Mary Pickford, Charley Chase: Two collections of silent-era films

Silent-film stars come in two categories: those everyone knows and those whose fame has diminished over the decades.

Two new releases by Milestone Film & Video highlight one from each category. The silent-film star whose name has been inextricably linked to the era is Mary Pickford, generally considered the first actress whose fame went all around the world.

“Rags and Riches: The Mary Pickford Collection” collects three of her most popular features: 1917’s “The Poor Little Rich Girl,” 1919’s “The Hoodlum” and 1926’s “Sparrows.”

Though he was as big as Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, Charley Chase didn’t see his reputation keep pace with those luminaries. Discover what made this always dapper comic so celebrated back in the day with “Cut to the Chase!,” a collection of 16 of his best shorts.

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