Big V Riot Squad: June 2023

Friday, June 30, 2023

Fox Film Corporation -- 20 Years of Progress (Part Two) -- June 30, 2023

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

100 years ago this month, the Fox Film Corporation celebrated "20 Years of Progress."

Fox paid for a gaudy color section to promote its wares.

William Fox purchased his first nickelodeon in 1904. He went on to develop a nationwide chain of movie theaters and to found one of the major production companies on the film industry. He overexpanded and lost everything in the Great Depression.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

I like this lurid ad for Hell's Hole, starring Buck Jones. Emmett J Flynn directed. "A 1924 Cine-Melodrama."

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"Caught in The Net of Paris Night Life." Sounds like fun. J Gordon Edwards, step-grandfather of Blake Edwards, directed.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

No Mother to Guide Her is an interesting title.

Monna Vanna was a German film, based on a play and opera by Maurice Maeterlinck.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"An Honest Melodrama." I like the locomotive.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

John Ford directed Hoodman Blind, based on a play by Wilson Barrett and Henry Arthur Jones.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"Popular All-American Cast."

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

The Eleventh Hour sounds like a wild one. Bernard J Durning directed.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"What a Woman Pays for a Career."

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"The Monster of Hate Conquered by a Woman's Love."

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Fox Film Corporation -- 20 Years of Progress (Part One) -- June 29, 2023

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

100 years ago this month, the Fox Film Corporation celebrated "20 Years of Progress."

Fox paid for a gaudy color section to promote its wares.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"The Motion Picture Version/Mightier Than the Book."

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

The Governor's Lady was based on a novel by Alice Bradley and a play produced by David Belasco. Belasco, a native of San Francisco, liked naturalism. For The Governor's Lady, he built a Child's Restaurant onstage and the actors prepared food in the kitchen.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Great image. Notice that Bela Lugosi played a supporting role.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

John Ford directed Tom Mix in North of Hudson Bay. Dig that sweater.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Gentle Julia starring Bessie Love, was based on a novel by Booth Tarkington.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"Mr Gallagher and Mr Shean -- First Appearance in Pictures." Ed Gallagher and Al Shean were a vaudeville comedy team. Al Shean was the Marx Brothers' uncle. Their mother Minnie was his sister.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"Old King Tut would marvel at The Shepherd King. Egyptian subjects were very popular because of the recent discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

The Shadow of the East was based on a novel by EM Hull, the man who wrote The Sheik.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Six Cylinder Love was based on a play by William Anthony McGuire. Ernest Truex starred in the play on Broadway and then in the movie.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

The Temple of Venus shot partially in Santa Cruz, California, was to star Jean Arthur (very young) and Phyllis Havers. Jean Arthur was replaced by Mary Philbin early in the shooting.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Is Signed by Famous Players -- June 28, 2023

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

Famous Players signed Douglas Fairbanks, Jr, the son of major star Douglas Fairbanks, to a contract. Doug Jr was 13, but his dad worried that having a son in movies would make him look old. Doug Jr went on to have a long and prominent career. He always spoke well of his stepmother, Mary Pickford.

listal.com

This is my favorite adaption of The Prisoner of Zenda. Ronald Coleman was heroic; Madeline Carroll was beautiful; and Doug Jr got to play a bad guy.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Wellman to Direct -- June 27, 2023

Film Daily, 30-June-1923

William Wellman, often called Wild Bill, got his first opportunity to direct in 1923, making The Twins of Suffering Creek, starring Dustin Farnum. Wellman directed his last movie in 1959. He was married to actress Helene Chadwick.

Film Daily, 20-September-1926

Wellman was a veteran of World War One, where he flew as an American volunteer for the French Lafayette Flying Corps. After the French gave him a medical discharge because of an accident, he joined the United States Army Air Service.

Monday, June 26, 2023

Ad Mats -- Advertise Your Short Subjects -- June 26, 2023

Film Daily, 01-June-1923

Educational offered free ad mats for their short subjects. These could be run as stand-alone newspaper ads or inserted into larger ads.

