In need of a suggestion.

[MichiganJ]

I'm heartened that Marion's movies are being released, the Warner movies don't ship to Great Britain yet, more's the pity.

Many of the Archive titles are available at different sites that I believe do ship internationally. They cost more than at the Warner Brothers' site, though.
For instance:
The Red Mill from Amazon

and from Deep Discount:
http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct ... d=84810486

[charliechaplinfan]

Thank you, I looked only on Amazon.co.uk, I never thought of looking on .com. I'll put these on my list of 'to buy when I get the money'

[JackFavell]

Great choices! I am so pleased that you picked Easy Street (my first Chaplin film too) Big Business and One Week! And I love Monty Banks.

In high school, I showed One Week to my classmates in a public speaking class. We had to do a teaching speech - I forget the technical term for it.

Well, I wrote up my information on Buster, and gave my speech. I highlighted the really good and exciting stuff, like how he did all his own stunts, broke his neck, etc.... then ran the film on my projector, which I brought from home.

ONE WEEK SPOILER

It was wonderful. sigh. One of my greatest movie experiences, ever. My classmates, who showed polite boredom at my talk, became interested in the movie and started laughing and getting into it, especially at Keaton running through the spinning house. They were surprised at naked Sybil Seely in the tub... it's a very modern movie in so many ways. One smart-aleck kept saying stuff like, "That's dumb.", luckily no one paid much attention to him. When the house got stuck on the tracks, Smart-Aleck opened up his big trap and said, in a snotty voice, "Oh, yeah. Now the train comes through and hits the house." I smiled to myself. The train came through, missing the house entirely, and everyone in the room laughed hard at him! A split second later, when the train came crashing through from the other way, they BELLY-LAUGHED! That stupid smart-aleck made the whole movie - and he made me remember that day all these years later.... Seeing Keaton with a very inexperienced live audience was an eye opener for me - Keaton REALLY knew what he was doing as far as timing for laughs where a large group is concerned. Afterwards, we had a question and answer session, and everyone really loved it. They expressed surprise that they could truly enjoy a silent film. Even smarty pants was contrite, and admitted that the movie was way beyond what he had ever thought a silent would be like. He liked that Keaton had fooled him. I'll never forget it, and I hope they didn't, either.

[intothenitrate]

Hi everyone. I pestered Jon a little to get approved asap to post on this topic before the thread got cold. Many thanks Jon.

I have three sons, 26, 11 & 9. The 11 and 9 year olds--Henry and Felix--are with me every weekend. Last year, Henry was doing a school report on the Model T Ford, and I went through my Keaton boxed set to find some outdoor locations that had Model Ts in them. I found some in the final chase scene in "Seven Chances," when all of the prospective brides are after Buster. We noted the in and out points and I sent him off with the DVD for his school report later the following week.

The next weekend, I asked him how it went. It turns out that, rather than just watching the discrete segment that showed the cars, the class ended up watching the complete climax until the end of the movie--rolling boulders, Snitz Edwards, and all. He picked up a more than a few "cool points" for bringing in such a treat for the class.

Here in my little "lab" I have noticed that they bond most readily with Keaton, Chaplin second, and Lloyd third. I've tried some other classic films on them, sometimes to good effect. At other times, it's too much like "eat your vegetables theater," and we switch to Pokemon or some such thing.

In response to the initial post to this thread, sure, we would like them to like what we like. Reflecting on my own experience, however, I acquired my love of silent pictures without anybody showing me anything. I just had an interest, and was content to try to watch snowy prints on UHF, the signal buzzing in and out. None of my friends had any interest. I just got that bug and stuck with it.

I try to be a soft sell with my kids, and just monitor the situation. Then every once in a while, Henry will ask that we watch "Mr Smith goes to Washington," or Felix will ask to see that Charlie Chaplin movie, the one where he finds that baby, and I compose myself and respond in a measured tone, "sure, let's watch that."

[srowley75]

If I may offer my own "hear, hear!" for "One Week"...

