Celebrating Raymond Griffith, the Silk Hat Comedian

Raymond Griffith

Today, Film International published my new article, "The Unexpected Raymond Griffith." Please take a look.

My piece is a review of Raymond Griffith: The Silk Hat Comedian, a new two disc set from Undercrank Productions. This new DVD / Blu-ray release includes two of what are considered the comedic actor’s best films, Paths to Paradise (1925), and You’d Be Surprised (1926). As I state in my review, "The former is a minor masterpiece, the latter a small gem." I greatly enjoyed watching each.

As I mention in my review, both Paths to Paradise and You’d Be Surprised are presented in new 2K digital restorations of archival 35mm prints preserved by the Library of Congress, and each feature a new musical score by Ben Model. Also included on the disc is an informative twelve-minute video essay about Griffith by Steve Massa that uses film clips and still photos to outline the comedian’s life and career. Despite its brevity, it’s a very good introduction to Griffith that might be worth watching first – as it tips viewers to Griffith’s talents.

Raymond Griffith's may be a name familiar to at least a few fans of Louise Brooks -- at least who read the credits, as I do. Raymond Griffith, in fact, was one of the writers of God's Gift to Women (1931), Brooks' best talkie. I think his wit, the kind of wit and dry humor found in both Paths to Paradise, and You’d Be Surprised, is evident in God's Gift to Women, which was directed by Michael Curtiz.

Recently, I wrote a program essay for the Cleveland Silent Film Festival. I wrote about the silent version of All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), a film I was greatly impressed by and which I feel is more effective than the better known sound version. Coincidentally, Raymond Griffith had a bit part in that masterpiece. In his final acting credit, Griffith plays the French soldier Paul -- the hero of Lewis Milestone film -- attempts to kill, and then to help. It was a moving scene.

Lew Ayres and Raymond Griffith in a scene from
All Quiet on the Western Front.

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