Keystone Films
Any movie buff worth their salt knows the name Mack Sennett, at least they should. His films, mostly from the age of silent cinema, may not have been as readily available for viewing since the dawn of home video, but now Flicker Alley is rectifying that situation in a big way with the Blu-ray release of The Mack Sennett Collection Vol. One.
If you don’t know the name Sennett, you probably have heard of the many stars of the silent era who worked for him — Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, the Keystone Kops, Harold Lloyd to name a few. This new Blu-ray set collects 50 of Sennett’s films (and he has a producer or executive producer credit on over 1100 films between 1911 and 1949) and with the care of Keystone Films, Cinemuseum, Blackhawk Films and others, these ancient, fragile film elements have been saved and restored for generations of movie lovers to enjoy for ages to come.
The 3-disk set begins with the short The Curtain Pole from 1909 which starred Sennett and was directed by the legendary D.W. Griffith before he became a legend for his grandiose films. The premise of The Curtain Pole is simple – a man is hanging curtains for a customer, the pole breaks, he must get a new one, mayhem and hilarity ensue as a simple task escalates to town-wide mayhem.
Keystone Films
Also on the first disk is A Dash Through the Clouds (1911) which features Mabel Normand flying around above California in a very early flying machine, only eight years after the Wright Brothers’ historic flight! There are twenty-four short films on disk one including an early Chaplin short Recreation, shot on location around Echo Park, and a 30-minute short starring Mabel Normand and Fatty Arbuckle that combines stage and location shoots as well as a stunning in-camera visual effect and physical water effects (and Arbuckle’s own dog has a starring role as well).
Disk two features eleven films, two of which are practically feature length, and a few spotlighting the very odd Ben Turpin, whose gimmick was that he was very cross-eyed (and apparently this affliction was a real one that he felt was the key to his success). One of his films, A Clever Dummy, gives him a chance to play two roles at one point thanks to some very clever editing.
Paramount Pictures
Disk three includes fifteen films, with 1930’s The Bluffer filmed in color and with synchronized sound. That is followed by three more sounds films including The Dentist starring a cantankerous W.C. Fields. Watching these films, it’s just amazing that they still exist since hundreds of films before 1950 have simply turned to dust or goo. But you also have to admire the artistry, the imagination, the skill behind each and every one of them as these artists were working in a very new medium. I’ve always remembered the silent films I saw as a kid (thanks to the library having Super 8 films to check out) as very static, stage-bound wide shots with little editing or close-ups, but seeing these Griffith films is a revelation, from the location shoots to the slapstick comedy to the editing that pulls it all together. These films are truly a marvel.
The collection also contains a wealth of extras including outtakes, a look at Sennett’s studio, radio programs, newsreels, an episode of This Is Your Life and more! In addition, almost half of the films have additional audio commentary from various film historians imparting informative tidbits about the production of the films, the stars and the behind-the-scenes players. A booklet with a rundown of each film is included as well. If I had any nit to pick it would be that, in some cases such as the color film, there is no information provided at all. I think the real film buffs would like to have had just a little more info provided in the booklet besides a plot synopsis, but that is a minor thing.
Overall, Flicker Alley’s The Mack Sennett Collection Vol. One is a must have for any film fan or collector because it’s unlikely anyone has ever had access to these films in this stunning condition. Any student of film would also be doing themselves a favor by picking up this set, and if you just want to see how comedy from yesteryear holds up today, this Blu-ray set is a great starting place.
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