Rhett and Link's T-Shirt War

Not saying these guys are actually clowns, but there are a lot of great clown ideas here, and really well executed use of stop motion.  The gag of pulling real stuff out of the shirt or vice versa is really well used.  Almost an object lesson in one-upsmanship and clowning, but in a film form that would be a little harder to pull off on stage.    And their marketing of the shirts afterward is great too.

A couple of these effects have me thinking...

You can find out more about these guys at their website: http://rhettandlink.com/

I'm definitely planning on taking a look at the rest of their pieces, based on this one.

Silent Clowns Film Series Winter/Spring 2010 (NY)

The Silent Clowns Film Series under the direction/curation of Bruce Lawton and Ben Model has created another stellar lineup of classics and gems for cineastes and physical comedy aficionado's to drool over. This time it's films that are held in private collections, so these are RARELY seen. If you fall into either of those categories (film lover or physical comedy lover) you owe it to yourself to take a Sunday and spend it in the dark with Ben and Bruce. It will be well worth it. All programs will be held at the Arclight Theatre, located at 152 W 71st Street, between Broadway and Columbus. Tickets are $10 for all adults, and $5 for seniors, kids and members. Live piano accompaniment by Ben Model at all shows. Visit http://www.silentclowns.com/ for more information and to purchase tickets. I've also put the program descriptions below.

Sunday, February 21 at 2pm Films from the Jack Roth Collection If Mack Sennett was "The King of Comedy" then Hal Roach was its "Crown Prince." After starting as an extra in 1914, Roach was instrumental in making Harold Lloyd a comedy star, and along the way developed a school of comedy that consisted of recognizable everyday people trapped in outlandish and embarrassing situations. Today’s selection of 1927 releases includes the Stan Laurel vehicles DUCK SOUP, EVE'S LOVE LETTERS and WHY GIRLS LOVE SAILORS, plus Max Davidson in JEWISH PRUDENCE and Charley Chase in THE STING OF STINGS.
Sunday, March 14 at 2pm Films from the Streamline Films Collection: Johnny Hines was a very popular clown who made many Harold Lloyd-type of comedy features in the 1920s, but is unjustly overlooked today. CONDUCTOR 1492 (’24) gives a good look at Hines’ ability with sight-gags, not to mention his engaging smile, and breezy personality. Opening for the feature is Glenn Tryon, another neglected clown, in the Hal Roach short WHOSE BABY ARE YOU? (’25).
Sunday, March 21 at 2pm More films from the Streamline Films Collection When the cinema began every film was a short subject, but as the industry grew so did the length of its films and shorts became a pre-feature special attraction. Comedy shorts were a standard part of the typical theatre bill, and this program provides a wide sampling of the art form. Our line-up is Ben Turpin in LOVE’S OUTCAST ('21), UP ON THE FARM ('25) with Lee Moran, Lupino Lane in MOVIELAND ('26), WHAT! NO SPINACH? ('26) with Harry Sweet, and Snub Pollard as THE OLD SEA DOG (’22).
Sunday, April 11 at 2pm Films from the F.I.L.M. Archives Collection Throughout the silent era there were numerous "fun factories" that specialized in producing and distributing silent comedy one and two-reelers. From giants like Sennett and Christie to micro units like Tenneck – they all worked overtime to supply a steady stream of movie laughter. Our cross-section of producers include Harry Cohn (Sid Smith in A DOG-GONE MIX-UP, ’21,), Larry Darmour (Mickey McGuire in MICKEY’S CIRCUS, '27), William Fox (Arthur Housman in JUST A HUSBAND, '27), Louis, Adolph, & Max Weiss (Ben Turpin in THE EYES HAVE IT, '28), and Hal Roach (Snub Pollard in STRICTLY MODERN, '22, and Stan Laurel in COLLARS AND CUFFS, '23).
Sunday, April 25 at 2pm More films from the F.I.L.M. Archives Collection Known as “The King of Comedy,” Mack Sennett was actually the Henry Ford of slapstick, as he was the first person to create a film studio devoted to turning out comedies on an assembly-line schedule. The main targets for the rough and rowdy Sennett crew were order, pomposity, and social standing. Having discovered most of the big names in the genre, today’s sampling highlights the year 1926 and stars such as Billy Bevan, Ralph Graves and Ben Turpin in the shorts WHISPERING WHISKERS, HUBBY’S QUIET LITTLE GAME, YANKEE DOODLE DUKE, WHEN A MAN’S A PRINCE, and ICE COLD COCOS.

