The Charley Chase MegaPack is a comprehensive collection of films featuring Charley Chase, a master of situational embarrassment and a key figure in the Hal Roach Studios era. While Chase is often overshadowed by icons like Chaplin or Keaton, he was a pioneer of the "embarrassment comedy" that heavily influenced modern sitcoms. The Legacy of Charley Chase
Charley Chase (born Charles Parrott) was unique among silent film stars because he played a relatively "normal" everyman rather than a cartoonish character. His comedy relied on intricate plots, social faux pas, and mistaken identities rather than pure slapstick. Key Films and Shorts
The MegaPack typically highlights Chase's most influential work, spanning his transition from silent shorts to sound films:
Mighty Like a Moose (1926): Often cited as one of the greatest silent comedies ever made, featuring a husband and wife who both get secret plastic surgery and then unwittingly try to flirt with each other.
The Pip from Pittsburg (1931): A celebrated sound-era short where Chase goes on a blind date with a woman he believes is unattractive, only to find himself in a series of escalating social disasters.
Dog Shy (1926): A classic example of his "timid man" persona, where he must overcome a phobia of dogs to win over a girl. Charley Chase MegaPack
Sons of the Desert (1933): While primarily a Laurel and Hardy feature, Chase has a standout role as the obnoxious, practical-joking convention delegate from Texas. Why He Matters
Hal Roach Prolificacy: Alongside Laurel and Hardy and Our Gang, Chase was a cornerstone of the Hal Roach "Lot of Fun".
Directing Influence: Beyond acting, Chase was an accomplished director (often credited as Charles Parrott), even directing early shorts for The Three Stooges, such as Violent Is the Word for Curly.
Modern DNA: You can see the roots of his style in the work of Larry David or the cringe-comedy found in The Office.
For those interested in seeing his work live, venues like The Elysian Theater occasionally host "Silent Partners" shows that celebrate this era of comedy. The Charley Chase MegaPack is a comprehensive collection
In the late 1930s, Chase moved to Columbia Pictures. These are darker, faster, and more frantic. The MegaPack often includes rough cuts of The Pandora’s Box (1936) — a film that was thought lost until a collector found a print in a South African barn in 2004.
The Charley Chase MegaPack is available now as a limited-edition 10-disc Blu-ray set (with slipcase and liner notes) and as a digital download.
Why wait? Rediscover the comedian who taught Hollywood how to be funny and human. Because as Charley would say: “A laugh is a terrible thing to waste—but a terrible thing to force.”
[End write-up]
Before we dive into the MegaPack’s contents, let’s set the stage. Born Charles Parrott in Baltimore in 1893, Charley Chase was the unsung genius of the Hal Roach Studios. While Roach was busy turning a kid named Harold Lloyd into a superstar, Chase was the director, writer, and medicine man keeping the lights on. Who Was Charley Chase
Chase wasn't a slapstick clown. He was the "Gentleman of Comedy." His typical persona was a smooth-talking, mustachioed everyman—usually a nervous bridegroom, a hapless executive, or a son trying to hide his alcoholic father from his fiance’s mother. He dressed like a matinee idol but moved like a silent cartoon.
His genius lay in structure. While others relied on pie fights, Chase relied on escalating embarrassment and logical insanity. He invented the "talking comedy" before talkies were good, and when sound arrived, he transitioned seamlessly, unlike many of his peers.
However, for 80 years, his legacy was held hostage by poor public domain transfers. Grainy, sped-up YouTube clips with tacked-on piano music did him no justice. The Charley Chase MegaPack solves this problem.
While this is Stan & Ollie’s film, Chase appears as a grumpy hotel guest. The MegaPack includes a high-fidelity transfer of this segment along with a commentary track explaining how Chase’s directorial hand shaped the film’s pacing.
A note on ethics: Charley Chase’s films are in a complex legal space. Most of his silent work is considered public domain in the United States, but the restorations (the high-quality scans) are owned by companies like Sony (for Columbia) and the Hal Roach estate.
The Charley Chase MegaPack as a "free download" exists in a grey area. However, the demand for this pack has forced official studios to take notice.