Arbuckle & Keaton, Volumes One & Two

Before Chris Farley, there was Roscoe Arbuckle, the original "Fatty falls down" clown whose popularity in silent films once rivaled Charlie Chaplin's. But he became a Hollywood pariah following the death of actress Virginia Rappe at an infamous wild party in 1921. The tabloid press had a field day, and even though Arbuckle was acquitted after three sensational trials, he was the first actor to be blacklisted. These two collections of short subjects made at the peak of Arbuckle's popularity should restore his rightful place in film comedy history. "The Bell Boy," "The Butcher Boy," "Out West" (which contains some unfortunate racial humor), "Moonshine," and "The Hayseed" (on Volume One), and "Back Stage," "Good Night Nurse!," "Coney Island," "The Rough House," and "The Garage" (on Volume Two), are knockabout slapstick gag-fests in the classic tradition of Mack Sennett, with whom Arbuckle got his start as one of the Keystone Cops. Despite his heft, Arbuckle proves himself a graceful and agile clown. But he is upstaged by his co-star, Buster Keaton, then 21-years-old (but a 20 year show business stage veteran!), who makes his auspicious screen debut in "The Butcher Boy." Fans of "The Great Stone Face" will be surprised to see him smile and laugh. This collection represents a vital missing chapter in film history, but more important, most of these shorts are wildly funny. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)