Arlene Dahl, RIP -- November 30, 2021

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Actress Arlene Dahl has died. She made some good movies with Red Skelton.

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"Hurricane Hutch" Popular -- November 30, 2021

Exhibitors Herald, 26-November-1921

Charles Hutchison wrote, directed, acted and performed stunts in many Pathé serials (Pathéserials). He was especially good at motorcycle stunts. Hurricane Hutch was directed by George B Seitz. It featured Warner Oland, who appeared in many silent serials. Another version of Stunt No. 33 has Hutch and his leading lady going over a waterfall in a canoe.

Motion Picture News, 05-November-1921

Motion Picture News, 05-November-1921

Big old Elmo Lincoln had been the first person to play Tarzan, in a 1918 movie. In 1921, he was in a serial, The Adventures of Tarzan. I like the leopard. 

Moving Picture World, 26-November-1921

Elinor Field played the Jungle Goddess in Selig's serial of the same name. 

Motion Picture News, 26-November-1921

It took Selig a while to announce the serial's name. 

Motion Picture News, 12-November-1921

Ruth Roland, who was born in San Francisco, was one of the great Serial Queens. 

Moving Picture World, 19-November-1921

Abel Gance -- J'accuse -- November 29, 2021

Motion Picture News, 05-November-1921

Abel Gance made the anti-war film J'accuse in 1918 and 1919. Some of the battle scenes were shot during real battles. The film was finally released in the United States by United Artists in 1921.

Motion Picture News, 19-November-1921

Motion Picture News, 26-November-1921

 

The Cutest Kiddie on the Screen -- November 28, 2021

Motion Picture News, 12-November-1921

After supporting Brownie, "The Most Wonderful Dog in the World," Baby Peggy began to be the star. "Grab this youngster if you want a hundred laughs -- that's a Century."

Motion Picture News, 12-November-1921

"Get Rich Quick Peggy" was her first release. Among her co-stars was "Teddy, the former Mack Sennett dog."

Motion Picture News, 26-November-1921

I am not sure I have ever seen a comedy with Harry Sweet. I think I have seen some of the movies that he directed. He died in a plane crash in 1933. 

Motion Picture News, 19-November-1921

The Christie Film Company was a major producer of short comedies from 1911 to 1933. Al Christie was the director and Charles Christie ran the business. The Christies featured situation comedy more than the slapstick favored by Mack Sennett and Hal Roach. Bobby Vernon started as a juvenile comedian at Keystone, where he starred in several popular comedies with Gloria Swanson.

Motion Picture News, 26-November-1921

Moving Picture World, 12-November-1921

The Christie Company was getting ambitious, sending a crew to Hawaii to make a movie.

Moving Picture World, 19-November-1921

"A Barnyard Cavalier" was a Bobby Vernon movie which was to be released in 1922. The article emphasizes that Christie was putting greater effort into their productions.

Moving Picture World, 12-November-1921

Fox had six companies producing short comedies.

Motion Picture News, 05-November-1921

One company produced "The Happy Pest," a two-reel comedy starring Al St John, which may have been inspired by Harold Lloyd's thrill comedies.

Motion Picture News, 05-November-1921

Hal Roach produced a series of comedies starring Ernest Truex, who I thought was a minor league comic.

Motion Picture News, 12-November-1921

Hal Roach continued to be the nominal producer of Harold Lloyd's films, but Lloyd had become quite independent. This mentions that Lloyd's next film would be The White Feather. This was eventually released as Grandma's Boy. Jimmy Parrott appeared in comedies written by his brother, Charles Parrott (Charley Chase).

Moving Picture World, 05-November-1921

Snub Pollard continued to appear in one-reelers produced by Roach. 

Cine-Mundial, November, 1921

Roach produced movies with Harold Lloyd's brother Gaylord. Harold was funnier. 

Motion Picture News, 19-November-1921

Harry Cohn, his brother Jack and Joe Brandt provided the initials for C.B.C. Film Sales Corp. The Hallroom Boys Comedies were a long running series of short comedies, based on a comic strip by Harold MacGill. At this point, Sid Smith played Percy and Jimmie Adams signed to play Ferdy.

Exhibitors Herald, 05-November-1921

Jimmie Adams signed to replace Harry McCoy as Ferdie.

