The Best All-Round Company Making Comedies at Present -- July 17, 2018

Moving Picture World, 27-July-1918

In this Pathé ad, Harold Lloyd poses as a lifeguard, while his leading lady, Bebe Daniels, peers around a corner.

Moving Picture World, 20-July-1918

"Rolin studios do not expect to take a vacation, but will keep the respective noses of Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels and Harry Pollard to the studio grindstone."  The same month, Vitagraph had announced that its Big V comedy unit would work through the summer (http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2018/07/big-v-comedies-ignore-hot-weather-july.html).

Moving Picture World, 13-July-1918

"The best all-round company making comedies at present."

Charlie Chaplin Has His Picture Taken -- July 15, 2018

Cine Mundial, July, 1918

The North American Film Service was releasing movies by both Charlie Chaplin and Chaplin imitator Billy West (http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/search/label/Billy%20West) in Spanish-language markets.  I like the figures of Chaplin playing around his name.

Moving Picture World, 06-July-1918

Essanay was rereleasing individual Chaplin movies, along with the Snakeville Comedies, which are not nearly as funny.

Film Daily, 14-July-1918

Essanay was also releasing Chase Me Charlie, a feature compiled in Britain from several of Chaplin's Essanay shorts.

Moving Picture World, 06-July-1918

"...with an hour of continuous fun."

Moving Picture World, 13-July-1918

"Keep Up The Nation's Morale!"

Moving Picture World, 13-July-1918

Chaplin's initial release for First National, "A Dog's Life," set a record in New York.

Moving Picture World, 20-July-1918

Chaplin was working on his next film, "Shoulder Arms," a service comedy, with the help of Corporal OW De Varila, "who fired the first shot in France for the United States artillery..."

Moving Picture World, 13-July-1918

Chaplin had a visit from Polish-American pianist Leopold Godowsky.  He received a lot of visitors.

Bastille Day, 2017 -- July 14, 2017

www.listal.com

In honor of Bastille Day, here is Claudette Colbert, who made her career in America but was born in France. She played many great parts, including Cleopatra in Cecil B DeMille's movie.

www..listal.com

www.listal.com

She did not want to appear in Frank Capra's It Happened One Night because he had directed her first movie, a flop called For the Love of Mike.

www.listal.com

I'm a great fan of Preston Sturges' The Palm Beach Story.

www.listal.com

Ingmar Bergman 100 -- July 14, 2018

www.lucywho.com

Director Ingmar Bergman was born 100 years ago today, on 14-July-1918. Back in the 1970's, when I went to a lot of foreign films and revivals at the Lumiere, the Bridge, the Surf, the Golden Gateway, the Parkside, and many other houses in and around San Francisco, I didn't see many films by Ingmar Bergman. Perhaps I had bad timing, or perhaps Bergman was considered old fashioned.

Thinking about the Bergman movies that I have seen, Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal, Autumn Sonata, Fanny and Alexander, Smiles of a Summer Night and others, I can't say that I have always enjoyed them, in the sense that they gave me pleasure, but I have always learned things about people and cinema. The happiest moment I can remember was in The Magic Flute, with the throwaway shot of the dragon walking down the hall backstage.

Tom Mix, In Photoplays Produced by William Fox -- July 13, 2018

Motion Picture News, 20-July-1918

100 years ago this month, Tom Mix was very popular "In Photoplays Produced by William Fox."

Moving Picture World, 20-July-1918

Cowboy's from Mix's company shot up a large portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm, when it was no longer needed by another production.  \

Motion Picture News, 20-July-1918

Mix and director Lynn Reynolds had trouble getting horses to jump off of a bridge.  I wonder why.

Motion Picture News, 20-July-1918

Tom Mix was known for doing his own stunts.  Leading lady Kathlyn Connors got to do some of her own, too.

Piper's Opera House -- July 11, 2018

Moving Picture Weekly, 20-July-1918

Piper's Opera House is a famous theater in Virginia City, Nevada. The third version of the opera house was built in 1878. The first two versions burned. Many famous performers including Lily Langtry and Al Jolson played Piper's. Daniel Connor started showing movies there in 1910.  It still stands on B Street.  I took the photo below in July, 2011.

Show Your Patrons Pershing in France -- July 9, 2018

Moving Picture World, 14-July-1918

The Universal Animated Weekly offered a special release On 13-June-1917, General John J Pershing arrived in France.  He was Commander of the AEF (American Expeditionary Force), which combined regular Army, National Guard and Marine units.

Moving Picture World, 14-July-1918

"Scenes of General's Greeting at Sea Port and in Paris Arouse Great Enthusiasm at Rialto."

Moving Picture World, 20-July-1918

The United States joined the First World War in April, 1917. Learning from the British, the United States put its propaganda efforts into the hands of one organization, the Committee on Public Information, also called the Creel Committee, after its chairman, George Creel. The Creel Committee produced a few features. The first was Pershing's Crusaders. "Pershing's Crusaders was taken by the U.S. Signal Corps and Navy Photographers and the French General Staff."