Tille reissue, circa 19-sixty___?

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Chris Seguin

Tille reissue, circa 19-sixty___?

Postby Chris Seguin » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:11 pm

I have to admit a real fondness for dollar DVDs, especially when you come across something like this: a 1960s reissue of "Tillie's Punctured Romance", complete with narration and Thomas J. Valentino score. Here's the first few minutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtkLoFo4IRs

Note that the film's title has been rather clumsily updated with a video-generated titlecard, but that the next card admits "Original silent version entitled Tillie's Punctured Romance".

Any of the experts out there (RMR maybe, hmm? :)) have any idea if this was a theatrical or strictly TV re-release, and can you pinpoint a year? The music and narration seem to be the same used in the Charlie Chaplin Comedy Theatre TV syndication package (an example of which can be found on the Madacy DVD containing WORK).

Thanks,
Chris

Rob Farr
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Re: Tille reissue, circa 19-sixty___?

Postby Rob Farr » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:29 pm

Looks like they took the 1939 theatrical reissue and simply put a new track on it to avoid copyright problems. The actors' introduction at the beginning is exactly the same.
Rob Farr
"If it's not comedy, I fall asleep" - Harpo Marx

Brent Walker
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Re: Tille reissue, circa 19-sixty___?

Postby Brent Walker » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:09 pm

Chris, I think this may be the 1967 reissue by Crystal Pictures, which was retitled CHARLIE'S BIG ROMANCE. The replaced TILLIE title looks of a recent vintage, and United Films may have issued it to TV.

Chris Seguin

Re: Tille reissue, circa 19-sixty___?

Postby Chris Seguin » Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:07 pm

Thanks Brent (and Rob too, natch!)
So you figure this received a theatrical release as late as '67? Seems pretty primitive, compared to the Youngson stuff and even somthing like "The Great Stone Face".

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Re: Tille reissue, circa 19-sixty___?

Postby Richard M Roberts » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:39 am

Chris Seguin wrote:Thanks Brent (and Rob too, natch!)
So you figure this received a theatrical release as late as '67? Seems pretty primitive, compared to the Youngson stuff and even somthing like "The Great Stone Face".



I think I have more different versions of TILLIES PUNCTURED ROMANCE than anything else in my collection (apart from THE GOLD RUSH perhaps, but at least I do finally have my definitive print of THE GOLD RUSH). This version is a reissue of the old Sterling-Killiam version, which must have been picked up by United Films, who was a big rental and non-theatrical company in the late 60's. I doubt this got much theatrical play that late, but who knows, the success of the Youngson films had scared a lot of this stuff out of the woodwork at that point, and things like THE GREAT CHASE and THE FUNNIEST MAN IN THE WORLD were getting mainstream theatrical release. I think there are more reissue versions of TILLIE than any other silent feature, and most of them do take the 30's reissue and mess it about in one way or another (this step-printed version can run up to 72 minutes in one edition, pretty long for whats basically a four-reeler).

But there is also that very interesting Burford Pictures reissue, which obviously comes from different material, and has many of the scenes missing from the 30's reissue print, and unfortunately is cropped for wide-screen projection. One of these days, I'm going to cut together my own complete-as-possible print from stack of prints I have here.

Anyone who worked in radio or television from the late-fifties onward, or even collected Blackhawk Films with soundtracks knows that old Valentino Library music and sound effects with fondness. I've always had a soft-spot for that "boinnnnnnnnnnng" sound effect, a silent comedy reissue staple, which was never better used than in the old Blackhawk score of YOU'RE DARN TOOTIN with Laurel and Hardy, where somebody used it to punctuate every shin-kick in the second reel. Ahhh, nostalgia!

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Chris Seguin

Re: Tille reissue, circa 19-sixty___?

Postby Chris Seguin » Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:23 pm

Thanks for all the info, everyone... Richard, you were right (again!)! So was the old Sterling-Killiam version a TV release?

Never heard of the Burford version!

I'm like you, I have a real soft spot for the Valentino music...being introduced to it via Blackhawk prints of BIG BUSINESS, YOU'RE DARN TOOTIN' and TWO TARS. In fact, I wish Michael Agee had left those tracks on his DVD releases (they were on the VHS and laser disc versions), not only for the nostalgia but because I thought they were really well done -- particularly TOOTIN', which tried really hard to emulate the "synchronization" achieved in Youngson's FURTHER PERILS OF LAUREL & HARDY.

And imagine my surprise when I heard that same music used in the 3 Stooges' KOOK'S TOUR! (And earlier, as I was to find out later, in THREE STOOGES SCRAPBOOK.)

And, finally, I believe they used it in some of those King Features Popeye cartoons of the early 60s.

But I digress.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go watch my Van Buren release of THE CURE.


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