What's The Last Silent Movie You Watched? [2020]

[CelluloidFellow]

Last night was a Von Strohiem double feature: Blind Husbands (1919) and Foolish Wives (1922). Of the two, which I both enjoyed, I am more likely to watch the latter again. Foolish Wives seemed to be an evolution of Blind Husbands; more debauchery, lavishness, more women being duped, more developed characters and a more enthralling finale. However, if there is one thing I liked more in Blind Husbands, it would be the character of Silent Sepp, played by Gibson Gowland. His smirking, pipe gripping mouth and deathly serious eyebrows were ominous, and his one line was killer. Overall, though, Foolish Wives was a more 'complete' film. It seems Von Strohiem's vision was carried out almost to the fullest, even after the studio cuts.

[moldyfolky]

We indulgedlast night in the Criterion Channel’s exploration of German Expressionist films. They are offering eight this month, 6 silents and two talkies. They make some strange choices, but the prints they are showing are the best available, mostly Murnau-Stiftung restorations with the help of the Film-Museum München and most of the best archives in Europe and North America.

I have seen many of them before, but I was especially anxious to see the restoration of “The Golem”, the 1920 masterpiece of Jewish folklore and Expressionist design. It was breathtaking. In the last 20 years, I have probably shown and taught the film 8 or 10 time in my turn of the century or Weimar Germany courses. I wish I would have had this print available. Like other restorations I have seen over the years, this one renders a whole new film. One can see detail that was completely obscured in the old prints I had access to. There are scenes which I had never seen before—this print is a good 20 minutes longer than others I have seen. The amazing scene, in which the rabbi conjures the word that will enliven the Golem, is both more detailed and much more clearly visible. I am quite amazed and grateful to have seen this.

After we watched that, we watched the first of the films offered (chronologically) which was, of course, “Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari”. I had seen this restoration before, but it is very much worth seeing again. This is the epitome of Expressionist set design, nothing is straight or simple. The plot is very weird and the scenes are extraordinarily bizarre. I love the film, although I do think that the film “Von morgens bis mitternachts”, a year later, by Karl Heinz Martin, is even more over the top “Expressionist”. However, since it was barely ever seen in Germany, and a print only discovered in Japan, where it was evidently quite a hit, it probably shouldn’t figure into this presentation.

Criterion overdoes Fritz Lang, bringing “Der müde Tod” (Destiny), “Dr. Mabuse der Spieler“ (all 4 + hours of it), „Metropolis“, „M“ and „Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse” Great films, the last two talkies hardly Expressionist, but great. More Murnau, Boese, Gruene, and even Pabst would have been good. Nonetheless, it is refreshing to see a collection on Criterion in which 6 of the 8 films offered are silent—and German!—for goodness sake.

[R Michael Pyle]

"The Drake Case" (1929) stars Gladys Brockwell, Robert Frazer, Forrest Stanley, James Crane, Doris Lloyd, Barbara Leonard, and others. This was Brockwell's final film. After filming finished, she was involved in a very serious automobile accident where the car plunged 75 feet over a cliff. She was rushed to the hospital where she had four blood transfusions. She developed peritonitis and died in July at the age of 34, before the release of the film in September.

The version I watched was the silent version. A sound version was released, too. This little 54 minute show misses a few frames here and there, but it's a corker of a movie! Wonderful mystery; we see Brockwell at the beginning of the film as a servant in the household of Doris Lloyd and her daughter, Barbara Leonard, and Brockwell may be blackmailing Lloyd. For what reason we can't imagine. Then Lloyd is murdered. The butler is found over the body. But Brockwell is eventually accused, and we think we know why. But - did she actually commit the murder? Great court room drama ensues with twists and turns a-plenty! And I do - mean - twists - and - turns...!

My print is a beat up thing, but it plays perfectly well anyway. A DVD I got from England. Don't know if the music is original to the film or something added...

Recommended for those who love a good mystery for about an hour or so, and one mixed with court room scenes. This one is really well done. Should be better known. It's worth it...

Directed by Edward Laemmle, nephew of Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Studios. He directed nearly 50 pictures during a really interesting career. Carl Laemmle, Edward's uncle, was the original "presenter" when this film originally opened. He would have gone on stage before the showing of the film at its premiere and introduced it.

