Review: "Chain of Fools"

Keaton...Lloyd...Semon...Linder...Normand...they're all links in the "Chain of Fools."

Trav S.D.’s book offers yet another look at the world of silent cinema -- he explores the roots and history of this beast known as comedy itself, how it manifested itself on nitrate and how it has evolved into the bread and butter of sites like YouTube. In addition to an in-depth look at the vaudeville and stage comedians who came before, and an even-handed look at the famous and lesser-known silent film comedians of the time, he offers, perhaps, a more balanced and less cynical look at the body of work offered by silent stars after their heyday was well behind them.

Milla Davenport, Mabel Normand, Harry McCoy & Roscoe Arbuckle in a Keystone comedy

“Chain of Fools” is obviously written by a true lover of the form who is versed in the standard literature on the subject (notably Walter Kerr’s “The Silent Clowns”), and it's worth noting that Trav himself has paid homage to the form by writing and starring in his own silent shorts. The love for the genre comes through with every word, as does his dedication to set the record straight on some misconceptions.

Mabel Normand and Mack Sennett with Keystone players

Trav also traces the final days of slapstick and the strains of it that continue through to current comedians. Although his opinions of certain comedians are sure to rub some readers the wrong way (his opinion of Abbott and Costello is justifiably low) the honesty he approaches the subject with is refreshing. While some are taken down a peg, others are finally given their due. Mabel Normand and her fellow pioneering comediennes get their moment in the spotlight, as do Charley Chase and others. He also gives credit to heirs of the silent comedy throne, comedians like Red Skelton, Jackie Gleason and Chris Farley who directly or indirectly, found inspiration in the form and have kept it going.

For anyone new to the world of silent comedy, “Chain of Fools” is definitely a good place to start. Not only does it give readers an overview of the big names involved (from Sennett to Chaplin to Roach), it also calls out specific films as more or less required viewing. It’s also an excellent read and resource for devoted fans of the genre and history surrounding it with space dedicated to the films of Larry Semon and Harry Langdon, as well as Billy West and Max Linder. Overall, “Chain of Fools” is an excellent, informative and enjoyable read written by one silent film lover to another.

Intrigued? You can buy “Chain of Fools” through Amazon either as a paperback or an ebook for the Kindle.

"Safety Last!" and the Draw of the Human Fly

This post was originally published on the lonelybrand blog as part of an ongoing silent film series.

Chances are, even if you haven’t seen a single silent film, you’re still familiar with this image. It’s an iconic shot that has been recreated by the likes of Christopher Lloyd in "Back to the Future," Asa Butterfield in “Hugo” and Jackie Chan on several occasions, but the man who started it all, and is featured in the photo above, is silent film comedian Harold Lloyd.

You might remember that Lloyd went through several character transformations, including the Chaplin-esque Lonesome Luke, before settling on his ‘glasses’ persona -- the character that brought him silent film immortality. Although Lloyd was considered the everyman, unlike Chaplin and Buster Keaton, his character seemed to find his way into the most bizarre situations. The best examples of which can be found in his thrill comedies like “Safety Last!” -- the film that gave birth to the iconic image above. What’s interesting about the film is that it was born out of a marketing and publicity stunt.

In the 1910s and 1920s, department stores would often employ ‘human flies’ to bring publicity and attention to their businesses. Lloyd witnessed one of these stunts firsthand when he saw Bill Strother climbing the Brockman Building in Los Angeles as a stunt. Lloyd was fascinated and terrified, and hid behind a corner, occasionally peeking to check on Strother's progress. When Strother reached the roof, Lloyd went up and introduced himself. After seeing the event unfold before him, Lloyd got the idea to translate that stunt into a film and gave Strother a role as his best friend.

The climax of the film involves Lloyd hilariously and clumsily recreating the human fly stunt that he saw Strother perform. Of course, a number of obstacles get in his way, including a flock of pigeons and a relatively flimsy clockface. The climbing sequence itself represents a high point in silent film stunts and was such a hit with audiences that Laurel & Hardy, Buster Keaton and even Lloyd himself would recreate versions of it in later films. The fact that Lloyd wasn't working in front of a matte painting or a rear projection, and really was as far up the building as he appeared to be, thrilled and terrified audiences, and continues to do so today. The fact that Lloyd did this stunt after losing his right index finger and thumb during an accident on the set of an earlier film is even more astounding. You can watch the climbing sequence below.

Cashing in on Chaplin

This post was originally published on the lonelybrand blog as part of an ongoing silent film series.

A favorite practice in silent film was for studios to find their version of the hottest star of the moment. Even studios who were fortunate enough to have signed the original star were constantly looking for replacements. Theda Bara called Fox Studios home for years, but when she left, the studio began to promote Betty Blythe as their new vamp. They even cast her in roles that were incredibly similar to those portrayed by Bara.

