Virtual Charlie Chaplin Days in Niles This Weekend

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Rob Farr
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Virtual Charlie Chaplin Days in Niles This Weekend

Postby Rob Farr » Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:20 pm

The folks at Niles have put together an amazing online program to be held June 26-27-28, 2020.. Some presentations and screenings are going to be made live at 12:01 PM on the day and others are live and time-specific.

Friday: Presentations by Michael Hayde, Trav SD, David Totheroh and John Bengston.

Saturday: Live Zoom chat with David Robinson (1:00 PM EDT,/10:00 AM PDT) and other programs, including a preview of a series about Chaplin that Dan Kamin has been working on.

Sunday: Live Zoom programs with Dan Kamin (5:00 PM EDT/2:00 PM PDT) and Lisa Stein Haven on Sidney Chaplin and, most interesting to me, a screening of what is purported to be an original release print of Shoulder Arms that David Shepard saw in a Danish archive which he says is an almost completely different film than the "Daddy" version. Whether this is indeed the 1918 release or the mid-1920's Pathe reissue remains to be seen. Jon Marsalis will accompany.

https://nilesfilmmuseum.org/?tv=5847249262739456
Rob Farr
"If it's not comedy, I fall asleep" - Harpo Marx

Rob Farr
Godfather
Posts: 489
Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 12:00 pm
Location: Our Nation's Capitol

Re: Virtual Charlie Chaplin Days in Niles This Weekend

Postby Rob Farr » Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:38 pm

A follow-up to the Shoulder Arms screening. It is Dan Kamin's 1960's print of the 1920's re-release by Pathe, not the original 1918 version. May be the closest we ever get to see tho.
Rob Farr
"If it's not comedy, I fall asleep" - Harpo Marx

Richard M Roberts
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Re: Virtual Charlie Chaplin Days in Niles This Weekend

Postby Richard M Roberts » Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:02 pm

Rob Farr wrote:A follow-up to the Shoulder Arms screening. It is Dan Kamin's 1960's print of the 1920's re-release by Pathe, not the original 1918 version. May be the closest we ever get to see tho.



Heck, I've got a Pathegrams original on that. That is not so special.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Rob Farr
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Re: Virtual Charlie Chaplin Days in Niles This Weekend

Postby Rob Farr » Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:50 pm

Rob Farr
"If it's not comedy, I fall asleep" - Harpo Marx

William Ferry
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Re: Virtual Charlie Chaplin Days in Niles This Weekend

Postby William Ferry » Sat Jun 27, 2020 12:17 pm

Richard M Roberts wrote:
Rob Farr wrote:A follow-up to the Shoulder Arms screening. It is Dan Kamin's 1960's print of the 1920's re-release by Pathe, not the original 1918 version. May be the closest we ever get to see tho.



Heck, I've got a Pathegrams original on that. That is not so special.

RICHARD M ROBERTS


Two questions: regarding the First Nationals, I was always under the impression these were the first films Chaplin owned outright (which explains their lack of availability until more recent times - which also resulted in the benefit of good print quality in general). Did Chaplin own them from the get-go, or did he buy them back from FN at some point?

Second, I remember the RBC prints of the FN films sold by Blackhawk in the 70s (did they include the UA films, too?) Anyway, you had to sign a waiver that after a certain date you destroyed your prints (wink wink). Wonder if any of those are floating around? (Don't answer yes, anyone, I'm not looking to rat anyone out!)

Richard M Roberts
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Re: Virtual Charlie Chaplin Days in Niles This Weekend

Postby Richard M Roberts » Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:13 am

William Ferry wrote:
Two questions: regarding the First Nationals, I was always under the impression these were the first films Chaplin owned outright (which explains their lack of availability until more recent times - which also resulted in the benefit of good print quality in general). Did Chaplin own them from the get-go, or did he buy them back from FN at some point?

Second, I remember the RBC prints of the FN films sold by Blackhawk in the 70s (did they include the UA films, too?) Anyway, you had to sign a waiver that after a certain date you destroyed your prints (wink wink). Wonder if any of those are floating around? (Don't answer yes, anyone, I'm not looking to rat anyone out!)



First, Yes, the rights apparently reverted on the Chaplin First Nationals to his control very quickly, as he was reissuing them via Pathe' by the mid-1920's, which is why we are fortunate to have various Pathegram 16mm prints of those reissues floating around. I've always believed that the Pathe' reissues could likely be the original A negatives (they should have still been around in the mid-1920's, even after much printing of those films by Frist National) or are at least the B negatives (same takes as A negative from the right-side camera), so they should be closer to the original version released than the CHAPLIN REVUE version assembled from C and D takes. The Pathe' version is definitely different and much funnier (especially when run at the right speed).

There are so many variant versions of Chaplin films, especially the First Nationals, I have two reels of an original First National American version of A DOG'S LIFE, as well as a Spanish First National release version, both featuring variant takes. I have a French Pathe' version of SUNNYSIDE and THE IDLE CLASS, both also with some different takes than the official versions.

Second, as to the RBC Super 8 prints sold in the 70's, Bob Birchard was working for RBC at the time and he talked about the fact that they had to have that clause of the 15 year lease on the prints to be able to sell them at all due to some contract issue with Chaplin an the Roy Export Company, but nobody at RBC really expected anyone to return or destroy the prints fifteen years later. In fact, anyone who did return the prints to the RBC address at the fifteen year point would have found them arriving to an empty office. There still seem to be a number around, one can occasionally find them on ebay.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Rob Farr
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Re: Virtual Charlie Chaplin Days in Niles This Weekend

Postby Rob Farr » Mon Jun 29, 2020 12:44 pm

Although there are some folks on Nitrateville who would be only too happy to rat out miscreants to Association Chaplin even 50 years later. Inspector Javert is alive and well.
Rob Farr
"If it's not comedy, I fall asleep" - Harpo Marx


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