Days Of Thrills & Laughter

"Third Installment ... Days of Thrills & Laughter ... VCI Ent. (2010)"
VCI Entertainment and 20th Century Fox presents ~ "DAYS OF THRILLS & LAUGHTER" (Dolby digitally remastered) -- Once upon a time before "Talkies", there were silent films filled with laughter, thrills and just some good old wholesome entertainment --- This is the third and best of the revivals of silent comedy a feature-length compilation of excerpts from silent comedies and melodramas, written and produced by Robert Youngson --- it is one of the most unexpectedly good basic catalog reissues of the year --- There is an appropriately humorous but affectionate background score by Jack Shaindlin and a commentary by Jay Jackson at the Sixty-eighth Street Playhouse at Third Avenue --- Featured players include Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Harry Houdini Pearl White, Harry Langdon, Ben Turpin, Charlie Chase, Snub Pollard, Mack Sennett, Fatty Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, Ford Sterlng, Boris Karloff, Warner Oland, Ruth Roland, Monty Banks, Al St. John, Cameo the...

Days of Scenarists and Gagmen
The quality of this VCI Entertainment release should be addressed in two parts. As to the quality of the dvd itself, picture and sound quality are excellent, and the chapter stops follow the subject matter. There are no extra features, which seems to be the status quo with the majority of dvd releases these days. Robert Youngson and his compilations helped fuel interest in the revival of the pioneering and classic comedies of the early 20th century, and they still hold up as a good introduction to that fruitful and complex period. Any rereleases of these anthologies are welcome.

That said, "Days of Thrills and Laughter" is something of a curiosity among Youngson's compilations. His better efforts showcased the silent comedies of Laurel & Hardy, Charley Chase, Max Davidson, and Buster Keaton, and featured generous helpings of Chaplin, Langdon, and Sennett's Keystone comedians. The focus of "Days of Thrills and Laughter" seems to be Snub Pollard. Pollard's comedies at Hal...

A Fun-Filled Youngson Anthology
Producer Robert Youngson's third silent-film compilation mixes vintage slapstick with action sequences of variable quality. Though entertaining, "Days of Thrills and Laughter" (1961) remains a step below "The Golden Age of Comedy" and "When Comedy Was King." Despite the unevenness of tone, Youngson provides another memorable showcase for the Sennett and Roach fun factories - augmented by classic moments from Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Pearl White and even Harry Houdini. Long unavailable on home video, the official VCI release is most welcome.

Click to Editorial Reviews