Different prints of "Pay Day" and "The Kid"

[JM]

Has anyone seen the DVD "Charlie Chaplin Rarities" that Reel Classic
DVD has for sale? I ordered it because the description for the disc
said that it has a unusual shorter edit of "Pay Day". When I got the
disk, I watched "Pay Day" and it seemed somehow different. I did an A/
B comparison with my Image DVD, and sure enough, the print used for
the Reel Classic disk has whole sequences that are from different
takes, and other shots are from the same take as the version on the
Image DVD, but from a different angle. The Reel Classic print is
definitely from a different source than the Chaplin reissue/
reconstruction that is on the Image and MK2 DVDs, but I wondered if
anyone knew anything else about this version? I remember the
extensive discussion about the versions of "Shoulder Arms" from a few
years ago, and there were a lot of members of this group who had a lot
of insight into the various versions that are extant of the Chaplin
First National films.

I expected the print of "The Kid" on the DVD to be just an older print
of the version that is on the Image/MK2 DVDs, but after an A/B
comparison with the Reel Classic version, I found again that most
takes are the same, but from a different angle, and there are a few
sequences that are from different takes than those used for the Image/
MK2 version. I had the same question about this - is this version of
"The Kid" familiar to anyone?

[Derek Gee]

Post by JM
Has anyone seen the DVD "Charlie Chaplin Rarities" that Reel Classic
DVD has for sale? I ordered it because the description for the disc
said that it has a unusual shorter edit of "Pay Day". When I got the
disk, I watched "Pay Day" and it seemed somehow different. I did an A/
B comparison with my Image DVD, and sure enough, the print used for
the Reel Classic disk has whole sequences that are from different
takes, and other shots are from the same take as the version on the
Image DVD, but from a different angle. The Reel Classic print is
definitely from a different source than the Chaplin reissue/
reconstruction that is on the Image and MK2 DVDs, but I wondered if
anyone knew anything else about this version? I remember the
extensive discussion about the versions of "Shoulder Arms" from a few
years ago, and there were a lot of members of this group who had a lot
of insight into the various versions that are extant of the Chaplin
First National films.
I expected the print of "The Kid" on the DVD to be just an older print
of the version that is on the Image/MK2 DVDs, but after an A/B
comparison with the Reel Classic version, I found again that most
takes are the same, but from a different angle, and there are a few
sequences that are from different takes than those used for the Image/
MK2 version. I had the same question about this - is this version of
"The Kid" familiar to anyone?

Thanks for pointing this DVD release out to me! I'm glad more of the 2nd or
3rd negatives seem to be making their way to video. I'll have to order this
DVD and compare PAY DAY and THE KID to their revue versions. I presume it
will be like the Pathe version of SHOULDER ARMS, where virtually every
single scene was superior to the revue version.

Derek

[j***@yahoo.com]

No problem, I was excited when I saw that the prints were from
different sources than the reissues/reconstructions and wondered how
well known these are.

Yes, the version of "Pay Day" is along the lines of the Pathe
"Shoulder Arms" in that there are many sequences that are from
different takes, and I thought that most were superior - starting with
the very first shot (hint: watch Syd when he falls off the ladder) -
to the later reissue versions. The version of "The Kid" has more of
the same takes used in the MK2 or Image versions, only shot from a
different camera angle - it is often very obvious. There are also
some sequences that are totally different takes, and one gag during
the rooftop chase scene that is not in the MK2/Image versions at all.
It was a lot of fun to do the comparison because, especially with "Pay
Day", when there are differences they are very obvious.