Charley Chase: The Talkies Vol. 2 Coming This Summer
This is a great time to be a fan of classic comedy, especially if you love the short subjects produced by Hal Roach Studios (also known as “The Lot of Fun”). Last year saw the release of three separate DVD box sets of Hal Roach talkies that were previously unavailable on home video (all of which made my “Garv’s Pick of the Year” list). These sets included Volume One in what was purported to be a comprehensive collection of comedian Charley Chase’s sound comedies at the Hal Roach Studio.
Now, Charley Chase: At Hal Roach: The Talkies Volume Two 1932-33 has been listed for pre-order on Amazon. The 2-DVD set from Sprocket Vault will feature 15 shorts — over six hours of hilarity from the best surviving elements, along with audio commentaries by comedy historian Richard M. Roberts.
The set is due on July 16th, and I, for one, can’t wait! Here is the product description from Amazon:
Charley Chase returns in Volume Two of his classic Hal Roach talkie comedies from the years 1932-1933. This was a period of transition for both the comedian and the Lot of Fun as Charley says farewell to the lovely Thelma Todd (returning for an appearance in The Nickel Nurser), experiments with science-fiction (Now We’ll Tell One) and surrealism (Nature in the Wrong) and introduces his new main leading lady, the lovely Muriel Evans.
Lots of great laughs as Charley Chase is ably supported by the stalwart Hal Roach Stock Company of Comedy Players: Billy Gilbert, James Finlayson, James C. Morton, Dell Henderson, Jimmie Adams, and Gale Henry.
Contents:
1932: The Tabasco Kid, The Nickel Nurser, In Walked Charley, First in War, Young Ironsides, Girl Grief, Now We’ll Tell One, and Mr. Bride
1933: Fallen Arches, Nature in The Wrong, His Silent Racket, Arabian Tights, Sherman Said It, Midsummer Mush, and Luncheon at Twelve.
Bonus features include:
- Una cana al aire (4-reel Spanish version of ‘Looser than Loose‘);
- Commentaries by Richard M Roberts
- Poster and Stills Gallery
