Little Tramp – The Charlie Chaplin Collection (Passport)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: C+     Shorts: B

 

 

Koch and Passport have consistently issued low-priced sets of the earliest silent works of Charlie Chaplin, including the following:

 

Early Masterpieces

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/933/Charlie+Chaplin+-+Early+Masterpieces+set

 

Artist In His Prime

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1561/Charlie+Chaplin+-+Artist+In+His+Prime+set

 

 

This most expansive set the company has yet released features many new-to-them titles they have not issued yet which are too numerous to go into, but there is a little overlap between the previously reviewed sets.  Of the five DVDs here, the first is of his Keystone works circa 1914, second of his not-often-discussed Essanay period circa 1915, third and beginning of four DVDs of Mutual Studios from 1916 - 1917, leaving the remainder of his First National period up to 1922.  That is 44 in all, with the longest running at about 45 minutes, with the average running about 20 minutes each.  We cannot confirm that all films are in their uncut entirety, but it is a handy set like its predecessors and better than the other low-price releases on the market.  We guess this will be the last one, for what else could they possibly unearth to issue on Chaplin?

 

The 1.33 X 1 image varies throughout on what are often second-generation prints at best, but is not up to the best restorations we have seen to date of older such materials restored, though this set makes no pretense of massive preservation.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 is simple stereo at best with the same music used over and over again like the other Passport silent collections.  Extras include the Chaplin/Buster Keaton Hollywood Rivals segment from that set reviewed elsewhere on this site, a promo film with the two actors together in a First National short that brings together many of the great actors of the time and has Keaton as a waiter and two animated shorts by Felix The Cat creator Otto Messmer from 1915 partly complete.  They are silent and remarkable.  The titles here are the incomplete Charlie On The Windmill and pretty complete Charlie & The Indians.  The latter is the nicest surprise in this set.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo