I have been awaiting this set ever since Image Entertainment announced it’s release in order to make a comparison with the earlier one from Kino. Although the two volume ARBUCKLE & KEATON set is very fine , this set features a new comedy not included in the other one (HIS WEDDING NIGHT) plus mostly original nitrate prints of the other shorts gathered from foriegn archives.
There are more complete versions of OUT WEST and THE ROUGH HOUSE here as well as a much better print of MOONSHINE although it’s only a fragment. However some of the Image prints (THE BUTCHER BOY, THE BELLHOP, and especially BACK STAGE) are not as pristine as those offered by Kino. They also lack the color tinting of the other set and feature a more traditional music accompaniment (piano and synthesizer) compared to the raucous although endearingly colorful scores by The Alloy Orchestra. The title cards are also different.
While not as funny, they are probably closer to the originals. In fact the major difference in these two sets is authenticity in presentation (although in CONEY ISLAND Luna Park is misspelled as Luma). The Image shorts are even arranged chronologically so that we can see Arbuckle and Keaton progress together although the shorts are unevenly distributed among the two discs (8 on Disc 1, 4 on Disc 2). So where does that leave us?
For the general public the Kino edition is probably a better introduction to Arbuckle’s work although it’s on two seperate discs and therefore more expensive. This set is more complete and offers more for the silent film enthusiast who will be more forgiving of its few shortcomings. While I heartily recommend the original Kino editions, my nod goes to this set. The important thing is that now there are two quality sets of the Arbuckle comedies available and the choice will be up to you. These are now available as MOD discs from Flicker Alley.
The Capsule Critic 