International Women's Day, 2020 -- March 8, 2020

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Happy International Women's Day. #InternationalWomensDay

Alice Guy-Blaché was the head of production for the Gaumont company from 1897 to 1907. If she was not the first movie director, she was one of the first.

She directed hundreds of movies, ranging from actualities and one of the many serpentine dances recorded by different companies in 1897, to single-scene comic bits and vaudeville turns, to 1905 sound-on-disc Chronophones to a 1906 33 minute life of Christ, to developed dramatic stories. Alice Guy married Herbert Blaché and moved to America, where she directed for Gaumont, then started her own company, Solax.

The first disc of the Gaumont Treasures set features the films of Alice Guy-Blaché.

Alice Guy-Blaché stopped directing in 1919. She divorced Herbert in 1922 and returned to France.

She returned to the US in 1964 to live with her daughter. She died in New Jersey.

Ten years after she died, I heard and read her name in an introduction to film class, but there was very little information about her and we didn't see any of her movies. Over the last twenty years or so, scholars and archivists have dug up much more information about her.

Motion Picture News, 29-January-1916

Moving Picture World, 28-March-1914

"Staged under the personal direction of Alice Guy-Blaché."

Strand Picture Palace -- March 7, 2020

Moving Picture World, 06-March-1920

San Francisco's Strand Picture Palace was not the same place as the Strand Theater which is currently occupied by ACT.

In My Sentimental Love Scream -- March 5, 2020

Topeka State Journal, 03-December-1915

Charlie Chaplin made "Cruel, Cruel Love" for Keystone in 1914.

James Doohan, 100 -- March 3, 2019

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James Doohan, World War II veteran who was wounded at D-Day, played engineer Scotty on Star Trek, the original series and in many movies. Scotty knew everything about his ship and was able to come up with many successful improvisations and work-arounds.  He reminded me of my dad.

James Doohan was born 100 years ago today, on 03-March-1920.

Bar None the Greatest Two Reel Comedy Ever Made -- March 1, 2019

Motion Picture News, 27-March-1920

Harold Lloyd was working on "Haunted Spooks" when a bomb damaged his hand.

http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2019/08/harold-lloyd-comedian-injured-by.html

Double Speed -- February 29, 2020

Moving Picture World, 14-February-1920 

Wallace Reid died tragically young on 18-January-1923.

Everything I have read about him says what a nice guy he was, and I don't think it was just people who were trying not to speak ill of the dead.

He worked for DW Griffith, having important parts in Birth of a Nation and Intolerance. He starred in many comedies, including several that involved auto racing.

He was injured in a train wreck and became addicted to morphine. This led to his early death.

I have enjoyed all of his movies that I have seen.

Billy West, the Funniest Man on the Continent -- February 27, 2020

Chickashaw Daily Express, 27-February-1920

Billy West closely imitated Charlie Chaplin in a long series of comedies for different studios.