Toronto Silent Film Festival

The Forgotten Clowns of Silent Comedy
Chris Seguin programmer


In the liner notes for his excellent DVD set American Slapstick 2, David Kalat recounts the story of discussing silent comedy with his banker.

"Silent comedy?" asked the banker. "How do you hear the jokes?"

That pretty much says it all.

Technically, the title "Forgotten Clowns of Silent Comedy" is a bit of a misnomer. Virtually all of the comedians of the silent age-great, good, bad or indifferent-are forgotten today. Even those who are remembered (Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd) are remembered more for their iconic status (The Little Tramp, The Great Stoneface, The Man Hanging from the Clock) than for their actual work. Mention Chaplin or Keaton to most people and, if you're lucky, you'll get a faint glimmer of recognition. Mention Larry Semon, Lloyd Hamilton or Snub Pollard, and prepare yourself for the blank stare.

But it's pretty easy to convert those blank stares into broad smiles, or even astonished laughter, simply by showing the films-ideally in a packed cinema, such as the Revue.

I chose the word "astonished" for a reason. Because I'm constantly astonished to see the reaction these films receive (which, I assume, is the exact same reaction they received 80 or 90 years ago), and I think the audiences are astonished to find themselves laughing so hard at "old stuff." To watch milquetoast Charley Chase and his philandering boss juggle four women and several murderously jealous boyfriends in a rapid-fire roundelay of risqué switcheroos is to witness comedy of such clockwork precision, you'll wonder how they did it without CGI. Ditto Larry Semon's motorcycle dodging locomotives and crazed cops. Astonishing.

Now I'm not one to say, "Bring back the good old days, today's movies stink!" To me, it's apples and oranges. But I will say this: These comedians were absolute pioneers. They did stuff that was never done before, and set the stage for everything that was to follow. Take a look at Pixar's recent WALL-E. The first 45 minutes are pure silent cinema that's both a tribute to, and a futuristic extension of, what Chaplin, Keaton and their lesser-known contemporaries created 80 years ago.

So these are pioneering works-but let's not look upon them as museum pieces. Yes, they reflect their times (and beware, there will be politically incorrect jokes), but ultimately, they're timeless-and proof that funny is funny. Even if you can't hear the jokes.

I promise you an unforgettable afternoon.

This show wouldn't be possible without the generosity of David Kalat (www.alldayentertainment.com) and Paul Gierucki.

l to r
Stan Laurel, Sub Pollard, Larry Semon, Lloyd Hamilton, Rosco "Fatty" Arbuckle and Charlie Chase