Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

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pvitari
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Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by pvitari »

Flicker Alley has announced the release of Charlie at Keystone -- a 4 DVD set with restored versions of Chaplin's Keystone films. YAYYYYYYYYY!!! I assume the newly-discovered "The Thief Catcher" won't be on this set but I'm not complaining... it will show up somewhere eventually either on DVD or online.

You can preorder now at Flicker Alley. For some reason there is no release date listed but I sent them an e-mail asking for that information.

http://www.flickeralley.com/fat_chaplin_01.html

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Charles Chaplin came to Mack Sennett’s Keystone Studios as an unknown, and after a year, had not only established his character, but also achieved public recognition as a star comedian so that standees of his likeness outside theatres sufficed to attract audiences. Most of the original Keystone negatives were simply printed away and the survival of all but a few of these films depends upon a few original prints, a larger number of reissue prints, and some duped prints from later years. That all but one of the films exists is, of course, due to Chaplin’s enormous subsequent popularity.

With the support of Association Chaplin (France), 35mm full aperture, early-generation materials (with only a few exceptions) were gathered on almost all the films in this international collaboration and were painstakingly pieced together by the National Film and Television Archive of the British Film Institute, L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, Italy, and the UCLA Film and Television Archive; then digitally refurbished by Lobster Films in Paris.

Flicker Alley is proud to present Chaplin At Keystone. These films feature all-new musical settings by Eric Beheim, Neil Brand, Antonio Coppola, Frederick Hodges, Stephen Horne, Robert Israel, Rodney Sauer, The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, Ethan Uslan, and Ken Winokur with Tillie’s Nightmare, all outstanding practitioners of silent film accompaniment.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by charliechaplinfan »

This is great news, the only Keystones I've ever been able to see are really badly damaged copies, probably prints of prints of prints. I'd love to see them restored. Thanks for the information :wink:
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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pvitari
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by pvitari »

Flicker Alley replied re the release date. "This 4-disc DVD set is currently scheduled to ship on or before October 26, 2010."
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MichiganJ
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by MichiganJ »

While the newly discovered short "A Thief Catcher" with the brief cameo of Chaplin will not be part of the collection, the new restoration of Tillie's Punctured Romance will be.

I'm really looking forward to this collection. It'll be a great opportunity to see Chaplin develop his character in, what will surely be, the best prints available on DVD.
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by charliechaplinfan »

This is going straight to the top of the list. I've watched Tillie's Punctured Romance but it was a dreadful copy.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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pvitari
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by pvitari »

According to posts at Nitrateville:

Tillie's Punctured Romance will look really good -- they've used digital tools to "smooth over" the rough spots joining the sections taken from different sources.

Also, Flicker Alley will release the list of contents during the first week of August.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I can't wait.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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Charlie Chap
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by Charlie Chap »

I'm hoping this is still on schedule for release next week. I'm ordering mine later today!
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MichiganJ
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by MichiganJ »

Charlie Chap wrote:I'm hoping this is still on schedule for release next week. I'm ordering mine later today!
It is. Here's a review from DVDBeaver, including screencaps.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/dvd_revi ... ystone.htm

(By the way, welcome to Silver Screen Oasis. Always great to have more Chaplin fans aboard.)
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
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Charlie Chap
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by Charlie Chap »

Thanks MichiganJ I ordered a copy today. The reviews look very good! Very excited about this release!

Thanks so much for the warm welcome!
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Re: Charlie at Keystone from Flicker Alley

Post by MichiganJ »

This set arrived late last week and I've been taking my time really pouring through it. The films are in chronological order, according to release, and you really can watch Chaplin create and then hone his character (as much as he could at Keystone; the Essanay's and especially the Mutuals were where he really defined the "Little Fellow"). Mabel Normand appears in and directs many of the earlier films, and while they famously didn't get along professionally, on-screen Mabel and Charlie do have a marvelous chemistry. (Did Chaplin ever not have chemistry with his leading lady?)

The restorations are nothing short of astounding, especially when compared with what has previously been available. A direct comparison of Laughing Gas from this set with the print included in the American Slapstick set released in 2006 is like night and day. The AS image is frequently cropped (poor Mack Swain often only has half a head) and titles and footage are missing making the actual story difficult to follow. Not so in this new set. Not only is the image complete but it is also substantially cleaner (some of the footage a little less so but still better). And don't let any self-proclaimed "experts" on projection speeds prevent you from getting this collection. The speeds are just fine. Movement is natural when it needs to be and cranks up when appropriate.

I thought the Criterion Sternberg set was the big silent film collection of the year, but this already beats that, and I'm only two-thirds through disc 2 (of 4)!
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
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