Charley Bowers in There It Is! | 1928 Silent film Comedy | Chamber Ensemble score by Maurice Saylor

Рет қаралды 71,575

4 жыл бұрын

New Version: The original Snark Ensemble 5-Player version can be heard here: • NEW VERSION: Charley B...
There It Is (1928)
Starring: Charley Bowers
Directors: Harold L. Muller, Charles R. Bowers (uncredited)
Writers: Charles R. Bowers (uncredited), Harold L. Muller (uncredited)
Distributed by Educational Pictures
Release Date: 1928 (USA)
Timing: 18:56
Synopsis of the wonderfully weird film: Scotland Yard detective Charley MacNeesha carries his constant companion MacGregor--who is either a hairy insect or a buggy-looking mouse--in a matchbox. The pair travels to New York to solve the case of the Fuzz-Faced Phantom who causes full-grown chickens to hatch from eggs, pots to rain from the ceiling, and pants to dance of their own volition in a surrealist comedy that anticipated Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel's "An Andalusian Dog" by more than a year.
Fun Fact: Buster Brodie (Max Broida, 1885-1948), who plays the Fuzz-Faced Phantom, was one of the winged monkeys in The Wizard of Oz!
travsd.wordpress.com/2021/10/...
heritageramblings.net/tag/bus...
heritageramblings.net/2015/04...
In 2004, the film was named to the National Film Registry by the Librarian of Congress for its "cultural, aesthetic, or historical significance".
About the music: "There It Is" was my first film score for the Snark Ensemble and was originally scored for just three players: Woodwinds, Percussion, and Piano. The score heard here was done later for a much larger ensemble.
Maurice Saylor
#silentfilm #comedy #MauriceSaylorMusic #CharleyBowers

Пікірлер: 180

@InSurrealtime Жыл бұрын

The Scotland yard bit was like a Monty Python skit. Excellent score!

@FightCollective Жыл бұрын

Was thinking the exact same or The Goodies or Spike Milligan hah ha lol. Maybe that type of 'Python' humour is older than we think. Would be interesting to see if it was used in theatre around those times.

@chodeshadar18 Жыл бұрын

That imagining of Scotland Yard was worthy of Benny Hill and Monty Python put together!

@costernocht 2 жыл бұрын

Blue Washington, who plays the butler, had an interesting life. He played in the Negro Leagues and his son was among the first players to desegregate the NFL in 1946. His last film was The Hustler (1961).

@oluhamilton2121 2 жыл бұрын

Kenny Washington's father????

@costernocht 2 жыл бұрын

@@oluhamilton2121 Yes!

@daveparrott9530 2 жыл бұрын

That brings back some memories. I had a friend that played in The negro leagues as well. Joe B. Scott.

@laszlonemet4425 Жыл бұрын

Denzel....?

@edwardgarea7650 Жыл бұрын

He can also be seen as John Wayne’s sidekick in Haunted Gold (1933), available on You Tube.

@33Donner77 2 жыл бұрын

Wonderful film. Never heard of it. I'm glad it survived over the years.

@JohnDavies-cn3ro Жыл бұрын

The 'Fantom' or 'Grandpa' reminds me very much of Pa in the Katzenjammer Kids cartoons. I've got a sneaking idea that L C Segar drew someone similar in early Popeye strips.

@roderickfernandez5382 Жыл бұрын

I have never heard of this comedian and I have seen some bizarre movies in my 84 years but this takes some of the cake. It's absolutely amazing I think Salvador Dali must have seen this before he started to paint. I have to find out more about this fellow.

@charold3 4 жыл бұрын

Entertaining, charming short-more wackily absurd than “surreal,” even if the Surrealists (understandably) admired it. Nice score too! It complements the film well.

@Saylor1957 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your thoughts, C.H. I would love to score more Bowers films. He was an amazing animator. What an imagination!

@TheClonemenot Жыл бұрын

The Sunrise painting really caught me off guard. There's some good stuff in this film.

@AJ.429 Жыл бұрын

Charles Bowers is up there With Harry Langdon, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel Hardy, Stan Hardy, Marx brothers, Ralph Balski George Formby and Norman Wisdom among others. This guy is actually more unique because he also directed stop motion animation like the legendary Jan Svankmajer. These was the guys we turned too before the rise of the conspiracy theorists like David Icke. Don Chaffey and Ray Harryhausen use too be my two favourite people before i learned of Charles Bowers. Truly Terrific Work 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@suburbohemian Жыл бұрын

Just delightful!! Thank you, KZfaq algorithm, for tossing this gem my way!

