SlapHappy is a 10-DVD set with 30 half-hour episodes and a 90-minute compilation feature. We have only viewed the compilation feature and the first three volumes that are reviewed here.

It's difficult to view the recently released SlapHappy DVD series without the inevitable comparison to the old Robert Youngson compilations from the 1950's and 1960's such as "The Golden Age of Comedy," "When Comedy Was King," "Days of Thrills and Laughter" and more. The aforementioned films are better in several ways, but that may be partly due to the nostalgia they hold for many of us. Back before the days of home video, these are the films that provided us with our first sampling of the delights of silent comedy. Then there were those of us who pulled together what financial resources we could to buy the complete one-reel or two-reel comedy in 8mm from Blackhawk that we had "previewed" through the Youngson films.

The SlapHappy series brings back some of those fond memories and introduces us to many comedies that a lot of silent film fans may never have seen or even heard of. Once again, 40 years later, we are introduced to even more of the delights that silent film comedy hold for us.

This 90-minute compilation starts off with a very interesting early teaming of Larry Semon and Stan Laurel while featuring the Vitagraph Company. It moves on through a varied selection of clips featuring the top of the heap such as Chaplin and Keaton to lesser lights such as Billy Dooley or Lige Conley. The variety is a plus in this compilation because, in addition to simply being funny, the clips pique our interest from an historical standpoint with tidbits of little known information about the comedians and the films. For those who want to know more about the people they're seeing on the screen, there is ample biographical and background information on the comedians, their supporting players and the companies. Admittedly, there are times when the entertainment value could have been cranked up a couple of notches with more explanation, or set-up, of the scene we're about to see and a little less educational info, but, after all, it is a fun 90-minutes that leaves you a little more knowledgeable about silent film comedy.

Each volume includes three approximately 25-minute programs that are an ideal length to view in one sitting if you're not in for a feature-length movie. The first program on Volume 1 is "Three Funnymen," and, no, it's not Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, but Lloyd Hamilton, Lupino Lane and Charley Chase. Personally, Hamilton has never ranked high on my list of favorites, although he is held in high esteem by others, including Walter Kerr in his "Silent Clowns" (Alfred A. Knopf, 1975) book. Clips of Hamilton chasing a butterfly in "Papa's Boy" (1927), fishing in "Hooked" (1925) or from the earlier Ham and Bud series are amusing but not funny. On the other hand, the clips of Lane and Chase are delightful. Lane, referred to as "next to Buster Keaton, the finest comic acrobat of the silent screen," elicits genuine laughter in "Fandago" (1927) doing a wild dance with the ever-popular Anita Garvin, or in an excellently synchronized sequence with his brother, Wallace, in "Roaming Romeos" (1928). Anything from Chase is always a treat, and hilarious clips from such comedies as "Innocent Husbands" (1925) and "Mighty Like a Moose" (1926) don't' fail to please. The second program on this volume is "Great Gags" which doesn't really separate this group of clips from about 95 percent of all other comedies, but, regardless of the broad theme, there are several great clips with Bobby Vernon, Mabel Normand, Billy Bevan, Billy Dooley and Snub Pollard. Thrown in for good measure are some of the more obscure, too, such as Cliff Bowes and Sid Smith or a clip from a Gaylord Lloyd (Harold's brother) comedy. George Rowe is also singled out for some recognition. Who is he? He's the cross-eyed, mustached supporting player you've seen in so many of the Hal Roach comedies. The last program is "The Fun Factory," not to be confused with the entry in the Paul Killiam "Silents Please" television series of the early 1960's. Just as the Killiam entry, this does, obviously, address the Mack Sennett studio, and gives us glimpses of early Chaplin and a very early and interesting appearance of Harold Lloyd as an extra. Of course, the others we would expect are there such as Arbuckle, Normand and Turpin, and sufficient background is provided on Sennett himself and the rise and demise of his empire.

