Tweet The (Charley) Chase is Over!

Dear friends,

CUT TO THE CHASE: THE CHARLEY CHASE COLLECTION is now available today on the Milestone website! Two discs, over five hours of great silent comedy and our friends at Nitrateville can have it all for $22.47 (25% off) until the official release date of November 6. Order now, order often. It's at http://milestone-films.myshopify.com/products/cut-to-the-chase-the-charley-chase-comedy-collection

It took seven years to come out but I'm watching all of it today. It's worth it.

Dennis
Milestone Film & Video

And any Nitratevillian complaints can be addressed to me at

OK, Dennis, I just bought it and it better be good! (Since it's Charley Chase there's no danger that it won't be anything less than terrific.)

And congratulations too!

What is the music, and by whom?

David S

What is the music, and by whom?

David S

It's the same as when they showed on TCM. We rounded up the usual suspects. Here are the official credits:

With scores by Ben Model, Dave Drazin, Dave Knutsen, Donald Sosin and Rodney Sauer and the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestera. DVD produced by Rusty Casselton, Dennis Doros and D. Adrian Rothschild. DVD designed by D. Adrian Rothchild. ©2011 Milestone Film & Video.

Created an account just to say, ordered and can't wait!

Does this make the Kino sets redundant?

Does this make the Kino sets redundant?

There is a lot of overlap but the prints and music are completely different -- the results are for others to compare. And it took many months of effort, but we did get The Uneasy Three from MoMA which turned out to be one of my favorite films in the entire collection. Anyway, Amy and I priced the double-disc set at a very cheap price since the masters were done in standard def (the quality is still excellent) and in hopes that people would be willing to own both company's releases. Charley, My Boy is also an exclusive that came straight from a one-of-a-kind 16mm print from the John Hampton collection, courtesy of the Stanford Foundation. The condition was rough, but it's a fun film as well.

As for those who ordered yesterday, Thank You! and Amy just called to me upstairs to tell me that the packages are ready to be checked and sent out in tomorrow's mail!

Another DVD title added to my Christmas wish list.

I ordered mine today!

As for those who ordered yesterday, Thank You! and Amy just called to me upstairs to tell me that the packages are ready to be checked and sent out in tomorrow's mail!

Excellent! Can you really have too much Charley Chase? Not as far as I'm concerned!

No Blu Ray?

No Blu Ray?

The Milestone complaint department has already stated their answer to all questions.

Actually, the films were all from the late Rusty Casselton's collection and we did the transfers seven years ago for a TCM premiere. So they were never done in HD. Checks for the $50,000 to remaster the films for HD BluRay can be made out directly to the "Dennis Actually Wants to Go to Tahiti Fund" -- though I shouldn't make too much of a joke since a generous contribution made Mary Pickford possible in BluRay.

Ordered my copy.

Are they pressed discs or DVD-Rs?

Are they pressed discs or DVD-Rs?

DVDs.

I just placed my order, Dennis. Thank you for seeing this project through.

Ordered it too. Is there some way on your site to just view blurays?

Ordered it too. Is there some way on your site to just view blurays?

Yes, click on ON THE BOWERY. Then, click on RAGS AND RICHES: THE MARY PICKFORD COLLECTION. There you go!

More will be coming next year.

Dennis

Thanks very much Dennis, I've ordered my copy as well!

Mine arrives yesterday, wow was that quick! Looking forward to digging into it.

Thanks to Milestone!

I got my copy too. Looking forward to watching it with my pal Uncle Eddie this weekend.

Got mine today.

Got mine yesterday also, and the new Ernie Kovacs set as well. Should be a good weekend.

Can I ask, what Kovacs set?

Can I ask, what Kovacs set?

Here it is: http://www.shoutfactory.com/?q=node/216074

FINALLY, this long-awaited set has been released. Kudos and many many heartfelt thanks to Dennis & Amy for making this happen, for the benefit of all of us lucky Chase fans. I shall be ordering soon.

And, for handy reference, here's a list of which Chase films are in which set (Milestone vs. Kino)...

Films unique to CUT TO THE CHASE:

THE FRAIDY CAT (also available in All Day Entertainment's BECOMING CHARLEY CHASE)
BAD BOY (also available in BECOMING CHARLEY CHASE)
CHARLEY MY BOY
THE UNEASY THREE
THE CARETAKER'S DAUGHTER
BE YOUR AGE
WHAT PRICE GOOFY?
MAMA BEHAVE

Films unique to the Kino volumes:

CRAZY LIKE A FOX
ALL WET
HIS WOODEN WEDDING
SOFT PEDAL (a James "Paul" Parrott film) (also available in BECOMING CHARLEY CHASE)

Films overlapping between the two sets:

MIGHTY LIKE A MOOSE
BROMO AND JULIET
MUM'S THE WORD
APRIL FOOL
INNOCENT HUSBANDS
ISN'T LIFE TERRIBLE?
DOG SHY
LONG FLIV THE KING

And for more Chase action...