[R Michael Pyle]

Decided to watch "The Fighting Coward" (1924), a show I'd watched thirty years or so ago on VHS. My print now is an updated release version from Grapevine that is taken from a gorgeous amber print. I bought this several years ago, but just hadn't taken the time to view it. Stars Cullen Landis, Ernest Torrence, Mary Astor, Noah Beery, Sr., Phyllis Haver, G. Raymond Nye, Helen Dunbar, Richard Neill, Carmen Phillips, and others. Let me begin by saying that this is supposedly a comedy. But I'll grade it a 'comedy-of-sorts'. It's based on a play by Booth Tarkington, a man from Indianapolis, Indiana in the heart of the Midwest. The fact that this film is based somewhere around Natchez and plays like a Southerner's Southern picture from around the time ten or twenty years prior to the Civil War makes it a real curiosity for Tarkington. The play, "Magnolia", was actually commissioned by Lionel Barrymore, though Barrymore eventually wanted nothing to do with it. Barrymore had written several outlines before handing it over to Tarkington. The original New York Times reviewer of the film begins with these lines, "Looking upon it as a light satire almost lost in bristling burlesque, with a none too critical eye upon the utterly improbable story, one can gather quite a lot of fun from "The Fighting Coward," which was translated to the screen from Booth Tarkington's play, "Magnolia," in which the sturdy Leo Carrillo figured last August. James Cruze, who directed this picture, which is being exhibited at the Rivoli, leaps from a gigantic Western effort to satire and comedy without a qualm."

The 'Southern issues' in the film will be found unpleasantly non politically correct today. Especially race issues which are presented as they probably were, but passed over without a qualm. The issues of killing for the fun of it and dueling will be found over-the-top, but that is exactly what they were intended to do. This show plays extremely well!! It's incredibly watchable as a relic. It's definitely satire and it's really well done. It's just that...well, today's audiences will have to adjust to 1924 presenting a century before that! Several allowances will have to be made. But, when they're made, then this film should be thought a good satire. The racially provocative scenes will have to be forgiven or understood in a certain context of the date of the mise-en-scene; they're purposefully shown that way.

Mary Astor begins the film as a 15 year old. She ends up a few years later in the film. But...she was only 16 or 17 when this film was made! She looks that age, too. She's given a chance here to show some acting chops, but not really enough to give an indication of what she'd be twenty years later. Cullen Landis is fine here. He's not the most charismatic actor who ever lived, but he's good for the part and executes it well. Of course, pros like Ernest Torrence and Noah Beery, Sr. chew up the set as if it's a meal. They're really fine, and they add immensely to the film. Phyllis Haver, G. Raymond Nye, Helen Dunbar, and Carmen Phillips perfectly fill their parts. Haver went on to better things just a year or so later.

If you're looking for something quite unexpectedly different - and well done - here it is!

[R Michael Pyle]

A cute little animated cartoon from 1924, "Felix Doubles for Darwin" is a 9 or 10 minute romp that shows Felix the Cat as a starving cat looking for food; finding his chance at some money when he's given the challenge to prove Man actually comes FROM monkeys... The word 'from' is important. Indeed, monkeys may come AFTER Man...

Funny, satiric, well done. This is on Grapevine's DVD of the feature "The Fighting Coward" as an extra.

[R Michael Pyle]

Watched "High Treason" (1929) with Benita Hume, Basil Gill, Humberston Wright, Jameson Thomas, and others (including a young Raymond Massey). Shot in both silent and sound versions. I watched the silent version first. This is a political/idealist/science fiction drama, and the silent version takes place in 1950. I must mention this last fact because the sound version for some reason takes place in 1940! Directed by Maurice Elvey, it is interesting to mention this because the film mentions a channel tunnel between England and mainland Europe, and Elvey made a film in 1935 about building a tunnel from England to America and called it "The Tunnel" (aka "Transatlantic Tunnel"), this with an all-star cast!