Silent Clowns Film Series Fall/Winter 2009 (NY)

THE SILENT CLOWNS FILM SERIES

MEETS "THESE TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES" HEAD-ON...

WITH SLAPSTICK SALUTES TO

FOLKS JUST TRYING TO GET BY!

( NOTE NEW THEATER LOCATION!!)

The Silent Clowns Film Series has become the place for film buffs and families to go to see classic silent comedy films. Presenting its programs on Sunday afternoons from fall to spring the series has offered hundreds of classic film fans and young people all over the tri-state region the chance to see Chaplin, Keaton, and everyone in-between. All shows feature live piano accompaniment by Ben Model.

The Silent Clowns' Fall / Winter 2009 season tips its hats (all of them) the slapstick art of survival with five programs of classic silent comedy shorts and features helmed by the likes of: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Our Gang, Ben Turpin, Charley Chase, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Harry Langdon. All this culminates in a December showing of Laurel & Hardy silents where the audience will vote online for their faves to be screened.

The Silent Clowns Film Series is held at

THE ARCLIGHT THEATRE

152 WEST 71st STREET, betw B'way and Columbus)

Subway: 1, 2 or 3 W72. or C to W72
Tickets are $10.00 all adults and $5.00 for kids and seniors.
Live piano accompaniment by Ben Model
Tickets are sold at the door. For more information visit www.silentclowns.com or call 212-712-SCFS.

THE SILENT CLOWNS FILM SERIES

2009 FALL/WINTER SCHEDULE

All programs feature live musical accompaniment by Ben Model.

Sunday, October 11 at 2pm

Comedy on the Bum

- or -

The Elegance of Indigence

Tramps (a.k.a. “Knights of the Road”) were popular comic characters on stage, in comic strips, and in early films. While Charlie Chaplin used it for his regular screen persona, most of the other big name comics spent some time cinematically "on the bum". Today’s down-and-outers include Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in Fatty's New Role ('15), Charlie Chaplin’s Easy Street ('17), Harold Lloyd in From Hand To Mouth ('19 ), Buster Keaton’s The Goat ('21), and Fiddlesticks ('27) with Harry Langdon.

Sunday, October 25 at 2pm

Harold Lloyd in "Dr. Jack" (1922)

Remembered today as the "third genius" of silent comedy, Harold Lloyd was always first at the box office.Dr. Jack ('22), although not as well known as Grandma's Boy ('22) or The Freshman ('25), is equally funny and presents Harold as a country doctor who uses scares and thrills to help a young rich girl get rid of parasitic doctors. Also on this Halloween program is Buster Keaton surrounded by eerie goings-on inThe Haunted House ('21).

Sunday, November 8 at 2pm

Slapstick Show-Biz Part One:

Stagecraft Shenanigans

Since most of the silent film comedians came from the stage, it was only natural that they would use their theatre background and experiences for comic material. Tough company managers, over-ripe melodramas and fly-by-night theatre troupes are some of the subjects at hand today in the Thanhouser company’s The Soap Suds Star (215), Charlie Chaplin’s The Property Man ('14), The Play House ('21) with Buster Keaton, Charley Chase’s Bromo and Juliet ('26), and Lupino Lane in Drama Deluxe ('27).

Sunday, November 22 at 2pm

Slapstick Show-Biz Part Two:

Chaos on the Set

The second part of our Show-Biz programs finds our silent clowns poking fun at themselves and their style of filmmaking. Nothing could be simpler or handier (not to mention cheaper) than using their own studios as background for slapstick antics, which today gives us precious behind-the-scenes glimpses of where and how these films were made. On the bill is Everett True Breaks into the Movies ('16), Charlie Chaplin’s Behind the Screen ('16), Hey There ('18) with Harold Lloyd, Our Gang’s Dogs of War ('23), and The Daredevil ('23) starring Ben Turpin.

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Sunday, December 6 at 2pm

Laurel & Hardy: U-Pick 'Em!

*Audience Favorites*

After years of solo work, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy came together at the Hal Roach Studio in 1927.In their comedies human foibles and the frustrations of everyday life were magnified a hundred times over. Now you have the opportunity to select which of their silent shorts you’d like to see. Vote online on our website, and the four finalists will be screened at this show! Visit our website to go to the voting page.

