Film 11: Cocoanuts (1929)

Netflix Summary:  Groucho, Chico and Harpo -- the famed trio of siblings known collectively as the Marx Brothers -- star in their first big-screen comedy, backed by a score penned by the legendary Irving Berlin. Hilarity ensues as a hotel owner (Groucho Marx) launches a string of get-rich-quick schemes to bail out his bankrupt resort. And although he's aided by a pair of goofballs (Chico and Harpo), they mostly succeed in fouling things up.

Film viewing date: 5/1

The Circus (1928) Reviews

girl by locker says:
I can see why this is considered one of Chaplin’s more underrated films. In comparison to the other two Chaplin films that we have watched (The Kid and Gold Rush), I put this movie at number three but that also doesn’t mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that I didn’t enjoy the film. I did. Quite a bit.

The plot centers around a circus that comes to town and Chaplin unwittingly becoming the star of the show when getting chased by police after being mistaken as a pick-pocket. As one can imagine, there is the usual array of Chaplin shenanigans that come with being involved in a circus. However, I also found a darker tinge to the film and I assume that it comes from personal issues that affected Chaplin while making the movie – death of his mother, divorce from his second wife, owing a large sum of money in back taxes, the entire set burning down.

The end was quite melancholy and led me to wonder if this is what Chaplin feels about life and love – that it is better to let the woman you love be with another man because he can support her better and, in the end, we all end up by ourselves anyway?   

I don’t mean to imply that this is a depressing movie. It is quite funny and worth watching just to see the House of Mirrors scene. In my opinion, absolutely brilliant and well filmed.

I have enjoyed the progression of Chaplin, and I look forward to seeing more – either with Cinema Cram or without. Overall, I give this 4 out of 5 stars on Netflix.

Juror #3 says:

Imagine this, a man in his mid-30's is sitting on a couch in his apartment wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs.  He is alone.  The only light in the room emits from the television hanging on the wall, which is projecting black and white images from the 1928 Charlie Chaplin movie "The Circus."  The movie has just finished its setup and a title card appears saying something to the effect of "around the corner, tired and hungry".  The underwear clad man breaks into applause because he knows The Tramp, Charlie Chaplin's famed character, will be re-introduced in the next frame.  Yes, this sad man in his skivies was me...last night.  The Circus contained many of the elements I have come to love in a Chaplin film - comedy mixed with heartache.  I enjoyed The Circus but less so than The Kid or The Gold Rush.  I felt like the circus jokes got a bit old at times.  Maybe my expectations were too high.  There were still laugh-out-loud moments and The Tramp's unattainable love interest - I root so hard for the tramp to get the girl but alas, he fails again.  Only this time the Tramp plays the selfless card and "saves" the girl by facilitating a marriage between her and man she has expressed an interest in.  The Circus shows advancements in film including Chaplin himself singing the opening song.  And the credits contain fade-in's which weren't present in the previous films we watched.  Chaplin is still amazing but the Circus is just okay.  I rate it 3/5 

Film 10: The Circus (1928)

Netflix Summary: Charlie Chaplin once again dons the tattered threads of his iconic alter ego in this underrated effort. Desperate to elude the police who have mistaken him for a notorious pickpocket, the bumbling vagabond joins the ranks of a traveling circus. While posing as a big top performer, the Tramp falls head over heels for an equestrienne (Merna Kennedy) who just so happens to be the daughter of the circus's no-nonsense ringmaster (Al Ernest Garcia).
Wikipedia: The Circus was written by Chaplin and Joseph Plunkett (prologue, uncredited) and directed by Chaplin. It became the 7th highest grossing silent film in cinema history taking in more than $3.8 million dollars in 1928.  The production of the film was the most difficult experience in Chaplin's career. Numerous problems and delays occurred, including a studio fire, the death of Chaplin's mother, as well as Chaplin's bitter divorce from his second wife Lita Grey, and the Internal Revenue Service's claims of Chaplin's owed back taxes, all of which culminated in filming being stalled for eight months.  It was nominated for the four Academy Awards all for Charlie Chaplin but the Academy took Chaplin out of the running for competitive awards by giving him a Special Award. The Academy no longer lists his nominations for in their official list of nominees, although most unofficial lists of nominations do include him.

The Circus is often considered Chaplin's most underrated film.  

Film Viewing Date: 4/21

The General Reviews

girl by locker says:

I had high expectations for The General and while I can't say those expectations were met I also can't say that I was disappointed. Buster Keaton is, without a doubt, a comedic genius and the movie is quite funny. The whole plot revolves around the start of the Civil War (with opening shots in Marietta, GA!! I could recognize what is now Marietta on the Square!) and Buster Keaton trying to foil Union soldiers from sabotaging the rail lines and disrupting the supply chain. I loved the music and the energy that went into each of the scenes. My biggest "issue" with the movie is that I'm in love with Charlie Chaplin. Essentially, what I like about Chaplin's movies is the fact in one minute I can be laughing hysterically and then in the next my heart will be breaking at the poignancy of one of the scenes. Like I previously mentioned, Keaton is a comedic genius and his timing is impeccable. However, for me, the joke often went on just a touch too long and I missed the counter balance to the jokes that I have seen in the limited number of Chaplin movies. All that being said, I still give the movie 4 out of 5 stars.

Juror #3 says:

Dear Buster Keaton, 

I would like to formally apologize for the negative, and sometimes mean, statements I have made about you recently.  Things like "Buster Keaton is a one-joke comic" and "Keaton isn't worthy of holding Chaplain's jock."  Those types of things.  See, I had only viewed two of your films, and it wasn't until I saw The General that your brilliance was evident to me.  The General was a nearly flawless film and worthy of its place in history.  The acting was incredible for its era, the directing was seamless and the soundtrack was unlike any of the previous silent films we have watched in that it was consistent and more advanced - it could stand alone.  Part of the reason the music could be consistent is because the suspense and action in the film is consistent as well.  Buster, your famous "dead-pan" look wasn't a dead-pan look in the General.  It conveyed the emotion of the scene, it wasn't JUST humorous.  The action scenes were so well done that at times I forgot they were taking place on a moving train!  And when the train falls off the bridge, I got chills.  In closing Mr. Keaton, I hope you will accept my apology.  I look forward to viewing more of your work.  

Sincerely, 

Juror #3

Rated 5/5

Film 9: The General (1927)

Netflix Summary: Rejected by the Confederate Army as unfit and taken for a coward by his beloved Annabelle (Marion Mack), Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) sets out to single-handedly win the war with his cherished locomotive. When Northern spies steal his train, the intrepid Confederate takes on the entire Union army to get it back.


From Filmsite.org: The General (1927) is an imaginative masterpiece of dead-pan "Stone-Face" Buster Keaton comedy, generally regarded as one of the greatest of all silent comedies (and Keaton's own favorite) - and undoubtedly the best train film ever made. The Civil War adventure-epic classic was made toward the end of the silent era. Posters describing the slapstick film heralded: "Love, Locomotives and Laughs." However, Keaton's greatest picture (arguably) received both poor reviews by critics (it was considered tedious and disappointing) and weak box-office results (about a half million dollars) when initially released in the late 20s, and it led to Keaton's loss of independence as a film-maker and a restrictive deal with MGM. It would take many decades for the film to be hailed as one of the best ever made.  Read more here http://www.filmsite.org/gene 


Film Viewing Date: 4/10/10

Film 10 Released 4/11/10