Welcome to THE WORLD OF CHARLEY CHASE,
the first and only Charley Chase website. Charley Chase was an
incredibly prolific star comedian of the 1920's and 1930's who produced
hundreds of short comedies in both the silent and the sound eras. His
work behind the scenes as a writer/director of his own films and of
countless others has cemented his reputation as one of the principal
architects of early film comedy. This website was created in 1996 to be
both a home for Charley Chase fans from around the world as well as a
jumping off point for those less familiar with this comic pioneer. -- Yair Solan.
A closer look at one of Charley Chase's most celebrated silent comedies
"Now That's News!"
Chase's "Bromo and Juliet" at NYC's Silent Clowns Film Series
New York City's Silent Clowns Film Series is setting their sights on showbiz-related silent comedies for their November 8th show, which will feature Charley Chase's Bromo and Juliet in addition to Charlie Chaplin's The Property Man, Buster Keaton's The Playhouse, Drama Deluxe with Lupino Lane, and the Thanhouser company's The Soap Suds Star. All films presented with piano accompaniment by Ben Model. See the SCFS's website for more details, including theater info. If you are in the NYC area, be sure not to miss this chance to see silent comedies as they were meant to be seen - with live music and an appreciative audience!
All Day/VCI's Becoming Charley Chase DVD Set
After months of delays, the four-disc DVD collection Becoming Charley Chase has been released. The All Day Entertainment-produced set -- rescued by distributor VCI Entertainment -- features Chase's early work at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studio, his directorial efforts of the 1910s and '20s, as well as the extant run of his one-reel Jimmy Jump shorts plus a few early two-reelers. Here is a full list of the DVD set's contents; all in all, the set boasts over forty short comedies. The films featured in this collection do not overlap with any previous Charley Chase DVD release. Click here to access All Day's online booklet for Becoming Charley Chase (opens in Adobe). You can order Becoming Charley Chasedirectly from VCI.
Petition to Release Charley Chase's Columbia Comedy Shorts on DVD
Update (as of September 10th):Stan Taffel informs us that the petition has been extended and signatures will continue to be accepted during this period, so be sure to sign this petition if you haven't already.
All
twenty of Charley Chase's films for Columbia Pictures (1937-40) have
been restored and preserved in 35mm prints. Unfortunately, the upcoming
DVD set by Sony Pictures Entertainment has been postponed due to the
current state of the consumer market and (gasp!) a perceived lack of
interest. Stan Taffel has started an online petition to let Sony know
that there is interest in these culturally significant and very
entertaining films.
As
Stan suggests, "send the link to every film fan, club, organization you
think would help... Hal Roach Studio film fans, Sons of the Desert,
film collectors, anyone who wants to see these films finally get their
release onto DVD."
Charley Chase-Directed Three Stooges Comedies on Hulu
Hulu now offers streaming video of over 40 complete and uncut Three Stooges short comedies
from the first two volumes of Sony's Three Stooges Collection (covering
the years 1933-39). This includes all five Three Stooges shorts
directed by Charley Chase, considered to be among the Stooges' best
comedies: Tassels in the Air (1938), Violent is the Word for Curly (1938), Mutts to You (1938), Flat Foot Stooges (1938), and Saved by the Belle (1939). Each Three Stooges short is digitally remastered and presented with limited commercial interruption.
Dorothy Layton, 1912-2009
Dorothy Layton, who had appeared in a number of Hal Roach comedies in
1932-33, died June 4th at age 96. Ms. Layton had a small role as Miss
San Francisco in Charley Chase's Young Ironsides (1932) and played Billy Gilbert's secretary in Chase's Fallen Arches (1933). She also appeared in Laurel & Hardy's The Chimp, County Hospital, and Pack Up Your Troubles. Her obituary from The Baltimore Sun.
On
June 19th, the BBC radio 4 program "Last Word" featured a piece on
Dorothy Layton in which film historian Glenn Mitchell gave an overview
of her life and career, including her work with Laurel & Hardy and
Charley Chase. You can listen to the program here. The segment on Layton begins at the 11:30 mark and lasts several minutes.
"Kelly The Second" Available for Streaming Online
You can now watch the Hal Roach feature Kelly the Second (1936), in which Charley Chase has a prominent supporting role, on Turner Classic Movies' website.
Click here to watch the film in its entirety on the TCM website.
All of the written articles and essays published on this website are the sole property of the author(s)
and cannot be reproduced, in whole or in part, without their expressed written permission.
Chase's "Bromo and Juliet" at NYC's Silent Clowns Film Series
After months of delays, the four-disc DVD collection Becoming Charley Chase has been released. The All Day Entertainment-produced set -- rescued by distributor VCI Entertainment -- features Chase's early work at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studio, his directorial efforts of the 1910s and '20s, as well as the extant run of his one-reel Jimmy Jump shorts plus a few early two-reelers. 
Dorothy Layton, who had appeared in a number of Hal Roach comedies in
1932-33, died June 4th at age 96. Ms. Layton had a small role as Miss
San Francisco in Charley Chase's Young Ironsides (1932) and played Billy Gilbert's secretary in Chase's Fallen Arches (1933). She also appeared in Laurel & Hardy's The Chimp, County Hospital, and Pack Up Your Troubles. 
