Sunday, July 31, 2022

Nichelle Nichols, RIP -- July 31, 2022

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Actress Nichelle Nichols has died. I remember watching Star Trek the original series. I did not realize that I was seeing something unprecedented when Nichelle Nichols played Lieutenant Uhura, an officer who was black and female. I was young, but I remember thinking she was very pretty.

Fatty Arbuckle to Star in French Play -- July 31, 2022

Bellingham herald, 24-July-1922

This item reports rumors that Roscoe Arbuckle, who had been in two murder trials that resulted in mistrials, was going to France to appear in a play. I don't think it happened.

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Baby Peggy Pictures to be Specials -- July 30, 2022


Motion Picture News, 08-July-1922

Baby Peggy Montgomery grew to become Century's biggest comedy star, even surpassing her old comrade Brownie the Century Wonder Dog. Universal released Century Comedies.

Motion Picture News, 01-July-1922

Norman Taurog, who had directed Larry Semon comedies at Vitagraph, moved over to Century.

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922

The Christie Film Company was a major producer of short comedies from 1911 to 1933. Al Christie was the director and Charles Christie ran the business. The Christies featured situation comedy more than the slapstick favored by Mack Sennett and Hal Roach.

Moving Picture World, 15-July-1922

Hal Roach was another major producer of comedies. "Produced under the supervision of Hal Roach himself. No wonder they are so good!"

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922

Roach produced comedies starring Paul Parrot, the brother of Charley Chase.

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922

Pioneering comedy producer Mack Sennett produced many shorts starring Australian Billy Bevan.

Moving Picture World, 01-July-1922

Sennet also made features. 

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922

Lloyd Hamilton, who had been the Ham of Ham and Bud, starred in a series of Mermaid Comedies distributed by Educational Comedies. Most of them were destroyed in a vault fire. "A Fast Rising Star in the Comedy Kingdom/Where FunFests are presented by Educational." 

Motion Picture News, 01-July-1922


Friday, July 29, 2022

The White People Attended -- July 29, 2022

Richmond Times-Dispatch, 08-July-1922

Major WBF Crowell (William Crowell) appeared in several films made by race film pioneer Oscar Micheaux. Crowell was a veteran of the Spanish-American War. He was leaving on a five week tour to show Micheaux's latest, The Dungeon. "... the white people attended and expressed their appreciation, saying it was one of the best pictures they ever saw."


Theatrical Enterprises Incorporated was chartered in Colorado with the intention of producing comedies with African American casts. So far I have not found anything about movies produced by the company. 

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Talking Films Again -- July 28,. 2022

    Film Daily, 12-July-1922
Professor Joseph Tykociński-Tykociner of the University of Illinois developed the first sound-on-film system. He was born in Poland. He made his first public demonstration on 09-June-1922. 

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Norman Lear 100 -- July 27, 2022

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Norman Lear was born 100 years ago today, on 27-July-1922. I watched many of his sitcoms during the 1970s. 

Bob Rafelson, Taurean Blacque, David Warner, Tony Dow, Tony Sirico and Paul Sorvino RIP -- July 27, 2022

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An unusual number of movie and television people have died in recent days. I was surprised to learn that Bob Rafelson had directed only about 15 features. He also created The Monkees. I was also surprised to learn that he was a cousin of playwright and screenwriter Samson Raphealson.

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I always liked Taurean Blacque's name. I remember him on Hill Street Blues.

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I remember David Warner best as Jack the Ripper in Time After Time. He was scary.

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I saw some reruns of Leave it to Beaver when I was home during summer vacations. I was always confused by Tony Dow's hair. 

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Tony Sirico played gangsters in many movies like Goodfellas and television shows like The Sopranos

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Paul Sorvino also played gangsters in many movies like Goodfellas. When his daughter Mira Sorvino won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, she talked about her dad and he cried. I did too. 

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Blake Edwards 100 -- July 26, 2022

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Blake Edwards, director, writer, producer, actor and husband of Julie Andrews, was born 100 years ago today, on 26-July-1922. His stepfather was the son of silent era director J Gordon Edwards. Blake Edwards made many funny movies, so some people looked down on him. 

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I love the Pink Panther movies, although the last few were stretched pretty thin. Edwards and Peter Sellers worked well together. I also liked Herbert Lom's Inspector Dreyfus.


