The Adventures of Syd Chaplin: 5 Rare Shorts (Silent) (DVD)

Syd Chaplin (1885-1965) is remembered primarily as the older brother and business manager of the legendary Charlie Chaplin. But the elder Chaplin was a fine comedian in his own right, and often outshone his brother during their early days together on the British stage. After Charlie came to America and found success at Keystone Studios, he brought Syd over to star in a series of his own. For these films, Syd created a character that was his answer to Charlie's Little Tramp: Reginald Gussle, a pompous philanderer who always winds up in over his head. Never before collected on one DVD, the Gussle comedies give us a full picture of a talented performer who was a lot more than "The Other Chaplin".

GUSSLE, THE GOLFER: Gussle challenges a champion golfer to a game, but he's more interested in his opponent's pretty wife that winning. 'Slim' Summerville makes one of his first film appearances as a drunk in jail. A popular comedic actor, Summerville is best known for his more serious turn as a German soldier in All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and its sequel, The Road Back (1937).

GUSSLE'S DAY OF REST : Mrs. Gussle wants to spend the day at the park, while her husband just wants to go to the bar. He may end up spending the rest of his life there, however, after she finds Gussle ogling a pretty young sunbather.

GUSSLE'S WAYWARD PATH : Gussle tells his wife that he needs to buy a dog to help him on "the hunt". Little does she know it isn't for big game, but for girls! With this entry, Syd started co-directing the series along with Charles Avery.

GUSSLE'S BACKWARD WAY: To save money, Gussle rides a mule to the ski lodge where he plans to take his vacation. His spendthrift ways completely backfire when he is robbed by a gang of crooks. Originally meant to be a two-reeler, the film was split in half, with the second part released as Gussle Tied to Trouble.

GUSSLE TIED TO TROUBLE: Broke after being mugged, Gussle decides to rob his "friends" at the ski lodge. But before he can get away scot-free, the thieves show up looking for another withdrawal. The dummy thrown off a cliff by the filmmakers caused a mild panic when passerby thought a man was leaping to his death.

• silent