Hi all. I am researching and writing an essay as part of my comedy writing & performance degree. The topic is the origins and evolution of on screen comedy. My current research is focusing on the black & white silent comedy genre from the early 20th century. I have been searching for DVDs of silent comedy for sale second hand online and have found a number of options on the various classified ads websites. I was hoping that some comedy lovers on this forum could point me in the direction of some specific DVDs of silent comedy of that era that would best illustrate the premise of this section of my essay. Charlie Chaplin & early Laurel & Hardy will obviously be referred to but what other greats proceeded and followed that would best represent the evolution of this genre? Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Buster Keaton.

DVD collection: https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000I5XN7E/comedyguide-21/ Blu-ray: https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01DLOVNMK/comedyguide-21/

Perhaps his most celebrated film, The General: https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001B3XIO/comedyguide-21/

I don't think they've ever been released on DVD - at least not in Britain - but also look for the Keystone films, particularly with the celebrated Keystone Cops, and Fatty Arbuckle.

Quote: Aaron @ 17th August 2016, 9:47 AM Buster Keaton.

DVD collection: https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000I5XN7E/comedyguide-21/ Blu-ray: https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01DLOVNMK/comedyguide-21/

Perhaps his most celebrated film, The General: https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001B3XIO/comedyguide-21/

I don't think they've ever been released on DVD - at least not in Britain - but also look for the Keystone films, particularly with the celebrated Keystone Cops, and Fatty Arbuckle.

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Many thanks for the Buster Keaton tip and link Aaron. I'll also see what i can find on Keystone films etc.

Cheers!

Just found a whole bunch of Buster Keaton research material for sale: http://www.for-sale.co.uk/buster-keaton

Winner! Thanks again aaron!

Enjoy!

Many years ago my son bought me for Christmas a "Complete set of Laurel & Hardy", but it was German and so all the text was unreadable to me - just about made out what some of the titles were! Anyway.....................

There appears to be everything they ever did that had survived, and the main thing of interest were two discs that had all the surviving films of Stan and Ollie BEFORE they came together - fascinating stuff! Including Ollie in a silent version of the Wizard of Oz!!

Will dig it out if you are interested in seeing if you can get a copy - God knows where my son bought it from online!

That would be really helpful but please don't make a special effort on my behalf.

No probs, leave it with me for day or so......................

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"Stone me what a life"
Founder member of the "Bring back the old boards" movement

Well, here you go; but not as I described!! Nothing to do with the German set (I am old and hadn't looked at these for over 10 years now) and are not a set in the true sense of the word i.e. boxed.

I have five of what appears to be/or was an ongoing set that has since been expanded - you can find the rest via this link on Amazon, although for some reason they are in French!

As the Customer Reviews state, this are for aficionados; but I think that includes you? I've enjoyed them.
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"Stone me what a life"
Founder member of the "Bring back the old boards" movement

This ia quite remarkable, the poster asked about silent movies, and nobody mentions the most popular silent comedian of his time, Harold Lloyd: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Lloyd

It's almost as if peoples understanding of historical facts is based on the biased opinion written by a policial elite.
Rather than facts.