Lupino Lane: Silent Comedian - BLU-RAY

Next to Buster Keaton, Lupino Lane was the finest acrobatic comedian in the history of film. Remembered today mainly as a stage performer and for the hugely successful ME & MY GIRL, it's perhaps surprising that the film career of Lupino Lane has been largely forgotten. After appearing in a few British films, he travelled to the USA in the 1920s and was signed by Educational Pictures to make a series of 2 reel comedies, which are his main legacy today. This collection features eight of those rare titles in digitally scanned, reconstructed and restored prints, from archival sources around the world. They combine brilliantly inventive, often surreal gags with wild dazzling acrobatics and include routines from British music hall and pantomine, many featuring his brother Wallace. With a choice of newly composed scores from three of the UK's top silent film accompanists (Neil Brand, Donald MacKenzie and Meg Morley) and a feast of EXTRAS on the disc, we're confident that you'll discover Lupino Lane to be an exceptional comedian. Films HELLO SAILOR (1927), SWORD POINTS (1928), FISTICUFFS (1928), SUMMER SAPS (1929), GOOD NIGHT NURSE (1929), BATTLING SISTERS (1929), JOYLAND (1929), FIRE PROOF (1929) (sound).

Raymond Griffith is one of the best-kept secrets of silent comedy. During a twenty-five year career he not only wrote, directed and produced movies, but was also the star of nine comedy features for Paramount. Because of the disappearance and unavailability of his work he's been forgotten, but now this of two of his best comedies puts the spotlight on Mr. Griffith and serves as an introduction to his many talents. - PATHS TO PARADISE (1925) is the most overlooked silent comedy classic of the 1920s. A clockwork-timed crook comedy that presents Griffith in all his smarmy elegance, it's expertly written, directed, and acted by a top-notch comedy ensemble. Griffith and co-star Betty Compson play rival jewel thieves who form an alliance to steal a valuable diamond. YOU'd BE SURPRISED (1926) stars the top-hatted bon vivant as a police coroner who's called in to solve the murder of an important district attorney. Dorothy Sebastian is the leading lady who helps Mr. Griffith sort through numerous red herrings to find the killer. Veteran supporting players add comic seasoning to the proceedings of one of the most recent rediscoveries of the lost Griffith films. - Both films are presented in new 2K digital restorations of archival 35mm prints preserved by the Library of Congress, and feature new theatre organ scores by Ben Model. Also included is a video essay about Raymond Griffith that uses film clips and still photos to examine his life and career, as well as to highlight the two featured films. Blu-ray is NTSC, Region-free.

Based on the 1936 screwball classic starring William Powell and Carole Lombard, the 1957 remake of My Man Godfrey stars David Niven (Bedtime Story) and June Allyson (The Opposite S*x). On a mad scavenger hunt, socialite Irene Bullock (Allyson) stumbles upon grizzled street person Godfrey (Niven) underneath an East River bridge. Claiming him as a scavenger item, Irene wins the contest. Delighted and impressed with him, the daffy heiress makes him the new family butler. As Irene succumbs to his romantic charms, Godfrey slowly wins over the entire family with his extraordinary wit and style all except Irene's jealous sister Cordelia (Martha Hyer, Paris Holiday). This cunning, class-act comedy comes handsomely produced by Ross Hunter (There's Always Tomorrow, The Art of Love) and directed by Henry Koster (The Bishop's Wife, Flower Drum Song).