TCM/Charley Chase talkback thread

[krazykatclassics]

I came up with an idea, now that the Charley Chase sound comedies are back in regular rotation on TCM, that we can start a Charley Chase talkback thread.We can discuss the newly aired Chase shorts(silent and sound)as well as previous shorts that have already aired and to share everyone's thoughts on this gifted brilliant comedian.

 

Message was edited by: krazykatclassics

[Factotum]

There is one Chase film that would truly be a treat to see, it's his forgotten silent (but with a movietone track) feature, "MODERN LOVE".It even had longtime Roach player Anita Garvin in it as well. It's a 1929 Universal film, and I know the Library of Congress has a copy on 16mm.

[krazykatclassics]

Tonight, everyone will see one the "earliest" Charley Chase sound comedies, "The Real McCoy" 2/1/30.Although people have said that this short was available to viewing, that hasn't been the case, as this two reeler is just as rare as his other 1929 to 1930 sound output from this period.Thoughts from Chase historians usually have labled this short as a weak one among his early sound shorts, but with a good cast(Thelma Todd, Edgar Kennedy)it will be interesting to see this short.

[FredCDobbs]

He sounds like Vernon Dalhart when he sings!

 

In fact, he was purposely singing in the Vernon Dalhart style.

 

There were only three people to imitate back in those days:

 

A.P. Carter

Jimmy Rogers

Vernon Dalhart

 

http://www.archive.org/details/VernonDalhart

 

You can hear Ann Dvorak singing Dalhart's "The Wreck of the old 97" in the 1932 version of "Scarface".

 

(If you can find some of the earliest recordings of Gene Autry, you'll hear him imitating Jimmy Rogers.)

[MarkieMark]

He sounds like Vernon Dalhart when he sings!

 

In fact, he was purposely singing in the Vernon Dalhart style.

 

There were only three people to imitate back in those days:

 

A.P. Carter

Jimmy Rogers

Vernon Dalhart

 

http://www.archive.org/details/VernonDalhart

 

You can hear Ann Dvorak singing Dalhart's "The Wreck of the old 97" in the 1932 version of "Scarface".

 

(If you can find some of the earliest recordings of Gene Autry, you'll hear him imitating Jimmy Rogers.)

 

 

 

 

 

The earliest song I have in my whole music collection is Vernon Dalhart's 1925 "The Prisoner's Song". Of Gene Autry, I have "My Blue Heaven" and "Tonight You Belong To Me", both from 1927.

 

Having heard Vernon, I see what you mean about Charley sounding like him.

[FredCDobbs]

Here are some of Autry's earliest songs, where he imitates Jimmy Rogers.

 

http://www.venerablemusic.com/catalog/TitleDetails.asp?TitleID=11027

 

I used to collect old 78 rpm records of early folk music.

 

Here are some early Autry songs you can listen to:

 

http://www.geneautry.com/musicmovies/musiccds/geneautrybluescd.html

 

It's hard to believe it's Autry, since it sounds so much like Jimmy Rogers.

[scottman1932]

I agree. The first time I heard Autrey's 1931 recording of "Money's No Use Anyway" I thought it was Jimmie Rodgers! I have since collected several of his early Rodgers' styled 78s. They are not all that easy to find since many were not issued under Autrey's name.

[Factotum]

I don't understand why you thought this one (REAL McCOY) was hard to see, it was one in the "Film Classics" lot all along, I've had two seperate prints of it. Though this is the first time the original titles have been seen.

What would be truly fantastic is if they run some of the Chases released in 1929. It would seem that Film Classics only used the 1930 on material, apparently with the exceptions of FAST WORK and MR BRIDE.

 

Hallmark has the rights to anything in in the Roach archives. At least two of the 1929 talkies are there, THE BIG SQUAWK and SNAPPY SNEEZER. Also, there are some of the alternate language ones available. Can we ever hope to see them? Here's hoping!

