the lost laugh magazine

Issue 15 of THE LOST LAUGH magazine is out now!

Well, it’s been a while, but the new issue is done.

At 60 pages, this is the longest one yet, and I’m proud to feature some fantastic guest contributors this time. Syd Chaplin’s biographer Lisa Stein Haven has provided some great insights into our cover star, as well as his more famous little brother… There are also some details on the newly restored Syd feature, Oh! What a Nurse!.

I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to publish an exclusive excerpt from Steve Massa’s new book about Harold Lloyd’s Lonesome Luke films, and the early years of the Hal Roach studios – available soon from Split-Reel. There’s also a very informative Q & A with Steve about the new book.

There are also articles about Jerry Drew, Marion Byron, Monty Banks and a piece about gagman extraordinaire Charles Rogers, by Holly Foskett and Matthew Lydick from A Lot of Fun Writers. Plus, a transcript of an interview with Al St John, film and BluRay reviews and lots more.

You can download the magazine below:

The Lost Laugh #15 to publishDownload

I really hope you enjoy this issue. I hope it won’t take as long for #16 to come along! If you’d like to contribute an article, plug a project you’re working on, or take part in a Q & A for the next issue, please do get in touch – either in the comments section here, or by emailing movienightmag [AT] gmail.com

And finally… 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, software etc then these would be gratefully received! If you would like to donate, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Thanks!

Issue 15 of The Lost Laugh is coming…

Where does the time go? Somehow, It’s just over three years since the last issue of The Lost Laugh appeared. Well, finally I’ve been cracking on with a new one, and though life has thrown a few delays in the way, I hope it will be out by the end of March.

This time round, I’m really thrilled to be featuring contributions from silent comedy experts Steve Massa, Lisa Stein Haven, Holly Foskett & Matthew Lydick, and have enjoyed researching some corners of silent film comedy that were new to me. Here’s a teaser of some of the contents:

  • Syd Chaplin. As Syd’s newly restored feature Oh!What a Nurse! is restored and re-premiered, it’s the perfect opportunity to revisit his neglected comedy career. Syd’s biographer and Charlie Chaplin expert/author Lisa Stein Haven has very kindly agreed to a Q & A about the brothers.
  • Monty Banks: his career in short films, from supporting actor to star comic.
  • Steve Massa provides an insight into the early years of Hal Roach‘s studio – Rolin, and fills us in on his exciting new book project
  • Jerry Drew: aka Clem Beauchamp, Educational’s corner on the sophisticated comedy market of the late 1920s. But there’s more to Drew than that; he was also a writer, director, stunt pilot, husband of Anita Garvin… and an Oscar winner!
  • Charley Rogers: Holly Foskett and Matthew Lydick shine a light on Stan Laurel’s right hand man, a talented gagman, director and performer whose career has been under-researched… until now.
  • A celebration of Marion Byron: one of Buster Keaton’s best leading ladies, and a very talented comedian.
  • A Charley Chase feature film is a sadly rare thing, but 1929’s Modern Love still exists and provides some vintage Chase comedy!
  • news of exciting new Kickstarter projects, film festivals, DVD/BluRay releases, plus reviews…

It’s not too late to add something, if you’d like to! Contributions are always welcomed, and if you have a project you’d like to plug, then please do get in touch. I’m always happy to help spread the word. Drop me a line in the comments section, or at movienightmag [AT] gmail .com if I can help!

Here’s the cover of the issue. I thought I’d try a simpler, cleaner look this time. What do you think?

Issue #13 of The Lost Laugh magazine is here!

The lucky 13th issue of The Lost Laugh magazine is here, and available to download below!

At over 50 pages, it’s the most packed issue yet. There are articles on Snub Pollard, Walter Forde, Lupino Lane, forgotten female comedian Wanda Wiley, Buster Keaton and lots more! There are also some great guest contributions from silent comedy experts David Glass and David Wyatt, plus the usual news and reviews.

Working on this issue has certainly kept me entertained through the latest lockdown. I hope it gives you some entertainment too. 

Here are the full contents:

Snub Pollard, a career overview and a focus on the Laurel & Hardy-style films he made with Marvin Loback.

The career of forgotten female comedian Wanda Wiley, who gave many of the male slapstick comics a run for their money. Also includes a full filmography, with synopses of each film.

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, including insights into the restoration process from David Glass. Also a look at Lane’s fascinating book “How to Become a Comedian”.

Buster Keaton’s last film, THE SCRIBE

Two long-unseen films starring Harry Langdon

A review of a very rare, previously lost Johnny Hines comedy, THE WRIGHT IDEA

Plus news and reviews of books, DVDs, Blu-Rays and streaming events.

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As always, please do get in touch with comments, constructive criticisms and ideas for future issues, and please do share on social media etc.

To download, click the button below.

the-lost-laugh-13.Download

Finally, The Lost Laugh will always be free, but if you enjoy reading the magazine & site, and are in a position to contribute a little to site running costs, then you can buy me a virtual coffee on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thelostlaugh Thanks! 🙂

Download the new issue of The Lost Laugh magazine now!

front cover

The new issue of The Lost Laugh Magazine is now available! There are exclusive articles, rare photos, reproduced articles from trade magazines and news and reviews.

Our cover star this time is British silent comedian Walter Forde; in this issue we focus on his early career and short films (including a complete filmography) , with his feature films to follow in the next issue.

Last time we looked at Monty Banks’ starring comedies. Issue 12 continues his story into the sound era, examining his handful of starring films, and his work as a director.

Other articles include:

*some of Roscoe Arbuckle’s most obscure films

*A Q & A with Ben Model, all about The Silent Comedy Watch Party

*Mabel Normand’s missing film ONE HOUR MARRIED.

*New DVDs featuring Lupino Lane, Laurel & Hardy, Charley Chase and Harry Langdon

*Screening notes on some rare films from Hal Roach and Mack Sennett studios.

Click on the link below to open the pdf of the magazine, or right click and ‘save target as’ to download the file:

THE LOST LAUGH #12

Finally, don’t forget that you can download all previous issues for free from the magazine page.