Everybody who has seen this and wishes to make a critique seems to mention that this was made seven years before "Things to Come" (1936), a similarly themed film which starred Raymond Massey. "High Treason" is not only an extremely idealistic film, it is at times ridiculously naive, but seemingly happy to be so. The incredibly beautiful Art Deco sets and the supposedly very 'mod' dress of the actors and actresses is nearly humorous for a viewer today, but still, the presentation is wonderfully watchable nevertheless. The 'hats' worn by Benita Hume are particularly fascinating. They imitate the cloche hats being worn by ladies during the 1925-31 seasons, but lack bills, making the pull-down hat look nearly like a scull cap. There are a couple of 'dressing scenes', too, which will make the cognoscenti instantly think of Hitchcock's habit of showing a leading lady in her underwear at some time during the film. During 'High Treason' we see Hume in a modern shower scene, although what is mainly shown - if not exclusively shown - are the handles for 'hot', 'cold', etc. May I add - nothing's changed...

The story itself regards nerves on the shredding edge at the boundaries of countries. America is still evidently in a Prohibitionist mode, though that's never made perfectly clear. We see at the outset, however, a couple trying to enter who have liquor and are stopped. They try to smuggle the goods in anyway and are stopped by a huge grenade-like device! Now, remember, this is supposedly 1950. That means that the 1932-4 repeal...well...you understand, the film was made in 1929. Anyway, munitions people want another war. The peace movement, a group who keeps running tabs on new members worldwide with a large number counter showing at all times, is trying to avert war between the European faction and the 'Atlantic' faction (evidently America, and, specifically, the USA). The munitions people win the waiting game until...then an imminent war looms...then...then...something happens that, well...you'll have to watch...and be perhaps surprised by the ending...or not...

Fun to watch actually. Certainly not a great film. Not even sure it's a good film. But it's watchable anyway. Perhaps the younger generation of viewers will find the film just plain too old-fashioned...perhaps not...

[DavidWelling]

A Woman of the World (1925)

This is the first silent film I've seen with Pola, and introduced to Mack. It appears that Charles Emmett Mack had a lot of promise as a silent film actor when his star was rising when he was killed in a car accident in March 1927 while on the way to film a racing scene in The First Auto (1927). The car he was driving in overturned and collided wit another car, which killed him instantly.

Very enjoyable movie from start to finish.

While this is a good Negri film, the one to see is Barbed Wire. It proves that she really was a great actress. Hotel Imperial is also good.

[boblipton]

Dick Whittington And His Cat (1913): Vinnie Burns is Dick Whittington, who comes to London, where he imagines the streets are paved with gold. They aren't. He -- even though Miss Burns isn't a boy, the character is -- gets a job sculling the kitchen of a wealthy merchant. His garret is overrun with rats, so he gets a cat. When the merchant sets sail, he offers his employees the chance to proffer their possession for trade. Dick only owns his cat. He offers it.

I'm sure you know the popular English fairy tale. Alice Guy directs this early feature (more than 40 minutes long!) in a style suggestive of a Christmas pantomime. That's almost certainly why it's a lady who plays the title role. Other than that, it's performed in a fairly naturalistic style, even though it's almost entirely stage-bound (Dick is by some rocks doors when he hears the Bow Bell), and the costumes are the sort of high medieval clothing you'll see in book engravings. It's a very engaging movie for the year it was made. With a good organ accompaniment, it would still go over very well.

Bob

[boblipton]

In The Intrigue (1916) Cecil van Auker has developed a machine to make sheep drop dead and TNT explode at a distance. He offers to sell this to an unnamed foreign country involved in the Great War -- obviously Germany. Another unnamed power -- Russia -- learns of this and sends Countess Leonore Ulric to thwart the plans of Baron Howard Davies to collect the device and kill van Auker. Davies learns of this and tells off a minion to keep an eye on Ulric. She tells her maid to pretend to be her and travel in first class to America, while Lenore puts on a gypsy costume and travels in steerage. She gains the attention of van Auker, who is gallant, and Davies, who offers her a job as a housemaid in his house.

The version I looked at is a snappy 64 minutes with a nice crisis in the last fifteen minutes, as van Auker goes to Davies' house to hand him the instructions, get paid, and killed. The rest of it is rather straightforward and well acted by the standards of 1916. Although the IMDB would have you believe that Frank Lloyd directed, the screen credits clearly list writer Julia Crawford Ivers as the director. Lloyd is the "supervisor", which tended to be the producer. James van Trees, Miss Ivers' son, is the cinematographer.

