4 Clowns
4 Clowns is a 1970 documentary compilation film written and directed by Robert Youngson that studies the Cinema of [the United States#Classical Hollywood cinema and the Golden Age of Hollywood|golden age of comedy] through a compilation of rare silent film footage of the works of Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase and Buster Keaton. It was the last feature film project of producer, director, and writer Robert Youngson.
Synopsis
The film is divided into three sections. The first section deals with early silent film works of Laurel and Hardy prior to the two becoming a team as well as their later work as a team. The second section deals with the career of Charley Chase. The third section deals with Buster Keaton. The film is a compilation of excerpts from some of these actors' more notable projects.Films excerpted
- His Day Out
- The Hobo
- No Man's Law
- Kill or Cure
- The Second Hundred Years
- Big Business
- Double Whoopee
- Putting Pants on Philip
- Two Tars
- Their Purple Moment
- Us
- What Price Goofy?
- Movie Night
- Limousine Love
- ''Seven Chances''
Cast
Narrated by Jay Jackson, the film concentrates on the works of Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase, and Buster Keaton.Also seen in the excerpted films are actors Jean Arthur, Lori Bara, T. Roy Barnes, Bartine Burkett, Rosalind Byrne, Erwin Connelly, Jules Cowles, Doris Deane, Hazel Deane, Kay Deslys, Ruth Dwyer, Snitz Edwards, Connie Evans, Edith Fellows, Anita Garvin, Eugenia Gilbert, Charlie Hall, Edna Hammon, Marion Harlan, Jean C. Havez, Leatrice Joy, Edgar Kennedy, Barbara Kent, Judy King, Lucien Littlefield, Edna Marion, Billy Quirk, Frances Raymond, Viola Richard, Constance Talmadge, Pauline Toller, Billy West, and Noah Young.