I have eagerly awaited this release since I first heard about it. The opportunity to see some of the lesser known Keystone comedies in Flicker Alley’s usual excellent transfers was one that couldn’t be passed up. I am happy to report that not only was I pleasantly surprised and completely satisfied, but this set exceeded my wildest expectations. If you want a representaive sampling of the man responsible for much of American silent comedy, here it is. Everyone knows the name of Mack Sennett (1880-1960) but outside of Charlie Chaplin, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, and the Keystone Cops, very little of Sennett’s vast output has been seen. This set not only rectifies that but presents its offerings in chronological order from D.W Griffith’s landmark THE CURTAIN POLE (1909) through W.C. Fields’ surreal and utterly bizarre THE FATAL GLASS OF BEER (1933). Most people aren’t aware of just how long Sennett was active, how many changes he went through, or how many major careers he launched but this 3 Blu-Ray set and the accompanying booklet will help to remedy that. There is even guest commentary on a number of the offerings that add more historical detail for those of you (like me) who can’t get enough background information.
Disc 1 finally allowed me to see THE CURTAIN POLE in its entirety. It gives Sennett one of his first starring roles and he wrote it as well. Next up are 2 rare Biograph comedies along with the first important Mabel Normand vehicle THE WATER NYMPH (1912). Several short Keystone comedies follow that introduce us to Ford Sterling, Mack Swain as his Ambrose character and a brief (6 minutes) Chaplin effort that shows him honing his tramp character. 24 films in all including a beautiful print of FATTY & MABEL ADRIFT (1915). Disc 2 offers 9 two reelers featuring the likes of Syd Chaplin and Harry Langdon as well as a couple of feature films including Mabel Normand’s last hurrah, THE EXTRA GIRL (1923). Disc 3 starts out with 5 silents and then moves into the talkie era as it showcases 2 W.C. Fields shorts including a pristine uncut version of the heavily censored THE DENTIST (1932). There’s also a brief early color short with sound, THE BLUFFER, which I had never even heard of until now. As if that weren’t enough, each disc comes with a number of bonus shorts including outtakes, rare footage of the actors at work, and a couple of tributes. It may seem pricey but you get what you pay for and then some.
The Capsule Critic 