Big Business (1929) & the Gold Rush (1925) December 17, 2008

In the 1929 short 'Big Business,' Laurel and Hardy make big business out of selling Xmas trees door to door in sunny California and a man who turns the other cheek-and gets punched in the nose. 'The Gold Rush' is the quintessential Charlie Chaplin film, with a balance of slapstick comedy, pantomime, social satire, and emotional and dramatic moments of tenderness showcasing the classic Little Tramp character as a romantic idealist and lone gold prospector at the turn of the century.