Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are with little argument probably the two most influential and “important” personalities from an era that was overflowing with some of the most enduring screen comics in history; and the reason being because of their contributions in the entire filmmaking process and not just memorable performances and iconic characters. They’re not just two of the most talented physical performers of their time, they’re also two of cinema’s first auteurs putting them in an incredibly elite group of individuals that wrote, directed, edited (to some extent), recorded music (to some extent), and performed the lead role in a number of pictures – and each’s most significant films are films where these accomplishments applied.

However, for as much as these two did to help progress film and screen comedy they both, without question, lost a bit of appeal once sound was introduced to motion pictures. Chaplin was much less affected by the advancement releasing a few great films in the sound era with sound (Modern Times was his final silent picture, but was made many years into the almost universally adapted using of sound), but both along with Harold Lloyd left their best for first back in the days of silence. With the introduction of sound came the need for a new kind of comic performer – one with a voice to communicate humor over sight gags.

In the transition from silent to sound a very small number of popular screen comedians were able to not only retain their popularity, but also broaden their fan base due to their newfound ability to speak – thus expanding their repertoire to include wisecracks, witty one-liners, clever observations, and more wisecracks. One of the actors who benefited largely from the technological advancement was W.C. Fields, who as a seasoned stage and vaudeville performer was finally able to unsheathe some of his sharpest cutlery.