SF Examiner: Six silent films not on DVD that should be
Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:30 pm
http://www.examiner.com/x-7605-SF-Silen ... -should-be
Six silent films not on DVD that should be
August 27, 11:40 PM SF Silent Movie Examiner Thomas Gladysz
By Thomas Gladysz
SF Silent Film Examiner
As more and more silent films are released on DVD, one thing that becomes apparent are those classics and minor masterpieces not available on DVD. There are some striking omissions.
Kino and Criterion have been releasing silent films (many in restored versions) on DVD since the digital format first emerged in the late 1990s. And lately, newcomers like the Warner Archive Collection, Flicker Alley, Sunrise Silents and others have entered the field with their own eclectic lists of new releases.
In terms of availability, there has never been a better time to be a fan of the silent cinema. Just about any silent film buff is grateful for what has been released.
Today, pretty much every important and available work by such major figures as D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Mary Pickford are available on DVD. But many notable works are not. There are the missing landmark movies, seminal works, and the defining films by favorite stars.
Here is a short list of six films that should be on DVD. Admittedly, this list is subjective. One could make another list – twice or three times as long – featuring different films. A case is made for each film on the list.
Wings (1927)
This film has everything going for it except its availability on DVD. It was the first movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture (and the only silent film to do so). It has a great story. It stars Clara Bow (all of her available films should be released on DVD) and features Richard Arlen, Buddy Rogers and a youthful Gary Cooper. It features great cinematography. And, it was directed by William Wellman – a director who’s silent and sound efforts are once again being recognized by critics and fans alike. Wings, the story of two WWI aviators and the girl they both love, was released on VHS back in 1996 - but with a soundtrack many complain about.
Beggars of Life (1928)
This is another William Wellman film (the director made it right after having made Wings), and it stars future Academy Award winning actor Wallace Beery, dependable Richard Arlen, and the remarkable Louise Brooks dressed-up, if only half convincingly, as a boy. Based on Jim Tully’s autobiographical novel, Beggars of Life tells a suspenseful story of a girl who kills her abusive step-father and runs from the law dressed as a boy while riding the rails with a largely menacing male group of hobos. Danger, androgyny, the dispossessed – and trains. What more could you want?
The Crowd (1928)
This should be required viewing for anyone who has never seen a silent film. Why? Because it contains all the virtues of silent era film making – and none of the faults. It features great cinematography, a great script, and fine acting – all told visually and without dialogue. It never fails to impress. And it never fails to convince those unaccustomed to silent film that the medium has a lot more to offer than melodramatic stories and acting. The great King Vidor directed this simple story of a young couple, played by Eleanor Boardman and James Murray, as they struggle with their hopes and dreams in a large, impersonal metropolis. If anything, this silent film is contemporary. The Crowd was released on VHS back in 1998.
Show People (1928)
Another King Vidor gem, Show People is a silent movie uniformly loved by people who don't like silent movies. And a lot of that has to do with its star – Marion Davies. She is terrific! When she had the chance, Davies was a great light comedic actress, and this film gives her opportunities by the bushel. Show People, which also stars the very likable William Haines, is a typical Hollywood story – that of a small town girl come to the big city to become a “movie star.” The results - here handled brilliantly, are sublime. Show People was released on VHS in 1998.
Greed (1924)
Much has been said and much has been written about Erich Von Stroheim's epic film. It is a timeless, naturalistic and at times brutal study of greed and what it does to people. Repeatedly, in polls taken around the world, it has ranked as one of the greatest films of all time. Yet, perhaps because of its problematic state – it has languished. The film was famously taken away from the director and cut and cut and cut. Even what remains is powerful, but not pleasing. The film stars Zasu Pitts, Gibson Gowland, and Jean Hersholt. A 130-minute version was released on VHS in 1988. Longer versions are sometimes shown on TCM.
Street of Forgotten Men (1925)
This is one many film buffs may not have heard of. It’s not a masterpiece, but it is certainly a fine little film. (I have seen it, and think it very good. Six of its seven reels are housed at the Library of Congress – and, though the film is incomplete, it stands quite well on its own.) Directed by Herbert Brenon (one of the more accomplished directors of the silent era, and one of the least remembered today), The Street of Forgotten Men is an at-times startling, old-fashioned melodrama – an O. Henry-esque romance set in the Bowery in a “cripple factory” run by professional beggars. The film stars Percy Marmont, who gave a performance widely compared to the best efforts of Lon Chaney. The film also features a young Mary Brian and Neil Hamilton (later Commissioner Gordon on TV’s Batman), as well as Louise Brooks in her first film, an uncredited role as a gangster’s moll.
There are, of course, many other films deserving of release on DVD. What films would you like to see made available?
