Big V Riot Squad: More Thrills, Prettier Girls, Funnier Gags -- June 23, 2023

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.