100 Essential Silent Film Comedies

May 15, 2017

Silent films featured comedy masters like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd, but too many comic actors have been forgotten. This book resurrects the achievements and reputations of such figures as Charley Chase, Ben Turpin, Phyllis Haver, Colleen Moore, and many others, providing descriptions, analysis, and appreciations in an alphabetical listing of 100 comedy classics, some quite short, and featuring works from countries such as Russia and Japan. Roots's (The 100 Greatest Silent Film Comedians) main requirement is that each has "got to make me laugh, dammit!" Comedy in its early days didn't hesitate to ridicule disabilities (e.g., the cross-eyed Ben Turpin and a trio of obese comedians billed as the "Hollywood ton of fun.") The book provides critical insights and portraits of director Mack Sennett, actress Clara Bow, and others, including Max Linder, Mabel Normand, and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Some artists reached their pinnacle in the silents while others, such as W.C. Fields, Mary Astor, and the "Our Gang" kids, easily transitioned to sound. VERDICT Although some readers will question the author's deliberate omission of such classics as Chaplin's The Gold Rush, film buffs will be entertained and enlightened by this compendium.--Stephen Rees, formerly with Levittown Lib., PA

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2017
Compiling best of lists is often a tricky business (there are bound to be objections to inclusions as well as omissions), but less so when the compiler explains the criteria used. In this case, Roots very clearly states his: It's a book of films that made me laugh and that ought to make you laugh, too. For each of the films listed, he provides a concise summary including synopsis, cast, critical evaluation, commentary, and availability. The coverage is broad and extends not only to Hollywood productions but also to films from Russia, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom. Featured titles represent the work of more than 70 silent-film comedians, from Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd to Snub Pollard and Jack Duffy and dozens more. A worthwhile addition to film and performing-arts collections(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)