Lige Conley starred in Mermaid Comedies. I like the image of Conley with a stock ticker. Roy Del Ruth and Jack White directed.

Film Daily, 05-June-1923

Harold Beaudine directed Bobby Vernon in "Plumb Crazy," a Christie Comedy. I like the dog.

Film Daily, 08-June-1923

Educational also released shorts that were not comedies. Gene Sarazen was a prominent golf champion.

Film Daily, 27-June-1923

Christie Comedies produced "Take Your Choice" with Bobby Vernon. Scott Sidney directed.

Film Daily, 30-June-1923

Louise Fazenda and Harry Gribbon starred in "Cold Chills," a Mermaid Comedy. Del Lord and Jack White directed.

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Biograph Plant as Memorial -- June 25, 2023

Film Daily, 06-June-1923

Sigmund Schlager of the Luxor Company proposed that "a committee of stars and producers" could take up the task of collecting money to purchase the old American Mutoscope and Biograph Companystudio at 11 East 14th Street in Manhattan and "maintain it as a memorial to the pioneers of the industry." That would have been neat.

DW Griffith directed his first movies in the brownstone building. In large part because of Griffith's success, Biograph moved to a new, larger location in 1913. The building was torn down in the 1960s.

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Save TCM -- June 24, 2023

Warner Media is gutting @TCM, firing much of the upper management and the creative people and spreading the survivors among various subsidiaries. What can we do? Turner Classic Movies is a vital resource for film fans and scholars alike. I have seen many movies on TCM that I have never seen and sometimes never heard of anywhere else.

#SaveTCM

Fatty Arbuckle -- The Man Who Made Millions Happy -- June 24, 2023

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Roscoe Arbuckle was blacklisted by the film industry even though he was acquitted of a charge of manslaughter. 100 years ago this month, he appeared on stage in Chicago and was well-received. Minta Durfee was the wife who stood by Roscoe during his trials. The House of David was a religious commune that became famous for its amusement park and travelling baseball teams. The men were required to wear beards.

Indianapolis Times, 05-June-1923

Arbuckle ‘Does His Stuff’.

After 12-Minute Ovation

Fat Comedian 'Comes Back’ Amid Cheers at Chicago

Cabaret -- Revives Slap-Stick Comedy.

By United Press
CHICAGO, June 5. -- Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle came back today.

A crowd of 2,000 from Chicago's fashionable "Gold Coast" crowded the Marigold Gardens, a North Shore cabaret last night and cheered as he did his old-time stuff.

"Fatty" appeared in his first real "test" for a return to public favor since the 1921 Labor day tragedy in San Francisco. The amusement resort habitues of Virginia Rappe’s home town declared in a twelve minute ovation of cheers and applause they are ready to forget the affair.

"That’s the first real smile I’ve had for a long time," said "Fatty" today.

Typical Cabaret Show

Arbuckle staged his "come back" with a typical cabaret show, mixed with slap-stick movie comedy. Preceded by a bevy of pretty girls in costumes pre-reminiscent of Cleopatra and another group that wore clothes startling like those made famous by Isadora Duncan, he brought his first laugh with a freak gymnastic act. Then in pink whiskers and a "wig," he imitated "King" Benjamin of the House of David, leading a rollicking chorus about the Benton Harbor cult to the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down."

"Fatty" wound up the evening with reviving a use for custard pies. He took one in the face without blinking an eyelash. After he did that everybody near the stage. Including Raymond Hitchcock, the "aristocrat of comedy," climbed up and shook his hand.

The big comedian apologized for being nervous.

Woman Uses Cheers

"If you'll overlook that. I’ll be all right in a day or two." he told his audience. A young woman in evening gown climbed on a table, waved her hat around her head and led three cheers.

Scores of congratulatory telegrams were received by Arbuckle today. There was also a long one from the wife who "stood by" him at the San Francisco trials.

