Silent screen legend Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, master of short subject comedies, made his debut as the star of feature-length films in George Melford’s production of THE ROUND UP (1920). Arbuckle portrays Sheriff Slim Hoover in this action-packed drama, a “legitimate” role that showcases Arbuckle’s brilliant slapstick humor as well as his impressive skills as a serious dramatic actor. This first-class western has everything, including silent film comedy mega-star Buster Keaton in an uncredited cameo as an Apache Indian! Pulled from distribution in 1921, following an unfortunate scandal for which Arbuckle was found entirely innocent, this historic film has been unavailable to the general public for over 95 years – until now. Meticulously restored from the 35mm archival master, preserved by the Paramount Archives and the Library of Congress – Packard Campus of Audiovisual Conservation, this critically acclaimed video release features the long-lost original scene tints, and a new music score composed and performed by celebrated accompanist Donald Sosin!
Synopsis: After Dick Lane (Irving Cummings) disappears during a prospecting trip, his fiancé Echo Allen (Mabel Julienne Scott) agrees to marry Dick’s friend Jack Payson (Tom Forman) who is harboring a secret about his fallen pal. When “half-breed” Buck McKee (Wallace Beery), a rival for Echo’s affections, robs the express office and points the blame at Jack, it is up to jovial Sheriff Slim Hoover (Roscoe Arbuckle) to solve the crime. A CineMuseum Archival Edition/Digital restorations directed and curated by Paul E. Gierucki
For thoughts on The Round Up (1920), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/WMru7W_5gmc?t=3639]
Video Quality
The Round Up (1920) makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to CineMuseum with a tremendous transfer from a 4K restoration of the 35mm archival master preserved by Paramount Archives and the Library of Congress. This 102-year-old, previously hidden western tale holds up surprisingly well in this striking presentation. The black-and-white photography dazzles in high definition with consistent natural grain intact that never gets too clumpy or gritty. There are a couple of scenes that are color tinted in an attempt to recreate the original intent, such as a blue-tinted night scene and a sepia tone during the finale, both of which are handled well. There is a pleasant amount of detail present with textures on the clothing and within the environment.
The transfer shows off a fine amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels present with some obvious depth with no major occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined with not much in the way of flicker or specks of damage to the print, especially compared to some films of this age I have seen. There are some stray, faint lines that make a quick appearance without ruining the overall aesthetic of the film. The lighting on this effort is stable so that nothing ever looks washed out. Silent film fans are in for a treat.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray presents the film with a Dolby Digital 2.0 track that sounds quite nice. As with most silent films, the film is graced with an original score. This one composed and performed by Donald Sosin is vibrant and thematically appropriate throughout. As this is a silent film, the music is the only element to contend with in this track, and it sounds practically perfect with no clipping or age related wear and tear. Silent film fans should be thrilled with the sound quality of this track, as the new piece seems to accompany the narrative swimmingly.
Special Features
- A Bandit (1913): A five-and-a-half minute short in which Arbuckle must team up with a rival to take down a bandit who has ridden into town.
- Peeping Pete (1913): A six-minute short in which a local creep is confronted for spying on women…kind of. This one really lets the perpetrator off lightly.
- Audio Commentary: Author and film historian Richard M. Roberts provides a very animated commentary track in which he takes you through the story while putting it into context, discusses the behind-the-scenes details and history of key figures in the production, explores some of the filmmaking techniques, delves into the film’s scarce legacy and much more. There are a couple of moments where Roberts gets a bit too excited and distorts the audio a bit, but it is not a consistent problem.
- Galleries: There are image galleries provided for Posters and Lobby Cards, Stills and Memorabilia.
- Trailers: There is a trailer provided for The Mack Sennett Collection: Volume One.
Final Thoughts
The Round Up (1920) is a film that has been unfairly out of the public eye for decades until very recently, which is a shame considering what an engaging tale it is. Arbuckle goes somewhat against his public perception by giving a more dramatic performance than usual, but he balances it with some light humor in a way that never makes the film feel like a farce. The actual narrative is nothing revolutionary in terms of content, but it proves to be entertaining and well made. CineMuseum has released a Blu-Ray with a truly outstanding A/V presentation, great additional short films and an interesting commentary track. If you are an Arbuckle fan looking to round out your collection, this disc is technically excellent. Recommended
The Round Up (1920) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: CineMuseum and MVD Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
