Saturday, August 31, 2019

Eyes of Youth -- August 31, 2019

Moving Picture World, 23-August-1919
Clara Kimball Young was a big star.  Here she meets with the cast of her feature film Eyes of Youth. The white-suited gentleman in the back row is "Rudolfo Valentino."  Rudolph Valentino made a big impression in a small part.

Moving Picture World, 02-August-1919
A lot people were moving to new studios around this time.

Moving Picture World, 02-August-1919
At the same time that Metro was promoting fewer and better pictures, the new Equity Pictures promised ten big features a year, four with Clara Kimball Young.

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
Clara Kimball Young shot some scenes in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Moving Picture World, 16-August-1919
Moving Picture World, 16-August-1919
Eyes of Youth was based on a play by Max Marcin and Charles Guernon.  Marjorie Rambeau played the lead role on Broadway.

Moving Picture World, 23-August-1919
Back from San Francisco, Clara Kimball young moved into the new Garson studio.

Moving Picture World, 30-August-1919
Equity Pictures was busily selling territorial rights to its planned ten productions.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Pearl White Withdraws as Candidate for Assembly -- August 29, 2019

Moving Picture World, 30-August-1919
Having appeared in ten serials between 1914 and 1919, Pearl must have gotten tired of the format. Perhaps the format had also grown tired of her. She made ten features for the Fox Film Corporation between 1919 and 1922. Sadly, her popularity waned.

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
Robert W Chambers, author of The Black Secret, is famous for the book of short stories The King in Yellow.


Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
"Scores of novel and scenarios were rejected before the choice finally fell upon the story as being peculiarly adapted to Pearl White's talents."

Moving Picture World, 23-August-1919
Pearl White's second Fox feature would be based on a story by Hiram Percy Maxim, who was the son of inventor Sir Hiram Maxim.

Moving Picture World, 30-August-1919
Pearl White wanted to run for the New York State Assembly, but her work schedule did not permit it. "It is my sincere desire to see some other woman in Queens run for this important office. I intend not only to vote at the next election, but to use all the influence at my command to help elect a woman candidate if she runs."

Moving Picture World, 30-August-1919
"This second starring vehicle...was written by Hiram Percy Maxim especially for Pearl White. Special stress is laid on the fact that this big dramatic work was created after the author's protracted personal study of the star's work."




Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Fatty Arbuckle Has Written a Song -- August 27, 2019

Moving Picture World, 30-August-1919
Buster Keaton's first movie after his return from military service was "Back Stage," one of the funniest Comique productions.

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
Two stories that we saw last month insisted that Roscoe was not a partner with Pathé Lehrman, but a tenant in his new studio.

Moving Picture World, 23-August-1919
Roscoe moved his productions from Glendale to Culver City.

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
This item reminds us that Roscoe was the "manager, owner and general factotum" of the Vernon baseball team of the Pacific Coast League, and that Molly Malone was the team's mascot.

Moving Picture World, 02-August-1919
Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
Roscoe's wife, Minta Durfee, signed to appear in a series of comedies for Truart Pictures.

Moving Picture World, 02-August-1919
Roscoe's nephew, Al St John, signed a contract to appear in a series of sort comedies produced by the Warner Brothers.

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Sign-Post of Supremacy -- August 25, 2019

Moving Picture World, 02-August-1919

United Artists was getting ready for its first release on 01-September-1919.  Douglas Fairbanks was the only one of the Big Four who was ready to produce movies for the company to distribute.

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
The first UA movie would be His Majesty, the American, starring Douglas Fairbanks.  Note that the San Francisco Distributing Depot was at 100 Golden Gate Avenue.  Golden Gate was the center of movie activity in the city for many years.  When I shot black and white super-8 movies, I took them to a lab on Golden Gate for developing.

Moving Picture World, 16-August-1919
"Longer runs are being booked on this picture than on any production heretofore released."

Moving Picture World, 16-August-1919
"Fairbanks will have to his credit the biggest film of his career."

Moving Picture World, 23-August-1919
"The dawn of a new epoch in the making of motion pictures..."

Moving Picture World, 30-August-1919
Eight reels was fairly long for a 1919 movie.






Saturday, August 24, 2019

Harold Lloyd, Comedian, Injured by Explosion of Property Bomb -- August 24, 2019

Moving Picture World, 06-September-1919
100 years ago today, on 24-August-1919, Harold Lloyd suffered a terrible accident while posing for publicity pictures. A prop bomb turned out to be real.  It took away the thumb and forefinger on his right hand. He went on to make a remarkable recovery and managed to conceal his disability with help from Sam Goldwyn.  

"Harold Lloyd, Comedian, Injured
"by Explosion of Property Bomb

"THE condition of Harold Lloyd, comedy star, who was seriously injured August 24 by the explosion of what was thought to be a harmless comedy bomb, is far better than anticipated and his complete recovery within two months at the most is looked forward to by Pathe Exchange, Inc., and the many friends Lloyd had made in film work.

"President Hal E. Roach, of the Rolin Film Company, has sent the following telegram to Paul Brunet, vice-president and general manager of Pathe in New York:

"'Harold Lloyd's condition greatly improved. He will lose a portion of finger and thumb of right hand. His face is in good condition. There will be only slight scars easily covered with makeup. His right eye, which we feared to be injured, is in good shape and will not be deformed in any way. This is far better than we expected.'

"Was Making Still.