Buster Keaton wired:
"Fatty, let your conscience be your guide."

Chicago Tribune, 01-June-1923

Friday, June 23, 2023

More Thrills, Prettier Girls, Funnier Gags -- June 23, 2023

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"More Thrills, Prettier Girls, Funnier Gags" Fox Sunshine Comedies frequently featured pretty girls and animals.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"Circus Pals," directed by Lewis Seiler, featured at least one pretty girl and lots of animals. I wonder if the little monkey is Josephine.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Fox introduced a new line of Imperial Comedies. I like image of the Sphinx being tickled. Egyptian subjects were very popular because of the recent discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Century Comedies boasted that four-year-old Baby Peggy was promoted from short comedies to features.

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Century Comedies also boasted about the great variety of the stars of its short comedies. The second article talks about the comic strip The Gumps by Sidney Smith was being made into a series of short films. I have read examples of The Gumps and have never found it funny. Perhaps it is just me.

Motion Picture News, 16-June-1923

Century's series of Follies Girls comedies came with "an elaborate girlie revue..."

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Century planned to release one two reeler a week for an entire year.

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

Mack Swain started his film career at Mack Sennett's Keystone studio. Swain moved on to L-KO and then appeared in some of Chaplin's First National films. This item says that Swain was going back to work for Mack Sennett, but I'm not sure that happened.

Cine-Mundial, June, 1923

Mabel Normand, who was with Sennett at the birth of Keystone, also returned to Sennett in this period.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

I have seen Sennett's "Skylarking," which starred Harry Gribbon and Alberta Vaughn. It is funny.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

Harry Aitken was re-releasing Keystone comedies, probably with new titles and subtitles, as "New Edition Keystone Comedies."

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

I don't know much about Sid (Sidney) Smith except that he had been one of the Hallroom Boys and worked for Mack Sennett and Al Christy for a while.

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

Harry Cohn, his brother Jack and Joe Brandt provided the initials for C.B.C. Film Sales Corp. The Hallroom Boys Comedies were a long running series of short comedies, based on a comic strip by Harold MacGill.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

"25,000 Laughs! 10,000 Chuckles! 5,000 Grins!" Mario Bianchi was born in Cesena in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. He emigrated to the US in 1914. He adopted the name Monty Banks and appeared in many short comedies. He later appeared in features known for daring stunt work.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

In the Teens, Joe Rock and Earle Montgomery made a lot of short comedies for Vitagraph, but few survive. Joe Rock went on to star in solo comedies, and produce comedies with Stan Laurel, and later the Ton of Fun movies.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

"Chrisie Again Makes Good With Novel Comedy Attraction." Unfortunately, Christie chose to make "Roll Along" with his actors in black face. Scott Sidney directed. The movie was shot along the Sacramento River but set along the Mississippi. Jimmie Adams played Rastus Jones.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

I hope this one no longer exists. I am afraid to check.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

Bobby Vernon started as a juvenile comedian at Keystone, where he starred in several popular comedies with Gloria Swanson.

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Christie sent Neal Burns and a crew to Lassen County in Northern California to shoot "Back to the Woods," a logging comedy.

Lassen Mail, 07-June-1923

"Back to the Woods" was shot at a camp of the Red River Lumber Company.

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

The images include Neal Burns and leading lady Vera Steadman.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"A Valuable Asset of the Well Balanced Summer Program."

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

Snub Pollard appeared in a series of two-reelers for Hal Roach. I like the image of his mustache. Years ago I tried to grow my mustache to look like his.

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

I have always liked the title of Snub's film "The Courtship of Miles Sandwich."

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

Stan Laurel appeared in a series of one-reelers for Hal Roach.

Motion Picture News, 16-June-1923

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Hal Roach's Our Gang series, starring a group of talented and not-obnoxious kids, was a big hit. I like the way they always included children of color, who were treated just the rest of the gang.