Virginia Nicolson -- Halloween, 2023 -- October 31, 2023

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Happy Halloween, everyone. Paulette Goddard was remarkably beautiful.

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Loudest Longest Lustiest Leading Lot of Laughs -- October 30, 2023

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Century Comedies proclaimed its many popular series of comedies, starring Baby Peggy, Buddy Messinger, Pal the Dog, Jack Earle, the Century Follies Girls and Roscoe Karns. "Consistently Good." 

Motion Picture News, 27-October-1923

Baby Peggy starred in an adaption of "Hansel and Gretel." Universal also released a series based on Sidney Smith's comic strip The Gumps. I remember reading reprints of The Gumps in books and finding it ugly and unfunny.  I can usually understand old topical humor, but this was beyond me.  The movies were funny.  Poor Joe Murphy looked like Andy Gump. 

Film Daily, 02-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 20-October-1923

I did not know that Roscoe Karns, who often played fast-talking characters, had a career in short silent comedies. 

Motion Picture News, 13-October-1923

"Fashion Follies" featured the Follies Girls/Century Girls. 

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Meanwhile Baby Peggy started to make feature films for Universal Pictures. 

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

"Never Failing Box Office Attractions."  Christie offered a wealth of comic actors. 

Motion Picture News, 13-October-1923

"Christie Comedies Save Many Weak Shows." That is an interesting statement.

Motion Picture News, 27-October-1923

"A Regular Gusher of Laughs." Jimmie Adams performed in the Christie Comedy "Done in Oil." Oil discoveries were a hot topic at the time.

Film Daily, 24-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Film Daily, 21-October-1923Film Daily, 21-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Hal Roach and Mack Sennett both released their comedies through Pathé. Their stars included Will Rogers, Ruth Roland, Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston and Ben Turpin. 

Cine-Mundial, October, 1923

Film Daily, 19-October-1923

Film Daily, 22-October-1923

Film Daily, 22-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 13-October-1923

Film Daily, 28-October-1923

Film Daily, 07-October-1923

Mack Sennett comedies were "As well known as the Pacific Ocean --"

Motion Picture News, 27-October-1923

"A Series of Two Reel Kid Comedies With Wonderful Exploitation Possibilities."

Film Daily, 29-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Jack White produced Mermaid Comedies with Lige Conley.

Film Daily, 08-October-1923

Film Daily, 17-October-1923

Kate Jackson 75 -- October 29, 2023

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Actress Kate Jackson was born 75 years ago today, on 29-October-1948. I remember when Charlie's Angels premiered in 1976. I liked the way she played the smart one. The Mad Magazine version was excellent.

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I did not watch The Rookies or Scarecrow and Mrs King. 

Big Joe Roberts of Movies is Dead -- October 28, 2023

Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, 29-October-1923

Giant Joe Roberts, who played villain or father or friend in Buster Keaton's series of silent short films and Buster's first two starring feature films, The Three Ages and Our Hospitality, died of a stroke 100 years ago today, on 28-October-1923. Roberts and Keaton had played in vaudeville and they were buddies. 

Motion Picture News, 29-April-1922

Famous Monsters of Filmland -- Mystery of the Wax Museum -- October 27, 2023

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Halloween is coming.

When I was young, I read Warren Publishing magazines like Famous Monsters of Filmland and Vampirella. I remember reading that The Mystery of the Wax Museum was a lost film. Then someone found it and I saw it on television, in two-color Technicolor. Fay Wray was the leading lady and Lionel Atwill was the bad guy. 

Richard Roundtree RIP -- October 26, 2023

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When Shaft came out, I and all of my friends, white, black, Asian, Hispanic or other wanted to be like Richard Roundtree, even though we were not old enough to go see an R-rated movie. I later learned that Gordon Parks was a great director. 

The music by Isaac Hayes helped. I also liked the Mad Magazine version.

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The Highest Theater West of the Rocky Mountains -- October 26, 2023

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

The Wonderland Theater in Ashland, North Carolia was "claimed to be the highest theater west of the Rocky Mountains..."

Oscar Micheaux Presents His Latest Masterplay -- October 25 2023

Saint Louis Argus, 12-October-1923

Oscar Micheaux was a pioneer in producing what were known as race films. 100 years ago this month, his film The Virgin of the Seminole was going to play showing for two nights at the at the Comet Theater in Saint Louis. This was star Shingzie Howard's first movie. I like the name of the Retina Theater. 

Saint Louis Argus, 19-October-1923

Unfortunately, because of "a Misshipment of the Micheaux Film Company of Chicago," The Virgin of the Seminole had to be rescheduled to November.

New Mission Has Buster Keaton in 6-Reel Three Ages -- October 24, 2023

San Francisco Chronicle, 08-October-1923

Buster's first six-reel feature was The Three Ages. It was the first feature film where Buster Keaton had control. It played at San Francisco's New Mission and New Fillmore theaters at the same time. 

San Francisco Chronicle, 08-October-1923

Three Ages tells the same story set in three different eras. If the film flopped, it could be cut into three two-reelers. 

Film Daily, 14-October-1923

Douglas Fairbanks wrote a testimonial.

Birmingham Age-Herald, 07-October-1923

Indianapolis Star, 29-October-1923

Flaming Youth -- October 23, 2023

Motion Picture News, 27-October-1923

Flaming Youth, starring Colleen Moore was the film which made Colleen Moore's reputation as a flapper. The movie and the novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams were considered risqué. Only one reel is known to survive, but it includes the skinny-dipping scene, which was shot in silhouette.

Charlie's Pants, Shoes, Derby in Court -- October 22, 2023

Imperial Valley Express, 04-October-1923

Chaplin did not object when Billy West imitated him, but he sued an actor named Charles Amador, who used the name Charlie Aplin and made movies that closely imitated Chaplin's.

Film Daily, 21-October-1923

Chaplin announced that he was ready to start work on his next film, which would turn out to be The Gold Rush. His current film was A Woman of Paris. 

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Dulcy -- She Always Had a Tomorrow's Ticket for a Today's Berth -- October 21, 2023

Birmingham Age-Herald, 07-October-1923

Dulcy was a comedy film based on a play by George S Kaufman and Marc Connelly. Constance Talmadge played Dulcinea Parker, a stereotypical dumb blonde. Note the dumbbells swirling around her head. 

Sidney Franklin directed. The film is probably lost.