Comedy Short Films Page at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

"Yes, [dying is] tough, but not as tough as doing comedy."
— actor Edmund Gwenn [1875-1959], on his deathbed

There were funny cavemen, no doubt. Native American and many other ancient cultures have a wicked sense of humor. Comedy became institutionalized during the Industrial Revolution with British music hall, European cabaret, the minstrel shows of the American South, and American vaudeville & burlesque shows. With the advent of motion pictures, these types of live performances began dying out; many vaudeville & music hall venues were quickly replaced by nickelodeons and storefront movie theaters.

After the era of cinema experimentation, and the nickelodeon theaters, and the establishment of the early motion picture companies and studios – Biograph, Vitagraph, Keystone, Ince, Essanay – movies settled down to a one- and two-reel format. (A full 1000-foot reel of 35mm film projects for 16½ minutes at 16 frames per second, and around ten minutes at the modern/sound standard of 24 frames per second.)
Among other innovations by D.W. Griffith, his epic "The Birth of A Nation" [1915] consists of twelve reels and runs for 190 minutes (over 3 hours). Shorts continued in popularity alongside features into the Sound Era, and theaters typically booked a newsreel, a cartoon or two, a short film, and the primary attraction of feature length (9-10 reels, or more), and sometimes a lesser 'second feature'.

But the advent of the double feature in the 1930s, the 'Consent Decree' court case of 1948, and then competition from free broadcast television limited the need for the short film. Newsreels started disappearing circa 1951, because television was more immediate than the weekly news on film. Studio-owned animation departments shut down in the 1950s, and the artists (such as William Hanna & Joe Barbera) gravitated to television.
The last studio producing short films was Columbia Pictures; they downsized their short features division in 1952 and ended production of short films in December 1957 (by not renewing the contract with The Three Stooges).

Filmmakers continue to make films, including comedies, in short lengths (often a half-hour nowadays) because that is what the subject or budget dictates, or as a way to break into the cinema industry. Film festivals exist today for gaining attention and possible distribution for short films, or perhaps promotion of the filmmaker/s to feature work. (Several such festivals are included in the links section below.)

Post-millenium, the only studio that keeps the memory of the cartoon short film alive is Disney, which in 2011 released a Pixar-produced "Toy Story" short in front of "The Muppets". Disney's Pixar has released a short preceding all of their features since "A Bug’s Life" [1998]. Recently, Fox decided to join in this tradition, and plans to start releasing cartoon shorts based on "The Simpsons"; their first such short, "The Longest Daycare", stars Maggie Simpson, will be in 3-D, and is being released in front of "Ice Age 4: Continental Drift".

Joe McDoakes comedy shorts [1942-56]
Portrayed by George O'Hanlon in 60 b&w short subjects • character credits at IMDb

"So You Want To Be In Pictures" [Warner Bros./Vitaphone June 1947]
Written & directed by Richard L. Bare; narrated by Art Gilmore; starring George O'Hanlon; cameos by
Wayne Morris, Janis Paige, 'Ronnie' Reagan, Alexis Smith & Martha Vickers; Oscar nom for Best
Short Subject • full credits at IMDb

Pete Smith [1892-1979]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Smith_(film_producer)

	"Turpin Time: Ben Turpin Comedy Classics" [2011] Alpha Home Ent. b&w silent DVD [4/2011] for $7.06 contains four b&w two-reel comedy shorts: "He Looked Crooked, or, Why Ben Bolted" [1917] with Paddy McGuire {IMDb}; "Yukon Jake" [1924] {IMDb}; "A Harem Knight" [1926] {IMDb}; and "Broke In China" [1927] {IMDb}
	"The Turpinator: Ben Turpin Comedy Classics" [2011] Alpha Home Ent. b&w silent DVD [8/2011] for $7.98 contains three b&w two-reel comedy shorts: "A Night Out" [1915] starring Charlie Chaplin & Edna Purviance {IMDb}; "A Clever Dummy" [1917] with Chester Conklin & Wallace Beery {IMDb}; and "Idle Eyes" [1928] {IMDb}

Hollywood's Classic Comedies book by John Howard Reid

"Hollywood's Classic Comedies: Featuring Slapstick, Romance, Music, Glamour or Screwball Fun!" [2007]
by John Howard Reid
Lulu.com 10¾x8 pb [6/2007] for $19.95
200 films reviewed and rated, covering all genres of movie comedy; featured comedy teams include Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, George Burns & Gracie Allen, The Crazy Gang, Bob Hope & Bing Crosby, Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy, Ole Olsen & Chic Johnson, and Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey; featured comedians include Joe E. Brown, Eddie Cantor, Charlie Chaplin, Claudette Colbert, Joan Davis, W.C. Fields, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Stanley Holloway, Buster Keaton, Percy Kilbride, Arthur Lake, Harold Lloyd, Marjorie Main, Will Rogers, Penny Singleton, Red Skelton, The Three Stooges, Jacques Tati, Clifton Webb & Norman Wisdom

"The Silent Comedy Mafia, Volume 1" DVD Box Set [2006]
Unknown Video b&w DVD [4/2006] for $14.95
contains 8 silent short films, with piano scores by Frederick Hodges: "Just Rambling Along" [Rolin/Pathé Nov 1918] directed by Hal Roach, starring Stan Laurel & James Parrott; "The Janitor" [Nov 1919] starring Hank Mann & Madge Kirby; "All Jazzed Up" [Christie Film Co. Jan 1920] directed by Al Christie, starring Bobby Vernon & Helen Darling; "The Bath Dub" [Reelcraft Jan 1921]; "The Big Idea" [Hal Roach/Pathé Jan 1924] starring 'Snub' Pollard; "A Prodigal Bridegroom" [Mack Sennett/Pathé Sept 1926] starring Ben Turpin & Thelma Hill; and "Idle Eyes" [Weiss Brothers Artclass 1928] starring Ben Turpin; extras include photo gallery & Ben Turpin clips (1915-32)

