Max Linder

An exploration of the dazzling rise and mysterious downfall of French actor and filmmaker Max Linder (1883-1925), the world’s first international film star and mentor to British actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin.

The whole world knows him. Burlesque comedy genius, popular actor, author, director, producer, composer, choreographer, Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) used his talent to serve an ideal of justice and freedom. But his best scenario was his own destiny, a story written into the political and artistic history of the 20th century.

A look back at Charlie Chaplin's early life and career, from his rough childhood and music hall success in England to his early Hollywood days and the development of his enormously popular character, the Little Tramp, also called Charlot.

Kino Classics and Lobster Films celebrate the legacy of Max Linder, a pioneer of comedy whom Charlie Chaplin referred to as "the great master." With his trademark silk top hat and cane, the French-born Linder blended slapstick with sophistication, and invested his films with a layer of cleverness that elevated them above mere knockabout comedies, paving the way for such multi-dimensional screen comedians as Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. The collection includes four of Linder's American-made productions, meticulously restored from archival materials: THE THREE MUST-GET-THERES (1922, a parody of The Three Musketeers), SEVEN YEARS BAD LUCK (1921, a masterpiece of physical comedy), and the romantic farces BE MY WIFE (1921) and MAX WANTS A DIVORCE (1917). THE THREE MUST-GET-THERES U.S. 1922 Color Tinted 57 Min. Written and Directed by Max Linder

Pioneering comedy legend Max Linder wrote, produced, directed and starred in Seven Years Bad Luck. Hilarious misadventures begin when Max' butler, chasing a maid, breaks an expensive full-length mirror. The butler persuades the cook, who somewhat resembles Max, to stand behind the frame and be Max's reflection. This gag, developed by Max, has become a classic of film and even television borrowed by everyone from the Marx Brothers to Abbott and Costello to Red Skeleton.

Bob Monkhouse introduces the golden age of slapstick comedy.

On the day before Easter in 1911, Don Hewes is crushed when his dancing partner (and object of affection) Nadine Hale refuses to start a new contract with him. To prove Nadine's not important to him, Don acquires innocent new protege Hannah Brown, vowing to make her a star in time for next year's Easter parade.

A long-retired director of early silent films recalls his exciting career as a filmmaker.

A painter working at the Louvre is struck by the Mona Lisa. When he meets a girl whom he believes bears a resemblance to the painting, and who wants him to become famous, he comes up with the idea of stealing the painting. Based on the real-life theft of 1911.

Kalle Jeppson is the joyful owner of a rural inn, "Spången" (The Footbridge). His only problems are all the bylaws that makes it difficult to have a quiet drink and the shrew of his wife who is always nagging on him. Kalle is afraid to tell her that Karin the maid is really his daughter from the days before their marriage.

Max is determined to woo Mary, despite her Aunt Agatha's disapproval. Then, Max and Mary become embroiled in the world of Madam Coralie, a prominent dressmaker-bootlegger.

In this movie, Max Linder parodies the famous novel "The Three Musketeers".

After breaking a mirror in his home, superstitious Max tries to avoid situations which could bring bad luck, but in doing so causes himself the worst luck imaginable.

Max suffers from drunkenness, but gets serious after he falls for the daughter of a circus director - who forbids her romance with an outsider.

Max accepts a wager that he cannot remain in a haunted castle for one hour (11 PM to midnight) without crying for help. As soon as he arrives he encounters strange and nightmarish visions, but he is nevertheless on the verge of winning the bet when a phone-call brings startling news.

Max presents himself with a letter of introduction to Mr. Charles Pathé. He is then passed from hand to hand until he finds himself facing a director who has him do a few tests: singing, dancing, performing a somersault, receiving a slap. Some time later, he is summoned for a screen test. We then see him at odds with his wife and especially his mother-in-law, who end up throwing him out of a window and then successively hurling a table, a wardrobe, a mattress, etc., at him while he is being filmed. Finally, the director asks him to make a face in front of the camera. And that's when Max rebels and turns against his tormentors.

Max and his wife of three years are happy in most regards but one: they still don't have a child. When Max reads of a new method of "spontaneous generation" in the paper, it seems his fondest wish may have come true. However, the young couple may get more than they bargained for.

In this one, [Max] is on vacation and wooing a young lady, but she and her cousin decide to play a trick on him, by getting him inside a barrel, and then tossing it into the ocean.

Max and his young bride attempt to enjoy an Alpine honeymoon, despite the presence of her mother.

