sosuttle

As the film world lurched through the 1920s a new genre, the screwball comedy, was emerging. Miss Bluebeard is one of those nascent efforts. A tale of mistaken identity, a mistake wedding, and too many women on hand make for a pleasant romp. Despite the poster shown here, this film is set in Paris and London, not the mysterious East. Bebe Daniels is quite delightful as a famous french actress. The male characters are all POSH British gentlemen with more ladies than they know what to do with. Martha Madison as Lulu has an amazing supporting role as one of those women., She can apparently bend in any direction! Quite fun.

Daniels is perhaps better known for her tour de force in 42nd Street and her radio work in London with husband Ben Lyon during WW II, but her silent films are usually a treat. All in all this film is worth a look and can be found on YouTube Premium.

Yet another US silent film discovered in Europe, the Netherlands to be exact. Painstaking restoration by EYE and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Lots of credit to go around, I'd particularly like to acknowledge Rob Byrnes, the president of SFSFF, a scholar, collector and all around good guy whose devotion to silent film is evident in this restoration.

This print is very nice and the film is worth watching. These mostly forgotten actors turn in a good performance and the inadvertent documentary of the streets of San Francisco and Los Angeles in the 1920s make for an interesting film even though the story-line is a little far fetched. Worth a look, for sure.

Leave it to DeMille, Bessie Love and Harrison Ford to squeeze the last drop of fun out of an otherwise mundane scenario Actually this movie is quite a romp and offers some good laughs, especially if you know a little about automobiles and travel in the 1920s, Bessie Love is, as always, delightful and Harrison Ford is steady as usual. He often seemed to be paired with the best leading ladies, e.g., Love, Clara Bow and Constance Talmadge, and generally rises to the occasion.

The film also serves as an "inadvertent documentary" with many glimpses of 1920s American life. Depicting toil and trouble on the road like the Joads, but not quite as bad. Miles of smiles, as they say.

I must say I had no idea of how many great silent titles are available on YouTube Premium. Some have great scores, some have haphazard and annoying music and some have no accompanying music at all, But It's a new treat for me to see new , mostly unfamiliar titles and revisit old favorites. Check it out.

Good show! Well played! I was disappointed to discover there are only three episodes of this series. Each episode is feature film length, so that at least is worthwhile. The plots are deliciously tangled; each one a surprise. The action is authentic without being over the top. And the flavor is pure British colonial. I do agree there are historical errors ( a couple of later-than-1931 cars, the airplane, etc.), but come on now, where do you find such things in later day Zimbabwe whilst shooting a film thousands of miles from home? I found this series on Amazon Prime and if you have that service, it's certainly worth a look.

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival screened a nearly complete nicely restored copy of The Battle of the Century this weekend (6/4/16). Except for the still-missing part of reel one (the scene with the boys and Eugene Palette in the park), the film is now complete. And the pie fight is all that all of us have hoped for all of these years! Admittedly the newly found material is more of the same, but the same is wonderful! The new print was accomplished by Lobster Films with help from MOMA, the Library of Congress and Blackhawk films. I can find no information about a release so let's start a ground swell for a DVD copy. Please? We're begging you!

Principally I write to let my fellow silent-film fans know that the new release (Oct. 1, 2015; UPC 024543991151)by Fox Cinema Archives does contain the wonderful score composed by Christopher Caliendo. Often the soundtrack can make or break a release and the music here is wonderful. It is the same as found on the earlier and quite expensive Murnau, Borzage and Fox box set. Secondly, I would take issue with those who have said here that City Girl is not up to Murnau's earlier standards. In that regard I would point out that every Van Gogh is not "Starry Night." I agree that this film is not a masterpiece like Sunrise or The Last Laugh, but it is nonetheless a terrifically rendered film. The cinematography is stunning as is the art direction. It really captures the flavor of the late 1920s and serves in several ways as an "inadvertent documentary." The scenes in Chicago are a virtual snapshot of urban living and the footage of pre-mechanized farming is also worthy of note. I for one had never seen a mule-drawn threshing machine in operation. It really is fascinating. As for the cast, I've never seen a bad performance by Charles Farrell and he is absolutely believable in this role. And Mary Duncan is simply radiant. Strong performances by Edith Yorke, a young Anne Shirley, Guinn Williams and the always superb David Torrence make for an all around enjoyable film. In fact, this is one of my favorite "second tier" silent films. I think it is well worth your while.