"American Slapstick" DVD Box Sets [2006]

Volume 1: Image Ent. b&w DVD set [11/2006] 3 disks for $31.49
contains seventeen short silent films, many new to DVD: "Caught In The Rain" [1914] and "Laughing Gas" [1914] with Charlie Chaplin; "A Submarine Pirate" [1915] starring Syd Chaplin; "Luke's Movie Muddle" [1916] with Harold Lloyd playing 'Lone-some Luke' as an usher at a nickelodeon theater; "Cupid's Rival" [1917] starring Billy West, with Oliver Hardy; "The Bond" [1918] Charlie Chaplin promo-tional short for war bonds; "Pay Your Dues" [1919] starring Harold Lloyd as the 'glasses' character; "Golf" [1922] starring Larry Semon, with Oliver Hardy; "The Nonskid Kid" [1922] with Eddie Boland & Sunshine Sammy {of 'Our Gang' fame}; "Sold At Auction" [1923] starring 'Snub' Pollard; "The Smithy" [1924] starring Stan Laurel, mistakenly put in charge of building a house; "Lizzies of The Field" [1924] starring Billy Bevan; "Heavy Love" [1926] starring The Ton of Fun; "Uppercuts" [1926] starring Jack Duffy; "Beauty and The Bump" [1927] starring Perry Murdock; "Forgotten Sweeties" [1927] starring Charley Chase; and "Reck-less Rosie" [1929] starring Frances Lee — PLUS a silent comedy clip reel and a PDF-file reprint of a 1915 Chaplin promotional book

Volume 2: Facets/All Day Ent. b&w DVD set [7/2008] 3 disks for $30.99
contains thirty short films: five Harold Lloyd shorts: "Luke Joins The Navy" [1916], "Bliss" [1917] & "By The Sad Sea Waves" [1917], "Hey There!" [1918] & "Don't Shove" [1919]; three Snub Pollard shorts: "Looking For Trouble" [1919] with Gaylord Lloyd; "The Dippy Dentist" [1920] with Gaylord Lloyd; & "Whirl o' The West" [1921]; three Syd Chaplin shorts: "Caught In A Park" [1915], "Gussie's Wayward Path" [1915] & "Charley's Aunt" [1925]; "A Hash House Fraud" [1915] starring Louise Fazenda; "The Hobo"
[1917] starring Billy West, with Oliver Hardy; "Charley Out West" [1919] animated short; "A Fresh Start" [1920] with Jimmie Adams; "Cinderella Cinders" [1920] starring Alice Howell; "At Your Service" [1921] starring Sidney Smith; "Be Reasonable" [1921] starring Billy Bevan; "Dodge Your Debts" [1921] starring Gaylord Lloyd; "Shiver and Shake" [1922] starring James Parrott & Jobyna Ralston; "Post No Bills" [1923] starring James Parrott; "Oh! Shoot" [1923] with Bobby Dunn & Eddie Lyons; "Call The Wagon" [1923]; "Jonah Jones" [1924] with Dick Sutherland & Lloyd Hamilton; "Kid Speed" [1924] starring Larry Semon; "Hold Still" [1926] starring Anne Cornwall; "Breezing Along" [1927] starring Lloyd Hamilton; "Faro Nell" [1929] starring Louise Fazenda; "Hollywood Runaround"
[1932 sound short] and "Playboy Number One" [1937 sound short]

"Weiss-O-Rama: 6-Hour Comedy Collection" DVD Box Set [2007]

V.C.I. Ent. b&w silent DVD [8/2007] 2 disks for $24.99
In the late 1920s, low-budget independent producers the Weiss Brothers switched from westerns & serials to the two-reeler silent comedy business. DVD set contains 30+ short comedy films in new, sparkling transfers from the original 35mm camera negatives at the U.C.L.A. Archives; featuring Jimmy Aubrey [1887-1983]; George Chapman; legendary circus clown Edwin 'Poodles' Hanneford [1891-1967]; Earl 'Hairbreadth Harry' McCarthy [1906-1933]; Margery Meadows; 'Snub' Pollard; and cross-eyed Ben Turpin [1869-1940]; bonus features include commentaries by Richard M. Roberts, piano accompaniment by Philip C. Carli & David B. Drazin, and two non-comedy Weiss Brothers shorts

"Anthology Series: Forgotten Comics Collection" [2009]