[krazykatclassics]

Trying to see "The Real McCoy" for me, was very hard to track down and after seing the short last night, it wasn't all that great, for which I was kinda expecting.The only funny moment in this short is where Charley mixes up his skunk coonskin cap for a real skunk and makes Thelma pass out.It would be great and I hope that we'll see(in the future)the 1929 surviving Chase talkies on TCM, since Hallmark has these titles restored and in their holdings.So far, the only year that TCM has not aired a Chase short(from the sound era only)is the titles from 1929, as every other year has been presented and those 1929 titles are among the hardest to see in any form today.

 

Hallmark only owns the post 1927 MGM/Roach library, while the Pathe releases are in the public domain.

[AT56]

I enjoyed Poker At Eight last night. Constance Bergen really stood out me. She was a good looking, lucious, funny lady with a presence on screen, the kind of actresses I like. I did some online searching and didn't find much info on her. She never had a breakout film, though she had what it took, she always left a memorable performance in the smallest part, that's a true actress. Hal Roach should have hooked her up with someone to make a comedy duo and made series or Hal Roach could have placed Constance with Patsy Kelly after Thelma Todd's passing in the series. Its always been hard for funny ladies to become a success in movies. Bernadene Hayes was funny in the short too! Constance and Charley had great chemistry together. Wish they could have done more!

[Factotum]

There are in fact, some of the pre-MGM titles still in the Roach archive, including some very rare Stan Laurel solo titles. The problem is, if they can't control it, there's little reason to put it out there.

[Bill_McCrary]

Here is info originally gathered from IMDB on Charley. I have left out everything before 1929. The original page (for those who want to look up the invidual titles, etc.) is:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0153713/

 

Charlie Chase ? from 1929 on

Not all of the 1929 shorts are ?soundies? (and some listed below are features)

1. Ruby Lips (1929)

2. Off to Buffalo (1929)

3. Loud Soup (1929)

4. Thin Twins (1929)

5. Movie Night (1929)

6. The Big Squawk (1929)

7. Leaping Love (1929)

8. Modern Love (1929) ... aka You Can't Buy Love

9. Snappy Sneezer (1929)

10. Crazy Feet (1929)

11. Stepping Out (1929)

12. Great Gobs (1929)

13. Timide malgr? lui (1930) ?Girl Shock?

14. Pr?ncipe del d?lar, El (1930) ?Dollar Dizzy?

15. Jugador de golf, El (1930) ?All Teed Up?

16. Joueur de golf, Le (1930) ?All Teed Up?

17. ?Huye, faldas! (1930) ?Girl Shock?

