Chaplin's Mutual Comedies 1916-1917

We are pleased to present a large-scale restoration of 12 classic Charlie Chaplin films released by Mutual Studios. The restoration work was carried out in 2013 by the Bologna Cineteca Foundation and Lobster Films at the L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory. The project received support from a number of organizations, including the George Lucas Family Foundation.

Twelve two-reel comedies made by Charlie Chaplin for the Mutual Film Corporation:

First generation 35mm nitrate film, scanned at 2K resolution, was used as the source material. The original “A” negative served as the basis, and the best frames from the “B” negative were used to restore damaged or missing segments. The intertitles were meticulously recreated based on the original Mutual intertitles from 1916–1917 and archival documents from the Library of Congress.

Video Quality

Digitization and digital restoration were performed using the Phoenix Revival system. The final 1080p release features superb detail and smooth dynamic range. Despite the age of the source materials and the presence of expected artifacts (slight contrast flicker and minor scratches), the image looks stunning and serves as the gold standard for these films.

Sound and Audio Tracks

The MKV container for each film includes several audio options (LPCM 2.0 Mono, 1536 kbps) and tracks featuring commentary by film historians (Dolby Digital). The score by Carl Davis serves as the primary musical track for all 12 films.