@nitrateglow2087 Жыл бұрын

Loved that insect puppet! The stop motion was excellent!

@willwest2773 Жыл бұрын

That was so cute - the special effects and comedy were great ---Cheers

@thegreatreverendx Жыл бұрын

No lie. The Scotland Yard gag made me lol.

@garyproffitt5941 Жыл бұрын

Hello, hello, hello I'm Scotland Yard over the pond with indeed certainly identified with the Amityville Horror movies. Charley Bowers in There It Is | 1928 Silent film Comedy | Snark Ensemble score by Maurice Saylor. My lord and one or thing going on and most peculiar ideas with amazing Conservative late Margaret Thatcher and I'll bet in the reliable Butler with evil grandpa...Beautiful Lady and handsome four Kilt's with amazing 1929 and pure Comedy 🤣👍

@srfrg9707 Жыл бұрын

What a gem! The stop motion animation is incredible! 1928? How?

@Saylor1957 Жыл бұрын

I have watched it frame by frame and still wonder how he did much of it.

@jerrywatt6813 Жыл бұрын

Extraordinary old film the score follows along perfectly I'm going to look for more THANKS!

@Saylor1957 Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

@zelqam7305 2 жыл бұрын

This film is so incredibly adorable and amazing. The special effects are so advanced too--what a masterpiece! The insect is so cute too, and moves far more naturally than most stop-motion animation. They really mastered special effects to an amazing degree. This film should go viral and become legendary--it deserves that!! ~~ And Maurice--your score is so fun and fitting for the film--it really fits so perfectly! And some later-made scores for silent films feel so modern and do not fit the film at all and are just irritating. Your score sounds like it could have been an original score and have been from the era the film was made in, so it just fits so naturally and seamlessly, not sticking out distractingly like more modern sounding music foisted upon older film, which just sounds tacky regardless of how good the music would be just on its own. So you nailed the score for this film, and I am interested in seeing other silent films you have scored, and I hope you are still scoring more silent films and then sharing these forgotten treasures with everyone, and I hope the audience for this film soon reaches into the millions, and for any other good old films too!! ~~ Thank you so much for sharing this amazing, timeless film masterpiece, and for sharing your own great work too, and for a great time enjoying them both together!! I hope all is well with you and that you are having a great week!!

@Saylor1957 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. I have written a few dozen film scores, many of which can be seen here on my KZfaq channel. Most of my scores were either commissioned by places that screen silent films - the American Film Institute, Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art, and such - or were written for release on DVD sets. My Snark Ensemble - after 14 years of writing, performing, and recording silent comedies - disbanded 5 years ago. Still, I have been working to re-score some of my favorite film scores for orchestra to present in concert screenings. If you'd like a few viewing suggestions, try Buster Keaton's The Goat (1921) and Frank Capra's Matinee Idol (1928) - both with scores by me and found here on this channel. Thanks for watching and taking the time to write your thoughts. Maurice

@kenlieck7756 Жыл бұрын

@@Saylor1957 I got halfway through before realizing the score couldn't have dated from the 20s like the film itself. My only "complaint" would be the absence of a cacophony for the back-seat bagpipe bleating. There's nothing so amazing as a silent film with an appropriate score -- especially if you experience it live. I got to see many such masterpieces at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, and even got to pick the band for one show (Pops Bayless' Shorty Long with The Navigator and Coke Ennyday's Case of the Leaping Fish) and I think even the most jaded modern theatergoer would find themselves floored by the experience...

@FightCollective Жыл бұрын

@@Saylor1957 Fascinating film. Has Python type humour (that Scotland Yard scene is so comedic 70's English stereotype of the Scotts), stop gap animation PRE Ray Harryhausens that is better than Harryhausens. The Phantom looks like the Thompson twins from Tin Tin... well worked soundtrack too.

@Saylor1957 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Please do try some of the other films on my page. There It Is was my first film scores. My Snark Ensemble created and performed new scores to silent comedies fir 15 years. So there are a great many of them posted. I'm just starting to post the Snark scores of the two other composers-performers that made up the core of the ensemble.

@cometbook 2 жыл бұрын

That wee matchbox beastie looks very familiar to a Star Wars fan (and yes, Han did shoot first! Pew pew!)

