Tuesday, April 30, 2019

A $264,000 :Production in Seven Reels -- April 30, 2019

Moving Picture World, 26-April-1919
Douglas Fairbanks was one of the biggest stars.  I love the horse's expression and the way the reins frame the text.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
The Fifth Victory Loan helped to pay for the First World War.  Doug appears to have made a movie called "Knocking the Knockers."

Moving Picture World, 15-April-1919
Frank Campeau usually played bad guys, but he is smiling here.

Monday, April 29, 2019

John Singleton, RIP -- April 29, 2019

www.listal.com
Director John Singleton has died.  He was only 51 years old.  He had a massive stroke last week and his family took him off of life support today.  This is a great loss.  I remember when he came out with Boyz 'N the Hood.  I think he was only 23.  He became one of the youngest Academy Award nominees.  I enjoyed his sequel to Shaft.

Hypertension kills way too many African Americans.

www.listal.com

www.listal.com

3-D Printed Zoetrope -- April 29, 2019

futurism.com
Akinori Goto created a 3-D printed zoetrope. Pretty cool.

Saturday, April 27, 2019

A Big Help to the Cameraman -- April 27, 1919

Moving Picture World, 12-April-1919
100 years ago this month, in April, 1919, Buster Keaton had not yet returned from the Army. Roscoe Arbuckle and Al St John continued to produce comedies for Comique in California.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
Charles R McCarron and Carey Morgan wrote "Oh, Helen!" "a comedy stuttering song," in 1918. They dedicated it to Roscoe.

Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries, Lester S Levy Sheet Music Collection, Box 189, Item 130b.  All rights reserved. 

Moving Picture World, 12-April-1919
This item talks about Douglas Fairbanks, Roscoe Arbuckle and Harold Lloyd. I don't know if Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels went to Mexico to make comedies.


Thursday, April 25, 2019

The First New Mary Pickford Picture Since September 15th. -- April 25, 2019

Moving Picture World, 26-April-1919
Mary Pickford dressed as a Salvation Army girl to collect donations for a Red Cross drive.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
She sold newspapers and collected donations as part of the Salvation Army Home Service Fund Drive.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
"The first new Mary Pickford picture since September 15th."  Stars made a lot of movies in 1919.  A seven month gap was unusual.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
I like that finger.  I'd like to know why "Positively No Bookings...will be accepted" for Daddy Long Legs.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

The Best Single Reel Comedies in the World -- April 23, 2019

Moving Picture World, 26-April-1919
100 years ago this month, this trade ad showed Harold Lloyd and his leading lady Bebe Daniels playing pirates.

Moving Picture World, 12-April-1919
Harold, Bebe and a tiger cub.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
The Harold Lloyd Comedies were coming so fast that this item describes to of them, one set in a department store and the other on a tropical island.

Moving Picture World, 12-April-1919
This item talks about Douglas Fairbanks, Roscoe Arbuckle and Harold Lloyd.  I don't know if Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels went to Mexico to make comedies.

Sunday, April 21, 2019

Happy Easter, 2019 -- April 21, 2019

www.listal.com
Happy Easter, everyone. Actress Susan Hayward, seen here posing with the Easter Bunny, was in some good movies like I'll Cry Tomorrow and I Want to Live.

www.listal.com



Friday, April 19, 2019

Beautiful Girls in Billy West Film -- April 19, 2019

Moving Picture World, 12-April-1919
Billy West closely imitated Charlie Chaplin in a long series of comedies for different studios. While Chaplin was making the excellent Mutual comedies, West was making imitations of Chaplin's Essanay comedies. We saw him move from King-Bee to Bull's Eye.

His next film for Bull's Eye would be "Flirts."  "The studio at Hollywood is said to have been besieged by beautiful girls when it was announced that this type was desired in large quantities.

Moving Picture News, 19-April-1919
"...fully two thousand young women and girls showed up at our Hollywood studio one morning."  Could be an exaggeration.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Proud Flesh -- April 18, 2019

Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Presentation Book, 1924 (Australia)
Today is the 113th anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire in San Francisco.

In 1925, King Vidor directed his future wife, Eleanor Boardman, in Proud Flesh, the story of a woman who was born and orphaned during the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Fernanda was raised by relatives in Spain, but decided to visit San Francisco to get away from Don Jaime, played by the original Harrison Ford. She meets Pat O'Malley, played by Pat O'Malley <I>(no kidding - JT)</I>, a plumbing contractor. Don Jaime comes to San Francisco and Fernanda is torn between the two men.

Motion Picture Magazine, May, 1925
Harrison Ford and Eleanor Boardman, two of the stars of Proud Flesh.

Exhibitors Trade Review, 07-March-1925
Pat O'Malley, who played the third corner of the triangle, with his kids.



Wednesday, April 17, 2019

What Happens When Comedy Meets Tragedy? -- April 17, 2019

Moving Picture World, 12-April-1919
100 years ago this month, in April, 1919, Charlie Chaplin met with actress Alla Nazimova and director Herbert Blaché to look at stills from her latest movie, The Brat.

Moving Picture World, 23-August-1919
A colorful ad for The Brat.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
A severe windstorm hit "Hollywod" on 17-March-1917, damaging Chaplin's studio.  The article says he had finished shooting his next film, "Sunnyside."