While I was in college I had a roommate who seemed very disdainful toward my love of classic films, and especially when it came to silent movies (I viewed Greed in preparation for a speech I was assigned to give on Norris' McTeague). One day he happened to walk in while I was in the process of viewing some Keaton films, and he watched most of "One Week." I don't think I ever heard him laugh so hard. I was shocked he responded so positively to it.

All that to say, I think you made a wise decision. I'm sure he'll have a lot of fun.

[charliechaplinfan]

Hi everyone. I pestered Jon a little to get approved asap to post on this topic before the thread got cold. Many thanks Jon.

Here in my little "lab" I have noticed that they bond most readily with Keaton, Chaplin second, and Lloyd third.

Hello intothenitrate you are very welcome here, I have a 7 year old girl, her preferences are Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy and the Keaton (I've not tried her on Lloyd yet, thought I'd pushthe British effort first) It doesn't surprise me, I think girls are more in tune Chaplin's sentamentality. Her favorite is The Pilgrim, especially the scene with the little boy and Pay Day. With Laurel and Hardy it was The Music Box and You're Darn Tootin (the pants ripping scene especially). She loved One Week but hasn't seem much Keaton, she's seen the chase at the end of Seven Chances and thought it was great. It says an awful lot about the art of silent comedy that our children can tune into it so easily.

[jdb1]

Since this thread started, I've been of the opinion that youngsters would not respond to Harold Lloyd as well as to Chaplin, Keaton, et al. I think there is a kind of fey wimpiness to Lloyd that teenage boys, especially, might not like.

I've had a thought now that the young man in question might like Charlie Chase better than he would like Harold Lloyd. Chase generally played a "regular" guy rather than an archetypical character (as Chaplin and Keaton did), but a with a more aggressive personality than Lloyd had. I'm not a big Lloyd fan -- I find his films to be too sedate, with too many longeurs in between the action scenes, for all their showy stunts.

[MichiganJ]

Wow, this is a thread that keeps on giving. I can't thank everyone enough for your suggestions and experiences!

JackFavell--
Great story about One Week, and a pretty brilliant idea for a teaching speech! (Is the technical term "demonstration speech"? I had to give one of those. In school I was terribly shy (still am, actually), and the thought of having to give a speech in front of an audience, even though they were classmates, was more than terrifying! Most of my classmates did things like "How to crochet" or "How to shoot a foul shot", topics that could be relatively boring. Knowing that my delivery would be lacking--because of the terror--I decided to pick a subject that might hold my classmates' attention…Medieval Torture. The Algerian Hook was the big "wow"….although it didn't lead to any dates…)

In response to the initial post to this thread, sure, we would like them to like what we like. Reflecting on my own experience, however, I acquired my love of silent pictures without anybody showing me anything. I just had an interest, and was content to try to watch snowy prints on UHF, the signal buzzing in and out. None of my friends had any interest. I just got that bug and stuck with it.

Welcome to the board and thank you so much for the advice! I, too, stumbled on silent movies, through 8mm film and Dennis Gifford's The Pictorial History of Horror Movies, which had spectacular pictures of Lon Chaney (among others--still a favorite book).

As I stated in the original post, I'm creating a goofy silent film starring my nephew, and wanted to be sure to include a real silent, in the hopeful event he'll watch it and catch the bug. Trying to be as subtle as possible--like he's discovering the films himself.

I also mentioned his father is in construction, and if I nudge my sister a little, she may have the three of them sit down and watch One Week together. I'm thinking that the group laugh will be infectious, and may be enough for my nephew to check out the other films on the DVD.

By the way, this is the DVD I'm thinking:


The prints are quite good, and while I know the Alloy Orchestra isn't to everyone's taste, I kinda like 'em.

Thanks again everyone!

[JackFavell]

Now why didn't I think of TORTURE?

Yes, A demonstration speech, like potting a plant or some such thing. I was terrified too, so I was glad I was able to leave it all to Buster and how to thread a movie projector....

Intothenitrate-What a great method - I find that I have to plan to have my daughter "accidentally" wander in while I am watching something I think she will like... otherwise, she gets irritated with my suggestions.