I was skeptical of this film and prepared not to like it, However, I was pleasantly surprised by the TCM 'television premier' last Sunday of a nicely completed full-length restoration. I find most films from the 1916-1920 era to be horribly dated with that era's overdone style of acting. There are notable exceptions like Pickford, Chaplin, and Fairbanks, of course, but these older silents are sometimes hard to watch and even absurdly clumsy. The Grim Game has some of that chewed-scenery aspect, but overall it is well done. The story is a bit far fetched, but nonetheless entertaining. And many of our later favorites - Tully Marshall, Mae Busch, and Arthur Hoyt - appear. As for Houdini, he performs as expected in several escape scenes which naturally is what one expects. I had never seen him before and considering that his name is still legendary after 100 years, the film is worth a look if only for that. The Grim Game also has some really interesting 'snapshots' of the era including an incredible (in the sense of 'not believable') aeroplane (sic) chase. All of that having been said, kudos to preservationists and restorers for their tedious and painstaking work on films like these. It is greatly appreciated by me and legions of movie buffs.

Outstanding is the only word to describe this new Flicker Alley production of Kean. This was the first Ivan \Mosjoukine (or Mozzhukhin, take your pick) film I have seen and his performance was, as they say in Texas, dead-solid-perfect. The supporting cast was also superb, especially Nicolas Koline as Kean's prompter, valet and only trusted friend. The storyline is a little Don Juan and a little Beau Brummel and its hard not to envision John Barrymore in this role as well. The bits of Romeo and Juliette and Hamlet with the French inter-titles are great fun and the staging of those two plays within the film are marvelously costumed in the proper Elizabethan fashion. Mosjoukine handles both roles well. Additionally, the set design and costuming truly evoked the Regency era in Britain. All in all this is one fine silent film. Whether you're a seasoned silent fan or new to the genre this one is well worth a look. Finally, what struck me most about this presentation was the incredible job of restoration and the Robert Israel score. The two blend together so well, one is tempted to conclude that this sharp, crisp print coupled with this music is probably better than the film's original release. Kudos to Flicker Alley, la Cinémathèque française, and all others who had a hand in reviving this wonderful motion picture!

I attended the premier of Circle the Wagen last weekend during the inaugural Albuquerque Film and Media Experience and I can say without reservation that you will enjoy this film. In addition to providing a glimpse into the untold, unsung and remarkable world of the vintage Volkswagen cult, you have here both a satisfying 'buddy picture' coupled with an amazing, extended road trip. In documentary style, Dave Torstenson and Charlie Pecoraro record every foot of the journey from Tulsa to Santa Monica, much of which takes place on old U.S. 66. For anyone who has ever attempted a cross-country trip in a vintage vehicle, you will recognize all their trials and tribulations (including a hair-raising montage of the road from Kingman to Oatman, Ariz.). One cringes as the next inevitable crisis unfolds. The story is well told with good humor and a decided lack of the ear-banging and fast cutting that plague most current films. The hand of a skillful editor is apparent in the production. Circle the Wagen also features some brilliant animation slightly reminiscent of Monty Python. This is first class stuff and given the tight budget and that this is a first effort, it is something of a minor miracle. I don't know of any definite distribution plans, but should you have the opportunity to see Circle the Wagen, do it.

I write to amend this earlier complaint about an earlier print from Grapevine (see below). The newest release - 2015 - is much improved. Although a few parts seem to be from a 16mm reduction print (I'm no expert on this), most of the film is much easier to watch. It is brighter, correctly tinted and much sharper than the earlier film I had watched and reviewed here. Moreover, a completely new score by Jack Hardy matches the action on the screen and improves this release by 100%. While shopping, be sure to obtain this newest print released on January 16, 2015. EARLIER REVIEW: I finally obtained a copy of Beggars of Life having read and heard so much about it over the years. William Wellman does some remarkable things in this film including an interesting flashback technique superimposing a close-up of Louise Brooks as she relates details of the altercation with her adoptive guardian. Brooks is not quite at her Pandora's Box level, but she's close. Brooks' filmography is actually rather sparse. However this film coupled with Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl justify all the accolades she receives to this day. These films are true artistic achievements. In Beggars of Life, Wallace Beery is at his sleazy best as the hobo alpha-chimp who turns out to have a soft heart of gold and Richard Arlen, while maintaining his matinée idol good looks, is superb as he slips out of his boy-next-door persona. Roscoe ("Shapley's the name and that's how I like 'em") Karns and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams also have parts and each adds spice to the story. Unfortunately the only copy I could find was a VHS tape produced by Grapevine Video out of Arizona that appears to be dubbed off of a 16mm television print with music that has nothing to do with the story. I like Beery, Brooks and Arlen as well as Beethoven, but not in this particular mix. Grapevine Video even had the nerve to claim a copyright to the music!!! I am sure the film is in the public domain and I KNOW Beethoven is. As others have noted, a crisp DVD would be greatly appreciated. I understand a better print exists and that the Mont Alto Motion Picture orchestra accompanied the film at the SFSFF in 2008. Let's hope they get together and prepare a decent video release! It would be worth the effort as Beggars of Life is truly one of the great films of the late silent era and ranks, in my opinion, up there with The Crowd and Sunrise in its realism and with its fine performances.

