In the prologue, narrator Dwight Weist invites the viewer to enjoy "for the next 90 minutes.
" The film runs only 81 minutes.
If you enjoy watching silent-era, slapstick comedy films, then, you're in for some real good laughs while viewing "When Comedy Was King".Produced by Robert Youngson - This 80-minute anthology documentary is a nostalgic tribute to the long-gone era of the sight gag where actions always spoke louder than words.
When Comedy Was King (1960) *** (out of 4) Robert Youngson "documentary" showing various clips from the silent era including performers such as Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, The Keystone Cops, Laurel and Hardy, Edgar Kennedy, Gloria Swanson, Harry Langdon, Mabel Normand among various others. The film is a good way for newbies to see these legends in their prime but for me it's rather frustrating because I'd rather be watching the entire films rather than just little clips.
This enjoyable compilation of footage from an assortment of well-known silent comedies is fun to watch, and it brings back the feel of an era well worth remembering. It would also work as a good introduction to silent comedy for anyone curious about the era.
Robert Youngson's movie When Comedy Was King from 1960 shows us some great clips from the silent era.It is narrated by Dwight Weist.
Really astonishing feature length footage of the greatest silent comedy stars and the stunt films that thrilled millions, all lovingly set in a nickelodeon and chapters for each personality and type of film. The voice over is the 'radio with pictures' type that suits and I guess seems like the Joe MacDoakes shorts or some inventor- cartoon narrator.
The second of the great silent comedy compilations put together by Robert Youngson, this one unlike the first 'The Golden Age of Comedy' has Chaplin & Keaton in it, something a lot of people criticised the first one for, however, I still find the first one the best of the two. Laurel & Hardy finish this film on a high note with clips from their great 'Big Business' short.
First, I must point out that it is VERY VERY hard to give a rating score to a movie that is really just a compilation film. The only original content is the mostly good narration, sound effects and music.
This is one of Robert Youngson's compilation features from the early 1960's. Youngson took clips from the silent slapstick films and spliced them together in a nostalgic look back at comedy of yester year.
In the world we know today comedy means something far different than it did years ago. Today's comedies reply in innuendo, foul language and the crudest of humor possible.
