Probably More Newspaper Space Has Been Given to Mrs Vernon Castle -- September 13, 2017

Moving Picture World, 08-September-1917

Irene Castle had become famous, with her husband Vernon, as a ballroom dancer.  He left the act in early 1916 to return to his native Britain, where he joined the Royal Flying Corps.  He was a successful pilot, earning the Croix de Guerre.  He was sent to Canada and then the United States to train new pilots.  He died in a flying accident in 1918.

Paramount-Mack Sennett Comedies -- September 11, 2017

Moving Picture World, 01-September-1917

Mack Sennett left Triangle and the Keystone brand and started releasing through Paramount.  He ran a series of colorful ads featuring pretty girls in Moving Picture World.  The elongated style reminds me of John Held, Jr, but I am pretty sure he did not create the drawings. 

Moving Picture World, 01-September-1917

"Mack Sennett's first Paramount comedies to be released the latter part of September will feature all the famous Sennett comedians and beauties -- they call the bathing suit girls 'Sennetts' out on the Pacific coast." 

Moving Picture World, 08-September-1917

Purple and orange is an interesting combination.  The comedian looks like Mack Swain. 

Moving Picture World, 15-September-1917

No girls in this one, but there is a cop.  Or is it Kop?  I wonder if the comedian is supposed to be Ben Turpin. 

Moving Picture World, 15-September-1917

 Meanwhile back at Triangle, Keystone was producing comedies without Mack Sennett, however  "His Precious Life" with Charlie Murray and Louise Fazenda may have been a movie that Mack Sennett produced before he left. 

Moving Picture World, 22-September-1917

"A Bedroom Blunder" starred Charlie Murray. 

Moving Picture World, 22-September-1917

 "Hula-Hula Land" with Billy Armstrong and Maude Wayne may also have been produced by Mack Sennett.  I like the design of the ad.  "The Keystone girls in a bathing spree on the beach of Wakiki." 

Moving Picture World, 22-September-1917

Keystone's productions for October release, done without Mack Sennett, were ready.  I didn't recognize the names of most of the actors and actresses. 

Moving Picture World, 29-September-1917

The ad for "A Pullman Bride" features a sleeping car.  It starred Gloria Swanson, Mack Swain and Chester Conklin. 

Moving Picture World, 29-September-1917

"they will be ... the best comedies ever made." 

Moving Picture World, 29-September-1917

"The Late Lamented" may also have been produced by Mack Sennett. 

Proclaimed by Press and Public to be the Greatest of all Film Battles -- September 9, 2017

Moving Picture World, 06-August-1910

James J Jeffries had been heavyweight boxing champion from 1899 to 1905, when he retired undefeated.  He came back in 1910 to answer the pleas of racists who did not like Jack Johnson, an African-American, being heavyweight champ.  They met in Reno, Nevada on 04-July-1910.  Johnson dominated the fight for 15 rounds.  Jeffries' corner threw in the towel so he would not get knocked out. 

Many cities and states, fearing racial unrest, banned films of the fight.  In 1912, Congress banned interstate transportation of fight films. 

Jeffries-Johnson films are available in several versions on YouTube. 

Jim Jeffries settled in Burbank, where he trained boxers and promoted fights in an old barn.  The fights were popular with people in the film industry.  The barn is now at Knott's Berry Farm. 

Ad Wolgast, the Michigan Wildcat, won the lightweight title from Battling Nelson, the Durable Dane, on 22-February-1910, by a TKO in the 40th round.  The movie promises 21 of the rounds in four reels. 

Battling Nelson had won the lightweight title from Joe Gans in 1908 in Colma, south of San Francisco.  This ad may offer that fight or their other fight in 1908.  Nelson lost to Gans in 1906 and beat him in both 1908 fights.  Joe Gans, the Old Master, was African-American. 

We all know the results of "Custer's Last Stand." 

In the Wake of the Huns -- September 7, 2017

Moving Picture World, 29-September-1917

America had declared war on Germany in April, 1917.  American soldiers began landing in France in August.  The war was a hot topic.

The insulting use of the nickname "Hun" for Germans came from a speech by Kaiser Wilhelm II, who told German troops sailing to put down the Boxer Rebellion in China to mercilessly make a name for themselves in China. 

Moving Picture World, 01-September-1917

People like to make fun of the Italian army in the two world wars, but they forget that the Italians put up a desperate struggle against the Austrians and the Germans in terrible conditions in the Alps.  They completely forget the twelve Battles of the Isonzo.  My grandfather's uncle was captured there and could still imitate the way the guards spoke sixty years later. 

Moving Picture World, 15-September-1917

Moving Picture World, 22-September-1917

"The Summit of Box Office Success." 

New "Ham" Comedies -- September 5, 2017

Moving Picture World, 29-September-2017

In his wonderful book The Silent Clowns, Walter Kerr suggested that Lloyd Hamilton was one of the great silent comics whose reputation has diminished. This is because many of the solo movies Hamilton made for Educational during the 1920s are lost. Perhaps this is also because he was not able to succeed as a star in feature films.

The Ham and Bud comedies, made with Bud Duncan, were rough and ready, but very popular.

Moving Picture World, 29-September-2017

 I like the titles.  "Politics at Pumpkin Center," "The Boot and the Loot" and "A Whirlwind of Whiskers."

Moving Picture World, 29-September-2017

Two more titles: "The Onion Magnate's Revenge" and "The Bath Tub Bandit."

The Grapes of Wrath -- September 4, 2017

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John Steinbeck's novel about migrant workers fleeing the Dust Bowl, The Grapes of Wrath, was a big hit in 1939.  The next year, Darryl F Zanuck produced a movie version at 20th Century-Fox.  John Ford directed and Henry Fonda gave the greatest performance of his career.  The Joad family faced injustice and oppression, but kept moving west.  The New Deal camp was the place where they got treated like human beings.

"I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look - wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready, and when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they build - I'll be there, too."

Graumans Chinese -- Jack Lemmon -- September 3, 2017

In July, 2012 we paid a return visit to Hollywood and Grauman's Chinese Theater.  Sid Grauman was a San Francisco showman who came to Los Angeles and built three major houses, the Million Dollar, the Egyptian, and the Chinese. The theater has hosted many film premieres, but is most famous for the hand and footprints (and hoofprints and nose prints and other types of prints) in the forecourt.

Jack Lemmon left his hand and  foot prints in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese on 29-June-1963.I don't know the meaning of "MAGIC-TIME" at the bottom.  His next door neighbor is Shirley MacLaine, so I assume they were promoting Irma La Douce.  It says "Mean Time" on her square.  Jack Lemmon is one of my favorites, although sometimes he pushed his characters' quirks so far that I found them hard to watch. 

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