Anthology Series: Forgotten Comics Collection on DVD

Volume 1: Classic Video Streams b&w DVD [6/2009] for $16.99
contains 8 silent comedy short films: "A Roman Scandal" [1919] starring Colleen Moore; "Chasing The Chaser"
[1925] starring James Finlayson; "Fresh Paint" [1920] starring 'Snub' Pollard; "Her First Flame" [1920] starring Gale Henry; "The Plumber" [1921] starring Billy Franey; "Ride 'Em Cowboy" [1924] starring Bobby Vernon; "Scrambled Eggs" [1925] starring Phil Dunham; and "Twas Henry's Fault" [1919] starring Elinor Field
Volume 2: Classic Video Streams b&w DVD [6/2009] for $16.99
contains 13 silent comedy short films: "The Bath Dub" [1921] starring Billy Franey; "Billy The Bear Tamer"
[1915] starring Billy Quirk; "Dry and Thirsty" [1920] starring Billy Bletcher; "Fun's Fun" [1925] starring Cliff Bowes; "His First Flat Tire" [1920] starring Sidney Smith; "How Fatty Made Good" [1913] starring Hughie Mack; "One Wet Night" [1924] starring Alice Howell; "Ship Shape" [1925] starring Cliff Bowes; "Slick Slickers" [1928] starring Neal Burns; "Splash Yourself" [1927] starring Bobby Vernon; "Three of A Kind" [1926] starring Frank Alexander; and "Three Tough Onions" [1928] starring Monte Collins
Volume 3: Classic Video Streams b&w DVD [6/2009] for $16.99
contains 10 silent comedy short films: "Ambition" [1917] starring Billy Ruge; "Danger Ahead" [1926] starring Earl McCarthy; "His Off Day" [1926] starring Phil Dunham; "Innocent Ambrose" [1920] starring Mack Swain; "Midnight At The Old Mill" [1916] starring Lloyd Hamilton & Bud Duncan; "Monkey Shines" [1920] starring Eddie Barry; "Slim Becomes An Editor" [1914] starring Walter Rodgers; "Tight Cargo" [1926] starring Charles Puffy; "Under A Spell"
[1925] starring Neely Edwards & Alice Howell; and "Yukon Jake" [1924] starring Ben Turpin
Volume 4: Classic Video Streams b&w DVD [6/2009] for $16.99
contains 12 silent comedy short films: "An Auto Nut" [1924] starring Paul (James) Parrot; "Blundering Blacksmiths"
[1917] starring Lloyd Hamilton & Bud Duncan; "Custard's Last Stand" [1927] starring Billy Franey; "Dunces And Dangers" [1918] starring Larry Semon; "The Egyptian Mummy" [1914] starring Lee Beggs & Constance Talmadge; "Flivvering" [1917] starring Victor Moore; "It's A Gift" [1923] starring 'Snub' Pollard; "Mary's Merry Mix-Up" [1917] starring Jay Belasco; "Now You Tell One" [1926] starring Charles R. Bowers; "Polidor Cambia Sesso" [Italy 1918] starring Olga Capri; "Wife and Auto Trouble" [1916] starring William Collier, Sr.; and "The Wrong Mr. Fox" [1917] starring Victor Moore
Volume 5: Classic Video Streams b&w DVD [6/2009] for $16.99
contains 11 silent comedy short films: "A Safe Investment" [1915] starring Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Drew; "A Suffragette In Spite of Himself" [1912] starring Marc McDermott; "Alkali Ike's Auto" [1911] starring Augustus Carney; "A Tin-Type Romance" [1910] starring Leo Delaney; "Big Game" [1921] starring 'Snub' Pollard; "The Chief Cook" [1917] starring Billy West; "Frauds and Frenzies" [1918] starring Larry Semon; "His Day Out" [1918] starring Billy West; "His Second Childhood" [1914] starring Charles Murray; "The New Fire Chief" [1912] starring Dick Lee; and "Slim Becomes An Editor" [1914] starring Walter Rodgers

Dogville Short Comedies Collection on DVD from Warner Bros.

"Dogville Short Comedies Collection" [2009]
The nine Dogville 'Barkies' were very popular and were shown from 1929 to 1931; directed by Zion Myers & Jules White at M.G.M (they later did the '3 Stooges' series at Paramount); animals directed by renowned Hollywood animal trainer Rennie Renfro; each short parodied a current or recent movie: "College Hounds" [1929] football drama featuring 'Red Mange' (Red Grange); "Hot Dog" [1929] courtroom drama featuring 'Clara Bone' (Clara Bow); "Who Killed Rover?" aka "The Dogville Murder Case" [1930] parody of the 'Phido Vance' (Philo Vance) whodunits; "The Dogway Melody" [1930] parody of all talking, all singing, all dancing early musicals; "So Quiet on the Canine Front" [1930] parody of World War I films; "The Big Dog House" [1930] parody of prison films; "Love-Tails of Morocco" [1931] parody of Foreign Legion films; "The Two Barks Brothers" [1931] parody of 'brothers on the opposite side of the law' films; and "Trader Hound" [1931] parody of jungle adventure films ("Trader Horn") • series entry at Wikipedia
Warner Bros. b&w DVD [12/2009] 9 shorts on 2 disks for $17.89
watch sample: first 3 minutes of "Hot Dog" online at YouTube

"Billy Dooley: Seven Shorts" on DVD [2011]
Grapevine Video b&w DVD [10/2011] out of prodn - SOLD OUT !
Seven comedy shorts from Paramount-Christie Comedies featuring the crazy sailor Billy Dooley, total 83 minutes • obscure comedy actor Billy Dooley [1893-1938] is credited with 27 silent shorts from 1925 to 1929; exactly which ones are on this DVD is unclear (likely they are all the surviving and-or public domain films)
IMDb listing • Wikipedia {empty}

Vitaphone Shorts, 1926-30"

