Tweet PICTURES OF SILENT STARS IN THEIR LAST YEARS

I recently saw that clip of Mary Pickford recieving the special Academy Award in her mid 80s, any other people have pictures of the silent star actresses in their 70s and 80s. I also saw the clip at the Night of 100 stars , they all looked great.

you should look around for a picture from a believed lost episode of the merv griffin show from Jan 14, 1971 where he did a reunion of quite a number of the old silent stars,,The audio is floating around but I have only ever seen still pictures from it.

Also look around for old issues of 8mm collector / Classic film collector (which became classic images) They were regularly printing pictures of the stars in their later years from the early cinecons and sadly obituaries.

you should look around for a picture from a believed lost episode of the merv griffin show from Jan 14, 1971 where he did a reunion of quite a number of the old silent stars,,The audio is floating around but I have only ever seen still pictures from it.

Also look around for old issues of 8mm collector / Classic film collector (which became classic images) They were regularly printing pictures of the stars in their later years from the early cinecons and sadly obituaries.

And, of course, watch Kevin Brownlow's "Hollywood" series for interviews with silent stars in their later years. Talking! And in color!

Im surprised talk shows on TV in the 1970s and 1980s didn't have them on more.

You definitely have to rent or buy yourself a copy of the The Whales of August. It stars Lillian Gish in a superb performance at age 93, only six years before her death. It's a great movie too.

Im surprised talk shows on TV in the 1970s and 1980s didn't have them on more.

Part of the problem was the recognition factor- few people would have recognized Laura La Plante in the 1970's because most of her films were unavailable for viewing. Life magazine did a nice spread at the time featuring (as I recall) La Plante, Pola Negri, Colleen Moore, maybe Leatrice Joy, and of course Gish and Swanson. Of that group only Swanson was currently active- Gish did a few cameo roles before "Whales of August".

You definitely have to rent or buy yourself a copy of the The Whales of August. It stars Lillian Gish in a superb performance at age 93, only six years before her death. It's a great movie too.

It's amusing that Bette Davis comes off looking older than Gish. Late in her life someone described her as the thinnest fully functioning person he'd ever encountered.

Im surprised talk shows on TV in the 1970s and 1980s didn't have them on more.

You never caught the Joe Franklin show, I take it.

Bob

Ahhh- I tried catching Joe Franklin, but he was on in the early hours during school nights- and my mother could hear a clandestine television (with an ear plug) through two doors.

Did anybody mention the 1984 photographic volume called "RETURN ENGAGEMENT" by James Watters? There are plenty of Silent film stars "then and now" in this book. Sadly, many of them died while the book was going to publication.

Danny

Yes i saw Joe Franklin occasionally, I do remember seeing Barbara Barondess on , how many other of the obscure silent stars did he have on, such as Blanche Sweet, Aileen Pringle, Hazel Dawn, Ruth Donnelly, Ann Pennington, Priscilla Dean, Fay Tincher, > Joe's show was taped in Manhattan before the final years when he was over in Secaucus, New Jersey.The ones i listed lived in Manhattan.

Maybe Joe should put out a collection of his silent star interviews on CD. But as i remember Joe was a very boring host, its hard to believe the show lasted that long perhaps because in those years there was nothing on at the wee hours of the morning.

Somewhere on Getty Images' site* is a picture of Corinne Griffith and Gloria Swanson at some social function in 1959, when Gloria was 60 and Corinne 65. Corinne I must say looks pretty great.

*
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/3245903

Corinne Griffith had a long and healthy social life after her film career. I highly recommend her 1955 book "Eggs I Have Known"- ostensibly a cookbook but laced with gossip and anecdotes. She calls her husband George Marshall: "The Marshall without a plan"

Im surprised talk shows on TV in the 1970s and 1980s didn't have them on more.

Part of the problem was the recognition factor- few people would have recognized Laura La Plante in the 1970's because most of her films were unavailable for viewing. Life magazine did a nice spread at the time featuring (as I recall) La Plante, Pola Negri, Colleen Moore, maybe Leatrice Joy, and of course Gish and Swanson. Of that group only Swanson was currently active- Gish did a few cameo roles before "Whales of August".

Don't forget Gish's cameo in TWIN DETECTIVES, starring Hee-Haw regulars the Hager twins.

OK, go ahead, forget it.

That one passed me by completely. Checking IMDB I see that Gish was in more late films than I recalled, maybe more than Swanson- but Swanson was on television quite regularly and always seemed full of energy. Gish's cameos (like A Wedding and Hobson's Choice) were promoted as "great star comes out of retirement" affairs.

Gloria Swanson had a small role in a circa 1963 episode of BURKE'S LAW, with Gene Barry, and I swear she was channeling Cruella DeVille in appearance, if not some geriatric punk rocker from the '80s!

[Mike Gebert]

Everyone is ignoring the greatness that is Hambone and Hillie, too.

Im surprised talk shows on TV in the 1970s and 1980s didn't have them on more.

They did, in the 50s and 60s. By the 70s and 80s a lot of them were too old, though Swanson turned up. But you were more likely to see Groucho or Moe Howard or somebody by the 70s.