Kino has just released this movie on blu-ray and DVD in a handsome set that includes three short films by Miss Ivers, a solid score by Ben Model, and a commentary track by Anthony Slide. It's a solid potboiler for anyone interested in movies in that era.

Bob

[boblipton]

A Son of Erin (1916): Dustin Farnum and Winifred Kingston are a couple of poor Irish is to get married and have a cow. When Farnum reads that New York City has the finest police force in America, because it's all Irishmen, Farnum decides that's the place for him. So Miss Kingston sells her pig, Farnum borrows the rest, and it's off to the New World for him. It takes him half the movie to get on the force, and he promptly loses his job, when he refuses to accept pay-offs for his boss from women who wear kimonos.

Julia Crawford Ivers wrote and directed this movie, and it's pretty open and honest about police corruption in New York. Farnum winds up dealing with political bosses and crooked construction contractor. Miss Kingston isn't in the movie much, but her performance sets the tone, and Farnum's thoughts clearly are never far from her.

It's an extra on the new blu-ray/dvd from Kino that features The Intrigue. Like the other extras, it's not in great shape; there's bubbling in the emulsion in several spots, and one of its reels is missing entirely; that's compensated for by titles that cover the gap. I's another good potboiler from the period.


Bob

[R Michael Pyle]

I watched "We're in the Navy Now" (1925) with Wallace Beery, Raymond Hatton, Tom Kennedy, Chester Conklin, Donald Keith, Lorraine Eason, Joseph W. Girard, and others. Of the fifteen collaborations (including short tours of studios, etc.) Beery and Hatton made together, three were American armed services oriented - and comedic. This one has the boys joining the Navy, though that was definitely NOT the plan in the first place. Beery is a boxer and Hatton his shifty manager who's taken the money from the last bout - a bout Beery loses to Tom Kennedy. In a chase scene between Beery and Hatton, they end up in a recruiting line and get - what did you expect?...recruited! On board the ship they run into - yep, you guessed it, Tom Kennedy as a senior officer. Every kind of high jinx imaginable occurs, from spies on board, even women spies (whose side is/are she/they on?), to war itself with the enemy (this is WWI).

At the beginning I thought that this was just plain - stupid... But it got better. And better. It actually is a pretty funny film. Tom Kennedy steals the show. Beery and Hatton are simply stupid slugs who make it through life by mistake. None of us could make it through were we to live as they. Trust me.

Good print from Grapevine.

[R Michael Pyle]

"Ben Blair" (1916) is definitely a film of its time. Included in the new Blu-Ray Kino Lorber release of "Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers, Intrigue, the Films of Julia Crawford Ivers", I was particularly drawn to this film because it stars Dustin Farnum, one of filmdom's earliest Western stars. This one was ostensibly directed by William Desmond Taylor, and was written for film (scenario) by Julia Crawford Ivers, based on the novel Ben Blair: The Story of a Plainsman by William Otis Lillibridge. Besides Farnum, this one stars Winifred Kingston (Farnum's team member on film a total of 19 times[!], and eventually his 3rd wife), Herbert Standing, Lamar Johnstone, Fred Burns, Virginia Foltz, and others.

Beginning for a good fifteen minutes or more in the early youth of Ben Blair (played when young by Gordon Griffith, and played very well indeed), this one shows Blair's mother deserting her husband, going to live with Tom Blair (played by Fred Burns) in a hovel of a home. The mise-en-scene of the entire setting, especially the hovel of a home, is spectacular! There's a long tunnel dug into the earthen wall inside for the dog to live in, and for the boy to escape when he feels it's necessary. This has to be seen to be totally understood and believed! It saves the boy, however, when his father accidentally kills Ben's mother when he comes home very drunk, demands dinner, then pummels Ben's mother when she's deathly ill, which kills her. Tom Blair then sets up a pyre and burns the place to the ground, this while Ben is hiding in the hole. Ben lives, then becomes a ward of Lamar Johnstone, father of the girl who becomes later played by Winifred Kingston. She has a thing for young Ben Blair, but he's haunted presently by his past. Later, he has a thing for her. Eventually, Johnstone learns his father's died back East, and he and his wife (who never wanted to come West in the first place!!) and daughter Kingston go back East and settle for some time. Winifred Kingston is wooed by a wretch, though she doesn't realize what he really is. She even thinks she'll accept a wedding proposal and become engaged. When Ben Blair sees an announcement about the same - he goes East to see what's-a-happenin'. Things ramp up. He's meanwhile, before going East, taken care of a problem with his father who's turned up again as a cattle rustler and horse thief. Taken care of the problem rather permanently... A little revenge; a little sympathy; a little like son and father...

