Bessie Love #19 -- July 7, 2014

I have always been fascinated by the career of actress Bessie Love.  She was born in Texas.  Her name was Juanita Horton.  Her family moved to Los Angeles and she went to Los Angeles High School.  Looking for work, she met director  DW Griffith and got a small part in Intolerance.  She appeared in movies with William S Hart and Douglas Fairbanks.  She was a 1922 WAMPAS (Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers) Baby Star.  She played many leading roles, most famously in The Lost World, but never broke through until the talkies came, when she starred in The Broadway Melody.  Her career was hot again for a few years, but then tailed off.  She continued to appear in small parts in movies until the early 1980s.

The image is from www.listal.com. 

Essanay's Studio at Niles, California -- July 6, 2014

The 11-July-1914 Moving Picture World had an article about Essanay's new studio in Niles, California, which is now part of Fremont.  Broncho Billy Anderson produced his movies there.  Essanay's popular Snakeville Comedies were produced there.  The bungalows still survive. 

An Essanay ad from the same issue inclues "Broncho Billy and the Gambler."  I would love to see a biopic about GM Anderson.  It also sells a Snakeville Comedy, "Slippery Slim's Inheritance." 

An ad from the same issue for the western Snakeville Comedies promises that they "WILL INSURE YOU AGAINST LOSS."  Augustus Carney, Alkali Ike, the biggest star in the series, had already left. 

Late in 1914, Essanay signed Charlie Chaplin.  After making one movie in Chicago, he moved to Niles and shot several films, including "The Tramp."  Niles still commemorates his time there. 

Jean Cocteau 125 -- July 5, 2014

Poet, playwright, actor, novelist and filmmaker Jean Cocteau was born 125 years ago, on 05-July-1889.  He knew all the avant-garde writers, composers and artists of the first half of the Twentieth Century.  He denied that he was a surrealist.  He made La Belle et la Bête, which everyone loves, and the Orpheus trilogy, which not everyone loves.  During World War One, he drove ambulances for the Red Cross.  During World War Two, he managed to live through the German occupation in Paris. 

I remember reading about "Le Sang d'un poète" in a book about great movies long before I got to see it.  I marveled over the photos. 

Happy Independece Day, 2014 -- July 4, 2014

Beautiful actress, dancer and singer Rita Hayworth poses with a firecracker to celebrate the holiday.  She was born Margarita Cansino.  She began performing in the family's dance act at an early age.  At Columbia Pictures, she became a big star and a popular pin-up.  She made some very interesting movies including The Lady From Shanghai, with her husband Orson Welles, Gilda and Blood and Sand.  Be sure to click on the images to see larger versions. 

Paul Mazursky, RIP -- July 3, 2014

Director, writer and actor Paul Mazursky has passed on.  I enjoyed the movies that I saw, even Tempest, which critics hated.  I think the Little Man in the San Francisco Chronicle was vomiting in his hat.  Mazursky always seemed to see the humor in things. 

Tempest sure had a good cast: John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Susan Sarandon, Vittorio Gassman, Raul Julia and Molly Ringwald . 

Both images are from www.lucywho.com. 

Laugh Days Every Wednesday and Friday -- July 2, 2014

The Vitagraph Company of America was one of the major film producers 100 years ago.  John Bunny was a popular performer in Vitagraph comedies like "A Cure for Pokeritis" (1912), "Hearts and Diamonds" (1914) and "The Pickwick Papers" (1913). He was born to play Mr Pickwick. This Vitagraph ad is from the 23-May-1914 Moving Picture World.  Be sure to click on the images to see larger versions.

Our Mutual Girl and the Flying Boat -- July 1, 2014

Glenn Curtiss, Norma Phillips and Lieutenant John Cyril Porte, RN pose in front of the America, a flying boat designed by Porte and built by Curtiss at his Hammondsport, New York factory.  Porte hoped to use America to make the first flight across the Atlantic and win the Wanamaker Prize, but World War One interrupted his plans and he returned to active duty.  Norma Phillips was called Our Mutual Girl because she was starring in a series of short films by that name for Mutual. The films were a hybrid of drama, advertisement and newsreel. 

From the 25-July-1914 Moving Picture World.