18. Garde la bombe (1930) ?Looser than Loose?

19. Chercheuses d'or (1930) ?Dollar Dizzy?

20. Cana al aire, Una (1930) ?Looser than Loose? (41 minutes)

21. The Real McCoy (1930)

22. Whispering Whoopee (1930)

23. All Teed Up (1930)

24. Fifty Million Husbands (1930)

25. Fast Work (1930)

26. Girl Shock (1930)

27. Locuras de amor (1930) ?Fast Work? (50 minutes)

28. Dollar Dizzy (1930)

29. Looser Than Loose (1930) ... aka What a Man! (USA)

30. High C's (1930)

31. Se?orita de Chicago, La (1931) ?The Pip from Pittsburgh? (timing?)

32. Thundering Tenors (1931)

33. Alma de la fiesta, El (1931) ?Thundering Tenors? (timing?)

34. The Pip from Pittsburgh (1931)

35. Little Daddy (1931) (singing voice of Chubby)

36. Rough Seas (1931)

37. One of the Smiths (1931)

38. The Panic Is On (1931)

39. Moner?as (1931) ?Rough Seas? (45 minutes)

40. Skip the Maloo! (1931)

41. What a Bozo! (1931)

42. The Hasty Marriage (1931)

43. The Tabasco Kid (1932) Charley/Francisco Murietta dual role

44. The Nickel Nurser (1932)

45. In Walked Charley (1932)

46. First in War (1932)

47. Young Ironsides (1932)

48. Girl Grief (1932)

49. Now We'll Tell One (1932)

50. Mr. Bride (1932)

51. Fallen Arches (1933)

52. Nature in the Wrong (1933) ... aka Tarzan in the Wrong (USA)

53. His Silent Racket (1933)

54. Arabian Tights (1933)

55. Sherman Said It (1933)

56. Midsummer Mush (1933)

57. Luncheon at Twelve (1933)

58. Sons of the Desert (1933) ... aka Fraternally Yours (UK)

59. The Cracked Iceman (1934)

60. Four Parts (1934)

61. I'll Take Vanilla (1934)

62. Another Wild Idea (1934)

63. It Happened One Day (1934)

64. Something Simple (1934)

65. You Said a Hatful! (1934)

66. Fate's Fathead (1934)

67. The Chases of Pimple Street (1934)

68. Okay Toots! (1935)

69. Poker at Eight (1935)

70. Southern Exposure (1935)

71. The Four Star Boarder (1935)

72. Nurse to You! (1935)

73. Manhattan Monkey Business (1935) Charley/Francois

74. Life Hesitates at 40 (1935)

75. Public Ghost No. 1 (1935)

76. The Count Takes the Count (1936)

77. Vamp Till Ready (1936)

78. On the Wrong Trek (1936)

79. Neighborhood House (1936)

80. Kelly the Second (1936) .... Dr. J. Willoughby Klum

81. Hollywood Party (1937) Charley Chan Chase, Co-Host

Columbia Shorts

1. The Grand **** (1937)

2. From Bad to Worse (1937) lost?

3. The Wrong Miss Wright (1937)

4. Calling All Doctors (1937)

5. The Big Squirt (1937)

6. Man Bites Lovebug (1937)

7. Time Out for Trouble (1938)

8. The Mind Needer (1938)

9. Many Sappy Returns (1938)

10. The Nightshirt Bandit (1938)

11. Pie ? la Maid (1938)

12. The Sap Takes a Wrap (1939)

13. The Chump Takes a Bump (1939) lost?

14. Rattling Romeo (1939)

15. Skinny the Moocher (1939)

16. Teacher's Pest (1939)

17. The Awful Goof (1939) lost?

18. His Bridal Fright (1940)

19. The Heckler (1940)

20. South of the Boudoir (1940) lost?

 

Message was edited by: Bill_McCrary to clarify the line about features

[krazykatclassics]

I must say that I really enjoyed "Rough Seas" yesterday, as I'm not much of a fan of musical comedies, as I think that musical numbers slow down the pace of the comedy action, but this three reeler was very good.Since the Chase talkies started airing again last month, there has been some hit and miss Chase shorts and here are my thoughts.

 

"Sherman Said It" (33)-Basically no plot and a rather weak one at that.

 

"The Real McCoy"(30)-I knew that this short(before I viewed it) wasn't going to be a great one and I was right.This early Chase talkie doesn't go anywhere and Edgar Kennedy doesn't have much to do in this short.This was the first short to have a "hillbilly"theme that Chase would appear in year's later.

 

"Poker At Eight"(34)-I loved this comedy and I thought Constance Bergen was wonderful as Charley's wife.Tom Dugan who plays Charley's best friend, appeared in the first "all talking" feature, "Lights Of New York"(1928).

 

"Skip The Maloo"(31)-Starts off great with some wild slapstick comedy but falls flat towards the end.The highlight of this film is the forgotten comediene, Gale Henry who appears as a newspaper reporter.Henry was a veru popular star during the silent era in the 1910s and she even formed her own production company.

 

One early Chase talkie that aired back in July, was one of my favorites of the newest batch of Chase shorts that has aired in the last few monthson TCM.