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
Meanwhile, back at Essanay, they were pushing rereleases of Chaplin movies.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
There is that word, "revivified," again.

Moving Picture World, 26-April-1919
World Film Corporation took over the distribution of some of the Essanays.

Moving Picture World, 26-April-1919
"Mr. Chaplin is the biggest box office bet in the world today because he projects entertainment pure and simple to all classes and conditions of audiences."

Moving Picture World 04-July-1914
The World Film logo featured an elephant.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Notre Dame de Paris -- April 16, 2019

www.listal.com
Notre Dame de Paris suffered from a terrible yesterday, but the bell towers and the main body of the church survived.  Many relics and works of art were saved.  The church will be restored.

Monday, April 15, 2019

Tom Mix, Skipper of His Own Motorcycle -- April 15, 2019

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
We see Fox star Tom Mix on a motorcycle and Paramount-Artcraft star William S Hart hanging out with his compadres.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
Tom Mix with rifle and arrow.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
Fighting for Gold included a scene with a grizzly bear.

Moving Picture World, 05-April-1919
Meanwhile the Jans Distributing Corporation was rereleased some of the "Western Comedy Dramas" that Mix made for the Selig Polyscope Corporation.


Sunday, April 14, 2019

Bibi Andersson, RIP -- April 14, 2019

www.listal.com
Actress Bibi Andersson, who appeared in many of Ingmar Bergman's movies, has died.  She could always keep my attention on the screen.

www.listal.com
www.listal.com

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Changeable Signs -- April 13, 2019

Moving Picture World, 22-March-1919
This is an early ad for a movie theater marquee with letters that can be changed.  Unlike later signs, there is also a large image of a star that can be changed.

Moving Picture World, 26-April-1919
Here is ad for a sign made by the Flexilume Sign Company.  Older pictures of theater marquees usually have white letters on a black background, like this one.


Thursday, April 11, 2019

Tanks -- April 11, 2019

Moving Picture World, 26-April-2019
You're velcome.

Sorry.

Renault FT tanks at Fort Meade, Maryland, prepare to go on display to promote the sale of Victory Bonds.


Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Sidney Drew 100 Years -- April 9, 2019

Moving Picture World, 21-December-1918
Sidney Drew starred in the Mr and Mrs Sidney Drew comedies with his first wife, Gladys Rankin Drew and his second wife, Lucille McVey. Sidney's sister, Georgiana Drew, was the mother of Ethel, Lionel and John Barrymore. Sidney and his first wife were the parents of S Rankin Drew. The Mr and Mrs Sidney Drew series was a success for Vitagraph, then Metro and then Paramount.

When America entered World War One, Rankin Drew enlisted right away. He became an aviator, and was reported missing after a combat on 19-May-1918. It was later determined that he died that day. The news shattered his father:
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2018/05/s-rankin-drew-100-years-may-19-2018.html 

Sidney Drew died 100 years ago today, on 19-April-1919.

Moving Picture World, 26-April-1919
Rock Island Argus, 15-April-1919
"BOTH STAGE AND SCREEN MOURN DEATH OF DREW
"(By Kitty Kelly, in Chicago Herald-Examiner).

"One of life's loveliest love stories came to an abrupt finale with the recent death of Sidney Drew at his New York home, 876 Park avenue, leaving to mourn him his widow, Lucille McVey Drew, who preferred being known as Mrs. Sidney Drew.

"One of the world's best friends has gone out, for the Sidney Drew comedies were known and delighted in the country over by the people of the land who got their points and found joy in the Drews' deft handling of affairs domestic, in which handling Mr. Drew was pictorially chief.

"Played Here Many Weeks.

"Mr. Drew and Mrs. Drew tightened these bonds of friendship when they went on the stage with 'Keep Her Smiling' and played many weeks daily before enthusiastic Chicagoans at the Woods theatre and at other theatres in other cities.

"And for all that Sidney Drew was winning laughter from the responsive crowds daily from the stage and putting smiles into the celluloid at the Essanay studio for future crowds while they were here he was a stricken man.

"A year ago. May 19, 1918, word came that his son, S. Rankin Drew, member of the Lafayette escadrille, was missing behind the German lines. The news deepened later into the death report From that time Mr. Drew, 55 years of age, was changed, though to the public he kept his ways of comedy remarkablv intact.

"Ill While Acting In Chicago.

While playing in Chicago Mr. Drew was fearfully nervous and had a severe cold and irritating eczema on his hands. At night Mrs. Drew, her sister and her secretary took turns sitting up playing cards with him until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. Yet under this stress his charming manner never failed, and his unposed devotion to Mrs. Drew impressed all who came in contact with them, even in the most casual fashion.

"While they presented ideal little comedies of domestic complications they lived ideal facts of perfect comradeship. They worked and played together, with Mrs. Drew superintending the scenarios, direction and mechanics of their pictures and seeing to it that Mr. Drew had full show in his role. And yet she styled herself as 'only the hard working farm hand in this firm. I'm younger and stronger and can see to these outside things, but Sidney Drew is the thing that makes the comedies go.'

"And he returned her devotion by continual consideration of her, in public and private. This is a fact. While playing here in Chicago Mr. Drew attended, as guest of honor, a banquet given him by the Forty club, and it was the first time he was ever away from his wife in their five year married life.

Washington Star, 09-April-1919