Vitagraph Comedies (1907-1919) [Disc 2/3]

Distributor: Kino Lorber

The history of screen comedy did not begin with Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton. Prior to their appearances on the American screen, an entire generation of comedians was already establishing (and breaking) the boundaries of this rapidly evolving genre. While working at the Vitagraph Studios, music hall artists such as John Bunny, Frank Roberts, and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew retooled their brands of comedy into something uniquely cinematic, advancing the art form and setting the stage for the slapstick explosion. This three-disc collection, presented by the Library of Congress, showcases the bold innovation of these overlooked pioneers, including the ingenious trick film The Disintegrated Convict, the gender-bending irrereverence of Edith Storey, and the epic scale of Larry Semon’s The Sawmill. Vitagraph Comedies also provides precious glimpses of comedians (e.g. Flora Finch or the comedy duo Montgomery and Rock) who are virtually forgotten today, because so little of their work has survived.

DISC TWO:
Vitagraph Comedies, Part Two (2024, 7 min.) Video introduction featuring Rob Farr, Lynanne Schweighofer, Rob Stone, and George Willeman.
The Flat Dwellers: Or, The House of Too Much Trouble (1907, 6 min.) Music by Shane Prediville. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1872858
The Haunted Rocker (1912, 8 min.) Featuring George Ober, Clara Kimball Young. Music by Peter Valsamis. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0222004
Kitty and the Cowboys (1911, 11 min.) Featuring John Bunny. Music by Ben Model. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342643
In the Clutches of a Vapor Bath (1911, 7 min.) Featuring John Bunny. Music by Andrew Earle Simpson. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199625
The Deceivers (1915, 13 min.) Featuring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Music by Liz Magnes. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0150294
His Wife Knew About It (1916, 14 min.) Featuring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Music by Linda Chase. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154599
A Horseshoe for Luck (1914, 13 min.) Featuring Sidney Drew. Music by Don Ross. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154615
The Professional Scapegoat (1914, 14 min.) Featuring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Music by Violin Noir. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155056
Beautiful Thoughts (1915, 11 min.) Featuring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Music by Dana Reason. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149828
Boobley’s Baby (1915, 14 min.) Featuring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Music by Renée T. Coulombe. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004991
A Safe Investment (1915, 14 min.) Featuring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Music by Ben Model. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0005998
A Telegraphic Tangle (1916, 13 min.) Featuring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Music by Violin Noir. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155248
Bullies and Bullets (1917, 13 min.) Featuring Hughie Mack, Patsy De Forest. Music by Dana Reason. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245804
Captain Jinks’ Evolution (1916, 12 min.) Featuring Frank Daniels. Music by Caterina Maddalena Barbieri. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245819
Captain Jinks, the Cobbler (1916, 12 min.) Featuring Frank Daniels. Music by Dylan Talisien. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221868
A Little Ouija Work (1918, 13 min.) Featuring Edward Earle, Agnes Ayres. Music by Ben Model. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490636
Mr. Jack Ducks the Alimony (1916, 13 min.) Featuring Frank Daniels. Music by Violin Noir. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0828075
Mr. Jack, the Hash Magnate (1916, 12 min.) Featuring Frank Daniels. Music by Chris Rorrer and Daniel Mandrychenko https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0828085

Extras:
Interviews with curator Rob Stone archivists Lynanne Schweighofer and George Willeman and film historian Rob Farr
Audio commentaries by film historian Anthony Slide