Alice's favorites in order are Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy (The Music Box in particular) and Keaton. She continues to ask when Modern Times will be on again, and when Charlie's birthday is, so she can watch all day like she did a couple years ago. She will take City Lights as a substitute for Modern Times, but doesn't really get into it as much. Plus when she watched it last year, she did not understand the idea of drunken blackouts, thus making the rich man section not very funny to her. She likes The Rink as well (of course she does. Who could resist Charlie on skates? ). I thought she would like The Kid (my favorite) but she lost interest.

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched The Kid with my daughter when she was 5, she just wanted to watch more Charlie and I put in on, she was gripped completely bought into the idea of Charlie being Daddy to this little nipper, then it struck me, how's she going to take the seperation, it tears at my emotions, so her Daddy and I were saying 'he's not really taking him, it's all a trick' and thankfully we got away with it. We watched quite a lot of the Mutuals together, she liked The Rink best, then The Vagabond, something about Charlie washing Edna. In fact she was really taken with Edna and liked the ones that Edna appeared the most in.

To me that's quite a difference between Chaplin and Keaton, the way they treat women. Women for Keaton are often an necessary inconvenience but for Charlie, he loves them and I think that's part of what my daughter likes.

I grew up watching Laurel and Hardy, both talkies and silents, I thought they were the funniest thing, today, I find some of the sketches predictable and only funny if I watch them with the kids. The'r silents are the best although I'm extemely partial to The Blockheads, Way Out West,The Music Box and Sons of the Desert. The other comedian who was sometimes played was Harold Lloyd but it was compilations of his work. No Chaplin and no Keaton in the UK in the 1970s.

[JackFavell]

That is very perceptive! Keaton's women are like props...or worse, they actually interfere with his mission, whatever it may be, even if that mission is to rescue them! I think he loves them, but they remain mysterious or even potentially dangerous.

I personally love Edna and never thought Chaplin had another leading lady as good or well suited to him. Your daughter has exceptional taste.

I love the repetitive quality of L&H, I love knowing what is going to happen and that they are going to get into an all out war with Charlie Hall or Jimmy Finlayson. Or that Ollie will be hit on the head with a lightbulb and Stanley will cry.

[movieman1957]

L&H keep coming up so I thought I'd throw in some of my favorite shorts. (The problem is access.) Among them are "Towed In A Hole." (My bride especially enjoys that one.) "Blotto" as well as "Me and My Pal" are fun. An under viewed feature is "A Chump At Oxford." Stan gets bopped on the head and becomes an upper crust stuff shirt at Oxford that treats Ollie just awful but it is fun. Oh, I almost forgot "Brats." Here they play their own sons. Many others.

Keaton is a big hit at my house as well.

[MichiganJ]

L&H keep coming up so I thought I'd throw in some of my favorite shorts. (The problem is access.)

The availability of Laurel and Hardy films in the US is pretty abysmal.
There's a fantastic (and affordable) Laurel and Hardy Collection on DVD from Universal; 21-DVDs and includes most of their films. Unfortunately it is Region 2.

Now why didn't I think of TORTURE?

To clarify, (and perhaps restore what little reputation I may have here), I was struggling with an idea for the speech, figuring I'd show everyone how to play a D-chord on the guitar or something, when I spotted the book on the Middle Ages laying on the library shelf. A quick glance at a few pages in the book and then "borrowing" my sister's Ken doll (which I suspended by a bent coat hanger--As mentioned, the Algerian Hook was the "wow") and voila--demonstration speech. The "persuasion speech" was considerably more tame. I simply pointed out many of the "Paul is Dead" clues (and the 'wow' was playing "Number 9" backwards, which does sound like "Paul is dead"--sort of…)

[movieman1957]

With Beatles reviews and the like how could your reputation be tarnished?

My L&H shorts have been collected over the years mainly from TV. 20+ years ago a cable station played them every Sunday. I taped everything I could get. There are big "bugs" on the corner of the screen and I tried to edit for commercials. I still have them.

[JackFavell]

You are cracking me up! I have no idea what I did for any of the other speeches we were supposed to give - my Buster speech could have been a persuasion speech too, I guess...

Ken dolls were always good for ripping apart or suspending from hooks... not much else was done with them as far as I remember.