DVD/BluRay review: Reginald Denny Collection

Hopefully the reviewer could indulge to the point of writing in the first person, without eschewing all critical objectivity, but this silent movie set was a new discovery for me. I had known Reginald Denny as a Brit-born character actor, who was still active during my own time (he was on Batman, for gosh sakes), but really wasn't aware that he was a sophisticated comedian in silent features. I had some awareness of him being in the silent Leather Pushers series (Denny was a former boxer) because an episode was included on a VHS I have that is delightfully titled "Floor Sweepings" and contained a bunch of similar oddities.

Kino Lorber has released a 3-film set of Denny's films that reveal him to be funny, appealing, and enjoyable enough to where I'd like to seek out more of his work during this period.

The first film I screened, "The Reckless Age" was a delight, and surprisingly it turned out to be the weakest film on the set. This is a comparative reaction, however, not an overall assessment. The movie is good, it's just that the other two movies turned out to be even better. "The Reckless Age" has Denny hired to make sure nothing happens to thwart the marriage of a wealthy heiress (Ruth Dwyer). It is based on the book "Love Insurance" by Earl Derr Biggers (who created the Charlie Chan character) and was also made into a film by the same studio, Universal, in 1940 entitled "One Night in the Tropics," which was the debut of Abbott and Costello. However, the two films are not similar. "The Reckless Age" was directed by Harry Pollard, not to be confused with silent movie comedian Snub Pollard, whose first name also happened to be Harry.

The second and third movies on the set were directed by William Seiter, who also directed Laurel and Hardy in "Sons of the Desert" and The Marx Brothers in "Room Service."

"Skinner's Dress Suit" is a very funny situational comedy in which Denny plays a henpecked husband who is goaded by his wife (Laura LaPlante) to ask for a raise. He doesn't get the raise, but to keep peace in the household, he tells his wife that his request was accepted. Unfortunately, her happy response includes purchasing a new suit at a much higher income level than they can actually afford.

"What Happened To Jones" is a hilarious feature in which Denny is a rich man who gets involved in a poker game the night before his wedding. The game is raided by police, and Denny escapes, but spends the movie on the run, donning a series of disguises to avoid getting arrested.

In the latter two films, Denny has more opportunity to stretch as a comedian. He is not the sort of slapstick master that we usually associate with silent cinema (Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, et al), but an actor who plays comedy. His comic prowess can be both sophisticated and earthy, with equal aplomb. While "The Reckless Age" has him more staid, sophisticated, and romantic, "Skinner's Dress Suit" features Denny as easily intimidated, frustrated, and without any of the control that the character in the other film exhibits so easily.

The cleverness of "What Happened to Jones" is how the situation builds in a comic manner. Each of the different disguises that Denny uses is funnier than the previous one.

William Seiter seems to understand how to orchestrate the comic situations in the two films he directed, and actor Denny responds well to his direction.

This set was quite a revelation to this writer, who appreciates Reginald Denny at a far loftier level. As a result, I have to recommend it most passionately to fans of silent movies, of comedy, and of film history. Beautiful new 4K restorations that look stunning, great musical accompaniment by Jake Monaco, Leo Birenberg, and Anthony Willis; and commentary by the always interesting and engaging Anthony Slide, from whom we always learn a great deal.

The set is available here: Reginald Denny