Tweet New York City, NY: PATHS TO PARADISE (1925), SURE-MIKE (1925

[silentfilm]

http://www.silentclowns.com/nowshowing.html

Summer 2012:
If you liked 'THE ARTIST'…
you'll love RAYMOND GRIFFITH!

While silent era stars Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and John Gilbert were clearly inspirations for Jean Dujardin's Oscar-winning title performance in the much heralded, THE ARTIST – so equally was the charming and effervescent, yet nearly forgotten, Raymond Griffith, a star whom Walter Kerr described as "natty, lithe (and) un-mugging" and also gave "a handsome fifth place – after Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd and Langdon – in the silent comedy pantheon...." This summer, we're excited and proud to cast a long deserved spotlight on this unjustly neglected artist of the silent screen - which we strongly suspect will easily win him a new legion of admirers!


"…Griffith leads all comedians in point of ingenuity, imaginativness and originality…" - Robert E. Sherwood

"…Griffith managed to combine the urbane sophistication of Menjou with the dry wit of Keaton and the comedy thrill-climaxes of Lloyd." - William K. Everson

"…one of the finest comic minds…Nonchalance is a key to Griffith's screen character…he is the personification of Cool…he never loses his poise." - Leonard Maltin

"Griffith was a brilliant actor…he moved with astonishing grace…he effortlessly stole every picture…" - Kevin Brownlow


(Each of the four programs will include an apropos short subject that also links to THE ARTIST.)

Special thanks this season to: Bruce Calvert (silentfilmstillsarchive.com), Rick DeCroix (Streamline Films), Eric Grayson and John Stone. All Raymond Griffith stills on this page are courtesy Bruce Calvert; do not download/re-use without permission.



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Live piano accompaniment by Ben Model at all shows.
Series programmed by Bruce Lawton.
Film notes by Steve Massa.

Saturday, July 7 at 2:30pm
"Paths To Paradise"
Perhaps the most overlooked silent comedy classic of the 1920s, PATHS TO PARADISE ('25) is a clockwork-timed crook comedy that presents Griffith in all his smarmy elegance, not mention being expertly written, directed, and acted by a top-notch comedy ensemble. Co-star Betty Compson had gotten her start in Al Christie comedies, and here she and Griffith play rival jewels thieves who form an alliance to steal a valuable necklace. SURE-MIKE! ('25) is our extra added attraction, a one-reeler with flapper Martha Sleeper causing much mayhem in a department store.

http://www.silentclowns.com/nowshowing.html" target="_blank

Summer 2012:
If you liked 'THE ARTIST'…
you'll love RAYMOND GRIFFITH!

While silent era stars Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and John Gilbert were clearly inspirations for Jean Dujardin's Oscar-winning title performance in the much heralded, THE ARTIST – so equally was the charming and effervescent, yet nearly forgotten, Raymond Griffith, a star whom Walter Kerr described as "natty, lithe (and) un-mugging" and also gave "a handsome fifth place – after Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd and Langdon – in the silent comedy pantheon...." This summer, we're excited and proud to cast a long deserved spotlight on this unjustly neglected artist of the silent screen - which we strongly suspect will easily win him a new legion of admirers!


"…Griffith leads all comedians in point of ingenuity, imaginativness and originality…" - Robert E. Sherwood

"…Griffith managed to combine the urbane sophistication of Menjou with the dry wit of Keaton and the comedy thrill-climaxes of Lloyd." - William K. Everson

"…one of the finest comic minds…Nonchalance is a key to Griffith's screen character…he is the personification of Cool…he never loses his poise." - Leonard Maltin

"Griffith was a brilliant actor…he moved with astonishing grace…he effortlessly stole every picture…" - Kevin Brownlow


(Each of the four programs will include an apropos short subject that also links to THE ARTIST.)

Special thanks this season to: Bruce Calvert (silentfilmstillsarchive.com), Rick DeCroix (Streamline Films), Eric Grayson and John Stone. All Raymond Griffith stills on this page are courtesy Bruce Calvert; do not download/re-use without permission.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Live piano accompaniment by Ben Model at all shows.
Series programmed by Bruce Lawton.
Film notes by Steve Massa.

Saturday, July 7 at 2:30pm
"Paths To Paradise"
Perhaps the most overlooked silent comedy classic of the 1920s, PATHS TO PARADISE ('25) is a clockwork-timed crook comedy that presents Griffith in all his smarmy elegance, not mention being expertly written, directed, and acted by a top-notch comedy ensemble. Co-star Betty Compson had gotten her start in Al Christie comedies, and here she and Griffith play rival jewels thieves who form an alliance to steal a valuable necklace. SURE-MIKE! ('25) is our extra added attraction, a one-reeler with flapper Martha Sleeper causing much mayhem in a department store.

Though I wouldn't normally comment here, the quotes above dovetail with a thought I had when I was reading Wodehouse's book Leave It To Psmith. When I got through stripping out the verbosity and digressions, it started looking like a story made for Raymond Griffith.