For more info: Find out more about silent films by visiting the Silent Era website. It contains many informational pages, including a list of “The Top 100 Silent Era Films.”
Six silent films not on DVD that should be
August 27, 11:40 PM SF Silent Movie Examiner Thomas Gladysz
By Thomas Gladysz
SF Silent Film Examiner
As more and more silent films are released on DVD, one thing that becomes apparent are those classics and minor masterpieces not available on DVD. There are some striking omissions.
Kino and Criterion have been releasing silent films (many in restored versions) on DVD since the digital format first emerged in the late 1990s. And lately, newcomers like the Warner Archive Collection, Flicker Alley, Sunrise Silents and others have entered the field with their own eclectic lists of new releases.
In terms of availability, there has never been a better time to be a fan of the silent cinema. Just about any silent film buff is grateful for what has been released.
Today, pretty much every important and available work by such major figures as D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Mary Pickford are available on DVD. But many notable works are not. There are the missing landmark movies, seminal works, and the defining films by favorite stars.
Here is a short list of six films that should be on DVD. Admittedly, this list is subjective. One could make another list – twice or three times as long – featuring different films. A case is made for each film on the list.
Wings (1927)
This film has everything going for it except its availability on DVD. It was the first movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture (and the only silent film to do so). It has a great story. It stars Clara Bow (all of her available films should be released on DVD) and features Richard Arlen, Buddy Rogers and a youthful Gary Cooper. It features great cinematography. And, it was directed by William Wellman – a director who’s silent and sound efforts are once again being recognized by critics and fans alike. Wings, the story of two WWI aviators and the girl they both love, was released on VHS back in 1996 - but with a soundtrack many complain about.
Beggars of Life (1928)
This is another William Wellman film (the director made it right after having made Wings), and it stars future Academy Award winning actor Wallace Beery, dependable Richard Arlen, and the remarkable Louise Brooks dressed-up, if only half convincingly, as a boy. Based on Jim Tully’s autobiographical novel, Beggars of Life tells a suspenseful story of a girl who kills her abusive step-father and runs from the law dressed as a boy while riding the rails with a largely menacing male group of hobos. Danger, androgyny, the dispossessed – and trains. What more could you want?
The Crowd (1928)
This should be required viewing for anyone who has never seen a silent film. Why? Because it contains all the virtues of silent era film making – and none of the faults. It features great cinematography, a great script, and fine acting – all told visually and without dialogue. It never fails to impress. And it never fails to convince those unaccustomed to silent film that the medium has a lot more to offer than melodramatic stories and acting. The great King Vidor directed this simple story of a young couple, played by Eleanor Boardman and James Murray, as they struggle with their hopes and dreams in a large, impersonal metropolis. If anything, this silent film is contemporary. The Crowd was released on VHS back in 1998.
Show People (1928)
Another King Vidor gem, Show People is a silent movie uniformly loved by people who don't like silent movies. And a lot of that has to do with its star – Marion Davies. She is terrific! When she had the chance, Davies was a great light comedic actress, and this film gives her opportunities by the bushel. Show People, which also stars the very likable William Haines, is a typical Hollywood story – that of a small town girl come to the big city to become a “movie star.” The results - here handled brilliantly, are sublime. Show People was released on VHS in 1998.
Greed (1924)
Much has been said and much has been written about Erich Von Stroheim's epic film. It is a timeless, naturalistic and at times brutal study of greed and what it does to people. Repeatedly, in polls taken around the world, it has ranked as one of the greatest films of all time. Yet, perhaps because of its problematic state – it has languished. The film was famously taken away from the director and cut and cut and cut. Even what remains is powerful, but not pleasing. The film stars Zasu Pitts, Gibson Gowland, and Jean Hersholt. A 130-minute version was released on VHS in 1988. Longer versions are sometimes shown on TCM.
Street of Forgotten Men (1925)
This is one many film buffs may not have heard of. It’s not a masterpiece, but it is certainly a fine little film. (I have seen it, and think it very good. Six of its seven reels are housed at the Library of Congress – and, though the film is incomplete, it stands quite well on its own.) Directed by Herbert Brenon (one of the more accomplished directors of the silent era, and one of the least remembered today), The Street of Forgotten Men is an at-times startling, old-fashioned melodrama – an O. Henry-esque romance set in the Bowery in a “cripple factory” run by professional beggars. The film stars Percy Marmont, who gave a performance widely compared to the best efforts of Lon Chaney. The film also features a young Mary Brian and Neil Hamilton (later Commissioner Gordon on TV’s Batman), as well as Louise Brooks in her first film, an uncredited role as a gangster’s moll.
There are, of course, many other films deserving of release on DVD. What films would you like to see made available?
For more info: Find out more about silent films by visiting the Silent Era website. It contains many informational pages, including a list of “The Top 100 Silent Era Films.”