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Charlie Chaplin -; I need more of that Little Tramp!
Topic Started: Nov 10 2008, 01:49 PM (236 Views)
The Batman
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OK, I have the two Warner boxed sets and the boxed set from Mutual. So when is someone going to release Chaplin's early output from Keystone and Essanay?

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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Ignatz Ratzkywatzky
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The Essanay films were released on DVD by Image back in 1999, and those DVDs are still available. However, the films have since been restored by David Sheppard and were released in England on DVD from BFI in 2003. Like Sheppard's 90th anniversary Mutual restorations, the new DVDs restore missing footage and inter titles that have not been seen in decades. Unfortunately, there has been no announcement of an US release of these restored versions. My best advice is a region-free DVD player.

Currently, Sheppard and BFI are working on restoring the Keystones.

One other note--if you have the Warner Chaplin box sets, you aren't seeing the original release versions of many of the films. Chaplin re-edited them when the films were theatrically re-released in the 1970's, and the cut versions are the versions that were included on the Warner DVDs. The Image DVDs that were released previously include scenes not included in the Warner DVDs. Unfortunately, the Image discs are out of print, but they can be picked up through ebay and other second-hand dealers. The First National shorts get the worst treatment on the Warner discs. The First Nationals were stretch-printed (inserting duplicated frames into the film) to accommodate sound projection. This throws the timing of the gags off terribly. The shorts play much better on the Image discs "A First National Collection" and "The Kid/A Dog's Life."
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The Batman
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Thanks for the info, Iggy. I have been meaning to see if I can convert my DVD player to all-region. This is definitely one more reason to do so.

As for the Warner sets, I do not doubt your claim, as I am definitely no expert; but could any other Balconeers confirm these edits are true? If the edits are as extensive as Iggy has stated, I may have to consider trying to track down those Image discs.

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Ignatz Ratzkywatzky
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I wouldn't say the edits are extensive--a few minutes here and there. Fortunately, the feature that received the most edits, THE GOLD RUSH, is available on the Warners set in its original version, in addition to the narrated later edit. I know that THE KID and A WOMAN OF PARIS also had several trims.

A few of the features have no edits. I don't think anything was cut from CITY LIGHTS, for example. However, I think that the stretch-printing that Chaplin performed on the First National shorts make them virtually unwatchable. This is unfortunate, because I think that A DOG'S LIFE is one of Chaplin's best efforts.

Here's an explanation from the Turner Classic Movies site in its review of Warners' Chaplin Collection Volume 2:

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THE VERSIONS USED

The versions of the silent films used on this box set were those prepared for reissue by Chaplin himself, mostly created in the 1970s with the exception of the 1959 Chaplin Revue. For these versions Chaplin often cut brief scenes, added his own musical scores, and in some cases used stretch printing to slow the action, since most modern film projectors run only at 24 frames per second. While on the surface it would seem that using the "authorized" versions is the preferred way to present Chaplin's films, this in fact does not always show the films to their best advantage. First, it must be said up front that Chaplin did not always display the best judgment later in life when reworking his own films. The most notorious example of this is his 1942 reissue version of The Gold Rush (1923), which is contained in Volume 1 of The Chaplin Collection. Hoping to create a version that would play better to modern audiences, Chaplin removed the title cards and added his own voiceover narration explaining the action. Today the result is all but unwatchable, but fortunately in that set a restored print of the original silent version has been included as a bonus on the second disc.

The cuts Chaplin made in the films included on Volume 2 may have tightened up their pacing, but sometimes at the expense of character development. A good example of this is in the original version of A Woman of Paris: during the confrontation between Marie and her father we see a close-up of a photograph of Marie's mother; the frame is decorated with a black ribbon. This shot was cut from the reissue version, in which we see the portrait only in long shot. While this detail may seem superfluous, the close-up serves to emphasize the motivation behind the father's harsh treatment of his daughter: after losing his wife, he is afraid to be left alone and thus doesn't want Marie to get married. This touch is in keeping with the generous humanistic vision of Chaplin's film, which encourages sympathy toward all the characters, even when they are doing things hurtful to others. Without the added emphasis of the close-up, the father comes off as somewhat less sympathetic. While such deleted shots are often included as extras on the Warner/MK2 box set, they have not been included in every case. Besides, I would argue that the original release versions in most cases still play better as films. In that respect, I tend to prefer the now out-of-print 1993 versions of the same films prepared by David Shepard for CBS Fox on laserdisc and subsequently released on DVD by Image Entertainment. One notable exception is A King in New York, where Chaplin's cuts arguably improved the film's pacing without losing anything essential.
Edited by Ignatz Ratzkywatzky, Nov 11 2008, 09:04 PM.
IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF! is a movie recommendation site, focusing on forgotten classics, lesser-known gems, and oddball discoveries. https://www.bottomshelfmovies.com
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The Batman
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Thanks, Iggy. Not sure how I feel about the cuts and the Warner set, now.
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