DVD Review: Charley Chase: The Hal Roach Talkies Volume 3 (1934-36)
This latest Sprocket Vault release from Kit Parker films is the third volume of comedian Charley Chase’s wonderful sound film output from Hal Roach studios. Now all of his Roach produced shorts from 1930-36 are available and accessible.
Charley Chase was once among the most poorly represented vintage comedians on home video. There would be fleeting appearances of one or two sound shorts on various collections, and some of his early silents would be paired with generic music and released by low rent video companies to satisfy a limited niche market. I wrote a book on The Charley Chase Talkies several years ago, and at the time I had to rely on the kindness of collectors who had bootleg prints and Super 8mm and 16mm movies in order to screen and write about the films.
All this has changed in the past few years. There are a number of good collections covering his early silent films (I review them all at this link: Chase Silents), and not only do we have all of his Roach-produced sound shorts from 1930-1936, but also his Columbia two-reel comedies made from the time he left Roach until his death in 1940. While the 1929 Roach talkies and several of his 20s Roach silents remain elusive, Charley Chase has become one of the better represented vintage comedians on DVD.
As with my reviews of Volume One (link here) and Volume Two (link here), I will give brief comments of each film on Volume Three:
THE CRACKED ICEMAN
Charley himself directed this comedy in which he teaches at a school for boys. Cameos by Our Gang stars Spanky McFarland, Stymie Beard, and Tommy Bond are accompanied by Billy Gilbert as a swishy Dean. Highlights include a towel-clad Charley, just out of the shower, impatiently listening to his iceman prattle on about world affairs, and catching his girl’s escaped parakeet.
FOUR PARTS
Charley does just what the title states, playing himself and his three brothers, in this delightfully surreal comedy of mistaken identity and embarrassment. One of his most challenging films, and also one of his funniest, with great musical sequences.
I’LL TAKE VANILLA
Charley Chase is a delight as an ice cream man who must contend with a bratty child (Tommy Bond). Highlights include Charley signing the opening song, and his tussle with an unwieldy water cooler container that he wants to put back on its base.
ANOTHER WILD IDEA
Charley flirts with science-fiction in this very funny comedy about a ray gun that causes a person to lose all inhibition and respond to his whims without discernment or a “filter.” It is invented by his girl’s father, who tries to make Charley seem crazy by repeatedly zapping him so his daughter will lose interest.
IT HAPPENED ONE DAY
Charley Chase’s new boss discovers that Charley is dating his daughter so he transfers him to another branch of the company. When he discovers that his daughter had plans to travel to that area, he sends a telegram summoning Charley back. This is another of Chase’s best films, featuring both slapstick and situational humor, as well as Charley singing “This Salesman So Gay.”
SOMETHING SIMPLE
Among Charley Chase’s favorite comic themes were mistaken identity resulting in embarrassing situations, and crazy people mistaken for “normal.” That’s all here as Charley is told by a phony doctor to recite a nursery rhyme every time he gets upset. Unbeknownst to Charley, the doctor is an escaped lunatic whose M.O. is that he does just that. Lots of wild fun in this one.
YOU SAID A HATFUL
Charley’s boss wants to purchase a railroad, and realizes there is a lot of competition from other firms, some of them willing to hurt or kill their competition. He asks Charley to switch identities and accompany him on a train to set up the deal. Charley picks out appropriate clothes to look like a banker, but the top hat he chooses once belonged to a magician and is tricked up with magic gags. Another one of his funniest.
FATE’S FATHEAD
Charley is happily married, but gets mixed up with a jealous wrestler’s wife who craves attention in order to upset her husband. When Charley innocently talks to a baby, she thinks he means her. When he is walking down the street in her vicinity, oblivious to her, she thinks he is stalking. She confronts him, and he has no idea what she’s talking about. Chase was a master of embarrassing comic situations and this short is a great example.
THE CHASES OF PIMPLE STREET
Charley is once again happily married, but his wife’s lazy sister with no ambition is an unwelcome house guest, so Charley tries to get rid of her without getting into trouble himself. When his boss needs an escort, Charley quickly volunteers his sister-in-law.
OK TOOTS!
