CHARLEY CHASE AT HAL ROACH: THE TALKIES VOLUME FOUR 1929

 

The Sprocket Vault & Kit Parker Films return to the world of Hal Roach Studios with this region-free DVD release of the very first sound comedy short subjects starring Charley Chase. CHARLEY CHASE AT HAL ROACH: THE TALKIES VOLUME FOUR 1929 includes six shorts from the very beginning of the sound era. Two of the shorts are ironically without sound--but I'll get more into that later. 

I'm sure some will wonder why the very first Charley Chase sound shorts produced by Hal Roach are in volume four, but Richard M. Roberts explains why in his audio commentaries on this set. These shorts are welcome no matter what volume they appear in. 

When one watches these shorts, one must take into account the fact that the Hal Roach organization was still finding its way when it came to talkies. The six shorts here feel somewhat disjointed at times--eventually all of Roach's comic stars would hit their sound stride. Charley Chase was perfect for the medium--he's using sound gags in his first talkie short, THE BIG SQUAWK. In his second, LEAPING LOVE, he's already showing off his fine singing voice. 

The third short in this set (and the best), SNAPPY SNEEZER, is the very first time Charley is paired with Thelma Todd. Charley and Thelma's on-screen chemistry is immediately evident, and in this story the two wind up on in a wild chase on an "auto coaster". (This was a fairground-like facility that actually existed and was open to the public.) Charley and Thelma are paired again in the fourth short, CRAZY FEET. This one is notable for Thelma wearing a couple of skimpy dancing costumes. 

The fifth short, STEPPING OUT, also has Todd, but unfortunately she doesn't have all that much to do. Charley has been married to Thelma for five years, yet he's bored, and he wants to go out on the town by himself. (If I had been married to Thelma for five years.....never mind.) Thelma lets him, and of course trouble ensues, as Charley encounters a wacky woman played by none other than Anita Garvin. 

The soundtracks for STEPPING OUT and the sixth short on this disc, GREAT GOBS, no longer exist (or at least they haven't been found yet). What the Sprocket Vault has done is provide subtitles for these two shorts, and new music scores by Andrew Earle Simpson. The lack of sound is felt most strongly in STEPPING OUT, due to the fact that Charley drunkenly sings "My Wild Irish Rose" during the climax. The decision to provide these shorts on home video without their soundtracks is, I believe, the right one--the public might never be able to see them otherwise. GREAT GOBS, by the way, is a "sailors on leave" comedy that features Edgar Kennedy as much as Charley. 

As is now expected from the Hal Roach shorts released on DVD by the Sprocket Vault, all six films on this disc have audio commentaries by Richard M. Roberts. His knowledge of early Hollywood comedy is exhaustive, and during these films he also discusses how Charley Chase, Hal Roach, and other notable screen comedians dealt with the transition from silents to sound. One can learn all sorts of things from listening to Roberts' talks. A photo gallery is also included. 

The picture and sound quality on these shorts is good, but the main thing is that they are now available on home video. 

With this DVD, all of the talkie shorts starring Charley Chase that were made at Hal Roach Studios are now on official home video courtesy of the Sprocket Vault and Kit Parker Films. I have all these sets, and they're a must for classic comedy fans. The Sprocket Vault and Kit Parker have also been releasing DVDs of the early Our Gang talkie shorts. As for their plans for any future Hal Roach rarities, my advice is....release anything not currently available that features Thelma Todd.