Monday, July 25, 2022

Bull Dog Drummond Will Be Made by Oscar Apfel -- July 25, 2022

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922

I am a great fan of Sapper's character Bulldog Drummond. I have read some of the books and seen many of the movies. I try to ignore the racism. The first film adaption of the character was Bulldog Drummond, directed by Oscar Apfel and filmed, for some reason, in the Netherlands. Carlyle Blackwell played Drummond. The movie is probably lost.

Oscar Apfel co-directed some of Cecil B DeMille's first movies. 

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Amelia Earhart 125 -- July 24, 2022

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Aviatrix (great word) Amelia Earhart was born 125 years ago today, on 24-July-2022. Some people enjoy bringing up that she wasn't the most the most skillful pilot. Perhaps she wasn't, but she was braver and smarter than any of them.

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Saturday, July 23, 2022

Sherlock Holmes -- A Real Box-Office Tonic for Every Exhibitor -- July 23, 2022

Moving Picture World, 01-July-1922

Eille Norwood played Sherlock Holmes and Hubert Willis played Dr John Watson in a series of short films and features made between 1921 and 1923 by Stoll Pictures. Educational, which was releasing the films in the US, did a tie-in with The Saturday Evening Post.

Film Daily, 09-July-1922

"...a splendid entertainment."

Photoplay, July, 1922


John Barrymore played Holmes in a loose adaption of William Gillette's play. I didn't enjoy the movie much, but Gustav von Seyffertitz was perfect as Professor Moriarity.

Friday, July 22, 2022

Castle Films -- Rollicking Good Times With Filmdom's Funniest Comedians -- July 22, 2022

Castle Films Catalog, 1970

I recently came across this scan of Castle Films' 1970 catalog. I never had enough money to buy any of these films, but I enjoyed looking at the catalogue entries. Most of the cartoons that they stocked were not to my taste.

Thursday, July 21, 2022

And Again Keaton Takes the Honors! -- July 21, 2022

Film Daily, 14-July-1922

This ad quotes a New York Times review of "Cops." Note that the ad calls it "The Cops."

Moving Picture World, 29-July-1922

First National proudly included Buster in its stable of stars.

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922


This trade ad misspells Keaton's name.

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Chaplin -- Bring Everyone from Grandpa to the Baby -- July 20, 2022

Moving Picture World, 01-July-1922

The Skouras Brothers owned a number of theaters around Saint Louis. In later years, they went into film production. I remember when Spyros Skouras died in 1971. This story tells how did a shared ad for Charlie Chaplin's "Pay Day" between two of their theaters.

Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, 13-July-1922

Here is the original ad, which is a little easier to read. 

Moving Picture World, 15-July-1922

First National was rereleasing Chaplin's "A Dog's Life," which was his first production for that company.

Film Daily, 18-July-1922

Triumph Pictures was selling (not leasing) prints of (I presume) his movies for Keystone. 

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Marx Brothers -- Such Alert Yet Delicate Humour -- July 19, 2022

London Guardian, 18-July-1922

The Four Marx Brothers, at that point Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Gummo, made a movie in 1921, but it was never released. Their film career really began in 1929. They seem to have made a good impression during their tour in the UK. Note that the reviewer calls Chico "Chico Baroni."

Monday, July 18, 2022

Rialto Theater, Wenatchee, Washington -- July 18, 2022

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922


The Rialto Theater in Wenatchee, Washington opened on 15-May-1921. It closed in 1955. The building still stands.

Moving Picture World, 22-July-1922


Sunday, July 17, 2022

Klondike Gold Rush 125 -- July 17, 2022

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 22-July-1897

125 years ago today, on 17-July-1897, prospectors returned from the Klondike to Seattle. They had a load of gold. This triggered a rush. People were willing to take any kind of a ship to Alaska. Many of the ships were worn out or not suitable and sank. Among the people who rushed north was Jack London. 

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Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush is my favorite movie about the Klondike Gold Rush.

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Clarence Brown's The Trail of '98 was the most epic movie about the Klondike Gold Rush.

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One of Jack London's most popular novels set in the Klondike Gold Rush, The Call of the Wild, has been made into at least five motion pictures and one television series.  People love dog stories.   

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