	"Vitaphone Cavalcade of Musical Comedy Shorts" DVD Box Set [2011] Warner Bros. DVD-R set [3/2011] 6 disks for $41.99 contains 53 theatrical shorts, including twelve that are 'in eye-popping early three-strip Technicolor'; the dramatic shorts feature The Howard Brothers, The Duncan Sisters, many others; documentary shorts include four Movie Album/- Memories, "Hollywood Newsreel" [1934], "A Trip Thru A Hollywood Studio" [1935], and four Vaudeville Reels; the musical shorts feature Gus Arnheim's orchestra, Tal Henry's orchestra, Red Nichols & His Five Pennies, Jack Buchanan's orchestra, and composer Harry Warren — plus many more see also the Vitaphone Sound [1926-30] Section on Magic Lantern's Warner Bros. Studios Page
	"Vitaphone Varieties, 1926-1930" DVD Box Set [2011] Warner Bros. DVD-R set [7/2011] 4 disks for $41.99 contains 60 theatrical sound shorts on four disks: the dramatic {based on guesswork} shorts feature Born & Lawrence (2), Tom Dugan (2), Jay C. Flippen, Harry Fox (2), Joe Frisco, Billy 'Swede' Hall, Robert Emmet Keane, George Kelly, Mitchell Lewis, Montague Love, Morrisey & Miller, Franklin Pangborn, billiard champion Charles C. Peterson, Val & Ernie Stanton (2), Slim Timblin, and Henry B. Walthall; the musical shorts feature Oklahoma Bob Albright, Earl Burtnett's orchestra (2), harpist Carlena Diamond, The Gotham Rhythm Boys, Kjerulf's Mayfair Quintette, Al Lyons & His Four Horsemen, The Rangers, Dick Rich & His Synco-Sympho-nists, Douglas Stanbury & The Lyric Quartet, and Jack White & The Montrealers — plus many more see also the Vitaphone Sound [1926-30] Section on Magic Lantern's Warner Bros. Studios Page
	"Vitaphone Varieties: Volume 2" DVD Box Set [2012] Warner Bros. DVD-R set [11/2012] 2 disks for $25.19 contains 35 theatrical sound shorts recorded from 1926 to 1930, on two disks; the mostly musical and comedy acts are essentially 'vaudeville in a can', just performers in front of a camera, often unedited, and so a record of vaudeville in its natural state; the shorts feature Fred Allen; Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy; Jay Brennan & Ann Butler; Joe E. Brown; comedian Hobart Cavanagh with young Natalie Schafer; Chaz Chase; William B. Davidson; Jack Haley; Mike Hanapi's Hawaiian group; Josephine Harmon; radio superstars Jones & Hare ("The Happiness Boys"); Bert Lahr; John Litel; Helen Morgan; Pat O’Brien; Jack Osterman; dynamic Georgie Price; Gregory Ratoff; Al Shaw & Sam Lee; Blanche Sweet; Fred Waring with his jazz band; half of The Yacht Club Boys — plus many more see also the Vitaphone Sound [1926-30] Section on Magic Lantern's Warner Bros. Studios Page

	"Silent Comedy Classics, Volume 1" on DVD [2009] Alpha Video b&w silent DVD [11/2009] for $5.98 contains 12 rare silent short films: five Charley Chase shorts, all with original musical scores by Don Kinnier: "The Caretaker's Daughter" [Hal Roach/Pathé Oct 1925] with James Parrott - DVD premier; "Mighty Like A Moose" [Hal Roach/Pathé June 1926] with Buddy the Dog; "Be Your Age" [Hal Roach/Pathé Nov 1926] with Oliver Hardy - DVD premier; "Forgotten Sweeties" [Hal Roach/Pathé April 1927) - DVD premier; "Fluttering Hearts" [Hal Roach/Pathé June 1927] with Oliver Hardy & Eugene Pallette; "Late To Lunch" [2002] is a 37-minute silent homage to Charley Chase starring John K. Carpenter - DVD premier; "The Locket" [Vitagraph Feb 1913] starring John Bunny; "Laughing Gas" [Keystone/Mutual July 1914] starring Charlie Chaplin & Mack Swain; "The Face On The Barroom Floor" [Keystone/- Mutual Aug 1914] starring Charlie Chaplin; "Prince Pistachio" [Hal Roach/Pathé Feb 1921) starring Eddie Boland; "Post No Bills" [Hal Roach/Pathé Aug 1923] starring James Parrott; and "Exhibitors Convention" [Fox 1925] an in-house documentary of newsreel footage chronicling the 23rd Annual Convention of the Fox Film Corporation in California (Tom Mix and Jack Dempsey are featured guests) 2010 blog article about "Late To Lunch" with 6 excerpts of 30 to 110 seconds
	"Lost Silent Classics Collection" on DVD [2010] Alpha Home Ent. b&w silent DVD [4/2010] for $5.98 contains 3 rare silent short films: "A Hash House Fraud" [Keystone/Mutual June 1915] directed by Charley Chase, starring Hugh Fay & Louise Fazenda; "The Danger Girl" [Keystone/Triangle Aug 1916] pre-Code 'lesbian hijinks' starring Gloria Swanson & Bobby Vernon; and "Teddy At The Throttle" [Keystone/Triangle April 1917] starring Gloria Swanson, Bobby Vernon, Wallace Beery & Teddy the Dog
	"Silent Comedy Classics Collection" on DVD [2013] Alpha Home Ent. b&w silent DVD [2/2013] for $5.98 contains 5 rare silent short films: "The Speed Kings" [Keystone/Mutual Oct 1913] starring Mabel Normand, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle & Ford Sterling, and racecar drivers Teddy Tetzlaff, Earl Cooper & Barney Oldfield; "Out of Control" aka "A Studio Stampede" [Vogue/Mutual March 1917] starring Ben Turpin; "Back To The Woods" [Christie/Educa-tional June 1923]; "The Fraidy Cat" [Hal Roach/Pathé March 1924] starring Charley Chase, Beth Darlington & the 'Our Gang' kids; and "Half Back Hannah" [Christie/Paramount April 1928] starring Anne Cornwall & Jack Duffy
	"Lost Comedy Classics of The Silent Screen" on DVD [2013] Alpha Home Ent. b&w silent DVD [7/2013] for $5.98 contains 6 silent short films and 1 silent feature: "Hogan Out West" [Keystone/Mutual Feb 1915] directed by Charles Avery, starring Charles Murray; "Doctoring A Leak" [Vogue/Mutual 1916] directed by & co-starring Rube Miller, starring Ben Turpin; "Flivvering" [Klever Komedies/Paramount May 1917] written by & starring Victor Moore; "A Small Town Idol" silent feature [Mack Sennett/A.P.I. Feb 1921] starring Ben Turpin, Marie Prevost & Phyllis Haver; "Three Foolish Weeks" [Mack Sennett/-Pathé Sept 1924] starring Ben Turpin; "When A Man's A Prince" [Mack Sennett/Pathé Aug 1926] directed by Edward F. Cline, starring Ben Turpin; "A Wireless Lizzie" [Christie/Educational March 1926]; and "The Eyes Have It" [Weiss Brothers/-Artclass 1928] starring Ben Turpin
	"Silent Comedy Classics Collection, Volume 2" on DVD [2013] Alpha Video b&w silent DVD [8/2013] for $5.44 contains 5 rare silent short films: "Sergeant Hofmeyer" [Sterling/Universal May 1914] starring Ford Sterling & Billy Jacobs; "A Submarine Pirate" [Keystone/Triangle Dec 1915] written by Mack Sennett, co-directed by & starring Syd Chaplin; "The Grocery Clerk" [Vitagraph Comedies Dec 1919] written & directed by and starring Larry Semon; "Court Plaster" [Christie/-Educational Sept 1924]; and "Movieland" [Lupino Lane/Educational Nov 1926] written & directed by Norman Taurog, starring Lupino Lane
	"Silent Comedy Classics, Volume 2" on DVD [2014] Alpha Video b&w silent DVD [5/2014] for $5.98 contains 9 rare silent short films: "Between Showers" [Keystone/Mutual Feb 1914] starring Charlie Chaplin, Ford Sterling & Chester Conklin; "His Musical Career" aka "The Piano Movers" [Keystone/Mutual Nov 1914] written, directed by & starring Charlie Chaplin, with Mack Swain & Charley Chase; "The Wrong Mr. Fox" [1917] starring Victor Moore; "Ship Ahoy" [Feb 1919] written, directed by & starring Charley Chase, with Chaplin impersonator Billy West; "Hold Your Breath" [Christie/-P.D.C. May 1924] starring Dorothy Devore; "Motorboat Maniacs" [1924]; "Fiddlesticks" [Mack Sennett/Pathé Nov 1927] co-written by Frank Capra, starring Harry Langdon; "Mickey The Detective" [R.K.O. Oct 1928] starring Mickey Rooney {at age 8}; and "Sock and Run" [Weiss Brothers/Artclass 1929] starring Snub Pollard