@ottogalvao6658 Жыл бұрын

Greedo. 😉

@unbrokenandalive1089 Жыл бұрын

Exactly. That's the FIRST thing I noticed, to be honest. You know, I think Greedo said it best when he uttered the immortal phrase "Maclunkey.". It's my mantra; the thing I tell myself every morning while staring all bleary-eyed at my reflection in the bathroom mirror -- immediately before I heave another despirited sigh and dejectedly slither back under my blankets in a state of utter defeat.

@christinearmington Жыл бұрын

Spectacular score!

@desiguy55 Жыл бұрын

hilarious cartoonish film from the 20's thanks for uploading.

@connorsedlacek4635 3 жыл бұрын

Got curious about early animation and just discovered Charley Bowers' wonderfully odd work. This is a favorite of what I've seen with its deadpan absurdity and nonstop unpredictable zaniness. The effect is in no small part due to the score. It is artistic without distracting from the action (something I find happens with some modern scores of silent movies) and the whiplash from staccato madness to the sentimental "love theme" and back again had me cracking up. Bravo, and thank you for the upload.

@jackburton5085 Жыл бұрын

So i advise you to look for material from the Russian animation school of the very early 1900s, especially the works in Stop Motion by Alexander Shiryaev.

@connorsedlacek4635 Жыл бұрын

@@jackburton5085 I had been watching some of Starevich's animation (fascinating-- I highly recommend "Cameraman's Revenge," stop motion film starring insects!) but I had not heard of Shiryaev, who is earlier. Thanks very much for this tip.

@markfortin421 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely 💯hilarious!! The technology that produced it was so advanced for the day...I can't imagine how long it took to edit and piece together all the stills to pull it off. Never heard of Charley Bowers B4 (I am a Laurel & Hardy guy) but Now I have a new under-rated star to follow from the early days of film. Thank You for bringing him to my attention, definitely worth watching.

@markmcclellan8421 Жыл бұрын

This is wonderful, can’t believe the composer of the score didn’t glom onto any Scottish reels , or any Scottish theme for that matter.

@Syncopator Жыл бұрын

Loved the gag with the phone at the end-- that only worked because that was what a lot of phones were like at the time...

@paulnyman6739 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for this amazing Silent work with accompanying score soundtrack.

@peredhillover1 Жыл бұрын

This film was made before my mother was born. I watched the whole film. Thank you for preserving history.

@suntzufuntzu Жыл бұрын

This is incredible; thanks for sharing it! Your score really does this quirky gem justice.

@TheScreamingFrog916 Жыл бұрын

Wow! This is so wonderful. Glad I discovered Charley Bowers today. Thanks very much for sharing this. Made my day 🙂

@marcellaobdrzalek8435 Жыл бұрын

Thank you thank you for uploading this masterpiece of film! And for the enchanting score! And by GOlly GEe Whitakers whiskers! Thank you YT algorhyrhms for bringing me here. Whatever and however I have been feeding the YT algorhyms, I promise i will keep it up! Here is to the of love discovering new brilliantly ingenious human creative endeavors!

@johnm2558 Жыл бұрын

Love how 'Scotland Yard' is just a yard in Scotland :)

@melizmatea 2 жыл бұрын

This score is wonderful! the silent film scores can grate, but this fit it exactly and was a pleasure to listen to. What a cute film!

@roderickfernandez5382 Жыл бұрын

Great is a good word and properly applied you did it.

@jdoh4972 Жыл бұрын

Awesome effects and animation!

@007JHS Жыл бұрын

Very funny and effects cleverly done

@betsybaytos2090 Жыл бұрын

What a wonderful, odd, quirky little masterpiece! Brilliant score and animation! Love his character too!

@hoozerob 2 жыл бұрын

This was like Monty Python, way before Monty Python.

@5secondfilms 9 ай бұрын

This is brilliant

@blackcurtainanimation Жыл бұрын

Fantastic score! Well suited to the action.

@jimruggirello5092 2 жыл бұрын

Best of the Charley Bowers shorts I've seen. Very clever.

@Susie_Floozie 2 жыл бұрын

What a great introduction to Charley Bowers! I never heard of him or his work, but I'm gonna dive in. Thanks for the bouncy and inspired score!

@lur9017 Жыл бұрын

Loved this!

