The Comic

After seeing The Comic again after many years, I realize that Dick Van Dyke's character Billy Bright is actually an amalgam of at least three silent comedians: Harry Langdon (who the character resembles), Charlie Chaplin (for the womanizing) and Buster Keaton (for the drinking problem).

One tries to sympathize with Billy Bright over the years, but his ego is his downfall in Hollywood. Like Buster Keaton, Billy Bright is again thrust into the temporary limelight in his later years.

This is probably Dick Van Dyke's best role ever--he was a big fan of silent comedy films and was a good friend of Stan Laurel in the 1960s.

Also look for some great cameo appearances by Mantan Moreland and Jerome Cowan.

I have just seen this movie for the first time in over 25 years. I still remember the last time I saw it. It was not a great movie by any means but I am a big film fan and this movie was memorable for me. The last scene of Van Dyke's character getting up in early morning hours just to watch one of his old films with his ex-wife always stuck with me. It is a really sad scene. Van Dyke is great in this, he would have made a great silent comedian. While the character is obviously based an awful lot on Buster Keaton, Van Dyke to me actually resembles Stan Laurel at times. The brief clips of the silent films his character does make you want to see the entire films. I also enjoyed Mickey Rooney's performance, too. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a silent movie fan or a Dick Van Dyke fan.

"The Comic" is one movie I could always watch again as I think it was the best thing Dick Van Dyke ever did. I always thought that Harry Langdon was the chief prototype for the Billy Bright character because of his pork pie hat that he wore. I didn't know much about his personal life but that when he decided to write, direct and produce his own films, he learned too late that he should have left that to people who knew their business. Thanks to the other bloggers on this site, I learned about Buster Keaton. Never quite understood his character, just that dead pan face of his. Mickey Rooney of course was modeled after Ben Turpin. He makes the prophetic comment that when people stopped laughing at his crooked eyes, they started killing each other. There was a cute scene where Billy and "Popeye" are walking up Hollywood Boulevard and Billy is guessing whose footprints he's stepping on. When he reaches Chaplin, he looks down and says "He never became a citizen." A comment which was made for criticism but tinged with a bit of envy. A classic, underrated movie, in the same class as "Face in the Crowd."

This movie is hard to track down, but worth watching if you like Dick Van Dyke (who doesn't?), Stan Laurel, or silent film comedy in general. While the movie itself isn't the best thing Dick Van Dyke has ever done, he's very good in it. Being a big fan of silent films himself, you can tell this film meant something to him. Hopefully it well be more available to the public in future. There's some great original gags created by Dick and Mickey Rooney is fun to see as well. Don't expect this movie to change your life (unless you want to be a slapstick comedian that is), but it's entertaining to watch. Dick Van Dyke is always a joy.

I have seen this movie only twice, and it was decades ago, but I still remember every scene. In 2003, I had to opportunity to meet Dick Van Dyke when he was in a nearby town visiting a relative. He looked approximately the same age as the character in "The Comic" during the final scenewhen the young VanDyke was 'aged' to portray Billy Bright as a lonely old man. Mr. Van Dyke and I exchanged a few pleasantries, then I said, "By the way, Mr. VanDyke, you're looking more like Billy Bright every time i see you." He did a double-take, then smiled and said, "Oh my gosh! You saw that picture?!?!" I assured him that I had and it was one of my favorites; he replied, "I think you and I are the only people who saw that one. But I'm glad you enjoyed it." Very nice man, a great,under-appreciated movie.

PLEASE release it on DVD.