	"Silent Comedy Marathon, Volume 1" DVD Collection [2013] Alpha Home Ent. b&w silent DVD [8/2013] for $5.98 contains eight silent short films: "Alkali Ike's Auto" [Essanay May 1911] written, produced & directed by 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, starring Augustus Carney, Harry Todd & Margaret Joslin; "Bangville Police" [Keystone/Mutual April 1913] directed by 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, starring Mabel Normand and the Keystone Cops; "Dollars and Sense" [Keystone/Triangle Sept 1916] directed by Walter Wright, starring Ora Carew {dual role}; "Ambition" [Jaxon Film Corp. Nov 1917] starring Billy Ruge & Kate Price; "The Fast Mail-Man" [Arrow Film 1922] directed by Eddie Lyons, starring Bobby Dunn; "Stick Around" [Cumberland/Arrow Film March 1925] written & directed by Ward Hayes, starring Oliver Hardy & Bobby Day; "In The Grease" [Hal Roach Studios June 1925] directed by J.A. Howe, starring James Finlayson; and "Crazy Doings" [Christie/Paramount March 1929] directed by Eddie Baker, written by Frank Roland Conklin, starring Billy Dooley
	"Silent Comedy Marathon, Volume 2" DVD Collection [2013] Alpha Home Ent. b&w silent DVD [8/2013] for $5.98 contains seven silent short films: "Breaking Into Society" [Essanay Oct 1908] directed by 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, starring Ben Turpin; "Those Awful Hats" [3 mins.; Jan 1909] written & directed by D.W. Griffith, starring Mack Sennett, Flora Finch, Linda Arvidson, Robert Harron & Florence Lawrence; "At The Ringside" [Rolin Films/Pathé Exchange July 1921] produced by Hal Roach, directed by Charley Chase, starring 'Snub' Pollard & 'Sunshine Sammy' Morrison; "Snooky's Fresh Heir" [Educational Film Exchanges July 1921] 2-reeler produced by C.L. Chester, starring Snooky the Chimp; "Beauty ŕ la Mud" [Christie/Educational Aug 1926] directed by Harold Beaudine, starring Jimmie Adams; "Breezing Along" [Educational Film Exchanges May 1927] written & directed by Norman Taurog, starring Lloyd Hamilton; and "Mitt The Prince" [Weiss Brothers Artclass Pictures 1927] 3-reeler starring 'Snub' Pollard
	"Silent Comedy Marathon, Volume 3" DVD Collection [2013] Alpha Home Ent. b&w silent DVD [12/2013] for $5.98 contains ten silent short films: "A Busy Day" [Keystone/Mutual May 1914] produced & directed by Mack Sennett, starring Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain; "The Adventure of The Wrong Santa Claus" [Edison Dec 1914] directed by Charles M. Seay, starring Barry O'Moore; "Settled At The Seaside" [Keystone/Mutual March 1915] directed by Frank Griffin, starring Charley Chase, Mae Busch; "Love In A Hurry" [Christie Film Co. July 1919] produced & directed by Al Christie; starring Bobby Vernon, Helen Darling, Dorothy Devore; "The Haunted House" 2-reeler [M.G.M. Feb 1921] written & directed by Edward F. Cline & Buster Keaton, starring Buster Keaton, Virginia Fox; "The Big Idea" [Hal Roach Studios/Pathé Jan 1924] directed by George Jeske, starring 'Snub' Pollard, Blanche Mehaffey; "One Wet Night" [Universal Pictures April 1924] written & directed by William Watson, starring Neely Edwards, Alice Howell, Bert Roach; "Sea Legs" [Christie/Educational Feb 1925] directed by Gilbert Pratt, written by Robert Hall, starring Neal Burns, Vera Steadman; "The Iron Mule" [Tuxedo/Educational April 1925] co-directed by Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle (as William Goodrich), written & co-directed by Grover Jones, starring Al St. John; and "The Big Shot" [Weiss Brothers Artclass Pictures 1929] directed by James D. Davis, starring 'Snub' Pollard, Marvin Loback, Thelma Daniels
	"Silent Comedy Marathon, Volume 4" DVD Collection [2014] Alpha Video b&w silent DVD [6/2014] for $5.98 contains seven silent short films: "Fresh Paint" [Rolin Films/Pathé March 1920] produced by Hal Roach, directed by Charley Chase (as Charles Parrott) & Alfred J. Goulding, starring 'Snub' Pollard; "Try, Try Again" [Rolin Films/Pathé Jan 1922] produced by Hal Roach, directed by Ray Grey, written by Charley Chase, starring James/Paul Parrott, 'Sunshine Sammy' Morrison "Harvest Hands" [Hal Roach Studios/Pathé Nov 1922] produced by Hal Roach, directed by James D. Davis, starring James/Paul Parrott, Jobyna Ralston, Eddie Baker "Riders of The Kitchen Range" [Hal Roach Studios/Pathé June 1925] produced & written by Hal Roach, directed by Tay Garnett & George Jeske, starring Earl Mohan & Billy Engle; "Unfriendly Enemies" [Hal Roach Studios/Pathé Sept 1925] produced by Hal Roach, co-written & directed by Stan Laurel, co-written by James Parrott, starring James Finlayson, George Rowe, Fay Wray; "All Wool" [Hal Roach Studios/Pathé Oct 1925] produced by Hal Roach, directed by Tay Garnett, starring Earl Mohan & Billy Engle; "Solid Ivory" [Hal Roach Studios/Pathé Oct 1925] produced & written by Hal Roach, directed by Ralph Ceder, starring Earl Mohan & Billy Engle