The first program in this volume is "Hal Roach Studios" and begins, as it should, with Harold Lloyd who partnered to start the Rolin Company, the seed that became the Hal Roach Studios. Snub Pollard, Our Gang, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy and Charley Chase are featured, too. The length of the clips is sometimes a problem, as with Hardy's "Be Your Age" (1925) which lasts about 12 seconds. Then there's a five-minute clip from Lloyd's "Ask Father" (1919) which is far more satisfying. Good informational background on Roach. The second program is "Help Wanted" which carries the theme of comedians at work or ineptly carrying out some task. We have the three Ton of Fun comedians working on a house in "Old Tin Sides" (1927), Stan Laurel selling medicine in "Kill or Cure" (1923), Harry Langdon in a wonderful sequence as a photographer in "Smile Please" (1923) and more with Lloyd Hamilton, Syd Chaplin, and Billy Bevan, as well as Harry Gribbon in a rare starring appearance in "The Halfback of Notre Dame" (1924). What compilation would be complete without a segment entitled "The Comedy Chase," although this is a somewhat disappointing gathering of clips. For example, there is a lengthy sequence from Sennett's "The Cannon Ball" (1916) where Chester Conklin runs from a cannon ball (not exactly a chase). Harold Lloyd's "Number Please" (1920) is not so much a chase as a series of attempts by Lloyd to rid himself of a woman's purse before the cops catch him with it. Although Billy Bevan's "Circus Today" (1926) has some wild stuff with a runaway hot air balloon that picks up both a house and a lion, it's not really a chase. We finally get what we would expect with Buster Keaton's "The Goat" (1921) providing us a hilarious sequence of him being pursued by the cops.

The Al Christie comedies have gotten less credit than they deserve over the years, probably because they haven't been as plentiful or readily accessible as the Sennett and Roach output. The first program on Volume 3, "Al Christie Studio," may give many silent movie fans their first glimpse of these delightful comedies in excellent video quality. Bobby Vernon, whom we all remember from his pairing with Gloria Swanson at the Sennett studio in the late teens ("Teddy at the Throttle," "The Sultan's Wife," etc.), was a mainstay of the Christie films in the twenties and his most durable comic. After brief biographical info on Vernon (which includes a small clip from "Teddy. . ."), we see him in "Air Tight" (1926) dealing with the hazards of a camping trip and an air mattress filled with helium. Christie had other very good, but not great, comics such s Jack Duffy, Neal Burns, Jimmie Adams and Billy Dooley who all have films clips featured here. The only disappointing part of this program is the brief mention of the female comics such as Dorothy DeVore and Marie Prevost with no film clips. DeVore's feature "Hold Your Breath" (1924) is referenced, and this exciting film, which gives Harold Lloyd's high-rise antics a run for the money, would have been an excellent choice for a few exciting clips. The second program is "Supporting Comics" and is an excellent theme since these venerable actors and actresses seldom get their well-deserved credit for their contributions to silent film comedy. We see the likes of Eric Campbell - Chaplin's huge nemesis in the Mutuals, Bud Jamison with Harold Lloyd - although he worked with many other comics, most notably in the Three Stooges films of the 1930's, Buster Keaton's oversized adversary Big Joe Roberts, the rubbery Al St. John with his cousin Fatty Arbuckle, and others. An entertaining 25 minutes. Finally, the third program features the underrated Larry Semon whom Oliver Hardy claimed was second only to Stan Laurel as a gag man. Although some clips in the SlapHappy series are a little too brief, we get the pleasure of seeing about seven minutes of "Frauds and Frenzies" (1918) to open the program and even more of this great two-reeler to close it out. In between is the raucous "The Grocery Clerk" (1920), which, like most of Semon's films, is non-stop mayhem. Although Semon's decline in popularity is noted, his early death is not mentioned.

Overall, the SlapHappy series is a welcome addition to any silent film fan's library. It is true that presentations such as these, and the Youngson films from 40 years ago, have much the same effect as a movie trailer in that they only whet our appetites for more, but there's probably much of this that the average fan would never get to see if it weren't for compilatons such as this. Sometimes the clips are too brief (no more than 10 or 12 seconds), and sometimes we'd like a little more "set-up" so that we know what the situation is in the scene we're watching, but all of the clips are high quality and very easy on the eyes - no scratchy, murky junk here. Although some clips from the 90-minute movie get repeated in the other volumes, the movie and all of the volumes reviewed come with a high recommendation.

A note about the music - the clips are accompanied by a hot jazz soundtrack from the acclaimed Stomp Off Records label, and it is not only appropriate, but enjoyable to listen to . . . even if you didn't watch the video.

The entire 10-volume series includes over 400 clips, and nearly 75 comedians are featured in this collection. Thirteen episodes of SlapHappy were originally produced for PBS and ran in various markets from 2001-2003. An additional 17 episodes were produced for TV sales in Moscow, Russia. The shows continue to air in Moscow, and other sales overseas are pending. Selected episodes of SlapHappy air in the U.S. on a digital cable network called iLife-tv.

The DVD's are available only at the SlapHappy website - http://www.slaphappycomedies.com. Each Volume costs $19.95; the entire 10 Volume series is available for $149.95 -- a 25% savings. Buy three or more volumes, and the Feature is free. Shipping is a flat $2 for any size order. Their customer service number is 866-242-0328.

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