Charley explored the comedy in gender roles a few times over the years, and in this one, he is again happily married, but after a few conflicts, he and his wife wish they could switch places for a day. Charley awakens from a nap and discovers his wife’s personality is in his body, while his personality is in hers. Surreal and clever comedy.
POKER AT EIGHT
Charley Chase is a henpecked husband who wants to play poker with the boys. He decides to hypnotize his wife into allowing him to go out. Charley sings “I’m in the Dog House,” in yet another of his most interesting comedies.
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE
Hilarious rural comedy with Charley Chase traveling to Kentucky to meet relatives he recently discovered while tracing his roots. Charley plays himself and “Pappy” and sings “The Sun Sun Sunny South.”
THE FOUR STAR BOARDER
Charley’s wife has a wealthy aunt and is her sole heir. The aunt plans to leave her fortune to Mrs. Chase, and also decides to give her a chunk of it ahead of time. The problem is, last time the aunt visited, Mrs. Chase was dating a man named Felix, whom she adored, so the aunt thinks Felix is the husband. So, Charley gets Felix to pretend to be his wife’s husband while the aunt visits. Another one of Charley’s very best comedies.
NURSE TO YOU
Charley is very frugal and has a restrictive lifestyle, but when his medical records are mixed up with an unhealthy elderly man, he believes he has little time left, so he decides to spend his money and have a good time, which includes standing up to bullies and cops figuring he has nothing to lose. Meanwhile, the old man whose records indicate he has Charley’s good health, suddenly becomes an energetic womanizer. Laughs all the way through this one.
MANHATTAN MONKEY BUSINESS
Charley Chase doesn’t have a lot of money, but longs to dress up and eat at a fancy restaurant. He scrimps and saves for months and finally has enough to spend. He goes to the restaurant with a large bill, and a dollar bill, in his pocket. However, when he tips the doorman, he unwittingly gives him the large bill instead of the dollar, and finds that he can’t pay for his meal. Frustration and embarrassment ensue, as well as many laughs.
PUBLIC GHOST #1
Haunted house comedies are always surefire laugh getters so this short is another of Charley’s best. A crazy man, whom Charley believes to be his girlfriend’s father, asks him to haunt a house to scare out the tenants. Little does Charley know the tenants are his girl and her actual father. Furthermore, the crazy man decides to help Charley haunt, without telling him, causing Charley to believe the house is actually haunted.
LIFE HESITATES AT 40
One of Charley’s most bizarre comedies has people suddenly pausing like a freeze-frame, but Charley still able to hear their thoughts and communicate with them. Once the pause ends, the other person has no memory of it. A wild chase through an amusement park funhouse concludes this one.
THE COUNT TAKES THE COUNT
Charley takes out an expensive insurance policy on the impending marriage of a wealthy woman to a Count, and his boss insists that Charley make sure they do get married. When the woman flees, Charley must retrieve her.
VAMP TILL READY
More mistaken identity fun when Charley’s wife pretends to be her own twin sister, causing confusion and embarrassment.
ON THE WRONG TREK
Charley travels cross country with his cute wife and troublesome mother-in-law. Highlights include a stop at a hobo camp where Charley and Rosina Lawrence sing “Let’s Make it a Big Day” and a delightful cameo by Laurel and Hardy.
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
Originally planned as a feature entitled Bank Night, it was edited to two reels and released under this title. It works pretty well. Charley’s daughter (Darla Hood) is chosen to read off a number at a theater bank night, and instead says her father’s number. The audience is upset, and Charley forgoes the win and his daughter tries again. This time she pulls out her own number. She tries a third time and gets her mother’s number. They leave with the $500 prize, but find themselves ostracized by the community.
These brief descriptions are for the sake of this article and are not the last word on any of these wonderful films (see if my book on the Chase talkies is at your local library, as that provides full details).
Among the extras on the DVD set is a rare Spanish Language version of the 1930 Charley Chase comedy Girl Shock, as well as audio commentaries by Richard Roberts, as appeared on the first two volumes.
This magnificent and highly recommended collection of hilarious vintage comedies can be purchased at this link:
Some of the photos here were provided by the Another Nice Mess website. Thanks Dave.