More on the great comedians featured here can be found in The Lost Laugh e-zine. As well as exclusive, in-depth articles featuring new research, you’ll also find DVD reviews, guest contributions from comedy film historians, rare images and reproduced archive news items all included.
The magazine was launched as ‘Movie Night’ way back in 2011, and we’re currently on the 14th issue. I think it’s got better as it’s gone on – hopefully readers agree! Along the way, it has met with some very positive feedback.
Roughly 1-2 issues are produced a year, and PDF back issues are available to download further down this page. Want to make sure you never miss an issue? Receive new issues direct from the mailing list – to subscribe, simply send an email stating your interest to movienightmag [AT] gmail.com
The magazine is totally free. However if, you do enjoy reading the issues and would like to make a donation to support site running costs, then these would be gratefully received! If you would like to donate, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi or make a secure donation through Stripe at the bottom of this page. Thanks a lot!
**NOW AVAILABLE! ISSUE 14!**
The newest issue features a focus on some of the ‘light comedies’ of the 1920s. The cover star is Marie Prevost, who is usually remembered chiefly as a terrible cautionary tale of the tragedy that can befall a fallen star. It’s unfortunate that this has overshadowed her tremendous skill as a comic performer in both Sennett slapstick and more sophisticated farces. In issue 14, we put the spotlight back on her overlooked comedy talent.
The ‘light comedies’ of Johnny Hines, Reginald Denny and Doug MacLean also feature, and did you know that great dramatic actor George Arliss made some lightly comic feature films? . It’s a thrill to be able to publish a guest article by Mr Arliss’ biographer Robert M Fells, focussing on this forgotten aspect of his career.
Other articles include a Q & A with David Crump, author of a fantastic new biography of Fred Karno. You’ll also find articles on Harold Lloyd‘s UK visit in 1932, the surreal and postmodern Masquers Club Comedies and forgotten silent comedian Al Alt. Plus the usual news and reviews!
You can read the magazine below, or right click and ‘Save as’ to download the PDF!
BACK ISSUES (right-click and ‘save target as’ to download PDF)
THE LOST LAUGH #13
Snub Pollard, a career overview and a focus on the Laurel & Hardy-style films he made with Marvin Loback
The second part of our article on Walter Forde, detailing his silent comedy features, and including never-before published research.
An exclusive article on newly rediscovered Lloyd Hamilton footage by film historian David Wyatt!
Lupino Lane – details on the new BluRay/DVD set, and his fascinating book “How to Become a Comedian”
Buster Keaton’s last film, THE SCRIBE
A review of a very rare, previously lost Johnny Hines comedy, THE WRIGHT IDEA
and lots more!
**NEW** THE LOST LAUGH #12
The short films of Walter Forde, Britain’s silent comedy star; Monty Banks in the sound era; Roscoe Arbuckle’s films without Buster Keaton; Lupino Lane comes to DVD; the missing Mabel Normand film ONE HOUR MARRIED; an interview with silent film accompanist and historian Ben Model.
The forgotten feature films of Monty Banks; the life of career drunkard Arthur Housman; The Silent Laughter Weekend 2018; The strange stories of Stan Laurel’s brothers; a review of ‘Stan and Ollie’.
Will Hay: Britain’s greatest film comedian. Marjorie Beebe, Mack Sennett’s forgotten comedienne. Charley Chase’s sound films (continued). Reviews of British comedies on DVD.
Charley Chase: his sound films. Anarchic British comedian Frank Randle. Obituaries for Our Gang stars Jean Darling and Dickie Moore. Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Napoleon’. Laurel and Hardy’s ‘The Battle of the Century’ rediscovered.
The forgotten, zany team of Clark and McCullough. Wallace Lupino. Charley Chase: his silent films. Harold Lloyd’s ‘Speedy’ revisited.
The films of George Formby. Laurel and Hardy in ‘The Rogue Song’.Mack Sennett’s comedy team: Andy Clyde and Billy Bevan. The British film ‘Radio Parade of 1935’ reviewed. A Lloyd Hamilton filmography.
Forgotten silent clown Lloyd Hamilton. Thelma Todd, Zasu Pitts and Patsy Kelly. A report from the US comedy film festival Slapsticon by David Glass. 30’s British Radio stars captured on film. David Wyatt on Bobby Dunn’s unidentified films. The mysteries of Keaton’s ‘The Blacksmith’.
Hal Roach’s silent comediennes, including Mabel Normand and Katherine Grant. Roscoe Arbuckle’s ‘comeback’ films.
UPDATE ON EARLY ISSUES 21/1/21
I’ve removed the downloads of the first four issues. They were starting to show their age a bit – new film discoveries have made some of the articles outdated, and some of the writing was me finding my feet and could be improved. I’m planning to revise and update some of the articles from these early issues in the near future. For the record, here’s what was featured:
#4: The weird and wonderful world of Charley Bowers. Silent comedienne Alice Howell. The missing British classic ‘The Ghost Train’.
#3: Charley Chase – his missing masterpieces. A biography of Lupino Lane, part 2. Buster Keaton’s lost French classic.
#2: A biography of Lupino Lane, part 1. Harry Langdon’s sound films for Hal Roach.
#1 : Buster Keaton’s sound films for Educational Pictures. Hal Roach’s ‘Taxi Boys’ series. A Harry Langdon mystery…
All issues contain regular features on missing films, DVD releases and reviews, news and film festivals.
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