Chaplin's Mutual Comedies Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

Chaplin's Mutual Comedies Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 25, 2014

"Chaplin's Mutual Comedies (1916-1917)" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Flicker Alley and The Blackhawk Films Collection. The supplemental features on this release include Serge Bromberg and Eric Lange's documentary film "The Birth of The Tramp" and Kevin Macdonald's documentary film "Chaplin's Goliath". The release also arrives with a 28-page illustrated booklet with rare, behind the scenes images, and extensive essay by film historian and author Jeffrey Vance. With English intertitles. Region-Free.

The picky customer

This brand new box set produced by Flicker Alley and The Blackhawk Films Collection features twelve short films which Charlie Chaplin created for the Mutual Film Corporation between 1916 and 1917. All twelve films have been restored in 2K and reconstructed by Cineteca di Bologna and Lobster Films at L'immagine Ritrovata laboratory in 2013. (The only exception is The Immigrant, which was restored at L'immagine Ritrovata in 2012).

In these early films Chaplin plays a variety of different characters whose individual qualities would help define everything that is great about the Tramp in his classic feature-length films. They also helped Chaplin perfect his directing style, particularly in terms of managing and balancing slapstick comedy and drama.

In The Floorwalker, Chaplin is offered a job in a large department store by a floor inspector who looks exactly like him. Not knowing that the floor inspector has just robbed the place, he accepts it. Shortly after, the manager begins harassing him. The most entertaining sequences in this early short film feature the great Eric Campbell, who appeared in many of Chaplin’s best films.

The Fireman is a far more original film. A shady businessman and corrupt fire chief (played again by Campbell) who is in love with his daughter come up with a brilliant plan that would make both of them rich. But Chaplin’s fireman steps up and seriously complicates things after he saves the life of the businessman’s daughter. This film has a fantastic tempo and Chaplin’s improvisations are already very good.

The Vagabond marks an obvious change of direction in Chaplin’s acting style. In it Chaplin plays a poor violinist who decides to help a beautiful gypsy (Edna Purviance) and quickly falls madly in love with her. The film is filled with sadness that exposes an entirely different side of Chaplin’s genius.

One A.M. is a rather repetitive solo piece in which Chaplin plays a drunkard trying to get home after a busy night. Rather predictably, Chaplin’s movement is superb (especially during the second half), but a few of the falls and slides are overplayed.

The Count is divided into two parts. In the first Chaplin appears as an incompetent tailor who quickly gets fired by his boss (a very scary looking Campbell). In the second part he ends up at a lavish party where he pretends to be the influential Count Broko. But his former boss also appears and things quickly get out of control. Chaplin and Campbell’s chemistry is outstanding, making The Count one of the best films in the entire collection.

The Pawnshop is remembered for the great – and quite dangerous -- ladder sequence. Chaplin works in a pawnshop where no one seems to like him. He nearly destroys the place when another employee begins harassing him.

In Behind the Screen Chaplin plays a stage assistant on a movie set where he is blamed for everything that isn’t right. The film has a great energy and the gags are wonderful. The sequence in which Chaplin carries the chairs has to be seen to be believed.

The Rink is another film with two contrasting halves. In the first Chaplin is a clueless waiter working in a very busy restaurant. In the second he takes a lunch break and visits a popular rink, where he meets a beautiful girl (Purviance). When she confesses to him that a wealthy giant (Campbell) is annoying her, he decides to “fix him”. Featuring yet another fantastic cameo by Campbell, The Rink is a light and genuinely entertaining film, arguably one of best in the collection.

Easy Street is the most refined of the twelve films in the collection with a wide range of social overtones. Chaplin becomes a policeman in a tough neighborhood where everyone is afraid to confront The Bully (Campbell). Shortly after he meets the hooligan, all hell breaks loose.

In The Cure Chaplin again plays a wealthy drunkard who visits a popular sanatorium. He is asked to drink plenty of mineral water, but he prefers the expensive booze he has stashed in his suitcases. One of the sanatorium’s guests, a big businessman with a foot cast (Campbell), becomes seriously annoyed with the drunkard.

One of Chaplin’s best short films, The Immigrant very much remains relevant today. Chaplin is on a giant ship heading to America. He meets a poor but beautiful young woman (Purviance) and immediately falls in love with her. There is a short sequence in which Chaplin kicks an immigration officer which years later was referred to as evidence of his alleged anti-Americanism.

In The Adventurer Chaplin escapes from prison and shortly after that saves a young girl and her mother from drowning. His life immediately changes. But after he is invited to a lavish party where a reporter takes his picture and then a local newspaper prints it, his past comes back to haunt him.

Chaplin's Mutual Comedies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in aspect ratios of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted 1080p transfers, Chaplin's Mutual Comedies arrive on Blu-ray courtesy of Flicker Alley and The Blackhawk Films Collection.