Becoming Charley Chase:

PEANUTS AND BULLETS
LOVE IN ARMOR
SETTLED AT THE SEASIDE
THE RENT JUMPERS
LOVE, LOOT, AND CRASH
A VERSATILE VILLAIN
HE WOULDN'T STAY DOWN
MARRIED TO ORDER
AT FIRST SIGHT
ONE OF THE FAMILY
JUST A MINUTE
POWDER AND SMOKE
HARD KNOCKS
DON'T FORGET
THE FRAIDY CAT (also available in Cut To The Chase)
PUBLICITY PAYS
YOUNG OLDFIELD
STOLEN GOODS
JEFFRIES, JR.
A TEN-MINUTE EGG
SEEING NELLIE HOME (partial reconstruction)
OUTDOOR PAJAMAS
SITTIN' PRETTY
TOO MANY MAMMAS
THE POOR FISH
THE RATS KNUCKLES
HELLO BABY!
FIGHTING FLUID
SHOULD HUSBANDS BE WATCHED?
IS MARRIAGE THE BUNK?
BAD BOY (also available in Cut To The Chase)
BIG RED RIDING HOOD
LOOKING FOR SALLY
NO FATHER TO GUIDE HIM
A ROLLING STONE Billy West, directed by Charley
THE FLIRTS Harry Mann & Jimmie Adams, directed by Charley
THE DUMB BELL Snub Pollard, directed by Charley
SOFT PEDAL Paul Parrott, directed by Charley (also available in Cut To The Chase)
COURTSHIP OF MILES SANDWICH Snub Pollard, directed by Charley
JUS' PASSIN' THROUGH Will Rogers, directed by Charley
DEAR OLD PAL Snub Pollard and Paul Parrott, directed by Charley
"THE PARROTT CHASE" 45 minute documentary featurette
ACCIDENTAL ACCIDENTS 11/9/24 surviving extract Music by Ben Model 2:12
EVOLUTION OF A GAG: tracing the history of the mirror gag 7:37
"THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE" music featurette on the Snark Ensemble

The following Chase shorts have been released in other comps:

FORGOTTEN SWEETIES (1927) American Slapstick Vol. 1
FLUTTERING HEARTS (1926) Slapstick Encyclopedia
TELL 'EM NOTHING (1926) Famous Comedy Legends Vol. 2
THE WAY OF ALL PANTS (1927) (fragment) Lost Films Of L&H Vol. 6
WHAT WOMEN DID FOR ME (1927) Looser Than Loose collection Roach Vol. 3 (DVD-R)
LIMOUSINE LOVE (1928) Kinowelt L&H Collection Vol. 22
MOVIE NIGHT (1929) Kinowelt L&H Collection Vol. 20, Lost Films Of L&H Vol. 4
WHISPERING WHOOPEE (1930) Laurel And Hardy And Friends
ON THE WRONG TREK (1936) Kinowelt L&H Collection Vol. 24, Lost Films Of L&H Vol. 4, UK L&H Collection Vol. 13

Still looking for...

POSITION WANTED
PLAIN AND FANCY GIRLS
THERE AIN'T NO SANTA CLAUS
MANY SCRAPPY RETURNS
A ONE MAMA MAN
ARE BRUNETTES SAFE?
BIGGER AND BETTER BLONDES
NOW I'LL TELL ONE
ASSISTANT WIVES
THE STING OF STINGS
THE LIGHTER THAT FAILED
US
ACHING YOUTH
ALL PARTS

And his talkies would be nice too.

WaverBoy wrote:

Still looking for...

WHAT WOMEN DID FOR ME

This title is available on the Looser Than Loose collection ROACH VOLUME THREE. It's a sharp looking print that runs just over fifteen minutes. It's got lots of interesting odds & ends on it, like Laurel's COLLARS & CUFFS, Lloyd's FIREMAN SAVE MY CHILD, and Paul Parrott's WHISTLING LIONS.

Still looking for...

ACHING YOUTHS

It may seem like a minor point, but it seems everyone has been getting this film title wrong for years. And after all Charley Chase deserves the respect of having his film titles printed correctly, doesn't he?

The correct title of this short is ACHING YOUTH (most likely a spoof on the 1923 movie title and novel FLAMING YOUTH), not "ACHING YOUTHS".

WaverBoy wrote:

Still looking for...

WHAT WOMEN DID FOR ME

This title is available on the Looser Than Loose collection ROACH VOLUME THREE. It's a sharp looking print that runs just over fifteen minutes. It's got lots of interesting odds & ends on it, like Laurel's COLLARS & CUFFS, Lloyd's FIREMAN SAVE MY CHILD, and Paul Parrott's WHISTLING LIONS.

Thanks! I'll add that bit of info to my post above, and put that comp on my to get list.

Still looking for...

ACHING YOUTHS

It may seem like a minor point, but it seems everyone has been getting this film title wrong for years. And after all Charley Chase deserves the respect of having his film titles printed correctly, doesn't he?

The correct title of this short is ACHING YOUTH (most likely a spoof on the 1923 movie title and novel FLAMING YOUTH), not "ACHING YOUTHS".

Sorry, I got that from the Chase filmography on Yair Solan's website. It's now fixed in my post above. Thanks for the correction!