I saw this film at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival last summer and it was simply great. The print was clear and bright and the live piano accompaniment by Steven Horne was wonderful! Louise Dresser and Jack Pickford are both at the top of their games and this early glimpse of Constance Bennett is delightful; she's a great beauty. I decided to watch the movie again. I ordered it from Netflix which leads me to this writing. This particular release was by an outfit called Televista. The print was horrible and the music was so distracting I actually hit the mute button. I hope that a new DVD version of the restored print is released soon as this film is worthy of inclusion in any silent film collection. It is also worth noting that when The Goose Woman was screened at the SFSFF, Kevin Brownlow told the audience that this was the first silent film he discovered in a junk store as a youth and after watching it he said he thought that if there were other American films of this quality out there, it wouldn't be too much a task to dedicate one's life to finding them - which, of course, is what he's done. He also said that he used this film as an entrée to meeting Mary Pickford because she expressed an interest in seeing her brother Jack again. And subsequently we have Mr. Brownlow to thank for many fine works about Ms. Pickford. I would add one goof of interest to the antique car set. A title card tells us that Gerald Holmes (Jack Pickford) has just made the first payment on a new car (a Model T Ford laden with accessories). He displays a folder entitled "The Ford Weekly Payment Plan." This plan was actually a savings plan, not a time-installment plan. Delivery of the car was not made until all payments had been made. Not a big deal, but interesting that they got that wrong. Or maybe I'm just showing off a bit! Find a good print of The Goose Woman and you'll certainly enjoy it.

I'd heartily agree with those above who praise this film. I've check Max Davidson's filmography on this site and it was interesting to see how lengthy his career was. I don't remember seeing another Davidson vehicle, but I will watch for them in future. Coogan, of course, is superb in this film. In my opinion, as good as he was in The Kid. The Rag Man is an American jewel and a wonderful snapshot of its times. Like Speedy, the New York City location footage in Rag Man is a great example of the "inadvertent documentary," literally freezing the Lower East Side in time. The two Yiddish intertitles are a treat. Sadly, sharp, but gentle contrast in ethnicity is almost lost as a comedic device in the wake of today's "political correctness" (who coined that stupid phrase anyway?) Face it kids, people are different and those differences can be humorous without being mean or berating. And finally, the film contains possibly one of the best Prohibition gags of all time when precious wine bottles are emptied for their value as recyclable glass. I highly recommend this sweet little movie.

Last Saturday -- December 12, 2009 -- was the actual North American premier of this wonderful film in its entirety at the winter edition of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. The Nederlands Filmmuseum and Lobster Films' fine efforts have resulted in a restoration of the European release print as Abel Gance intended for the movie to be seen; indeed, as it was seen in France and Britian in 1919. They combined six different prints including one original camera negative and one print with original tinting to produce a truly stunning cinematic triumph. I, as many of you have, had seen the version edited for American release, but this print simply took my breath. It is rich and full. The additional material fully advances the narrative. Gance's strident message of the uselessness and futility of war comes to full flower and is even more disturbing than was evident from earlier,incomplete releases. The expanded performances of Severin-Mars, Marise Dauvray, and Romuald Joube fill in the previous gaps in the story. Young and pretty Angele Guys is all the more angelic in this version which includes the heartbreaking taunting she receives at the hands of playmates when they discover she is the bastard product of a German soldiers' gang rape. Gance's use of quick-cutting and montage presages that of Eisenstein and with this release it is even more apparent that Gance was certainly one of the handful of early pioneering geniuses of the cinema. All in all this restoration is truly wonderful. If you don't have the recently released DVD in your library, you do not have a complete collection of the greatest silent films. As I've written before on these pages, if you've never attended the San Francisco Silent Film Festival you are -- as our teachers used to say --only cheating yourself! It is very well run and held in the Castro Theater, a beautifully preserved movie palace. The Festival is indeed one of the premier film events in the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. And I particularly enjoyed this film. It was by far my favorite. Ms. Moore was at her working-girl-smitten-by-the-rich-kid best and the supporting cast was by and large superb.

The 1920s inside-jokes were entertaining (especially for us liberal arts graduates). For example, there was a reference to waiting for the "new model" Ford which everyone was doing in 1927 when Model T production halted and the Model A was as yet unreleased and the object of much speculation. Also, you don't hear a lot of William Jennings Bryan or Paul Revere gags nowadays! And as always I enjoyed the "slice of 1920s life" that so many of these films reveal: the clothing, the appliances, product displays, autos, and so forth.

The exterior shots in and around San Diego were hard to imagine as a swanky Rhode Island resort (with palm trees, no less) and when Mary Lou is rousted by the house dick (there's a term you don't hear often anymore) his badge clearly displays the Great Seal of the State of California. These little things don't really distract. In fact, spotting them is half the fun, just as it is with current releases. The print was excellent and the commentary on the restoration was informative, bordering on fascinating. I hope to own a copy of this film on DVD someday. It is worth watching over and over. If you've never attended the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, you're missing out on a premier event. It is well organized, well run, and a truly splendid festival.