I'll leave the ending because it comes as quite a jolt for a modern audience. I think it must have come as a jolt for any audience in any age. It IS normal. It IS NOT normal. It's the wild West. It's any time, and it's love as only love is...

Fascinating film. Trying to ruminate the next morning as I am, I can't quite dismiss the ending as ridiculous at all. Still, this one is something else. I'll just leave it at that.

Nice print, though there are sections with severe nitrate deterioration. Too bad. Been restored with original tints where possible. Again, fascinating film.

[Salty Dog]

Mantrap (1926), Directed by Victor Fleming, with Clara Bow, Percy Malmont, Eugene Pallette, and Ernest Torrence. Suprisingly, adapted from a Sinclair Lewis novel! This was the version that appeared on Treasures 5 The West collection. It was a really nice looking print, aside from some scratching of the print. Score was straightforward and worked for the film.

I am not sure if Ernest Torrance is supposed to be the most likable character in the film, but he is. As charismatic, charming and sexy as Clara Bow is, her character here is kind of creepy and manipulative. And Percy Malmont is just a creep; not sure if it's the actor or the part of both, but I couldn't stand him. The listing in Wikipedia also has Ford Sterling in the film, if he is, I missed him. I will check out the commentary track tomorrow.

[R Michael Pyle]

Watched "The Intrigue" (1916) with Lenore Ulric, Cecil van Auker, Howard Davies, Florence Vidor, Paul Weigel, and Herbert Standing. This is the lead film on the new Blu-Ray release from Kino Lorber's "Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers". It's a fine film at first, begins with lots of intrigue, just as the title indicates. It gets extremely suspenseful, then suddenly uses every trope of potboilers from time immemorial and closes on a note so far removed from where I thought it might go - or where reality exists. I think we went from Earth to the Moon, then not only came back to earth, but someone pulled the plug on plot and now we're in the bathroom. I was watching great intrigue. Next thing I knew, I was watching a 30's serial. Ended with the sunset of a "B" Western.

Cecil van Auker invents a ray gun that can kill from quite a distance. Our government turns it down; this, when it looked as if he had a contract. So, van Auker goes looking for governments to buy the gun. He finds one. Remember, this film was made during WWI. It looks as if our enemies will buy it. If not, then a government whose politics don't agree with ours. Meanwhile, there's the Countess. Now she gets involved for her government - or is it for the world at large?

Could have been much better than it ends. Still, it's fun to watch. I enjoyed it till the last five to ten minutes. Then - well... Good that the film survives. Good that we're seeing how women were involved even from the outset of films - and now being remembered. Julia Crawford Ivers was heavily involved in this and three other films on the Blu-Ray.

[2 Reel]

The Seventh Day (1922) directed by Henry King and starring Richard Barthelmess, a talking picture as opposed to a talkie picture. Watching it is like watching a sound movie with the sound turned off. The scant story consists mainly of actors talking, talking, talking, and few subtitles to tell you what they're saying. This is the kind of story that would make a better novel or play than a silent movie: city kids with hip flasks enjoy a jaunt on a party yacht that is forced to set anchor in an isolated fishing village. Enter Richard Barthelmess, commander of a schooner, and romantic complications develop, as one after another face off to talk. A pleasant little truffle without much meat, the surviving prints are relatively clean and sharp, showing a lot of detail, and the beautiful Maine locations provide rich visual elements that come through big. This is no studio piece. It looks real because so much of it is real. Barthelmess is the only person that jumps out of the screen with a punch. That boy possessed something rare, and even in light fair such as this nearly transparent story, he shines memorably.

