Criterion Limelight Blu Ray / A Night At The Show

[azjazzman]

Haven't seen any discussion on this, so I'll chime in. Watched the Criterion Blu Ray of LIMELIGHT over the weekend and it is fabulous as I expected, but what really caught my eye was one of the extras - the Chaplin Essanay film "A Night At The Show" (1915).

Criterion got access to a print that is part of the Essanay Restoration project recently completed by Lobster Films / Cineteca di Bologna and Film Preservation Associates. It looks spectacular and reveals many subtleties I never noticed before in this important early Chaplin short. The hilarious byplay between Chaplin and Edna, so often lost in the murky, choppy prints we have all seen before, is a joy to behold in this restoration.

Kudos to Serge, David, et al for letting Criterion scoop them on their Essanay restorations. If the rest of the Chaplin Essanays look this good in their restored versions, I think a major rediscovery of this early period of Chaplin's career is due. It is probably too much to hope the the Essanay project will make it's way to Blu Ray, but as the Criterion disc reveals, that is what they truly deserve.

[Scoundrel]

The Essanay shorts have already made it to blu ray on a region free Spanish release:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Chaplin-Complete-Essanay-Comedies-Blu-ray/121479/

[azjazzman]

The Essanay shorts have already made it to blu ray on a region free Spanish release:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Chaplin-C ... ay/121479/" target="_blank" target="_blank

If memory serves, D. Shepard posted that this release does not have the latest and greatest restorations on a couple of titles, I think POLICE and perhaps, A NIGHT OUT. The upcoming Flicker Alley release will, but I don't recall if it is Blu Ray + DVD or not.

[DShepFilm]

Flicker Alley will release the Chaplin Essanays on Blu-Ray and DVD in November, in time for your holiday lists.

David Shepard