Unknown Video's Whiz Bang #1
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:03 am
This week I received Unknown Video’s Whiz Bang #1, a compilation disc of two- to five-reel silent actions films featuring cowboys, villains, a cute piglet, heroines with spunk, crazy college kids, a hotsy-totsy hula babe, a dog detective, heroines with no spunk, a little bauble for the gents, a Ken Maynard trailer, and Rex the Evil-Tempered, Face-Biting King of the Horses. The films on Whiz Bang #1 boast no stars and have no pretensions to art, but they’re stuffed full of action, romance, and heroics (both animal and human). These fun little films were the bread and butter of the silent film industry, and you can certainly see why.
Whiz Bang #1 begins with rodeo-star-turned-actor Art Acord’s The Show Down. This is the first Art Acord film I’ve seen, he’s an attractive fella but according to Chris’s liner notes it didn’t end well. Acord had several run-ins with the criminal justice system, were there problems with socialization? The Show Down features a really cute piglet (Marcella Pershing is kinda cute, too) and much ridin’, shootin’, heroine-rescuin’, villain-squashin’ and general whoopin’ it up. And a lot of really big hats. BIG hats. All those cowboys are wearing outstandingly big hats. Look, you need a hat when you’re riding the range, but these are some damn big hats.
So what’s that about, guys?
Then we leave the wild west to go to college with Flashing Oars, directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring George Lewis as the “Calford College” rowing team star. “Calford” is an amalgam of Cal and Stanford; as a UC grad I find that idea sick and wrong, but never mind. Lots of nicely cut beefcake in this one, and since the film revolves around athletics the cake is wearing abbreviated clothing. I’ve never seen Lewis in anything before, what happened to his career? Because he was yummy. Eddie Phillips plays Lewis’s tubercular-looking rival, who breaks training to visit “The Hula Hula Hut,” where there is smoking! drinking! and hula! The film also boasts a pillow fight, but its boys this time. No big hats, though.
Next up is The Wolf, starring Fearless, the Canine Detective...oh, and some actors. Fearless may not have been a household name like Rin-Tin-Tin or Strongheart, but he’s a plucky pup nevertheless. If Fearless lacks Rinty’s wattage, he’s also no prima-dogga; as the notes for Whiz Bang #1 assure me, Fearless did all his own running, jumping, fighting and acting, without benefit of stunt pups or stand-ins. Fearless is also brighter than most cinematic heroes; unlike most of them, he has no qualms about jumping the bad guy when his back is turned--which is the best time to do it. I hope a disc devoted to Fearless, the Canine Detective is coming soon, because Fearless needs to take his rightful place in the Film Puptheon.
Then we seque to Guardians of the Wild, starring Jack Perrin, Ethlyne Claire, and Rex, King of the Wild Horses. Here we get more ridin’, shootin,’ and heroine-rescuin,’ with most of the star power provided by the legendarily evil-tempered Rex. Rex doesn’t have much to do except toss his head so that his generous mane flips around attractively and then race to the rescue, but he does both with panache. Rex also has an odd kick to his gallop, making this the first time I’ve been able to use that expression literally, thank you, Rex. Jack Perrin is a serviceable lead...with a big hat...and Ethlyne Claire is a knockout. Jeez, was she gorgeous, what happened to her career?
The last complete short on the disc rejoices in the title A Future Venus, and is produced by an outfit called “Cine-Art.” Ummm, yes, “Art.” That should be warning enough, but those of you with children of tender sensibilities, take note. The gents will probably enjoy this more than I did, I had enough fun with the rowing team in Flashing Oars. There’s something for everyone on Whiz Bang #1.
The disc closes with a Ken Maynard trailer and a disconnected action scene.
None of the films on this disc rival the great cinematic classics, but for the most part they are a lot more fun and I’ll bet they’re favorites on the big screen and with audiences. The films feature lively piano scores by David Drazin, perfectly suited to the action at hand, and the disc comes with a cool refrigerator magnet which sticks to the animal theme, from Sunshine Comedies Roaring Lions on the Midnight Express.
Two thumbs up for Whiz Bang #1.
Fred
Whiz Bang #1 begins with rodeo-star-turned-actor Art Acord’s The Show Down. This is the first Art Acord film I’ve seen, he’s an attractive fella but according to Chris’s liner notes it didn’t end well. Acord had several run-ins with the criminal justice system, were there problems with socialization? The Show Down features a really cute piglet (Marcella Pershing is kinda cute, too) and much ridin’, shootin’, heroine-rescuin’, villain-squashin’ and general whoopin’ it up. And a lot of really big hats. BIG hats. All those cowboys are wearing outstandingly big hats. Look, you need a hat when you’re riding the range, but these are some damn big hats.
So what’s that about, guys?
Then we leave the wild west to go to college with Flashing Oars, directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring George Lewis as the “Calford College” rowing team star. “Calford” is an amalgam of Cal and Stanford; as a UC grad I find that idea sick and wrong, but never mind. Lots of nicely cut beefcake in this one, and since the film revolves around athletics the cake is wearing abbreviated clothing. I’ve never seen Lewis in anything before, what happened to his career? Because he was yummy. Eddie Phillips plays Lewis’s tubercular-looking rival, who breaks training to visit “The Hula Hula Hut,” where there is smoking! drinking! and hula! The film also boasts a pillow fight, but its boys this time. No big hats, though.
Next up is The Wolf, starring Fearless, the Canine Detective...oh, and some actors. Fearless may not have been a household name like Rin-Tin-Tin or Strongheart, but he’s a plucky pup nevertheless. If Fearless lacks Rinty’s wattage, he’s also no prima-dogga; as the notes for Whiz Bang #1 assure me, Fearless did all his own running, jumping, fighting and acting, without benefit of stunt pups or stand-ins. Fearless is also brighter than most cinematic heroes; unlike most of them, he has no qualms about jumping the bad guy when his back is turned--which is the best time to do it. I hope a disc devoted to Fearless, the Canine Detective is coming soon, because Fearless needs to take his rightful place in the Film Puptheon.
Then we seque to Guardians of the Wild, starring Jack Perrin, Ethlyne Claire, and Rex, King of the Wild Horses. Here we get more ridin’, shootin,’ and heroine-rescuin,’ with most of the star power provided by the legendarily evil-tempered Rex. Rex doesn’t have much to do except toss his head so that his generous mane flips around attractively and then race to the rescue, but he does both with panache. Rex also has an odd kick to his gallop, making this the first time I’ve been able to use that expression literally, thank you, Rex. Jack Perrin is a serviceable lead...with a big hat...and Ethlyne Claire is a knockout. Jeez, was she gorgeous, what happened to her career?
The last complete short on the disc rejoices in the title A Future Venus, and is produced by an outfit called “Cine-Art.” Ummm, yes, “Art.” That should be warning enough, but those of you with children of tender sensibilities, take note. The gents will probably enjoy this more than I did, I had enough fun with the rowing team in Flashing Oars. There’s something for everyone on Whiz Bang #1.
The disc closes with a Ken Maynard trailer and a disconnected action scene.
None of the films on this disc rival the great cinematic classics, but for the most part they are a lot more fun and I’ll bet they’re favorites on the big screen and with audiences. The films feature lively piano scores by David Drazin, perfectly suited to the action at hand, and the disc comes with a cool refrigerator magnet which sticks to the animal theme, from Sunshine Comedies Roaring Lions on the Midnight Express.
Two thumbs up for Whiz Bang #1.
Fred