Eight Years -- January 1, 2022

listal.com

2021 was an interesting year. I lost my job and I volunteered to teach my wife's Third Graders about coding. COVID-19 carried on. 

In 2021, I participated in one blogathon:

Motion Picture News, 25-December-1920

The Seventh Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon:

https://silentology.wordpress.com/2021/03/22/the-seventh-annual-buster-keaton-blogathon/

My post:
Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel One: 

https://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2021/03/buster-keatons-silent-shorts-reel-one.html

Motion Picture News, 15-January-1921

In January I wrote about Roscoe Arbuckle's version of Brewster's Millions, and other versions. 

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the first public showing of Birt Acre's Kineoptican. 

I noted the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Charlie Chaplin's first self-directed feature, The Kid. 

I noted that novelists F Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos and AJ Cronin were born on the same day, 125 years ago. Carol Channing, Mario Lanza and Donna Reed would have been 100. Diane Keaton and Dolly Parton turned 75. Critic Gene Siskel would have been 75. 

Cicely Tyson, Cloris Leachman, Tanya Roberts and Barbara Shelley died. 

Moscow, Idaho Daily Star-Mirror, 26-February-1921

In February, I wrote about the 125th anniversary of Robert Paul demonstrating his Theatrograph. 

I wrote about the beginning of the Year of the Ox. 

Lana Turner, Guilietta Massina, Betty Hutton, Abe Vigoda and Vera-Ellen would have turned 100. Gregory Hines and Alan Rickman would have been 75. 

I noted the 75th anniversary of Rondo Hatton's death. 

Hal Holbrook and Christopher Plummer died. 

 

Palm Springs Desert Sun, 15-March-1971

In March I mentioned the ugly surge of hatred and violence against Asians and Pacific Islanders. I wrote about Max Linder's latest movie. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the first Ali-Frazier fight.

Joan Greenwood, Nancy Kelly, Simone Signoret and Dirk Bogarde would have been 100 years old. Liza Minnelli turned 75. 

 Yaphet Kotto and George Segal died.

Great Falls Tribune, 16-April-1921

In April, William S Hart reminded us to wear our masks.

I posted a large set of ads from Motion Picture News about the US release of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. I posted an ad for a movie starring Breezy Eason, Jr, son of director B Reeves Eason. 

I noted what would have been the 100th birthdays of Peter Ustinov and Chuck Connors. I wrote about the 75th birthday of Tim Curry. 

Motion Picture News, 25-June-1921

On 31-May-1921, a white mob in Tulsa, Oklahoma attacked the black-owned Greenwood District, destroying businesses, burning houses and killing people of color. The Tulsa Race Massacre may have been the worst single instance of racial violence in US history.

In May I wrote about the American Legion protesting the showing of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari because it was made in Germany. I posted a May, 1921 vaudeville notice which included Harry Langdon, who had not yet gone into the movies. I wrote about a movie made from a book by San Francisco author Gelett Burgess. I started a series about people who made "race" films, starting with Oscar Micheaux.

I wrote about what would have been the 125th birthday of Howard Hawks and the 100th birthday of Satyajit Ray.

Candice Bergen and Cher turned 75.

I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the death of Audie Murphy.

Norman Lloyd died at the extraordinary age of 106. Olympia Dukakis and Charles Grodin died. Gavin McLeod died, but I did not write about him. 

Motion Picture News, 21-May-1921

In June, inspired by a 1921 event, I decided to have a Zane Grey Week. I posted two mentions of Oscar Micheaux in a June, 1921 article. I hope this will be part of a series. 

I noted the 100th birthdays of Jane Russell and Judy Holiday. Gilda Radner would have been 75. 

Actors Clarence Williams III and Ned Beatty died. 

Transactions of SMPE, September, 1925

In July, I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the opening of Vitascope Hall in New Orleans, said to be the first permanent theater dedicated to showing movies. 

In order to cover more material, I added ads for Harry Carey films to my monthly William S Hart series. In my monthly Tom Mix series, I added two less well-known cowboy starts, Art Acord and Harry McCabe. I made a single post with items about several different comedy series. 

I posted a story about Rudolph Valentino being cast in the lead role in The Shiek. I posted a story about WC Fields, who had made two movies, but had not yet become a movie star. 

I noted the 100th anniversary of the heavyweight championship fight between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier. 

I wrote about the 125th birthday of actress Barbara La Marr and the 75th birthdays of Sue Lyon, Cheech Marin and Danny Glover.

Omaha Monitor, 04-August-1921

In August I wrote about the Lincoln Motion Picture Company. I hope to continue to find articles about race films. 

The Delta variant of COVID-19 caused a spike in infections and deaths. Many of the deaths took people who had refused to get vaccinated. 

Our part in the Afghan War ended on 31-August-2021.

I noted the 75th birthday of Leslie Ann Warren. 

I wrote about the deaths of Ed Asner, Patricia Hitchcock, Jane Withers, Una Stubbs, Gene Roddenberry and Markie Post.

In September, I made several posts about the 100th anniversary of the party that led to Roscoe Arbuckle's downfall, including several contemporary newspaper articles. 

We celebrated the first National Silent Film Day. 

I wrote about silent adaptions of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the release of Douglas Fairbanks' The Three Musketeers. 

I added more obscure cowboy stars to my Tom Mix post. I started a separate post about the big short comedy producers, Sennett, Roach and Christie. I started a new series about movie serials.

I posted an article about a movie that a theater promoted with a KKK parade. 

F Scott Fitzgerald would have been 125 years old. Lizabeth Scott would have been 100 years old.

Filmmaker, author, musician and former cable car gripman Melvin van Peebles died. Jane Powell, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Michael K Williams died.

Exhibitors Herald, 08-October-1921

In October I wrote about "race pictures" from several studios and about African Americans calling for Birth of a Nation to be banned. I wrote more about the Roscoe Arbuckle/Virginia Rappe tragedy. I wrote about the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire.

I started a series about DW Griffith, whom I had not mentioned much in this blog. I moved Harry Carey from the William S Hart posts to a series of his own. I also split other cowboy stars out of the Tom Mix posts. I started a series about silent animated cartoons. 

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the opening of Edisonia Hall and the Vitascope Theater in Buffalo. This may have been the first purpose-built movie theater in the US . 

I wrote about the accidental death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed on a film set by a pistol that should have contained blanks. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of six-year-old actor Breezy Eason. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the first US release of Der Golem. I also noted the other members of the Golem trilogy. 

I noted the 75th birthdays of Susan Sarandon and Suzanne Somers. 

Exhibitors Herald, 29-October-1921

In November I wrote about an almost all-Chinese production made in Hollywood. It was called Lotus Blossom. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the US release of Asta Nielson's Hamlet. I noted the 1921 US release of a series of short Sherlock Holmes films starring Eile Norwood. I wrote about the US release of Abel Gance's J'accuse.

I noted what would have been 100th  birthdays of Charles Bronson and Rodney Dangerfield, and the 75th birthdays of Sally Field and Barbara Leigh. 

I wrote about the deaths of Stephen Sondheim and Arlene Dahl.

In December I switched from Horror Shockers to Official and Castle Films. 

I did a catch-up post on Roscoe Arbuckle's first trial. 

I noted Ira Gershwin's 125th birthday, the 75th birthdays of Patty Duke and Jane Birkin.

I wrote about the 75th anniversary of the death of Damon Runyon.

I noted the deaths of Lina Wertmüller and Michael Nesmith. Betty White died on New Year's Eve, just shy of 100 years old. 

At the top of the page is actress Ann Dvorak, who made a big impression in Scarface.