Product Details

• Actors: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Albert Austin, Henry Bergman, Syd Chaplin
• Directors: Charles Chaplin
• Writers: Charles Chaplin
• Producers: Charles Chaplin
• Format: Black & White, HiFi Sound, Silent, NTSC
• Rated: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: November 5, 1992
• Run Time: 119 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302561949
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #349,629 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Seven Charlie Chaplin two-reelers are included on this two-disc set, including The Chaplin Revue, a 1959 compilation comprising three silent comedies (A Dog's Life, Shoulder Arms, and The Pilgrim). Among the high points are the flawless A Dog's Life, in which the Tramp befriends a mutt (among its sublime routines is a superbly executed scene with Chaplin stealing pastries from a street vendor), and the ambitious Shoulder Arms, which sends Charlie to the trenches of World War I. There's also The Idle Class, which casts Chaplin in two roles: as the Tramp, and as a foppish rich man with a weakness for drink (and a weakness for absent-mindedness, in a brilliant scene in which he forgets his trousers). A Day's Pleasure is a lark with good gags aboard a swaying boat, while Sunnyside is downright peculiar at times--though Chaplin's addled dance with imaginary nymphs is pure acrobatic daffiness. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Chaplin Slowdown, January 27, 2001

By 

Scott T. Rivers (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chaplin Revue [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Compiled, scored and narrated by Charlie Chaplin in 1958, "The Chaplin Revue" was a terrific idea to showcase three of the comedian's best films for First National: "A Dog's Life" (1918), "Shoulder Arms" (1918) and "The Pilgrim" (1923). Unfortunately, Chaplin tampered with these particular films by presenting them at a slower projection speed, which ruins the original comic timing and pacing. As a public service, avoid "The Chaplin Revue" and locate the out-of-print "First National Collection" on DVD. This excellent disc includes most of Chaplin's 1918-23 work at the proper projection speed. The difference is amazing.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where are the actual dvd Reviews??, March 3, 2004

By 

Emanci Rolve "The_Movie_Guru" (Englewood, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chaplin Revue (2 Disc Special Edition) (DVD)

All the reviews posted on this dvd are for the vhs!! It's so annoying that no one seems to realize that there are not three, but SEVEN early chaplin shorts presented on the dvd (the extras have even more shorts)!! Also, the three from the 1958 re-edit entitled the 'chaplin revue' are available on the dvd in their ORIGINAL VERSIONS as well as the recut!! So will people stop complaining and give these shorts the attention and respect they deserve!! Also, I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend to get the box set for the chaplin collection vol. 2, which includes this, because to get the 7 movies separatly would be $175 retail and the box set includes a special documentary on chaplin NOT AVAILABLE SEPARATLY as well as the seven films for a retail of only $100!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! The Chaplin Revue presents him as he was meant to be seen, February 24, 2009

By 

Annie Van Auken (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chaplin Revue [VHS] (VHS Tape)

There was no single correct projection speed for motion pictures until standardization in 1927, when 24 FPS was necessarily decided upon as a prelude to the coming of talkies. Most prior photoplays were shot at varying speeds. In his earliest films, D.W. Griffith favored 12 FPS. This means, at playback on a motorized projector set at the standard 24 FPS, BIRTH OF A NATION and other movies seem bizarrely fast!

Comedies were often filmed at 16 FPS and undercranked for action scenes. All these movies were designed to be shown on a hand-cranked projector. Thus, when 24 FPS came in, the natural look of earlier silent films DISAPPEARED. With the passage of decades, viewers have come to accept these ridiculously quick-moving images as "normal" because they have no point of previous reference.

When Sir Charles selected in 1959 the three shorts that comprise THE CHAPLIN REVUE and added his own musical compositions, he made certain that these movies would run at their ORIGINAL projection speeds. So we are able to see here how silent movies actually appeared to cinemagoers in 1918 and 1923. The naturalness of unbusy passages is delightful and certainly NOT a distraction. For the first time, modern audiences can appreciate the subtleties of Chaplin's facial expressions and movements. This is a wonderful compilation!


"The Chaplin Revue" is available on DVD.

Also recommended:
Sir Charles often cited THE GOLD RUSH (1925) as his favorite picture. (VHS edition) (DVD edition)


Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(7.7) A Dog's Life (1918) - Charlie Chaplin/Edna Purviance/Syd Chaplin/Harry Bergman/Minnie Chaplin

(6.8) Shoulder Arms (1918) - Charlie Chaplin/Edna Purviance/Syd Chaplin/Jack Wilson/Harry Bergman

(7.4) The Pilgrim (1923) - Charlie Chaplin/Edna Purviance/Syd Chaplin/Mack Swain/Harry Bergman (uncredited: Mickey Daniels/Marion Davies)