‘Mack Sennett Collection’ gathers 50 slapstick classics into one set

The Keystone Film Co., under the direction of producer-director Mack Sennett, is considered the birthplace of slapstick comedy. The roster included a who’s who of comedy including Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Roscoe “Fatty� Arbuckle, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, the Keystone Kops and Charley Chase. A new Blu-ray/DVD set, “The Mack Sennett Collection, Vol. One,� released by Flicker Alley, features 50 painstakingly restored, digitally remastered classics beginning with 1909’s “The Curtain Pole,� directed by D.W. Griffith, and ending with W.C. Fields’ 1933 “The Fatal Glass of Beer.� The silent films have new musical scores. Extras include audio commentaries and Sennett’s 1954 appearance on “This Is Your Life.