Charley Chase: At Hal Roach: The Talkies Volume 1 (1930-31) {DVD Review}

Reviewed by Jason S. Lockard

In the early days of film some of the most popular actors were the comedians. Whether it was Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, W.C. Fields or others. People enjoyed the antics of the hilarious actors.

One of the popular comedians in the early years of film was Charley Chase. Now The Sprocket Vault is bringing us the first volume of Charley Chase short films. Let's take a look at what is included in this two disc set. 

Our Rating System:
****=Don’t Miss it!
***=Worth a look.
**=An Ok way to spend an evening.
*=You haven’t missed anything.

                                                            Disc 1 – 1930
 
The Real McCoy - Charley poses as a hillbilly in his pursuit of a country girl. ****

Whispering Whoopee - Charley hires three "party girls" to help him land a business deal. ****

All Teed Up - A girl invites Charley to play golf at her father's exclusive country club. ***

Fifty Million Husbands - An estranged couple visit their old apartment, which is now occupied by Charley and his wife. Charley's wife, however, misunderstands the purpose of their visit. ***
 
Fast Work - Charley Chase mistakes an escaped mental patient for the father of a woman he is interested in dating. ***

Girl Shock - Charley goes into hysterics whenever his fiancée touches him.***

Dollar Dizzy - Charley and Thelma are millionaires, each trying to elude suitors who are trying to marry them for their money. ***

Looser Than Loose - Charley is about to get engaged to Thelma when his boss forces him to entertain some clients. ***

High C’s - Charley is a dough-boy in France; but prefers to sing in a quartet. He falls for Antoinette, a local bar maid. She encourages him to study, so he does and becomes a sergeant. ***
                                                            Disc 2 – 1931

Thundering Tenors - Charley is a tenor who gets invited to a party, which he eventually destroys. **

The Pip from Pittsburgh - Charley agrees to go on a blind date, but because of the bad luck he has had on previous ones he decides to make himself look awful. ***   

Rough Seas - On his way home following World War I, Charley smuggles his French sweetheart aboard ship and gets into all kinds of trouble. ***

One of the Smiths - The mail-order company notices instruments they have been shipping have not been paid for, so they send Charley to get the money. ***

The Panic Is On - Charley's in love with the daughter of a financier who wants her to insist that Chas have a pile of cash before she marries him. ***

Skip the Maloo! -  Charlie is hired to impersonate a Duke by a man, not realizing that he is said Duke. ***

What a Bozo! - A bandleader ignores a pretty dancer who fancies him in order to chase after a beautiful, snooty high-society dame.**

The Hasty Marriage - Charley has to marry quickly or he'll lose out on a job. ***

Each of these 20 plus minute films have a simplistic and comedic charm to them. Funny never goes out of style. That's why Chaplin and Keaton are still studied to this day. Charley Chase may not be as iconic as some comedians of the earlier years, but I think actors and filmmakers could learn from his comedy timing.

This 2 disc DVD set includes the 18 shorts beautifully restored. I was really surprised at the great quality of these short comedies. The bonus features in this collection includes; Commentaries on each short by noted film historian and Hal Roach authority, Richard M. Roberts. A Spanish version of "The Pip from Pittsburgh" entitled, “La Señorita de Chicago” and poster & stills gallery.

So if your a fan of classic comedy or want to discover a comedian you may have never heard of before. This collection is a must have! Head over to www.SprocketVault.com today. 


Moral Rating: Nothing Offensive
Audience: All Ages
Length: Almost 7 Hours
DVD Release: 2018
DVD Rating: A