 

"Thundering Tenors"(31)-This short is outright hilarious from begining to end, as Charley is a radio singer from a radio station(station N.U.T.Z.) to perform at a high society party.A little raunchy pre-code packed with great gags and a hysterical slapstick ending that has Charley in a wrestling match a with a female doctor, who is played by Lena Malena.As always, it's a delight to see Roach stock player, Dorothy Granger in this short and Chase gives a great comedic performance.

 

I did hear a rumor that an almost complete print of the Chase 1929 feature "Modern Love" has been located and it has caught the attention of Universal Studios, who seems interested.

[BKeatonfan]

I read that the Charley Chase shorts are "back in the rotation" and it looks like I have missed a few of them. Are they still in the rotation, and if they are, do they come out once or twice a month, or is it just hit or miss on when they are shown.

 

Thanks.

[ziggyelman]

Was just going to post this info!!! well, since I already did the copy and paste thing.... From TCM schedule.

 

 

Short Film: One Reel Wonders: Panic Is On (1931)

Charley Chase's comedy skills as an actor are well displayed in this short with various vignettes including Charley walking down the street reading a paper collecting several over the shoulder readers and Charley thwarting a thief trying to take money from his wealthy girfriends father.

Cast: Charley Chase, Charlie Hall Dir: James Parrott BW-20 mins

[BKeatonfan]

Thanks for the update. Most of the Charley Chase shorts that I have seen were silent, so I was quite surprised to hear how well he could sing in his talkies.

 

The last Charley Chase short that I saw was Midsummer Mush quite a few months ago when it was on TCM On Demand. I probably watched it three or four times during the week it was available (I drove my wife crazy, but I just loved that short).

[krazykatclassics]

From now on, any Chase shorts that is scheduled, should be posted on the Chase talkback thread to make it easier for fans.Since TCM started airing the Chase talkies in September of last year, TCM has shown 22(out of 56)Chase sound comedies thus far.

[Bill_McCrary]

....TCM has shown 22(out of 56)Chase sound comedies thus far. ....

 

Lots more than 56 (if you count the foreign-language versions, especially); and if one has the old Maltin book on film comedians, there are a few that didn't make his listing there.

 

My posting below came (originally) from the imdb page on Charley. As soon as I can locate one of my (temporarily missing) discs, I'll put TCM dates beside the ones that have aired. (And I'll try to keep updating the list.)

Bill

[talkietime]

Here are two more TCM showing dates according to my index:

 

Another Wild Idea (1934) 9/23/06

Neighborhood House (1936) 10/7/06

[Terry_W]

The pain - I'd already missed three of the 24 I listed (Nickle Nurser twice!) now I find there's two more.

 

--

Terry Wallace

[ziggyelman]

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T FORGET!!!!!!!!!!!!! Panic Is On (1931) 7;36 PM EST, TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[krazykatclassics]

So what did everyone think of this short?

 

I thought that "The Panic Is On" was very funny, considering it took a serious subject matter and turned it out for some much needed laughs from 1931.My favorite part is when Charley encounters a mugger(played by Roach stock player, Leo Willis)who can't afford bullets for his gun to mug someome.

 

A really great short and hope no one missed this goodie.

[BKeatonfan]

I liked the short too, but it made me think what it must have been like after the stock market crash, and unemployment rising to almost 25%.

 

My favorite part was when Charley was walking down the street with the newspaper attracting a crowd of over the shoulder readers, then lighting a match and 5 to 10 guys "jump in" to get a light of their smoke with Charlie turning to the camera saying "man, the panic is on."

 

Nice short.

[TODDFAN]

The PIP FROM PITTSBURGH finally airs on 11/13 4:08p est. Charley & Thelma Todd's best pairing and Charley's best short overall !!!

[Terry_W]

If you using a DVR be sure to pad a few minutes - this one is a tight fit in the schedule.

 

--

Terry Wallace