"Silent Comedy Marathon, Volume 5"
http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Comedy-Marathon-5/dp/B016B6LSC0/ Starring: Oliver Hardy, Fay Wray, Ben Turpin & Clyde Cook Director: Marcel Perez, Will Louis, Robin Williamson, Albert Austin, Clyde Cook, James W. Horne, Edward F. Cline & Hugh Fay
includes Hungry Hearts (1916), He Looked Crooked (1917), The Moonshiner (1920), Tuning Up (1921), Blowing Bubbles (1921), The Misfit (1924), Madame Sans Jane (1925), Spanking Breezes (1926), His Off Day (1926) and The Jolly Jilter (1927)

"Female Comediennes of The Silent Screen" on DVD [2013]
Alpha Video b&w silent DVD [6/2013] for $5.98
contains five silent short films: "The Water Nymph" [Keystone/Mutual Sept 1912] produced & directed by and starring Mack Sennett, also starring Mabel Normand & Ford Sterling; "Gentlemen of Nerve" [Keystone/Mutual Oct 1914] written & directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, also starring Mabel Normand, Mack Swain, Chester Conklin, Phyllis Allen, Charley Chase; "The Detectress" 2-reeler [Bull's Eye/Reelcraft 1919] co-directed by & starring Gale Henry, also sterring Milburn Moranti & Hap H. Ward; "Her First Flame" 2-reeler [Bull's Eye/Reelcraft May 1920] starring Gale Henry, Phyllis Allen, Milburn Moranti, Hap H. Ward; and "Dizzy Daisy" 2-reeler [Mermaid/Educational June 1924] directed by Fred Hibbard, starring Louise Fazenda, Cliff Bowes, Dick Sutherland, Sunshine Hart

"Women In Silent Comedy, 1915-1928" on DVD [2014]
Alpha Video b&w silent DVD [6/2014] for $5.98
contains five silent short films: "Mabel Lost and Won" [Keystone/Mutual June 1915] starring Mabel Normand & Owen Moore; "Her Fractured Voice" [Black Diamond/Paramount June 1917] starring Leatrice Joy; "What! No Spinach?" [Standard Photoplay/F.B.O. 1926?] by Harry Sweet, starring Gale Henry; "Love At First Flight" 2-reeler short [Mack Sennett Comedies Jan 1928] directed by Edward F. Cline, starring The Sennett Bathing Beauties; plus bonus 2-reeler short "A Woman" [Essanay/General July 1915] by Charlie Chaplin, with Edna Purviance

"Bambi Meets Godzilla" student cartoon short [1969]
Black & white 1-minute 30 second cartoon short by Marv Newland, who is still directing short films; was released
theatrically in 1985 as the lead-in short to the feature film "Godzilla 1985: The Legend Is Reborn"; available on several
Region 1 compilation DVDs, but the quality is little better than the half-dozen versions on YouTube for free
full credits at IMDb • watch [1:30] free online at YouTube

producer Ernest Pintoff won Oscar for Best Cartoon Short

"The Critic" 4-minute Eastmancolor short [Columbia Pictures May 1963]
Created, written & narrated by Mel Brooks; co-produced & directed by Ernest Pintoff;
won Oscar for Best Cartoon Short & BAFTA for Best Animated Film; full credits at IMDb

"De Düva (The Dove)" short film [indep Oct 1968]
A 14-minute b&w parody of several Ingmar Bergman films, spoken in a pseudo-Swedish made-up language (with subtitles); Oscar
nomination for Best Live-Action Short. Co-produced & directed by George Coe & Anthony Lover; co-produced & written by
Sidney Davis; starring George Coe, Pamela Burrell, Sidney Davis, Madeline Kahn, Stan Rubinstein, Tom Stone, Peter Turgeon
& David Zirlin; DVD/Blu-ray not available; full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia
watch film [14:02] at YouTube

