Customer Reviews

The Man in the Silk Hat [VHS]

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Max Linder was the grandaddy of movie comedy. Even Chaplin was influenced by him. It's good to see that much of his work survives. I showed this film to some friends of mine lately and while a lot of silent comedy doesn't hold up well, they still found Max amusing. Particularly "The Three Must Get Theres" and "Seven years Bad Luck." 100 years after the fact, Max is still quite funny. How many of today's comedians will be able to say that?

I confess that I was not too familiar with Max Linder until I saw this film about his life and career in silent films. I can easily see why Chaplin liked him so much. The film clips of Linder's work are most impressive and it is evident that many of his comic actions have been copied by others in later years, especially the sequence with Linder and his reflection in the mirror (which is actually someone else on the other side of the mirror frame.) I remember the hilarious "I Love Lucy" episode with Lucy on one side of the mirror and Harpo Marx (pretending to be Lucy) on the other side. Obviously Linder did the mirror routine first many, many years before in silent films. I would like to know more about his tragic death ... he and his wife committed suicide. The movie is a real gem.

This is a wonderful documentary and cavalcade about the life and work of French comedian Max Linder, narrated by his daughter Maud. While having no memories of her father, she puts Max to life through his wonderful films which she carefully has restored.

To the interested, I've written a far more detailed review of this item on imdb. I just wanted to add a few words here as well, inasmuch as THE MAN IN THE SILK HAT deserves all the attention and recommandation it can get. Highly, highly recommended to avid fans of silent comedy and newcomers alike.