[Roscoe]

NAPOLEON in that BFI Blu Ray that made a multi-region player a necessity rather than a luxury. Watched over three days, one day per disc, which isn't ideal but home attention spans are shorter. As always, the great stuff is still great. The less than great stuff, and yeah there's less than great stuff, doesn't last long, and if you hang on there'll be something guaranteed to have your jaw hanging open.

[bgp]

Wife and I watched the 1929 Tod Browney / Lon Chaney collaboration "Where East is East." Not quite as good as the other movies the two has worked on but still very enjoyable. I like to call this film "a family affair" as it has the love interest (Bobby) of Toyo (Lupe Velez) fall in love with Toyo's mother (Estelle Taylor), whom is despised by her former husband/lover Tiger (Lon Chaney). Quite a love triangle though I thought Toyo forgave Bobby a bit too easily towards the end. I mean, the guy was dead set on running off with mama if it wasn't for Tiger letting loose his gorilla. lol

[bgp]

Be it Lon Chaney's birthday today, I watched 1922's "Flesh and Blood." The version I seen only ran 46 minutes though I see the full version exists on youtube. However, the DVD i have is of much better quality than what's on youtube, so I stuck with that version and despite being shortened, I was able to follow the story just fine. (Is the full version available on a quality DVD release?) I enjoyed the film though it did feel like I've seen this story before as it featured situations that would show up in other films. Granted this came out in 1922 and the films I referred to came out later, so perhaps if I had watched his movies in release order, it wouldn't have come off as such. But it was entertaining and I wouldn't mind watching the full version if a quality print of that exists on home video.

[R Michael Pyle]

I watched the final two films on the new Kino-Lorber release "Pioneers: The First Women Filmmakers: Julia Crawford Ivers". The main release is "Intrigue", but there are two other features on the Blu-Ray, plus the one surviving reel of "The Majesty of the Law" (1915). I watched that one surviving reel (reel 4) first. It's actually exciting; makes you want to see it all. The film starred George Fawcett, Jane Wolfe, William Desmond, Myrtle Stedman, John Oaker, Charles Ruggles (yes, that Charles Ruggles in his second recorded film), and Herbert Standing. What we see in this surviving reel is William Desmond gambling away $5000 and owing it quickly to nasties. He needs the money before the nasties inform the father. That's all that survives. It's tinted beautifully, but there's an awful lot of nitrate deterioration at the end of the reel. Too bad.

Next, I watched the four surviving reels of "A Son of Erin" (1916) with William Farnum, Winifred Kingston, Tom Bates, Jack Livingston, Wilfred McDonald, Wallace Pyke, Lee Willard, and others. Of all the films on the Blu-Ray, this was my favorite. It's about the poor Irishman, Farnum, going to America to become a cop in NYC. He does, discovers there's plenty of corruption in the department, too, tries to rise above it, is fired, but... Yes, it's a potboiler, and you've seen it before - or its like - but this is really well done, beautifully directed, and the acting is quite good. As I said, I really liked this one. Its missing reel four, but intertitles and a couple of still photographs are placed to easily make the elision into the final reel almost seem seamless.

This Blu-Ray is outstanding; it's been great re-discovering Julia Crawford Ivers, a lady I'd never even heard of before. She had a lot of talent, and especially for the kind of entertainment that the masses were devouring. She'd have been great in modern television, I think. Hooray to you, Kino-Lorber. More of this kind of thing!

[silentfilm]

I watched the final two films on the new Kino-Lorber release "Pioneers: The First Women Filmmakers: Julia Crawford Ivers". The main release is "Intrigue", but there are two other features on the Blu-Ray, plus the one surviving reel of "The Majesty of the Law" (1915). I watched that one surviving reel (reel 4) first. It's actually exciting; makes you want to see it all. The film starred George Fawcett, Jane Wolfe, William Desmond, Myrtle Stedman, John Oaker, Charles Ruggles (yes, that Charles Ruggles in his second recorded film), and Herbert Standing. What we see in this surviving reel is William Desmond gambling away $5000 and owing it quickly to nasties. He needs the money before the nasties inform the father.