Imitators, replacements and second-stringers meant that the studios stood a chance to indirectly profit off of the most popular stars, even if they were signed elsewhere or unavailable. At a point in his career, Charlie Chaplin was the most recognizable figure in the world. He was one of the first silent film stars to become recognized internationally as a movie star, and was a guaranteed sure-thing for any studio or any theater that acquired him or his films. It should come as no surprise, then, that studios and aspiring actors and comedians would look to Chaplin for inspiration. Soon, many were cashing in on imitating Chaplin, and one imitator in particular made no effort to hide it.

Billy West was the best known of the Chaplin imitators. When the public was demanding more and more Chaplin films, a producer saw an opportunity and signed West to profit from that demand. His appearance (in costume) was identical to Chaplin and his films also borrowed heavily from Chaplin, so much so that the casual observer could mistake him for the real deal. West was signed to King-Bee and his heyday lasted from 1917-1918 -- when Chaplin was signed to Mutual. His studio even went so far as to call West “The Funniest Man on Earth.” Although West was the star of the pictures, his on-screen success was shortlived and certainly outshined by his on-screen foe Oliver "Babe" Hardy (later of Laurel and Hardy) and on-screen love Leatrice Joy. By 1920, West had given up his ‘tramp’ persona. To get a sense of West’s early films, check out ‘The Candy Kid’ below.

Silent film favorite Harold Lloyd found early success with his ‘Lonesome Luke’ character, which was also a nod to Chaplin. Unlike West, Lloyd was almost a parody of Chaplin. His costume was almost a reversal of Chaplin’s -- the clothes were ridiculously small instead of too big, he replaced the hat and divided the mustache down the middle. Although Lloyd found success with the “Luke” series, he, like West, eventually felt restricted by the persona. When Lloyd abandoned the ‘Luke’ persona and adopted his ‘glasses’ persona, he found a character that was truly his own and that proved to be a true box office threat to Chaplin.

Curious about Harold Lloyd's career post-Lonesome Luke? Check out my review for his feature film "The Kid Brother."

The Kid Brother

When you think of Harold Lloyd, chances are the image that pops into your head is this iconic shot from “Safety Last!” -- Lloyd dangling perilously off the face of a clock above bustling traffic. It’s strange, but when people speak of Harold Lloyd, they tend to pigeonhole him as a thrill comedian. Yes, Lloyd did use plots and gags devised to thrill audiences, but of the hundreds of films Lloyd made, only five of them could be called thrill pictures. It would be unfair to only examine him in that light. In fact, it would also be unfair to simply examine him as a “comedian,” because he is much more than that.

He also cleans up very, very well...

In the ‘80s, David Gill and Kevin Brownlow did a brilliant documentary on Harold Lloyd entitled “Harold Lloyd - The Third Genius” (implying, of course, that Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton were the other two). Lloyd, Chaplin and Keaton are, without a doubt, the kings of silent comedy, but to compare them beyond that is almost unfair. Chaplin and Keaton grew up in the worlds of the English music hall and vaudeville, clowning in front of audiences, so by the time they entered the world of film, their transition was, for the most part, smooth. Yes, it took a while for them to establish their respective characters, but they understood how to be funny. Lloyd did not have that kind of background. He was an actor who, in a matter of speaking, had to learn to be funny. The refining of technique that Chaplin and Keaton honed on the road, Lloyd did real-time in front of a cameraman. The fact that Lloyd’s background was as an actor and not as a comedian allowed him to give performances that, honestly, I’m not sure Keaton or Chaplin could have done.

I thoroughly enjoy Lloyd’s thrill pictures, but my favorite Lloyd film is not “Safety Last!” or “Never Weaken.” In fact, it’s a film that he made years after “Safety Last!” It’s a beautiful, funny, sweet little film called “The Kid Brother.”

The Kid Brother (1927)

The Story

No matter how hard he tries, Harold Hickory (Harold Lloyd) can’t seem to get above his ‘kid brother’ image. Relegated to doing little more than the housekeeping duties of the farm, Harold just can’t gain the respect of his brothers or, worse yet, his father, Sheriff Hickory. He’s intelligent and clever, but frequently he finds himself daydreaming that he's the tough and rugged man his father is. But just as quickly, he’s pulled from those daydreams, be it because of a glance in the mirror or a mean-spirited prank created by his sworn enemy Hank Hooper.

Mary (Jobyna Ralston) enters Harold’s life quite unexpectedly. After inheriting her father’s medicine show, Mary is reluctant to keep it on the road. Especially considering the other members of the show, the shady Flash and frightening Sandoni. 

As Harold is daydreaming, wearing his father’s badge and hat, Flash stops to get his approval to put on the show. Harold hasn’t the heart or the nerve to tell him he can’t, so he reluctantly signs the permit as Mary watches from afar.

Feeling guilty, Harold wanders through the woods and comes to Mary’s aid as she is being lustfully pursued by Sandoni. Wielding a branch -- and unaware of the fact that there is a snake wrapped around it -- Harold frightens Sandoni away and he and Mary immediately fall for one another. 

Harold’s father learns that the medicine show has set up shop because of Harold, so he forces him to go into town and shut it down. Knowing that Mary is a part of the show, Harold is even more reluctant to raise his voice. He is immediately mocked by Flash, Sandoni and Hank, and by the time his father and brothers intervene, the medicine show trailer and stage have burned to the ground, leaving nothing behind.