Motion Picture News, 05-November-1921

Moving Picture World, 12-November-1921

Seattle Star, 05-November-1921

Jimmy Aubrey appeared in comedies for the Vitagraph. Which is scarier, his eyes or his moustache? 

Motion Picture News, 05-November-1921

At this point, Lloyd Hamilton, who had been the Ham of Ham and Bud, was starring in a series of Mermaid Comedies distributed by Educational Comedies.

Lotus Blossom -- November 27, 2021

Exhibitors Herald, 29-October-1921

African-Americans were not the only people who made race films. James B Leong wrote and produced Lotus Blossom, which was often billed as the "First All-Chinese Production." Some sources list Leong as the sole director and others as the co-director with Frank Grandon.

Exhibitors Herald, 29-October-1921

A closer view of the ad above.

Exhibitors Herald, 05-November-1921

"First All-Chinese Production Is Now Available." All-Chinese except for Noah Beery and Tully Marshall.

Exhibitors Herald, 29-October-1921

Lady Tsen Mei appeared in only three movies.

Stephen Sondheim, RIP -- November 27, 2021

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Stephen Sondheim has died. I remember seeing Pacific Overtures at the Curran. A lot of people didn't like it. That may have been the only Sondheim show that I saw in a professional production. I always wanted to see what was coming next.

Entire Right Section of Balcony for Colored at 25¢ -- November 26, 2021

Evening Captial and Maryland Gazette, 15-November-1921

Oscar Micheaux was a pioneer in producing what were known as race films. 100 years ago this month, he was in Annapolis, Maryland showing his first movie, The Homesteader (the plural in the ad is wrong), which he made in 1919. It was based on his 1918 novel of the same title. "Great Colored Novelist."

Dallas Express, 26-November-1921

This ad for the Grand Central Theater in Dallas, "Sole Owner and Manager," John Harris, was preparing to show A Secret Sorrow, a race film made by Reol Productions.

Dallas Express, 26-November-1921

Meanwhile, the white-owned Majestic Theater in Dallas advertised in the African-American owned Dallas Express,  "Entire Right Section of Balcony for Colored at 25¢." Apparently they were allowed to use the elevator. How kind.

The "Afro-American Film Exhibitors Company" produced Lure of a Woman in Kansas City. I haven't found any information about their proposed second film, A Human Devil.

Moving Picture World, 12-November-1921

I was not familiar with the name Harris Dickson. A little research shows me that he was a lawyer and judge from the south. He wrote many stories about small-town life for the Saturday Evening Post. I was not entirely surprised to learn that he was prominent in the Anti-Miscegenation movement. Much of his output was what were referred to as "Colored stories." I have never read one of his stories, but I'll bet they contain the occasional stereotype.

Moving Picture World, 12-November-1921

Anne Jeffreys -- Thanksgiving 2021 -- November 25, 2021

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Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I'm grateful for health and life, my family, and my coworkers.

The photograph shows actress Anne Jeffreys preparing to dish up the turkey. She worked in movies, on Broadway and in television. She made lots of westerns.

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Chaplin -- Bring Your Can-Openers -- November 24, 2021

Great Falls Tribune, 06-November-1921

I like this image from Chaplin's short comedy, "The Idle Class." Mack Swain, an old associate of Chaplin from Keystone, plays Edna's father. Chaplin plays Edna's husband or the tramp, probably the latter. Edna Purviance plays the unhappily married wife.

Alexandria Gazette, 23-November-1921

"Bring your can-openers. There's a reason."

Chaplin often said he was getting tired of playing the Tramp. This story about a luncheon given in his honor by First National, says that he contemplated alternating serious and comic films.

Another story about the luncheon, Chaplin said that he wanted to sign a new contract with First National after his current one expired.

Sherlock Holmes Returns! -- November 23, 2021

Motion Picture News, 19-November-1921

Stoll Pictures in Britain produced a well-regarded series of two-reel adaptions of Sherlock Holmes stories. They starred Eille Norwood as Holmes. The Alexander Film Corporation in the US distributed the films on a states right basis.

Motion Picture News, 12-November-1921

Exhibitors Herald, 26-November-1921

Perth Amboy Evening News, 11-November-1921

Many sources say that the dog in Chaplin's "A Dog's Life" died in 1918.