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I just watched the brand new Criterion Restoration of THE GOLD RUSH, and it is magnificent. Finally the original 1925 cut of the film is done proper justice on DVD and Blu-ray. I hope this too will find it's way to TCM, replacing the poorly edited, and grossly altered 1942 sound re-issue with Charlie's narration they have been stuck with for years. But while I love Chaplin, and THE GOLD RUSH in it's entirety is a long time favorite, I have no qualms in saying that KIKI is a much funnier picture. And at the time KIKI was considered the comedy sensation of the year. In some smaller markets KIKI probably faired allot better than THE GOLD RUSH did. There is plenty of historical evidence to suggest that Chaplin's best known film sort of tanked in rural middle America.
I was quite anxious to hear Robert Osborne's introduction. to KIKI. This turned out to be a relative let down. He did say that Norma Talmadge and Ronald Colman were two of the biggest Stars of the Silent Era. That was good. However, subsequently he perpetuated the old myth about most of her films being lost, which simply is not true. He also says that Norma Talmadge popularity was pretty much on a par with Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, and Lillian Gish. Actually, Norma was the undisputed queen of Hollywood even ahead of Pickford from about 1920 to 1925. In 1926 she lost her Box-office crown to Colleen Moore. It seems they just have to put a modern spin on the facts, because those ladies are so much more recognized today then either Norma or Colleen.
With Ronald Colman he did mention THE DARK ANGEL (1925) a famously lost film that made Colman a huge Star. The other two films he brings up being STELLA DALLAS and LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN. Although Colman was top billed in both those films, he really is not the focus of either movie. In the closing intro he did mention the 1926 BEAU GESTE which I was very gratified to hear.
A note about the Kino score. The main title theme as chosen by Vitagraph Players for whatever reason is the familiar 20's Standard "Whispering". Which works quite well at various tempos. While Vitagraph players overall arrangement to KIKI is quite good for the most part, they really dropped the ball on a critical sequence. Where KIKI is supposed to be in the lingering catatonic state, one of the most riotous scenes in the film all we get is a slow droning melody that does nothing to enhance the experience. This scene required a far richer accompaniment.
In any event, I sure hope that allot of people discovered KIKI on TCM for the first time and enjoyed it to their hearts content. Pretty much sets the template for all the Screwball comedies of the 30's that were to come.
Those two DVD's are well worth purchasing. I would definitely get these why they are still around. Doris Corporation was bought out by another company and Kino may not have the rights much longer. TCM did air HER NIGHT OF ROMANCE last year, but they did not run HER SISTER FROM PARIS as of yet.
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KIKI- "No Pink Slips Please!"