This 4-DVD set has been a long time in coming and should go a long way in helping to restore Roscoe Arbuckle to his rightful place in the history of film comedy. One of its most rewarding aspects is the tracing of Arbuckle’s development as a comic genius and having the opportunity to see the antics of some of the lesser known people he surrounded himself with. The collaborations with Mabel Normand and Al St John have been around for years but you almost never get to see Minta Durfee (Arbuckle’s first wife and lifelong friend) or Edgar Kennedy (when he had hair) before his Hal Roach days. It’s great to have the early Keystone comedies in decent prints (paper prints from the Library Of Congress) although the formula does wear thin after awhile.
Of special interest are discs 3 and 4 devoted to Arbuckle after Keystone and to his directing efforts after the 1921 scandal which wrongly resulted in his being banned from the screen as a performer. This material is very rare and features comics Lloyd Hamilton and Lupino Lane as well as a special treat from Douglas Fairbanks called CHARACTER STUDIES which features Carter DeHaven and a surprise postscandal appearance by Arbuckle. There is also an over the top sound film with Al St John (before he became a B Western sidekick) called BRIDGE WIVES which must be seen to be believed.
This brings me to the three minor issues I have with this otherwise sterling set. It would have nice to have one of the late Arbuckle sound shorts included so that we could hear Roscoe talk as well as see one of his last onscreen appearances. Why are there two versions of HE DID AND HE DIDN’T (only the tinting differs) when there could have been one more comedy added? It would also have been nice to have more commentary to give background on these films as they unfold. Out of 30 films only 7 have this feature.
But these are minor complaints with one of the best packaged silent sets in recent memory. The film presentations are fine, the musical accompaniment ideal, the commentary good, and the choice of material is great (Fatty’s only surviving feature film LEAP YEAR is especially valuable to have and see). This release also comes with a comprehensive 35 page booklet on Arbuckle and the restoration work that needed to be done. Anyone who has any interest in silent film comedy should acquire this collection as soon as possible to be put up on the shelf with their Chaplin and Keaton sets. At long last Roscoe Arbuckle is finally getting his due and it’s about time.
The Capsule Critic 