@isaacthemonke233 4 ай бұрын

Given that it was first released in 1928, this movie is officially public domain in 2024. Given how much stop-motion has advanced almost 100 years after this came out, imagine how smooth this bug would look with somebody like Henry Selick animating him.

@scheeby 2 жыл бұрын

brava! magnifique!

@mabel8179 2 жыл бұрын

I want a Mac Gregor! He is cute and funny!

@Saylor1957 2 жыл бұрын

I have long wanted a Mac Gregor as well. Adorable and amazing animation. I love the section where he pulls the string across the door (and I enjoy my music from that moment as well *grin*).

@mabel8179 2 жыл бұрын

@@Saylor1957 Everything he does is cute and funny. I like his bed in the matchbox but he needed a little house! I wonder what insect he was supposed to be?

@melizmatea 2 жыл бұрын

Me too! He was adorable!

@melizmatea 2 жыл бұрын

@@mabel8179 I guess he was an insect but I thought he was just a weird little mini-man, haha! Loved him!

@Saylor1957 2 жыл бұрын

@@melizmatea McGregor is a bit like a bug but he also has fur like a mouse - plus he is anthropomorphic. Browers was so imaginative. I'm glad you enjoyed my music score. One day when I have time, I plan to score it for orchestra for live performance. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

@laurencebondmiller4298 10 күн бұрын

Yeah - this is SO good

@foppishdilletaunt9911 Жыл бұрын

Definitely the “Citizen Kane” of silent film bagpipe comedies. Bravo, great score as well.

@TT-nn8co Жыл бұрын

정말 의식의 흐름대로 만들어 졌지만 교훈이 있는 느낌이네요😂❤

@ZigUncut 3 жыл бұрын

Lovely score. Great film.

@Saylor1957 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Zig, for watching and taking the time to comment.

@bethpemberton7980 Жыл бұрын

Very modern feel to something almost 100 yrs old. Good work!

@librarian66 2 жыл бұрын

Funny, weird and very clever! Thanks for the share.

@_K16 4 ай бұрын

That little fly is so cute.

@tbastdgagitw 2 жыл бұрын

Strange and fun

@utube3805 Жыл бұрын

Good find !

@anthonyalfonso4759 2 жыл бұрын

That was spectacular. Thanks for uploading!

@Saylor1957 2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Anthony. That was my first silent film score - written almost 20 years ago. Thank you for taking the time to write a comment.

@lucille7235 Жыл бұрын

This brings me to tears. So beautiful!

@potatojoe370 Жыл бұрын

When the cat said coo-coo. Yeah!

@mariogirard1221 Жыл бұрын

super great movie,beats alot of todays films

@stephensharer3663 Жыл бұрын

Loved the stop motion and the wonderful comedic story. Some great Monty Python like humor.

@johnmitchelljr 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@vincedugar4840 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this silent gem. Learned so much about these amazing character actors and early special effects.

@ladyinwaiting7898 Жыл бұрын

Here I was feeling sorry for myself because the recent storm canceled my Christmas plans. Now I'm laughing and in utter amazement at this little treasure. Your score enhanced every scene to perfection. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My day will be spent sharing this with friends and family.....right after I subscribe.

@MSYNGWIE12 Жыл бұрын

Marvelous! Thanks for a much-needed happy diversion- Namaste from Canada

@skyislands8887 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely Hill effin leruious

@fretnesbutke3233 2 жыл бұрын

Really enjoyed the score! Great stuff! I'm a music composition major,and the thought occured to score silent films just for fun. Really admirable work! Great film to get inspired by..wow!

@northerniltree Жыл бұрын

This has all the terror and drama of a Steven King horror movie. Well done, lads!

@lindakrause4597 Жыл бұрын

What a superbly great film! The score is perfection--I am familiar with Charley Bowers work, but never saw this one before

@xbrandi12345x Жыл бұрын

I had never seen or heard of this film before. I really enjoyed it and the score was decent! Sometimes I watch silent movies on here with the sound off because some of the scores sound way too modern and it takes away from my experience but this score complimented the movie nicely. Thanks for sharing it with the KZfaq community!

@hannahwells4496 Жыл бұрын

Surreal Bonkers Masterpiece. The coo coo cat 🤣🤣🤣

@WaterShowsProd Жыл бұрын

What an amazing find. Even as a classic film and comedy buff I didn't know of Charley Bowers before. And your score is wonderful. Thank you for this.

