As a lanky everyman character named Jimmy Jump, Charley Chase was one of the top comedy shorts stars at Hal Roach Studios from 1923 through 1936 and then at Columbia until his death in 1940. Using his real name, Charles Parrott, he was also an accomplished director at Roach. This week, VCI Entertainment released “Becoming Charley Chase,” a fascinating four-disc DVD that chronicles his career from his earliest days with Mack Sennett before World War I through his silent years at Roach.

Each short has breezy, informative commentary from film historians; the set also features three short documentaries.