Please note that the screenshots included with our review appear in the following order:

1. Screenshots 1-3: The Floorwalker
2. Screenshots 4-6: The Fireman
3. Screenshots 7-9: The Vagabond
4. Screenshots 10-12: One A.M.
5. Screenshots 13-15: The Count
6. Screenshots 16-19: The Pawnshop
7. Screenshots 20-23: Behind the Screen
8. Screenshots 24-27: The Rink
9. Screenshots 28-31: Easy Street
10. Screenshots 32-34: The Cure
11. Screenshots 35-37: The Immigrant
12. Screenshots 38-39: The Adventurer

All twelve short films have been restored in 2K and reconstructed by Cineteca di Bologna and Lobster Films at L'immagine Ritrovata laboratory in 2013. ((The only exception is The Immigrant, which was restored at L'immagine Ritrovata in 2012). Different sources were used for the individual restorations, such as safety fine grain prints, archival nitrate prints, dupe negatives, etc.

Generally speaking, the restored short films look wonderful. Despite the fact that various source limitations exist on all twelve films -- for example, there is light fading, minor contrast fluctuations, and surface damage that could not be minimized or fully repaired with current digital tools -- detail and clarity are very pleasing. In fact, large parts of these films look surprisingly good considering the fact that some were reconstructed (see screencaptures #9 and 18). Where more serious surface damage is present, the restorers have carefully minimized it and exposed as much detail as possible (see screencaptures #25 and 26). Additionally, substantial stabilization enhancements have been performed and as a result now all twelve films are almost completely free of jitter, edge flicker, and frame jumps. The best news, however, is that all of the digital work has been done with great care and awareness that film grain must be retained as best as possible. Naturally, despite various age and source-related limitations, all twelve films have very solid organic qualities. (Note: The two Blu-ray discs in Flicker Alley's box set are Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play them on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Chaplin's Mutual Comedies Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

All twelve short films come with two Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks. During the restoration process, each film's intertitles were reconstructed according to the original Mutual titles cards and documents of the Library of Congress (see screencapture #31).

I viewed the majority of the short films with the alternate tracks. While lossless tracks would have been preferable, depth and clarity are quite good. I was particularly pleased with Antonio Coppola's accompaniment on The Vagabond and Behind the Screen. Balance is also good. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report in this review.

Audio options:

The Floorwalker
1. Music by Gabriel Thibaudeau
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Antonio Coppola

The Fireman
1. Original Fotoplayer Music and Sound Effects Played and Adapted by Robert Israel
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Neil Brand

The Vagabond
1. Music by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Antonio Coppola

One A.M.
1. Music by Carl Davis
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Gabriel Thibaudeau

The Count
1. Music by Donald Sosin, Peter Breiner, and Richard A. Whiting
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Neil Brand

The Pawnshop
1. Music by Winston Sharples & Gene Rodemich/Adaptation by Eric Beheim & Robert Israel
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Donald Sosin

Behind the Screen
1. Music by Robert Israel
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Antonio Coppola

The Rink
1. Music by Antonio Coppola
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Maud Nelissen

Easy Street
1. Music by Neil Brand
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Donald Sosin

The Cure
1. Music by Stephen Horne
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Maud Nelissen

The Immigrant
1. Music by Timothy Brock
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Donald Sosin

The Adventurer
1. Music by Robert Israel
2. Alternate Improvisational Piano by Neil Brand

Chaplin's Mutual Comedies Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: All of the content listed below is placed on Disc Two.

• The Birth of The Tramp - a fantastic new film by Serge Bromberg and Eric Lange (Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno, The Extraordinary Voyage) which focuses on Charlie Chaplin's extraordinary life and legacy. A Steamboat Films, Lobster Films and Arte France coproduction. In English, not subtitled. (63 min).

• Chaplin's Goliath (1996) - presented here is Scottish director Kevin Macdonald's (The Last King of Scotland) documentary film about Eric Campbell, the ultimate silent comedy villain, who appeared in many of Charlie Chaplin's greatest films. In English, not subtitled. (55 min).

• Booklet - a 28-page illustrated booklet with rare, behind the scenes images, and extensive essay by film historian and author Jeffrey Vance (Chaplin: Genius of Cinema).

Chaplin's Mutual Comedies Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anyone who has previously seen the twelve films in this wonderfully designed box set will be very pleased with Cineteca di Bologna and Lobster Films' new restorations and reconstructions. While various age and source-related limitations remain, there are remarkable improvements and all of the films have strong organic qualities. Also included in the box set are two very good documentary films: Serge Bromberg and Eric Lange's The Birth of The Tramp and Kevin Macdonald's Chaplin's Goliath (the former having its home video premiere). Fantastic release. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.