Michael, the teller that refuses to loan the money to the gambler is William Desmond. I'd recognize that chin anywhere. It looks like his character takes the blame for the loss that the bank examiner finds.

[R Michael Pyle]

I watched the final two films on the new Kino-Lorber release "Pioneers: The First Women Filmmakers: Julia Crawford Ivers". The main release is "Intrigue", but there are two other features on the Blu-Ray, plus the one surviving reel of "The Majesty of the Law" (1915). I watched that one surviving reel (reel 4) first. It's actually exciting; makes you want to see it all. The film starred George Fawcett, Jane Wolfe, William Desmond, Myrtle Stedman, John Oaker, Charles Ruggles (yes, that Charles Ruggles in his second recorded film), and Herbert Standing. What we see in this surviving reel is William Desmond gambling away $5000 and owing it quickly to nasties. He needs the money before the nasties inform the father.

Michael, the teller that refuses to loan the money to the gambler is William Desmond. I'd recognize that chin anywhere. It looks like his character takes the blame for the loss that the bank examiner finds.

I think you're absolutely correct. Sorry - and thanks.

[Big Silent Fan]

Observing Florida's 'Stay at Home' order, my friend and I watched the same films together, but separately at the same time thanks to YouTube.
First, it was "Nanook of the North," an amazing documentary from 1922. What a thrill to watch such an interesting story about Eskimos. We talked on the phone nearly 30 minutes about what we saw before moving on.
Next, we watch "The Garden of Eden" (1928) with the original organ/piano score I heard on TCM years ago. The music was carefully synced to the picture and the picture quality was first rate. Since we were apart, I even played my DVD recording of Robert Osborne introducing "The Garden of Eden" while my friend listened on the phone.
We finished the day watching a hour long western film, William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy and Lee J. Cobb in "Rustler's Valley" (1937).

Thanks to YouTube and the telephone, we could still watch films together. Even the telemarketers have stayed away from making those seemingly insatiable calls from morning to night.

[fredhedges]

I streamed La Nave (1921) from Cineteca Milano's wonderful website. I could hardly call this a movie; more like an epic poem with illustrations. Even with making allowances for some apparent missing footage, the story is poorly constructed and edited, and the intertitles are too long and far too many. D'annunzio directed and wrote the screenplay, which explains the pompous grandiosity and overall reactionary quality of the film.

[drednm]

Got about halfway through Dangerous Hours (1919) since I couldn't read most of the intertitles and the political story left me rather cold. Story of mill owners, union strikes and a group of idealistic humanists who get duped by a vicious Russian revolutionary just wasn't enough to keep me going. Lloyd Hughes stars as the hero John King who gets sucked into a plot that destroys his sweetie's shipyard in New Meadows, MA. He's spurred on by Sophia Guerni (Claire Du Brey) whose fervor is not all political. Most of the rebels have "foreign" names while the good people are named King and Weston, etc. You get the idea.

[bgp]

Did a Chaney double feature. Started with "The Unknown". It was great to finally see this film with both Chaney and Joan Crawford. It definitely did not disappoint. Even with some footage still missing, I was able to follow the movie just fine. I'm sure you all know the story, so I'm not going to rehash it but the things people do for love.
Now while I liked the soundtrack for the DVD, I did think they went a little overboard in some places. Rather than add to the movie, it did distract me at times. I don't mind a more modern take on soundtracks but they shouldn't try to outdo what is on screen. I'm sure the next time I view the movie, I'll be more used to it and it probably won't be as distracting.

Second feature I watched was the reconstruction of "London After Midnight." I always heard this played out rather boring as it's a 46+ minute slide show. I highly enjoyed it though. The music fit perfectly. The intertitles really helped move the story along. There were a few spots I sort of got lost in what was going on. After watching this reconstruction, I do feel like I have a good grasp of how the movie would have played out. Kudos to all involved in that project.

[barafan]

I decided to finally pull out the Criterion version of Vampyr (and yes, I know there's sound, but it does run a great deal like a silent). On a first watching, I found it a little confusing, but the atmospherics are what kept me hooked. I actually laughed at the end (spoiler alert!) as the doctor died in the mill, as all I could think of was the end of A Corner in Wheat.