Cruel & Unusual Comedy at MOMA (NY) May 20-June 1, 2009

Cruel and Unusual Comedy: Social Commentary in the American Slapstick Film

May 20, 2009–June 1, 2009

MOMA will be running a number of silent film comedies during the last part of the month. The series, titled Cruel and Unusual Comedy, will feature a number of evenings of silent films, grouped in themes, that use comedy to address pretty . All films are from the U.S. and are silent, with piano accompaniment by Ben Model. All running times are approximate.

You can read film notes written by Steve Masa and Ben Model on their specialty blog http://cruelandunusualcomedy.blogspot.com/

You can find out more about the series on the MOMA website
http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/films/948

Tickets are $10, less for seniors and students, and free if you are a MOMA member (although you do still require a ticket.

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Drag Shows: Cross-Dressing the Sexes
Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 4:00 p.m.
With piano accompaniment by Ben Model

• Getting Rid of Trouble 1912. USA. Directed by Del Henderson. With Charlie Murray. 10 min.
• Sweedie Learns to Swim 1914. USA. Directed by Wallace Beery. With Beery. 10 min.
• Chasing the Chaser 1925. USA. Directed by Stan Laurel. With James Finlayson. 10 min.
• Get ‘Em Young 1926. USA. Directed by Fred Guiol. With Stan Laurel. 18 min.
• Good Night Nurse 1917. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Arbuckle, Buster Keaton. 18 min.

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Race Riots: Beyond Black and White
Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 4:00 p.m
With piano accompaniment by Ben Model

• A Change of Complexion 1914. USA. Directed by Phillips Smalley. With Henry Bergman. 10 min.
• Haunted Spooks 1920. USA. Directed by Hal Roach. With Harold Lloyd, Sunshine Sammy. 20 min.
• Below Zero 1925. USA. Directed by Norman Taurog. With Lige Conley, Spencer Bell. 18 min.
• A Natural Born Gambler 1916. USA. Director unknown. With Bert Williams. 20 min.
• Black and White 1913. USA. Directed by Del Henderson. With David Morris. 10 min.

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Gratuitous Violence: No Turn Unstoned
Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
With piano accompaniment by Ben Model

• Deep Sea Panic 1924. USA. Directed by Roy Del Ruth. With James Parrott. 12 min.
• Their First Execution 1913. USA. Directed by Mack Sennett. With Ford Sterling. 10 min.
• The Phoney Cannibal 1915. USA. Directed by Charles E. Ward. With Lloyd Hamilton, Bud Duncan. 10 min.
• The Counter Jumper 1922. USA. Directed by Larry Semon. With Semon, Oliver Hardy. 18 min.
• Cold Hearts and Hot Flames 1916. USA. Directed by John G. Blystone. With Billie Ritchie. 20 min

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Animals and Children: No Harm Done
Friday, May 29, 2009, 4:00 p.m
With piano accompaniment by Ben Model

• An Elephant on His Hands 1912. USA. Directed by Frederick Thomson. With George Ober. 10 min.
• Cat, Dog, and Co. 1929. USA. Directed by Anthony Mack. With the Our Gang kids. 18 min.
• Mind the Baby 1924. USA. Directed by Al Herman. With Pal the dog. 18 min.
• The Knockout 1923. USA. Directed by Len Powers. With the Dippy-Doo-Dads. 10 min.
• When Summer Comes 1922. USA. Directed by Roy Del Ruth. With Billy Bevan. 18 min.

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The Machine Age: Mack Sennett vs. Henry Ford
Monday, June 1, 2009, 4:00 p.m.
With piano accompaniment by Ben Model

• Lizzies of the Field 1924. USA. Directed by Del Lord. With Billy Bevan. 18 min.
• His Bread and Butter 1916. USA. Directed by Edward Cline, Hank Mann. With Mann, Slim Summerville. 18 min.
• Get Out and Get Under 1920. USA. Directed by Hal Roach. With Harold Lloyd. 18 min.
• Squeaks and Squawks 1920. USA. Directed by Noel M. Smith. With Jimmy Aubrey, Oliver Hardy. 18 min.
• Neck and Neck 1924. USA. Directed by Fred Hibbard. With Lige Conley. 18 min.