Max, awakening on his wedding morning, discovers that it is close on the hour when he should be at the church. He dresses hastily, and in struggling with a refractory collar, allows his boots to be burnt by the fire. There is no time to change them, and he hastens off to the bride's house. On the way his soles part company with their uppers, and poor Max enters into negotiations with a passing labourer for the purchase of his footgear.

Max has just been married, but is about to be divorced, because at his marriage party he disgraced himself. Of course, the matter is a secret, but Max was most horribly annoyed with a persistent flea that located itself in his nether garments. So, retiring to a quiet spot, he removed both the garments and the flea, but, unfortunately, he was discovered in his seclusion. In the divorce court Max wins his case, but just how is too good to tell in a story of this sort.

On doctor's orders Max buys a new bathtub, but Max struggles to fill it, and when he does, he can't bathe in peace!

To reassure his fans, Max Linder has been filming with his family at his place of convalescence...

Max proposes to a lady. Inexplicably, she insists she won’t marry him until he learns to juggle. At this news, Max goes home and tries to learn but is ultimately unsuccessful until he hatches an idea...

When Max's friends doubt his acting ability, he invites them to a dramatic theatrical performance.

In a snowy Alpine district Max takes his first lessons in the art of skiing. He leaves the hotel with his skis fixed to his shoes, and his efforts and contortions to get through the door of his room are absurdly ludicrous. Finally he manages to get out and we see him making frantic efforts to maintain his equilibrium on the fairly gentle slope.

When Max, a newly married man, suspects that his wife may be cheating on him, he gives his faithful dog Dick orders to keep on eye on her when he's not at home.

"Max quarrels so with his wife that the lady leaves him. Our hero then attempts to do his own cooking, etc. He buys a fowl, but it proves to be still alive, and after he has chased it with a revolver, partly plucked it, shaved and finally half-roasted it, the bird is still alive and wings its way off. Max next turns his attention to blacking his boots, upsets the liquid blacking, spoons it up, and a minute later is using the same spoon to stir the broth. He writes for his wife to return home, but soon after sending the letter hears he is heir to a large fortune, and lives in the seventh heaven of delight - until his wife returns." (The Bioscope, Feb. 15, 1912)

Max is a millionaire who is forced to lead a double-life as a waiter, the result of having lost a wager.

Astigmatic, Max apologizes to lampposts, kisses the wrong lady, and is challenged to a duel.

A love sick Max fly to find his love and recover.

Renowned French comedian and filmmaker Max Linder visits Charlie Chaplin in 1917.

Max relates to Mona, staying for the winter sports in Switzerland, that he killed a magnificent bear on the previous day, but that the dogs ate it, skin and all; but for that, concludes Max, Mona should have had his skin. Mona is sceptical, and insists that Max shall shoot another bear.

Max visits a lady doctor for a chest cold and is alternately anxious and nervous and excited, in a romantic and sexual way, depicted by his clever pantomime.

Max reads in a newspaper, that Gladys Maxence, a rich American woman, seeks a young sportsman for marriage...

Max is invited to join his uncle for a holiday, but he hasn't invited his wife, so he sneaks her in in his suitcase, always hiding her from his uncle...

Max is forced to choose between losing his newly wedded wife and a fortune. He hits upon a brilliant scheme: He will give his wife grounds for a divorce, secure the money and then make his ex-wife Mrs. Linder again. He goes through any amount of trouble in helping her to get the necessary evidence, only to find that it is all a mistake on the part of a stupid lawyer - the money and the wife are both to be his.

No synopsis available yet.

Max meets the Countess Duvienne in a very distressing moment, for she has just learned that her jockey will be unable to ride her horse, the favorite for the owner's stakes. In that irresistible way of his, Max volunteers to ride in the jockey's stead, the countess thanks him but cannot accept his offer, because of his excessive weight. The gallant Max, nothing daunted, decides to reduce. After running a mile with a forty-pound dumbbell, he looks like a wet rag, but goes gamely to a Turkish bath. This treatment brings Max down to weight, and mounted on the countess' horse. Max fights every stride of the tight race, hut wins, not only the race, but the countess as well.

Auguste is cured! The doctor at the asylum said so. Delighted, his mother gives him a few coins so he can go out for a little entertainment. Auguste settles in a cinema to admire the great Max Linder. Enthused by the film, he goes off with the movie poster to make himself a suit like the star's. With a false visiting card, he goes to an agent, who sends him to the Comica film company. But the charming man is going to make a terrible mistake on his way… This comedy brings together two French silent film stars: Max Linder and Romeo Bosetti.

Max visits a doctor who prescribes a tonic (Bordeaux of Cinchona) for him to drink every morning. Upon returning home, Max sees a large glass which was left by his wife and labeled "Souvenir de Bordeaux". He consumes it its entirety after assuming that it was his medicine. Immediately Max feels much better. Hilarity ensues as Max goes about the day in a completely drunken state.

