"Unknown Chaplin" Documentary (Finally!) - Due 11/29 (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Mirza]

One of my all-time favorite documentaries ever made, Unknown Chaplin will make its DVD debut on November 29th from A&E Home Video.

For decades the secrets to Charlie Chaplin's timeless film magic were presumed lost forever to the cutting-room floors of a bygone era. Using countless reels of footage and outtakes Chaplin had wanted destroyed, as well as interviews with people who knew and worked with Chaplin, film archivists Kevin Brownlow and David Gill meticulously crafted this essential and fascinating documentary homage to the Little Tramp.

Presented in three programs (My Happiest Years, Hidden Treasures and The Great Director) totaling 163 minutes, the DVD will also include "The Making of 'Unknown Chaplin,'" featurette, two rare bonus Chaplin shorts, a biography and filmography. Retail will be $24.95

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Wasn't this included with the R2 UK Chaplin sets or am I mistaken?

 

[Patrick Mirza]

This is the 1983 documentary made by Thames Television and aired on PBS stations here in America.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Kevin Brownlow's documentaries (co-produced with the late David Gill and now Patrick Stanbury) are nothing but fantastic.

This, as well as the eventual DVD set of "Hollywood", will be in my collection ASAP. I'm curious to see if any remastering was done. Either way, I hope this is a successful release so that the rest of the Photoplay Productions documentaries can be released to DVD like Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow, Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius, and D.W. Griffith: Father of Film.

 

[oscar_merkx]

Wow this is fantastic news.

 

[Ruz-El]

Great to get this confirmed!! I saw it up for pre-order on Amazon, but it had no info on it. I missed this on TV, and only saw one part of it, as that was all our public library had. I've been dying to see it ever since!

 

[Brian PB]

Curious that this long-awaited documentary would appear on A&E, and not Kino or Image, but I'll buy it regardless.

Here's hoping for Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow to make it to DVD soon as well.

 

[Seymour Uranowitz]

DeepDiscountDVD has great prices on most A&E releases, usually around 40% or more. So this should be a terrific bargain at about $15.00.

By the way, Photoplay also did the excellent Garbo documentary that recently aired on TCM.

 

[James Phillips]

Great news!

 

[Keith Paynter]

Extremely cool - I thought this was available years ago from Image in a 3 disc set(?), but the laserdisc is a tough find.

Our library had all three episodes on 16mm film, that's how I saw them - the "Gold Rush" footage was illuminating.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Not really. A&E has had a long relationship with Thames Television (now Carlton), licensing their productions on a regular basis.

DJ

 

[Seymour Uranowitz]

Now up for pre-order at DDD...

http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=ANE071907

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Um... it looks like it's already available:

http://www.newvideo.com/productdetai...d=NV-AAE-71907


eh?

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Sorry, my mistake - That's just an ad or something.

But the cover art is featured as well as a list of extras.

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

I see nothing in A&E's description about the inclusion of two rare bonus Chaplin shorts...where did you get that bit of info? And do you know what they are?

 

[Marko Berg]

Great news, it's been a long while since I saw this documentary and I only remember some parts of it. I'll be glad to add this to my collection.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

I just posted a link directly above you with information pertaining to the extras, specifically:

"MY HAPPIEST YEARS: Early shorts reveal how constant re-working of sight gags led to Chaplin's first triumph."

 

[Damin J Toell]

That's not an extra, that's part one of the program itself.

DJ

 

[ChrisPearson]

Just a small correction to that if I may: the Thames archive is now owned by Fremantle, who do indeed license many shows to A&E in the US. Carlton took over the ITV London/SE broadcast franchise from Thames in the UK (and is now part of the mega-company Granada Media), but has no control over Thames's catalogue.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Count me in, and I hope that the other Brownlow documentaries surface soon as well.