"The Dot and The Line" [M.G.M. Dec 1965 animated short]
Ten-minute animated short along classic love story lines – boy meets girl, boy loses girl to another, boy expands his capabilities, and wins her – except that the 'people' in question are a dot and a very straight line and a squiggle.
Directed by Chuck Jones & Maurice Noble; narration by Robert Morley; nominated for Best Short Film at Cannes, won Oscar for Best Animated Short • full credits from IMDb • watch online [10:00] at YouTube

"The Wizard of Speed and Time"

"The Wizard of Speed and Time" short film [indep 1979]
3-minute color short with camera & animation SFX; filmed in California; a wizard who runs faster than a locomotive
meets a hitchhiker and takes her to Hollywood . . . • Written, produced, directed & edited by and starring Mike Jittlov;
co-starring Toni Handcock; music by Mike Jittlov & John Massari
VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available • credits at IMDb • watch short film [3:00] online at YouTube
Mike Jittlov's official partly-completed website

"The Wizard of Speed and Time" feature film [Shapiro-Glickenhaus Ent. Sept 1989]
A young movie SFX wizard finds two producers willing to back his movie about a wizard but is unaware that the producers made a $25,000 bet about whether he will deliver - so one producer helps and the other sabotages the project . . . • co-produced by Richard Kaye, Deven Chierighino, Leonard Shapiro, and others; written, co-produced, directed & edited by and starring Mike Jittlov; additional dialogue by Richard Kaye & Deven Chierighino; music by John Massari; also starring Richard Kaye, Paige Moore, Deven Chierighino/David Conrad, Steve Brodie, John Massari, Gary Schwartz, Frank LaLoggia, Philip Michael Thomas, Lynda Aldon, Forrest J. Ackerman, Arnetia Walker, Angelique Pettyjohn, Ben Kronen, Will Ryan, Michele Roth, Greg Jittlov, Marie Jittlov, Harvey J. Alperin, Missy Sauppe, Paulette Breen, Stephen Stucker, Lauri Riley, Amy Rose, Mark Conlon, Chuck McCollum, Robert Stuart Reed, Patrick McGreal, Donovan Scott, Paul Barselou, David McCharen, Joan Leizman, Cynthia Frost, Ward Kimball, Christopher Barczak, Tim Frisbie, Allan Lee Graf, Frank Davis Jr, Rick Heebner, Benjamin Lum, Harold M. 'Hal' Etherington, Phil Boroff, Steve Ecclesine, Doug Crepeau, Patricia Ayame Thomson, Bob Basso, Annie Livingstone, Pete Sorensen, Patty Ryan, Evelyn Carpenter, Eddie Paul, Slim E. Leatche, Smokey Ochoa, Jeff Knoerle, Wilimeda BeHanna, Anyavel Glynn, Jan Sayre, 'The Unknown Producer', Randi D. Cogert, Tery McPhie, Gwen Perlman, Monica B. Herzer, Beth Sjogren, Galyn Görg, Steve Mann, Laurie Rose, Chris Coart, Christine Green, William Hart, Jean Hart, Jill K. Allen, Russell Carpenter, Dean Barnes, Jim Danforth, Karen Danforth, Margie Jesswein, Sebastián Roque, Joyce Siefker, and Baron the Policedog
full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia
DVD/Blu-ray not available • Starz / Anchor Bay color VHS [10/97] out of prodn/used
watch official trailer [3/2006 upload; 2:05] online at YouTube • watch full movie [8/2016 upload; 1:37:01] online at YouTube

Comedy Cinema & Short Films Links

http://www.silentcomedians.com
http://www.shortfilmcentral.com/
http://www.splitsider.com/