Max attempts to take a photo of a woman in a bathing suit, waiting while she swims around. He's waiting for her to emerge so he can snap the photo, but she fools him by diving beneath the sea and running ashore some distance away so he doesn't see her. He then goes to great lengths to rescue her from the deep while she hides and laughs.

No synopsis available yet.

Max is about to make his first call upon a young lady, the daughter of distinguished parents, and he wants to make a good impression. As he dresses to go out he stoops over to fix his shoe and, horrors! He tears his trousers. Where? Well, in a most embarrassing place. He fixes them hurriedly, trusting to have his coat tails cover it, but alas, the coat is too short for this purpose. Nevertheless, he takes a chance and, arriving at the house has the butler make a close inspection. He seems to be all right and enters, but when he bows to his hostess he hears the sickening sound of tearing cloth and knows that his patch has given way. Max hastily seats himself and during the rest of the evening performs the most astounding feats to hide his terrible secret.

No synopsis available yet.

Comedy short starring Max Linder

Again Max is forced into marriage. If he doesn't marry soon he won't get any more money from his uncle. As all three candidates refuse his proposal he talks his servant into playing the bride. He manages to fool his uncle and both get actually married. As soon as he holds in his hands the treaty that grants him a huge amount of money the hurry home. When his uncle pays them a visit they are found out.

Max wants to marry his girl but one man stands in the way. Her guardian. And Max got to find a way to get him to consent.

Polichinelle the servant (called Harlequin in the English language version) rescues his girlfriend from a gang of decadent aristocrats, who have transformed her into a mechanical doll.

The film is quite sophisticated for it's time with a relatively large number of scene changes as we follow Max's misadventures. It also features a close-up shot to show his reactions to the effects of the cigar he is smoking.

Based on characters from Shakespeare's play: When Juliet's father refuses to let Romeo see her, Romeo resorts to extreme measures.

This Max Linder short opens with him and his girl blissfully rowing in a canoe before skipping ahead two years later.

Max causes havoc when he joins other skaters on a frozen lake.

The story tells of a matador, the leading figure in the Spanish bull ring, whose lady love proves fickle.

Théodore (Max Linder) visits a fair/circus and becomes infatuated with a bearded woman in the show. He is so taken with her that he joins the troupe and performs comic bits (including dressing in a bearskin as a "performing bear"). While caressing the woman's beard, it comes off and, realizing it is false, he promptly flees in embarrassment.

Max, a young man about town, splits his trousers while getting ready to go out one night. After applying some rather risky repairs without taking the trousers off, he gingerly heads off to a dinner party. Of course, disaster strikes almost as soon as he arrives, and he spends the rest of the film frantically attempting to hide the gaping tear in his trousers from the other guests.

A young man is seen entering his room and from the many expressions on his worn face one could not doubt that he is just returning from one grand night with the boys, and is in no condition to be annoyed or disturbed. After administering to his wants in the form of headache tablets, he goes to lie down for a while and sleep the effects of the previous night off. In a room directly over him are a number of people conducting a rehearsal.

Max at an evening party takes a necklace from one of the guests and makes good his escape. The guests and the police set out in pursuit but Max employs some novel methods and among others mounts a boat on the water chute and finally makes good his escape in a balloon which soars far out of reach of his would-be captors. This film is just cram full of novel situations and laughable episodes.

In a living room, four contemporary couples from the time the film was shot dance a waltz under the direction of a violinist (Linder). They begin a minuet and their costumes change in a sudden. A man enters and seems interested in what he sees, casts a spell and everything disappears. Transforming himself into the devil, the visitor takes the violinist with him to hell, where he creates a large piece of silk out of a cauldron. The fabric unrolls, revealing a young woman in a silk dress that starts dancing the serpentine. While she dances, other women join in a synchronized ballet, before all of them vanish into bursts of flames.

A man, his wife and their two sons are having a meal. One of the sons leaves the room pretending to be ill and collects a bunch of flowers form a cupboard and goes out. The other son takes a bunch of flowers from under his bed and he too leaves, followed by their father, also carrying flowers. The two sons and their father call on the same young women one after the other; as each arrives, the previous suitor is hidden in a piece of furniture: the father under a chair cover, one son in a cupboard and the other in a piano. A girlfriend of the young woman visits and the two play pranks on the hiding men by playing the piano and sitting on the chair cover. The three men emerge and the father chases his two sons outside until they remind him of his own folly; he gives his sons some money and urges them to keep silent.