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Hi All, I have word that the online petition urging Sony to release the Chase Columbias on DVD has been extended and is still accepting signatures - there has happily been somewhat of a spike in signatures as of late due to Cinecon - so be sure to sign if you haven't already (it's currently near 800...

Watching NH on TCM this afternoon, it's pretty clear that the short is simply the first two reels of the feature, crudely terminated at the twenty minute point when Charley's boss wins the jackpot. And the punchline is...there is none. It is hard to believe that the fun had at the expense of the Ba...

Dave Kehr reviewed "Becoming Charley Chase" in today's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/movie ... 6kehr.html

Yair, I remember you mentioning before that UTOPIA was your first encounter with Stan & Ollie. I find it interesting that you weren't turned off by all the factors that usually condemn it -- Stan's sickly appearance, the terrible dubbing, the heavy-handed plot. I always fear that the dollar-sto...

Btw, I’m going to use all of these posts to recommend Norbert Aping’s remarkable book “The Final Film of Laurel and Hardy - A Study of the Chaotic Making and Marketing of Atoll K”. I’ve simply never come across a more thoroughly researched and fascinating book on the production of a single film in ...

Here's another still from what appears to be the same photo session: http://charleychase.50webs.com/ChaseRoachStaff.JPG It's definitely Charley Chase (still Parrott at this point) in the center. Second from left: Beanie Walker, third from left: William Beaudine, standing next to Chase (with glasses)...

As for "Charley Chase", here's a jaw dropper for you - I think it may be Henry Lehrman! It looks like him, and not tall and thin enough to be Chase, and this may be circa April 12, 1927, when Lehrman was announced in the L.A. Times as being placed in charge of the Hal Roach story departme...

I recently stumbled upon this wonderful still online, a behind the scenes shot of several Roach staffers: http://charleychase.50webs.com/ChaseandOthersatRoach20s.JPG Looks like this dates from the early '20s. Charley Chase is standing at the center, H.M. "Beany" Walker is standing on the f...

Thanks for the info, Richard. As you say, FRESH LOBSTER really does seem to be somewhat of a mystery film, which is fitting for such a wonderful oddity. I'll post a correction.

Brent Walker wrote:Might the kid be Sonny Bupp?

The boy is Payne Johnson, who appeared in BABES IN TOYLAND as one of the three little pigs, and was in some of the Our Gang shorts of the late '30s, among a whole bunch of other films.