First Kings of Comedy Collection (The Golden Age Of Comedy / When Comedy Was King)
by Robert Youngson
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ben Turpin, Charley Chase, Charlie Chaplin, Oliver Hardy, Stan LaurelDirector: Robert Youngson
Brand: Genius
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 160 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-10-16
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 80588
Studio: Genius Entertainment
Product features:
- The First Kings of Comedy Collection is a hilarious, joyous, and timeless tribute to the era of silent slapstick comedy and all the uproarious comedians who built the comedy genre. The collection consists of two great feature-length compilations, The Golden Age of Comedy and When Comedy Was King. From documentary producer Robert Youngson and the Hal Roach studios, The First Kings of Comedy preserv
Movie Reviews of First Kings of Comedy Collection (The Golden Age Of Comedy / When Comedy Was King)
Movie Review: Definitely a keeper . . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
This DVD consists of "The Golden Age of Comedy," and "When Comedy Was King." These two full-length documentaries about silent film comedy were created by Robert Youngson in 1957 and 1960, respectively. Some people even say that these movies were largely responsible for the revival of silent film comedy in the 1960's. In any event, they were an eye-opener at the time of their release, and will still be an eye-opener to anyone not familiar with the Keystone Cops, Charlie Chase, Harry Langdon, Buster Keaton, and the silent films of Laurel & Hardy, particularly their wonderfully clever 1929 short, "Big Business," which serves as the finale of "When Comedy Was King."
Although "Golden Age of Comedy" won an Academy Award, ironically it is the sequel, "When Comedy Was King," that probably is the better of the two. The comedy sequences in each film are all priceless, but the sequel is better arranged and paced, and the narration is quieter and better integrated into the action. Golden Age's narration was done like the old-fashioned Fox newsreels -- a little on the breathless side and a bit shrill to boot. That style is fine for a 5-minute newsreel, but after an hour or so in a feature-length film, it can become grating and annoying.
The print quality of "Golden Age" is flawless. This looks like a pristine new print and may even be from 35mm elements. Most of the comedy sequences are also in superb shape, even though they were already 30-40 years old at the time they were copied for this 1957 documentary. Unfortunately, the "Comedy Was King" transfer appears to have been taken from a 16mm reduction print which also suffers from a fair amount of wear in numerous places, particularly in some of the Keystone sequences. It's still a very good transfer, especially in the opening Charlie Chase sequence, and it's certainly an improvement over the various bootleg editions that have been available from time to time, but there's just no comparison with the print quality of "Golden Age." Since "Comedy Was King" is the better film, in my opinion, it's a shame that Genius Entertainment couldn't locate a better print for the DVD transfer. The audio is fine on both films, and the music soundtracks, particularly the one for "Comedy Was King," are tremendous.
So for the amazing price of $14, you certainly would be well advised to snap up a copy of this DVD and enjoy every minute of it. Genius Entertainment is to be commended for picking up these two films, which undeservedly languished since their original release, and finally issuing them on DVD.
A trivia note: in 1957, producer Robert Youngson could not find a distributor for "The Golden Age of Comedy". Every major studio thought he was crazy and no one would touch the film; "Who would want to see that old silent stuff?" was the usual response. So he finally distributed it through the Distributor's Corporation of America, a bargain-basement indie outfit that also handled Ed Wood's infamous "Plan 9 From Outer Space." After the film won an Academy Award, it was picked up by 20th Century Fox, and Youngson was hailed as a genius. Go figure.
More First Kings of Comedy Collection (The Golden Age Of Comedy / When Comedy Was King) reviews:
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Summary of First Kings of Comedy Collection (The Golden Age Of Comedy / When Comedy Was King)
The First Kings of Comedy Collection is a hilarious, joyous, and timeless tribute to the era of silent slapstick comedy and all the uproarious comedians who built the comedy genre. The collection consists of two great feature-length compilations, The Golden Age of Comedy and When Comedy Was King. From documentary producer Robert Youngson and the Hal Roach studios, The First Kings of Comedy preserves some of the greatest moments in comedy lore and pays special tribute to all of the silent era?s greatest clowns, including Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Will Rogers, Carole Lombard, Jean Harlow, Charley Chase, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Langdon and Buster Keaton.Similar DVD Movies
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