Visiting this webpage from outside the U.S.A.? It is possible to make purchases from these coded Amazon (USA) links
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	"World of Laughter: The Motion Picture Comedy Short, 1910-1930" [1966] by Kalton C. Lahue Univ OK Press pb [12/72] out of print/used Univ OK Press hardcover [11/66] out of print/used Univ OK Press hardcover [11/66] out of print/used
	"The Great Movie Shorts: Those Wonderful One- and Two- Reelers of The Thirties & Forties" [1972] by Leonard Maltin, with 'more than 200 nostalgic photos' Crown Publrs11x8½ hardcover [1972] out of print/used
	"The Slapstick Queens" [1973] by James Robert Parish Oak Tree Publns hardcover [3/77] out of print/used A.S. Barnes hardcover [1973] out of print/used
	"The Comic Mind: Comedy and The Movies" [1973] by Gerald Mast covers Charlie Chaplin, Rene Clair, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Harold Lloyd, Ernst Lubitsch, Jean Renoir, Mack Sennett, many others Univ Chicago Press 9x6 pb [9/79] for $30.00 Univ Chicago Press hardcover [12/79] out of print/used
	"Two For The Show: Great 20th Century Comedy Teams" [1979] by Lonnie Burr Chapters/topics include Abbott & Costello, Amos & Andy, Bob & Ray, Burns & Allen, Burns & Schreiber, Cheech & Chong, Fibber McGee & Molly, Laurel & Hardy, Martin & Lewis, The Marx Brothers, Nichols & May, Reiner & Brooks, Rowan & Martin, Smith & Dale, The Smothers Brothers, Stiller & Meara, and The Three Stooges Authors Guild BackInPrint 8½x5½ pb [6/2000] for $16.95 Julian Messner hardcover [5/79] out of print/used
	"The Columbia Comedy Shorts: Two-Reel Hollywood Film Comedies, 1933-1958" [1986] by Ted Okuda & Edward Watz McFarland & Co. 9x6 pb [10/98] for $35.00 McFarland & Co. 9½x6½ hardcover [9/86] for $45.00
	"Slapstick!: The Illustrated Story of Knockabout Comedy" [1987] by Tony Staveacre Angus & Robertson pb [1987] out of print/used
	"The Silent Comedians" [28 essays 1993] Edited by Richard Dyer MacCann 28 essays by 25 contributors which include James Agee, Samuel Gill, Penelope Houston, Theodore Huff, Janet E. Lorenz, Donald McCaffrey, Charles J. Maland, Daniel Moews, Graham Petrie, David Robinson, Michael Roemer, Robert E. Sherwood, Anthony Slide, William Schelly Scarecrow Press 8½x5½ pb [6/93] out of print/used Scarecrow Press 8¾x5¾ hardcover [6/93] out of print/many used
	"American Silent Film Comedies: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Persons, Studios & Terminology" [1995] by Blair Miller McFarland & Co. 9¼x6 hardcover [7/95] for $45.00
	"Illustrated History of Movies Thru Posters - Volume 12: Comedy Movie Posters" [2000] by Bruce Hershenson & Richard Allen self-published 11x8¾ pb [7/2000] for $13.60 more on Magic Lantern's Movie Posters & Books Page
	"Comedy Is A Man In Trouble: Slapstick In American Movies" [2000] by Alan Dale Univ MN Press 8¾x5¾ pb [10/2001] for $22.50 Univ MN Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [9/2000] for $67.50
	"Film Comedy" textbook [2002] by Geoff King Wallflower Press 9x6 pb [5/2002] for $20.00 Wallflower Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [5/2002] for $80.00
	"A-Z of Silent Film Comedy: An Illustrated Companion" [2003] by Glenn Mitchell, Foreword by Kevin Brownlow B.T. Batsford 9¾x7 pb [6/2003] out of print/used
	"The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926-1931" [2005] by Edwin M. Bradley McFarland & Co. 10x7 hardcover [4/2005] for $95.00
	"Kings of Comedy: The Slapstick, The Funny Trick, The Master of Mime, The Double Act, The Matter of Fact & The Classic One-Line" [2006] by Johnny Acton & Paul Webb Sterling/Main Street 7x5½ hardcover [3/2006] out of print/used
	"Romantic Comedy: Boy Meets Girl Meets Genre" [2007] by Tamar Jeffers McDonald Wallflower Press 8x6 pb [10/2007] for $22.00

	"Great Silent Comedians Movie Poster Book: Featuring Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd, Mabel Normand, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, and Charley Chase" [2011] by Jake Lenburg CreateSpace 10x8 pb [rev 1/2015] for $13.95 CreateSpace 8½x8½ pb [3/2012] for $13.95 LULU.com 7½x7½ pb [10/2011] for $34.95
	"The Funny Parts: A History of Film Comedy Routines and Gags" [2011] by Anthony Balducci Kindle Edition from McFarland & Co. [11/2011] for $29.99 {sic} McFarland & Co. 9¾x7 pb [11/2011] for $45.00
	"18 Comedians of Silent Film: The Pioneers, The Gremlins, The Acrobats, The Characters, and The Ladies" [2012] by Anthony Balducci The eighteen commonly-overlooked silent film comedians covered here are: Baby Peggy, Big Boy, Andy Clyde, Lige Conley, Clyde Cook, André Deed, Dorothy Devore, Billy Dooley, Lloyd Hamilton, Edgar Kennedy, Lupino Lane, Max Linder, Hank Mann, Colleen Moore, Marcel Perez, Billie Ritchie, Larry Semon, and Al St. John CreateSpace 9x6 pb [8/2012] for $19.99

	"Silent Film Comedy and American Culture" [2013] by Alan Bilton Kindle Edition from Palgrave Macmillan [5/2013] for $72.00 {sic} Palgrave Macmillan 9¾x5½ hardcover [5/2013] for $95.00
	"The 100 Greatest Silent Film Comedians" [2014] by James Roots Kindle Edition from Rowman & Littlefield [10/2014] for $56.99 {sic} Rowman & Littlefield Publrs 10¼x7¼ hardcover [10/2014] for $95.00

	"Hollywood: A Celebration of The American Silent Film" [HBO 1980] Written & directed by David Gill & Kevin Brownlow, narration by James Mason series credits from IMDb • DVD/Blu-ray not available complete box set: HBO b&w/color VHS [10/2001] 13 tapes - out of prodn/rare Vol. 8: "Comedy - A Serious Business" HBO VHS [6/98] out of prodn/used
	"It Came From Hollywood" [Paramount Oct 1982] Short bits by comedy greats excerpted from obscure or otherwise-just-plain-terrible movies, featuring Dan Ackroyd, John Candy, Cheech & Chong, and Gilda Radner Paramount DVD release of 2002 cancelled due to copyright issues Paramount color VHS [11/98] out of prodn/used full credits at IMDb
	"Robert Benchley and The Knights of The Algonquin" [2000] 26 Paramount comedy shorts [1928-42], with 3 that feature Alexander Woollcott & Donald Ogden Stewart Kino Video b&w DVD [2/2006] for $26.99 Kino Video b&w VHS [6/2000] out of prodn/used

	"Warner Brothers Academy Awards Animation Collections" [2008] 3-disk set of 15 Oscar-winners & 26 Oscar-nominated cartoons Warner Brothers Home Ent. color DVD [2/2008] 3 disks for $37.99 1-disk version with the 15 winners only [2008] Warner Brothers Home Ent. DVD [2/2008] for $16.99
	"The Dot and The Line: A Romance In Lower Mathematics" [1963] by Norton Juster SeaStar 6½x5½ hardcover [12/2000] for $7.95 Random House pb [1/91] out of print/used

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Comedy Short Films