"Lloyd was hurt while taking stills in the Witzel photographic studio, Los Angeles. He was lighting a cigarette from the fuse of a property bomb when it exploded, burning his face and chest, injuring his right hand and apparently injuring one eye. He was rushed to the nearest hospital.

"Neither the photographer nor his assistant, who were in the room at the time, were injured, although both were thrown to the floor by the force of the explosion.

"The bomb, which seemed to be made of harmless paper and of the kind used for producing smoke, was one of two that had been intended for the organization to take on a picnic. The other bomb had exploded at the picnic, knocking over a large table, but this one had been put in the property room in the belief it was harmless.

"After receiving the cheering telegram on August 27, Pathe announced that thanks to Lloyd's industry it had enough films of his to allow him to remain idle for a considerable time, if necessary. It is expected and hoped that Lloyd will have regained complete health within two months, but if his recovery should not be complete before the end of the year Pathe would still have enough of his films to supply exhibitors."

Moving Picture World, 02-August-1919
Harold's leading lady, Bebe Daniels, had left to work for Cecil B Demille, but there were lots of comedies with her in the queue.  We see the word "jazz" and its variants more and more in 1919.

Moving Picture World, 02-August-1919
"The scenes are placed in the Killjoy Café, where 'everything is first class except the food and the service.'"

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
Snub's opponent gets the point.

Moving Picture World, 16-August-1919
"Here the audience gets a glimpse of that forbidden land on the far side of the drop curtain."

Moving Picture World, 30-August-1919
"Harold Lloyd does some tall and fancy roller skating..."

Moving Picture World, 30-August-1919
I don't remember ever reading about "Heap Big Chief."

Friday, August 23, 2019

Peter Fonda, RIP -- August 23, 2019

www.listal.com
I was sorry to learn that Peter Fonda has died.  He is most famous for Easy Rider, which he co-wrote, produced and starred in.  He wrote the screenplay with Dennis Hopper and Terry Southern. I liked the Mad Magazine version.

www.listal.com

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Miracle Man -- August 21, 2019

Moving Picture World, 02-August-1919
The Miracle Man, based on a novel by Frank L Packard and a play by George M Cohan, was the movie that made Lon Chaney a star. Notice that his name and image do not appear in the ad. "Lon Chaney, in an exceptional characterization will be remembered forever by every one who sees this film." He played the Frog, a contortionist who served as a shill for a faith healer. Sadly, the film is lost.

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
"...this photoplay with an amazing soul..."

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919
"'MIRACLE MAN' LIKED BY SING SING

"Critical Audience at New York Penitentiary

"Approved of Crook Play — Competition Announced

"A PRINT of 'The Miracle Man,' which is scheduled for Paramount-Artcraft release in September, was taken to the Sing Sing penitentiary by a representative of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. As it is a crook play, the manner of its reception by an audience, which naturally would be supposed to know much about crime and the ways of criminals, was the subject of considerable speculation at the office of the corporation.

"How the picture was received by this critical audience is briefly described in the Famous Players-Lasky man's written report, submitted on his return to New York. He said :

"Officials Give Praise.

"'Edward V. Brophy, warden, and John P. Joyce, superintendent of industries, told me personally that 'The Miracle Man' was the most wonderful picture they had ever seen — and they have seen many. I also received oral praise from many of the inmates themselves. Louis Jacobs said: 'The picture carries a message that reaches the men without their knowing why. It isn't crammed down their throats like a preachment. That's why it made a hit with them.' I also had to talk with — - — — (naming one of the best known newspapermen in the United States who recently was convicted of a capital crime). He had read the book and seen the play. The picture, he said, was the best he had ever seen.'

Announce Competition.

"A contest was announced to the inmates of the institution in the name of President Adolph Zukor and the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. An offer was made of a first prize of $10, a second prize of $7 and a third prize of $5 for the three best compositions conveying the impressions made upon the writer by the picture. The judges will be George Blaisdell, editor of Moving Picture World; Joseph Dannenberg, editor of Wid's ; Lesley Mason, editor of Exhibitor's Trade Review; Robert E. Welch, managing editor of Motion Picture News, and Miss Louella O. Parsons, motion picture editor of the Sunday Telegraph.

"Sing Sing Critic Praises.

"Before the Famous Players-Lasky representative left the prison he was handed a copy of a review of "The Miracle Man," written by "F. M.":

"'So many photoplays have been called 'inspirational,' so many have had a message,' yet almost as many have failed to inspire or deliver the message. Never have we been more profoundly moved in viewing a picture or had our souls more deeply, or wholesomely, stirred than when, by a courtesy and thoughtfulness which we could not fully appreciate until after the last reel had been run, the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation permitted us to see, even before it could be seen elsewhere, this remarkable picture of George Loane Tucker's. Into it has been woven every feature that has made his other pictures the successes they were.

"'Never before have we seen a picture which we considered worthy of being compared to a great symphony, by a great composer, performed by a large and capable orchestra. In 'The Miracle Man,' as in the symphony, each tone and each accent have a definite meaning, all contributing to the final perfection of the masterpiece and all blended into one harmonious whole, no part of which would be complete without the other parts, though each part in itself may be 'a thing of beauty and a joy forever.'"

Moving Picture World, 16-August-1919
"Its fame will be spread by an endless chain."

Moving Picture World, 23-August-1919
A preview showing for the trade.

Moving Picture World, 30-August-1919
Famous Players-Lasky commissioned a song to promote The Miracle Man.