Yesterday I watched the first disc of the Serial Squadron collection of Beatrice Fairfax. Of course, it's no great shakes, but it is entertaining, and I wish someone had been able to take time to do a small "then and now" bit of shooting locations in and around the Wharton studio. I especially wish I knew what kind of car Harry Fox was driving in the episode "Mimosa San;" I'd like to have one for myself!

I think I'm going to do a Von Stroheim watch party next.

[bgp]

Earlier I watched 1928's "Laugh Clown Laugh" starring Lon Chaney. I have mixed feelings on this. I liked the performances and it's great to see Chaney running around like a clown on stage but the main story is just kind of weird / creepy. The story is about a man who has fallen in love with, for all practical purposes, his daughter. Not blood daughter as she was an orphan when Chaney's character found her many years prior. And the fact that in the main story, she's only 14 (played by Loretta Young). If she was older and was more a co-worker rather than the daughter archetype, then it would not have bothered me at all. I dunno, just weird vibes on this one, lol. I must say, the score on the DVD was very good and went along with the movie quite nicely. Of the two clown movies that Lon did, I prefer "He Who Gets Slapped."

[FrankFay]

Earlier I watched 1928's "Laugh Clown Laugh" starring Lon Chaney. I have mixed feelings on this. I liked the performances and it's great to see Chaney running around like a clown on stage but the main story is just kind of weird / creepy. The story is about a man who has fallen in love with, for all practical purposes, his daughter. Not blood daughter as she was an orphan when Chaney's character found her many years prior. And the fact that in the main story, she's only 14 (played by Loretta Young). If she was older and was more a co-worker rather than the daughter archetype, then it would not have bothered me at all. I dunno, just weird vibes on this one, lol. I must say, the score on the DVD was very good and went along with the movie quite nicely. Of the two clown movies that Lon did, I prefer "He Who Gets Slapped."

Similar situation in "While the City Sleeps" between Chaney & Anita Page's character, though her character IS older which tempers the ick factor. (he nevertheless overacts when she sits on his lap)

[boblipton]

The Germans don't fool around with their titles, as can be seen with Arnold Fanck's romantic comedy. Der große Sprung - Eine unwahrscheinliche, aber begte Geschichte aka the much more succinct The Big Spring (1927). Leni Riefenstahl is an Italian peasant who lives in the Dolemites. She enjoys free climbing barefoot, much to the annoyance of her would-be lover, Luis Trenker. One day she is lathering her goat by the river. She rescues Berlin tourist Hans Schneeberger, and the two instantly fall in love. This would not be a romantic comedy if there were no impediment to their love, and Schneeberger -- a great name for a mountain movie actor, is it not? -- is a shy, repressed city man. He misses a date with her and her eighteen or twenty orphaned brothers and sisters, so she sets him the challenge of winning the big cross-country skiing race.

Thanks to the machinations of Schneeberger's valet, Paul Graetz, the fix is in through various tricks, involving a fat suit, propellers and an umbrella, in fullblown silent-movie fantasy gags. The race, which takes up the second half of the film is a long-winded affair, full of comic tricks, a goat on skis, and much excellent camerawork by Fanck's team of six cinematographers, who shoot the skiers on the snow in an engaging fashion. It's a very engaging movie.

I looked at it on the new Kino dvd, from the Murnau Stiftung restoration. The print is in excellent shape, and Neil Brand's score is a fine one. For some reason, he seems to have chosen his themes by doing variations on Richard Roger's "Manhattan" and Cole Porter's "Love For Sale." I won't argue with success. It's a first-class silent comedy.

Bob

[bgp]

1921's "Ace of Hearts" starring Lon Chaney. A secret society plots the assassination of a man they determined deserved death after months of being studied closely. A person among the group is chosen to commit the murder if they pick an "ace of hearts" from a deck of cards. The youngest male member of the circle picks the card and seems pretty excited to fulfill this commitment but has a change of heart when he marries Lilith, the only female member of the group. Plot kind of moves a bit too fast in that regards and their history is not entirely fleshed out. I was surprised that Chaney was more a side character in the film rather than the lead. Chaney is in a class of his own in terms of acting and stands out from the others in the film. I know a lot of people really enjoy this film but I found it average. Score was pretty good though.