Upset by her loss, Mary looks for comfort in Harold and he, being a true gentleman, takes her home with him to give her a proper place to spend the night. A brilliant sequence follows that involves Harold attempting to avoid his brothers and Harold’s brothers attempting to avoid Mary, all the while Harold is treating Mary like a queen. Once they are settling in for the night, the Hoopers show up to take Mary to their house, claiming it isn’t decent for her to stay in a house with no womenfolk.

Harold's brothers get locked out in the rain trying to avoid Mary...

...and wait at the top of the stairs to get their revenge on Harold.

Knowing his brothers are waiting at the top of the stairs to pummel him, Harold takes advantage of their ignorance of the situation and sleeps in the partitioned part of the dining room that he had created for Mary. What he didn’t expect is that his brothers would try to impress Mary with breakfast in bed the next morning, forcing Harold to carefully hide his identity behind his walls of Jericho, as Clark Gable would say. This leads to a brilliant reveal and chase that is so detailed, to try to recall it here would not do it justice.

Harold impersonates Mary...

...and reaps the benefits.

While Harold is narrowly avoiding his brothers, we learn that Flash and Sandoni, eager for money and revenge on the Hickorys, have stolen the money the town had put towards building a new dam. This causes the Hoopers and the rest of the townsfolk to suspect Sheriff Hickory has kept the money for himself. Harold’s brothers immediately set off to search for Flash and Sandoni, both whom Sheriff Hickory suspects almost immediately, but when Harold goes to join them, his father tells him it’s not his place to do so.

Wanting to prove himself, and falling victim, once again, to Hank Hooper, Harold serendipitously arrives at a boat housing Flash and Sandoni for the time being. A fight breaks out between Flash and Sandoni as Sandoni, wanting all of the money for himself, beats up and locks Flash in a trap door of the ship. Harold, who had been hiding, is revealed by Sandoni’s thieving monkey and a fight ensues.

Harold captures Sandoni with life saver rings...

...and carts him back to town.

When Harold finally incapacitates Sandoni, he rushes back into town with Sandoni and the money, to clear his father’s name. Lauded as a hero, Harold has finally earned his father and brothers respect, as well as that of the entire town. Riding high, Harold takes one last shot at Hank, leaving him in the dust as he and Mary walk off, arms around each other.

The End Result

This film, along with “Grandma’s Boy,” are the best examples of Harold Lloyd’s acting ability as well as his comedic talent. It combines some of Lloyd’s greatest gags with romance, action, and, yes, a bit of drama. It really combines the best of all worlds.

The confidence Lloyd shows in himself and the cleverness of his character make us laugh while, at the same time, charming us. Others have said that two of the elements that separated Lloyd from Keaton or Chaplin were 1) The audience could easily believe Lloyd as a real person and 2) The audience could easily envision Lloyd as a romantic interest. Both of these qualities are beautifully illustrated shortly after Harold and Mary meet.

As Mary takes leave of Harold to return to Flash and Sandoni and begins to wander out of sight, Harold, not wanting her to go just yet, climbs higher and higher in a nearby tree so that he may catch a glimpse of her and yell his goodbyes. Lloyd’s heartfelt sighs and daydreamy bliss are then comically disrupted when he falls out of the tree and then, unhurt, begins plucking the petals off of a flower, reciting, “She loves me...she loves me not..." It's difficult to envision either Keaton or Chaplin taking Lloyd's place in this scene. The sequence is sweet and full of emotion, without sacrificing humor for sentiment. You can watch it below.

Although “The Kid Brother” is definitely not a thrill comedy, Lloyd has plenty of opportunities to show off his incredible athleticism. From taking on Sandoni in the bowels of the ship, -- much of it done underwater, no less -- to numerous chase sequences, Lloyd takes it all on without a stunt double.

The gags in the film are too numerous to mention. Lloyd and his writers were in top form during the writing of "The Kid Brother" and use every available opening to insert a joke. And contrary to what one may assume with such a joke-heavy film, none of them feel forced and all are in keeping with the tone of the film. Whether it's a gag to further illustrate Harold's intelligence at outwitting his romantic rival, or a desperate attempt on Harold's part to stay away from his bully brothers, all of the gags work incredibly well together.

Harold fools Hank by placing his hat on a helpful pig.

Attempting to outrun his brothers and talk to Mary.

Conclusion
“The Kid Brother” was released in 1927 which was an incredible year for film.  A number of superb, popular films were released that year, including Keaton’s “The General,” “Metropolis,” “Wings,” “It,” “Sunrise” and “The Cat and the Canary.” Also debuting in 1927 was the film that would turn the world of film upside down, “The Jazz Singer.” Even considering the competition, “The Kid Brother” still holds up as one of the strongest and best films of that year and of all time. Like “The General,” it has become a classic both for its story and its technique.

The camera work is superb, implementing sophisticated tracking shots, clever angles and beautiful lighting effects. And with the fine edition of a musical score penned by the incredible Carl Davis, it is, without a doubt, one of the finest films Lloyd ever made.