Dorothy Mackaill retired to Hawaii in the early 30's (she was voted an "Honorary Beach Girl") but appeared in a couple of Hawaii Five-0 episodes in the 1970's. I's like to see those- she's one of my favorite "forgotten stars"

Gloria Swanson appeared as a celebrity guest on "Password" during the week of 22 June 1964 and "The Match Game" during the week of 18 October 1965, both times with Chester Morris as the male celebrity. Tapes of all these episodes are probably long-gone, however.

Minta Durfee was a central subject on "To Tell the Truth" in 1971, as Raymond Rohauer was the previous year.

-Harold

Dorothy Mackaill retired to Hawaii in the early 30's (she was voted an "Honorary Beach Girl") but appeared in a couple of Hawaii Five-0 episodes in the 1970's. I's like to see those- she's one of my favorite "forgotten stars"

Me too. I remember coming across something about this on the Internet ages ago--maybe it was a Hawaii Five-O fan site? For at least one episode she was credited as "Miss Dorothy Mackaill."

Minta Durfee was a central subject on "To Tell the Truth" in 1971, as Raymond Rohauer was the previous year.

-Harold

Bwaaaaaaaah-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

On Entertainment Tonight back in 1983 or 1984 a group of silent film stars were at the home of Estelle Winwood who turned 100 years old then, i think they were representing SAG. I remember seeing Ruth Hiatt, Billie Rhodes and a bag lady looking 88 year old Mary McClaren who you could tell was penniless by the way she looked. I was surprised she was there. There werea couple of others also who i cant remember now.

Silent Star Madge Kennedy acted till late in her life in films , I believe "The Day of the Locust " in 1975 was her last film but she lived till the ripe old age of 96.

Gloria Swanson appeared as a celebrity guest on "Password" during the week of 22 June 1964 and "The Match Game" during the week of 18 October 1965, both times with Chester Morris as the male celebrity. Tapes of all these episodes are probably long-gone, however.

How could you forget her in the 1966 episode of the Beverly Hillibillies, The Gloria Swanson Story? The whole episode revolved around Gloria and contains her silent swansong Passion's Plaything which had it's world premier at the Bijou Theatre in Bugtussle.

Bugtussle was obviously the mecca of silent film in the mid-1960s as Richard Arlen and Buddy Rogers appeared on Petticoat Junction a couple of years later, to make an appearance at the Bijou's debut of Wings. If only it were true. Could you imagine the stash of films that might exist in the Bijou's basement?

How could you forget her in the 1966 episode of the Beverly Hillibillies, The Gloria Swanson Story? The whole episode revolved around Gloria and contains her silent swansong Passion's Plaything which had it's world premier at the Bijou Theatre in Bugtussle.

Bugtussle was obviously the mecca of silent film in the mid-1960s as Richard Arlen and Buddy Rogers appeared on Petticoat Junction a couple of years later, to make an appearance at the Bijou's debut of Wings. If only it were true. Could you imagine the stash of films that might exist in the Bijou's basement?

We *love* Passion's Plaything.

I also remember Ben-Hur playing in Bugtussle. I think it was also on the Hillbillies, but that may not be the case.

How could you forget her in the 1966 episode of the Beverly Hillibillies, The Gloria Swanson Story? The whole episode revolved around Gloria and contains her silent swansong Passion's Plaything which had it's world premier at the Bijou Theatre in Bugtussle.

Bugtussle was obviously the mecca of silent film in the mid-1960s as Richard Arlen and Buddy Rogers appeared on Petticoat Junction a couple of years later, to make an appearance at the Bijou's debut of Wings. If only it were true. Could you imagine the stash of films that might exist in the Bijou's basement?

We *love* Passion's Plaything.

I also remember Ben-Hur playing in Bugtussle. I think it was also on the Hillbillies, but that may not be the case.

Ahh, I thought of Granny this weekend. Hoot Gibson was her favorite but she always considered Milton Sills to be the very definition of male pulchritude.

Carmel Myers was a guest on that hideous Chico and the Man.

I remember Gloria Swanson on the Hillbillies, they called her Glory.

Wasn't Mae West on Mr. Ed ?

I just watched Dorothy Gish in a 50s TV play (Harvest) with James Dean and Ed Begley. It was on some show Robert Montgomery hosted.

I also remember Ben-Hur playing in Bugtussle. I think it was also on the Hillbillies, but that may not be the case.

I remember that episode. It's been literally decades since I've seen it but as I recall, they didn't show any footage from the film. The plot centered around Pearl composing a special score for BEN-HUR which included a vocal chorus sung by "Jethrene" that went something like, "Drive them horses, Ben, Ben. Drive them horses, Ben...."

I also remember Ben-Hur playing in Bugtussle. I think it was also on the Hillbillies, but that may not be the case.

I remember that episode. It's been literally decades since I've seen it but as I recall, they didn't show any footage from the film. The plot centered around Pearl composing a special score for BEN-HUR which included a vocal chorus sung by "Jethrene" that went something like, "Drive them horses, Ben, Ben. Drive them horses, Ben...."

The joke was that Bugtussle was the last stop on the circuit for a film's rotation, so they were getting their first look at these films 40 years after they premiered.

Oh, if only that had been the case - we could have saved damn near everything!