューダ行きのチケットをヘンダーソン家に届けに来る。妻と娘が自分を置いて旅行へ行くことを知った父親(デル・ヘンダーソン)は、突然、頭がおかしくなったふりをし、何とか妻と娘の旅行を阻止しようとするのだが…。●“First in War”陸軍軍曹のチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、趣味の作曲の腕を生かし、たまたま楽譜店の前で知り合ったニカラニア大統領(ルイス・アルバーニ)のために、国歌を作曲する。やがて任務に戻ったチャーリーは、大統領が危険人物として陸軍の独房に入れられていることを知り…。●“Young Ironsides”ニューヨークの富豪エヴァンス(クラレンス・ウィルソン)は、娘のミュリエル(ミュリエル・エヴァンス)が水着コンテストに出場すると知り、何とかそれを阻止しようとする。そんな折、1000ドルでどんなことでも請け負うという男「恐れ知らず」(チャーリー・チェイス)の新聞広告を読んだエヴァンスは、彼にすべてを任せるのだが…。●“Girl Grief”体調を崩した母親の代わりに、女学校で、音楽の指導をすることになったチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)。問題は、彼は女性が大の苦手だということ。若い女生徒たちにからかわれながらも、何とか授業を続けるチャーリーだったが…。●“Now We’ll Tell One”チャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、ひょんな偶然から、人格を別の人間と入れ替えてしまうベルトを腰に巻き付けてしまう。次から次へと別人になってしまうチャーリーは、様々な騒動を巻き起こし…。●“Mr. Bride”会社社長のヘンダーソン(デル・ネンダーソン)は、結婚してハネムーン旅行へ行く予行練習をするため、部下のチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)に花嫁役をお願いする。しぶしぶ、社長の「予行練習」のクルーズ旅行につき合うチャーリーだったが…。【Disc2】:●“Fallen Arches”チャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、勤勉な社員ながら、上司の指示を一字一句真に受けて失態をおかすのが玉に瑕。そんな折、LA支社の社員が会社の金を持ち逃げしたことが発覚し、上司は、チャーリーにLA支社へ向かうよう指示するのだが…。●“Nature in The Wrong”チャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、ミュリエル(ミュリエル・エヴァンス)との結婚を考えているが、彼女の母親(ノラ・セシル)から、娘との結婚には名門の血筋の者しか認めないと釘をさされる。早速、チャーリーは、自分の先祖を調べるが、何と類猿人ターザンが先祖だということがわかる…。●“His Silent Racket”閑古鳥が鳴くクリーニング店を営むフィンレイソン(ジェームズ・フィンレイソン)は、ギャングからみかじめ料を要求され、戦々恐々としている。そこで、フィンレイソンは共同経営者を募り、店の経営を任せることにする。何も知らないチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、意気揚々と応募するのだが…。●“Arabian Tights”チャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)と仲間たちは、ひょんなことで、フランス外人部隊に入隊してしまう。灼熱の砂漠を行軍するチャーリーたちは、アラブのスルタンに捕まってしまい…。●“Sherman Said It”フランス前線で戦うアメリカ兵のチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、戦争が終結して、晴れて母国へ帰ろうとするものの、色々な理由でフランスに留まることになってしまう…。●“Midsummer Mush”ボーイスカウト隊長のチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、子どもたちを引き連れてキャンプ場へとやって来る。途中知り会ったベティ(ベティ・マック)と良い関係になろうとするチャーリーだったが…。●“Luncheon at Twelve”失業中のチャーリー(チャーリー・チェイス)は、ひょんなことから近所に住むベティ(ベティ・マック)と知り合い、彼女の父親の下で働くことになる。室内装飾ということで、喜んで最初の仕事をすることになるが、実はペンキ屋だということがわかり…。本DVDセットは、隠れたクラシック作品を出来うる限り良質の素材を使ってBlu-ray、DVDとして発売する米Kit Parker FilmsのThe Sprocket Vaultレーベルから発売されたもの。35mmオリジナル・ネガ(かそれに準ずるフィルム素材)をフィルム・スキャン、レストアしてマスターを作ったようで、もちろん、細かいパラやキズなどは残っているものの、白黒諧調も悪くなく、ディテール表現も比較的精細で、製作年を考えれば、十分すぎるほどの美麗画質と言えるだろう。音声も、もちろんノイズが残ったりしているのだが、セリフが聞き取れないというようなことは全くない。英語字幕(黄色)も収録。特典には、以下のものが収録。●映画プロデューサー、リチャード・M・ロバーツによるコメンタリー●西語版”Looser than Loose”(41分11秒)●フォトギャラリー(4分34秒)本DVDは、北米盤ながら、リージョンAll仕様なので、日本製のリージョン2 プレーヤーで問題なく視聴可能だ。 Vol.1