Reviews of silent film releases on home video. Copyright © 1999-2025 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

A Night in the Show (1915)

This two-reel comedy, directed by and starring Charles Chaplin, features Edna Purviance, John Rand, Leo White, James T. Kelley, Paddy McGuire, Bud Jamison and Charles Inslee. Chaplin plays Mr. Pest and Mr. Rowdy in this elaboration of his famous drunken vaudeville routine.

The films are accompanied by musical scores composed, arranged and performed by The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, Robert Israel and Timothy Brock.

Supplemental material includes Triple Trouble (1918), an ersatz film edited together by the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company without Chaplin’s knowledge from Chaplin outtakes and new bridging footage, and released in an attempt to fill the coffers of the failing production company; the restored Charlie Butts In, a one-reel film widely distributed in the 1920s having been compiled from alternate takes of the standard, two-reel version of A Night Out; additional two-reel edits of A Night Out and A Burlesque on Carmen, restored and conforming as nearly as possible to Chaplin’s original intentions for release; a never-before-seen restoration of Police!, including a newly-improved final shot; and a 28-page booklet with rare, behind-the-scenes images, and an extensive essay by film historian Jeffrey Vance, author of Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema.

We recommend this Blu-ray Disc collection as the best home video edition of Chaplin’s Essanay films available to collectors. A collection that’s welcome to have back-in-print.

This Region A Blu-ray Disc edition is available directly from . . .

Musical accompaniment has been provided by The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, Robert Israel and Timothy Brock.

Supplementary material includes Triple Trouble (1918), an ersatz film edited together by the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company without Chaplin’s knowledge from Chaplin outtakes and new bridging footage, and released in an attempt to fill the coffers of the failing production company; the Blu-ray/DVD premiere of the newly-restored Charlie Butts In, a one-reel film widely distributed in the 1920s having been compiled from alternate takes of the standard, two-reel version of A Night Out; additional two-reel edits of A Night Out and A Burlesque on Carmen, restored and conforming as nearly as possible to Chaplin’s original intentions for release; a never-before-seen restoration of Police!, including a newly-improved final shot; and a 28-page booklet with rare, behind-the-scenes images, and an extensive essay by film historian Jeffrey Vance, author of Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema.

As would be expected, we think this Blu-ray Disc/DVD collection will be the best home video edition of Chaplin’s Essanay films available to collectors.

This Region A Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

This DVD edition features much more of the original image of the film than previous home video versions in its full-frame black & white video transfer, although we still feel that the film should have been slightly windowboxed. This DVD features a good-looking transfer and appears to have utlized only one print. The previously available laserdisc edition featured a more contrasty transfer, had frame jitters, and had bad print decomposition where Chaplin first sees Edna. All of these deficiencies have been corrected for this edition.

When Mr. Rowdy kicks the baby-holding mother in the face, 21 original frames (one second of screen time) have been expanded to 90 video frames (3 seconds of screen time). The laserdisc edition features several frames before Chaplin lifts his leg to kick the woman, but is cut short before the woman can rise to her feet. Both the laserdisc and DVD editions are missing frames from this shot that have survived in other prints. Overall, however, the DVD edition features a picture image so clear and detailed that when the fire eater accidently knocks over a tall candle, you can see where the stage door catches fire.

Altogether, this third Essanay collection reveals a Chaplin who is still searching for the storylines and comedic style that came to maturation in his 1916-1917 Mutual period. We again stress that David Shepard has done an admirable job of a difficult task — that is to present these Essanay comedies in their best-possible form.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

This DVD edition has been mastered from a very-good 35mm print that is missing its main titles. An identical presentation to the film’s appearance on the Essanay films DVD.

The film is accompanied by music by Robert Israel, performed by an ensemble.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

This budget DVD edition has been mastered from a very-good 35mm print that is missing its main titles. An identical presentation to the film’s appearance on the Essanay films DVD.

The film is accompanied by music by Robert Israel, performed by an ensemble.

We caution that disc mastering makes a huge difference in the visual quality of DVDs. Since the content has been manufactured onto five double-sided discs, and if proper care has been taken to master the DVDs, the visual quality is comparable to the 2002 Image edition noted above.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

Other silent era BEN TURPIN films available on home video.

Other SHORT COMEDY FILMS of the silent era available on home video.

Other GENDER BENDER FILMS of the silent era available on home video.

Other silent era FILMS ON FILMMAKING available on home video.