@Saylor1957 Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

@lightclawshadowmarsch8167 2 жыл бұрын

This was good. For its time. How did I not see it as a kid. Or tell now.

@judeirwin2222 Жыл бұрын

The Aardman Studios of the roaring 20s!

@tiredman4540 Жыл бұрын

Never heard of this one! Total madness!

@HisAssholiness 2 жыл бұрын

that was cool , thanks

@williamschlenger1518 Жыл бұрын

Great special effects 👍

@williamschlenger1518 Жыл бұрын

This was hilarious.The bagpipes 😄😄

@hannahnekelly9236 2 жыл бұрын

I think for some my age. I enjoyed this a lot.

@mickey_moone Жыл бұрын

Badge with a telephone dial, lmao! He must know Suzie like I know Suzie. On Sunday she praises the Lord but on Monday she's as busy as a telephone switchboard. Pythons must've watched this. Seeing elements of Terry Gilliam, and character 'Ewin McTeagle'.

@TheSecretmuseum Жыл бұрын

fantastic score.

@averagewoman6962 Жыл бұрын

Deserves more views than the 42k I see at time of this comment. It's an amazing piece and well ahead of its time. I wonder if Terry Gilliam and the Monty Python team knew of this.

@davidlee6720 Жыл бұрын

Chaplin and the crew were great and geniuses but this also great , very modern in some ways, stop- motion and surrealistic characters, way before its time - wonder if there is a lot more stuff like this hidden away in vaults somewhere? Scotland yard as a yard, hilarious, must watch it again to see what I missed!

@roderickfernandez5382 Жыл бұрын

Between you and me I'm a little tired of hearing about Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton who were arguably wonderful but there were a lot of other wonderful comedians too at the same time making films as I'm sure you know but I don't think too many of the folks know who do these retrospectives on silent comedians. Let's not forget Charlie Chase and Ben Turpin and quite a few others and because of old age I can't remember their names take care.

@davidlee6720 Жыл бұрын

@@roderickfernandez5382 great art is timeless and universal, When a lot of the modern era has been forgotten, these funny. eccentric characters will keep percolating to the top. Someone will discover them once again. Cheers.

@MrKazaam1990 Жыл бұрын

Классный фильм , смотрится намного лучше современного русского кино .

@weaksause6878 Жыл бұрын

Better than most modern American cinema too!

@roderickfernandez5382 Жыл бұрын

This truly was a forward-thinking film I believe that's a real black man no black face.

@blacksquirrel4008 Жыл бұрын

That taxi fare might seem excessive but it’s a long way to NYC from LA

@bigtoe6347 Жыл бұрын

Mac is so cute

@ianarchibald1423 2 жыл бұрын

Well, at least we know cabbies haven't changed in a hundred years. By the way, hello... McFly!!

@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage Жыл бұрын

Amazing effect @10:17 Right out of Terminator 2...but in 1928. i wonder how they created that so perfectly?

@Wailwulf Жыл бұрын

Animated the wagon and sliced off sections of the wagon as it went into the wall. Extremally cool and smoothly done.

@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage Жыл бұрын

@@Wailwulf It looks amazing. Thank you for the insight!

@kenbrown6267 Жыл бұрын

I liked the colored butler. His eyes would get really big when he was scared.

@RauldeBarrosJr Жыл бұрын

AWESOME! CONGRATS!

@carlossantamariapico1571 Жыл бұрын

A GREAT TREASURE

@mrsvm6221 Жыл бұрын

The bugs’ little kilt🥸

@williamwoody7607 Жыл бұрын

A fine bit’ o nonsense, that! And a grand score too!

@Axe_it Жыл бұрын

I ❤️ mac

@jojojam6012 Жыл бұрын

Reminds me of Monty Pythons Confuse a Cat sketch.

@jaypennebaker9979 2 жыл бұрын

Was this made by Loony Tunes? JK, I see so many elements that are use in later cartoons.

@NelsonWin 3 жыл бұрын

"Crack Detective" 😂

@scotsam7590 Жыл бұрын

Great little film, thanks. Though it's larger than a real one, I think his wee assistant is probably a midgie.

@weaksause6878 Жыл бұрын

7:13 those special effects though

@wrybreadspread Жыл бұрын

"Scotland Yard." This flick is a total trip. "Hoot mon." Is there anyone under the age of 60 who would even pick up on this play on words? Realize what it alludes to?