Marcel Perez: The International Mirth-Maker

In this welcome stand-alone companion piece to the recently released Marcel Perez DVD collection,performer/historian Massa "examines the life and career of perhaps the best silent film comedian whom no one's ever heard of."This handsomely produced book- which includes a filmography and over 50 photos- is a must buy for fans and scholars of silent film,and for those seeking to learn more about one of comedy's great mystery men.

The films selected for the collection were okay and the ones chosen were probably due to what has survived. However, I would really, really like to see these Marcel Perez films: Tweedledum Torpedoed by Cupid, He's Some Hero, Near-Sighted Auto Pedist, Somewhere in Mexico, and You're Next (all except the last one were produced by Eagle Films).

Beautiful

Two years ago I read and enjoyed Steve Massa's book `Lame Brains and Lunatics: the Good, the Bad, and the Forgotten of Silent Comedy.' I was especially intrigued by his chapter on Marcel Perez, a comedian so obscure that even lifelong, hardcore film buffs knew little or nothing about him. Perez was a European stage and circus clown who began his film career around 1900, starred in dozens of short comedies, then moved to America in 1915 and appeared in dozens of additional shorts, until his career as an actor abruptly ended in 1922. He was a gifted and energetic performer, and one might expect he'd have left a lasting impression on posterity, but there are several reasons he did not. Throughout his career Perez repeatedly changed the name of his screen character, and was variously called Robinet, Tweedledum, Twede-Dan, Tweedy, and Bungles, while behind the scenes he was known as Marcel Fabre, Fernandez Perez, Marcel Perez, etc. (It almost seems as if he was trying to make the job of future film historians as difficult as possible.) Moreover, most of the companies for which he worked were smaller concerns. These organizations had a bad tendency to go bankrupt, either while Perez was on the payroll or soon after he left, and their assets--including prints of his films--were scattered. On top of all that, in the prime of his career Perez was forced to curtail his work before the cameras due to health issues, and he eventually died, still young, in 1929. His comedies were largely out of circulation when talkies arrived, which assured his obscurity.Until now, that is. Fast forward to the 21st century: Mr. Massa (working with his colleague, silent film accompanist Ben Model) has in recent years arranged a number of screenings of Marcel Perez comedies at the Museum of Modern Art and elsewhere, while the Perez chapter in `Lame Brains' sparked new interest. This slim but informative book is an expanded and updated version of that chapter, which incorporates information unavailable just two years ago. Its publication coincides with the release of a new DVD of Perez comedies (a Model & Massa collaboration), but this is more than a booklet of liner notes. Here you will find a Perez biography, a filmography (which the author warns is incomplete, pending further research discoveries), and a wealth of fascinating photos, reproductions of lobby cards, and vintage ads. The pictures derive from both the European and American phases of Perez's career, and are a treasure trove for buffs. Silent comedy fans owe a debt to Mr. Massa for releasing Marcel Perez from the limbo of obscurity. Once you see the films, you'll want to read the book; and once you read the book, you'll want to see the films.

I don't know that I can write as eloquent a review as others on this site, however I will try. I am, admittedly, somewhat biased towards this collection being the Grandson of Marcel Perez. However, I went through my whole life knowing only that my Grandfather was a silent film actor, writer and director but never having seen any of his films. My Father, Marcel E. Perez, spent his whole life wondering what his Father's films looked like. He had been told all his life that all of the films had long since been lost or destroyed. All he had of his Father was the bust of Marcel which was used in the film "Robinet is Jealous", an old b&w photo and a few of the old lobby cards. Unfortunately, my Father died without ever having the chance to enjoy the films and research accomplished by Ben Model and Steve Massa. I feel blessed as does my younger Sister Juanita, that these gentleman spent so much time, effort and yes love in putting together such a wonderful collection. Steve Massa's book, Marcel Perez: The International Mirth-Maker is a wonderful, and I might say necessary, companion to the DVD: The Marcel Perez Collection. And even though I do not stand to get any financial gain from the sale of either of these pieces, I would strongly urge any fans of the Silent Film Era to buy and enjoy the book and the DVD as I have and will continue to do. I and my family will always feel indebted and grateful to Ben and Steve for this fantastic work and for bringing the works of Marcel Perez back into the public eye once more. Please, enjoy reading this book, and consider looking into Lame Brains and Lunatics as well.

Sometimes there are artists in silent films who could be described as deservedly overlooked; they had talent, but their work did not meet the test of time. Others had the bad luck to see the overwhelming majority of their careers go up in smoke (usually a vault fire) AND, worse yet, die young. Marcel Perez, who passed in 1929, is in the latter "most undeservedly overlooked" category. Since Perez worked for small companies, both in Europe and America, rather than the Mack Sennett or Hal Roach studios, and starred in his last film in 1923, he was not represented in the Robert Youngson compilation features or such television shows as "The Funny Manns" and "Silents Please" that introduced many to silent comedy. It turns out that Perez, (a.k.a. Robinet, Tweedy, Tweedledum, Twede-Dan, etc.) was, along with Andre Deed and Max Linder, one of the very first movie comedians and already active in the first years of the 20th century. With this booklet, author Steve Massa has gone a long way to set the historical record straight on this comedian/director/writer of grace, skill, insouciance and a wild imagination. Numerous rare photos and lobby cards from the collections of historians Sam Gill, Robert Birchard and Cole Johnson are an added plus.