Charlie Chaplin Short Comedy Classics - The Complete Restored Essanay & Mutual Collection (1917)

So, that's the good news. Now for the bad news.

First of all, the transfers for the Mutual films were done at the infancy of the dvd medium. The encoding for dvds has gotten much better, which means that the details of these great restorations are sometimes lost in digital noise. Zooming in even a little makes this very apparant. These films deserved to be re-encoded for dvd, and it is an absolute shame that Image did not see fit to do this. The films look fine when shown full screen, with only a few exceptions, but those exceptions really stand out. (Example - each film opens with a text card giving some information about the film. These text cards are often almost unreadable due to the fact that the encoder couldn't handle the detail.)

Second, these are the most complete versions of these films available, which is great, but unfortunately there are several bits missing. In "One A.M.", there is a whole sequence with Chaplin in mountain climbing gear that is missing. "Easy Street" is missing a title card and some shots. You get the idea. David Shephard did his absolute best to restore these films well, and he did a marvelous job, but like most archivists, he simply did not have access to every single possible piece of material available. There is another company in Europe currently doing a restoration of these same films, and we will see how they do, but I still support this version, mostly because Shephard tries his best to bring so many films to light, often at appalingly small profit.

Third - the music. Now, I find the music on these discs to be just fine, but I do feel a bit disappointed that the old Van Beuren scores aren't there for the Mutuals. It's like having a record that you listen to for years, with crackles and skips and all the flaws of vinyl, and then you get a cd of the same album and you miss the crackles and pops! Same for these soundtracks. I even miss the really stupid calls of "Fire" from "The Fireman".

I heartily endorse this set of discs, but also long for something just a little better. Maybe with time it will happen.

MY biggest "complaint" is the "correct speed" statement.
When theses films were first produced and released there wasn't a "correct" anything about them.They were usually viewed on a hand cranked or variable speed projector and many times cue sheets were included to tell the projectionists when to speed the action up or slow it down for effect.As they got repeatedly shown over and over the cue sheets were often by then non extant and the projectionists were often left to their own devices.You might see
say "ONE A.M." at one theater projected a certain way/speed then be able to go across town to another theater and see it projected in a very different way.
And we know the silent films were shot at variable speeds themselves to enhance action where necessary(again hand cranked cameras!).Some have put an average FPS(frames per second) speed of around 16-18 for these films.This is generally close but to put a silent film at a CONSTANT speed in that range is to do an injustice to it and its' creators and their original intent.It does NOT show us what the film actually may have REALLY looked like in a theater in 1916.It may approximate it in some instances but not come even close in others.As a result I look at some scenes in these movies and I wait for Charlie to say "zoom" out a door as he should do but instead as with the entire film before and after he's in a constant state of "correct speed" and the impact therefore is now gone.
Also remember these films were just fillers or run-ups for the main "big" picture being shown on that occasion.Depending on the "pull"/star power of the filler(in this case Chaplin) this is what would draw the crowds to the movie house even MORE than the main feature.So a two reeler was generally not more than 20 minutes.If the two reeler was not that good he might want to speed it up to get it over with.If it was good he might extend it and/or really "spice up" the spots he thought would enhance the picture and the resultant reaction from the audience.Then it might run a little longer.It depended.But not usually the length we see in this release.
Silents were not a cut and dry affair like they are today.There were many variables in the making AND projecting of them.

One final "fault" I'd like to point out is the restoration process itself.Currently on Kino video there is the newly restored "Metroplis" an outstanding achievement in the restoration of ANY silent film to date.To make a long story short the European company that did the work used a marvellous new process whereby the picture has its' print faults digitally and exactingly(is that a word?) removed frame by loving frame.The result is astounding,especially considering the shape of what the company had to work with there.My point is I was hoping Shepherd and company would use this process or something similar on these films but they didn't.Too bad.
Despite these "trifles" I'd like to recommend this set to anyone and everyone interested in the early cinema and especially to those Chaplin fans out there.

P.S.Regarding the wonderful inclusion of the Eric Campbell special.I find it rather odd that one of the last quotes about Mr.Campbell came not from Chaplin in whose set this is included with and is about but by none other than Stan Laurel.