Stream Now – Looking for Charlie: Life and Death in the Silent Era | Documentary about Depression and Silent Film by Darren R. Reid and Brett Sanders

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In this unique documentary, a pair of filmmakers set out to learn about Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and the suicidal comedians who inspired them, but end up on a global journey to understand how depression has shaped their own lives as well.  According to co-director Dr. Darren R. Reid, “Looking for Charlie is a lament for those of us who suffer, and those of us we have lost – and it is a celebration, of life, comedy, film, and challenges that help to define us all”. It will be available to stream at no cost from January 24^th, 2022.

Intellectual in its outlook, and emotional at its core, this innovative documentary combines an in-depth examination of the comedians who defined a century of laughter with a personal exploration of the ways that sadness and suicide have helped to shape so many of us.  The film begins by examining the relationship between Charlie Chaplin, the master of silent comedy and empathy, and Marceline Orbes – the forgotten comedian who helped to inspire him, and who took his own life.  Orbes is an obscure figure, despite serving as one of Chaplin’s most important role-models and his tragic death underlines the deep problems faced by so many of us.

The film goes on to explore the relationship between Buster Keaton and another forgotten comedian – Francis “Slivers” Oakley.  Despite being almost totally forgotten today, Oakley was a sensation in his own time.  And when he teamed up with Marceline Orbes, the pair formed one of the most important comedic duos of the Vaudeville era – the Laurel and Hardy of their day.  But like Orbes, Oakley fell on hard times and he, too, took his own life.  As Darren and Brett (the film’s directors) explore their story and legacy, they increasingly have to come to terms with the ways that depression has shaped their own lives. They travel from London to Germany to New York and Hong Kong on their journey to understand how a pair of forgotten clowns helped to shape the most important icons of the twentieth century.

According to co-director Brett Sanders, “this film covers a lot of ground. You’ll learn about comedians you’ve never heard of before – and all about their place in the history of film and performance. From Orbes and Oakley, we get all the way up to Sasha Baren Cohen via Jackie Chan.”

Viewers on Darrenreidhistory.co.uk can stream the film directly from this on January 24th.