Eddie Cantor -- See Him Dance and Hear Him Sing in the "Phonofilms" -- December 21, 2024

Minneapolis Journal, 19-December-1924

Eddie Cantor was a wildly talented performer on stage, screen, records, radio and television. He appeared in a one-reel De Forest Phonofilm reel. He often appeared in blackface. Please excuse the racism. 

Chiyoda Kan Theater, Tokyo -- December 20, 2024

Moving Picture World, 06-December-1924

Tokyo's Chiyoda Kan Theater hosted a successful run of Paramount's western epic, The Covered Wagon. "Tokio" was a spelling commonly used in the United States. Our spellings of Japanese words became more standard during and after World War Two.

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Buster Keaton -- Sailor Lassies Help Navigator -- December 19, 2024

Photoplay, December, 1924

Buster's The Navigator was set aboard an ocean liner that was adrift on the ocean. The movie is hilarious. "...it isn't easy to be laughable for six thousand feet of film."

Moving Picture World, 20-December-1924

Metro-Goldwyn, soon to become Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, proudly announced its current product, including The Navigator, Erich von Stroheim's Greed, Henry King's Romola, starring Lillian Gish and based on the novel by George Eliot and Victor Sjöström's He Who Gets Slapped, starring Lon Chaney.

Moving Picture World, 20-December-1924

Several theaters in the mid-west promoted The Navigator by having young ladies in sailor suits hand out rolls of Life Savers candy. 

Moving Picture World, 27-December-1924

Loew's Montreal promoted the film with a ship in the lobby and the staff dressed in naval uniforms. I like the caricature of Buster in the circles.

Moving Picture World, 20-December-1924

Meanwhile Buster was wrapping up work on his next movie, Seven Chances.

Believes Chaplin is Greatest Film Actor -- December 18, 2024

Moving Picture World, 06-December-1924

A Harvard professor of fine arts, Chandler R Post, gave a speech in which he said that Charlie Chaplin and Lon Chaney were the greatest film actors. He also said that "only a small percentage of the photoplays produced now really were artistic." 

Moving Picture World, 06-December-1924

We saw recently that Chaplin had gone to Mexico to marry actress Lita Grey, who was 15 and pregnant. They had two children, but the marriage was not a success.

Film Daily, 31-December-1924

The movie career of Charlie's older half-brother Sydney was on and off. He took time to handle Charlie's business matters and became an aviation entrepreneur. Syd was good at performing in drag, so Charley's Aunt was a good vehicle for him. "Enough to make a cat laugh." I don't think I have ever come across that expression. 

Film Daily, 02-December-1924

The Christie Film Company produced Charley's Aunt.

Moving Picture World, 13-December-1924

The Record-Breaking Peter Pan -- December 17, 2024

Photoplay, December, 1924

James M Barrie, who wrote the novel and the play Peter Pan, chose Betty Bronson to play Peter in the 1924 movie, which was directed by Herbert Brenon. When I saw various versions of Peter Pan while I was growing up, I was always confused by the way he was referred to as a boy but was usually played by a woman.

Film Daily, 11-December-1924

Paramount promoted the heck out of the movie.

Moving Picture World, 27-December-1924

Happy New Year from the Marx Brothers -- December 16, 2024

Variety, 31-December-1924

The Four Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo) who were performing on Broadway in a popular revue, I'll Say She Is, wished people in the industry a happy new year.

Kodaks Make Fine Xmas Gifts -- December 15, 2024

Hartford Courant, 10-December-1924

Christmas is coming. 

George Eastman's Kodak cameras allowed many people to take up photography. The Ciné-Kodak was a 16mm camera for home movies. Filmo was a 16mm Bell & Howell product.

Langdon, as Usual, Does Highly Amusing Work -- December 14, 2024

Moving Picture World, 27-December-1924

Harry Langdon played a street sweeper in "Feet of Mud." The film includes some racist stereotypes in Chinatown.

Moving Picture World, 06-December-1924

The Greatest Thomson Western to Date -- December 13, 2024

Moving Picture World, 13-December-1924

Fred Thomson (no relation) had a diverse career. While attending the Princeton Theological Seminary, he earned the Amateur Athletic Union's All-Around Champion trophy in 1910, 1911 and 1913. After being ordained as a Presbyterian minister, he joined the Army and served as a chaplain during World War One. He went into the movie business after he married director and screenwriter Frances Marion. In time, he became a major western star. Sadly, he died of Tetanus in 1928. 

Quemado was released as That Devil Quemado. Del Andrews directed.

Film Daily, 14-December-1924

Buddy Roosevelt starred in a series of silent westerns and played small parts in many talkies. Buffalo Bill also starred in a series of silent and early sound westerns. In December 2024, they both toured theaters and made personal appearances.

Tying Lincoln to One of Henry's Cars -- December 12, 2024

Moving Picture World, 06-December-1924

The Liberty Theater in Terra Haute cooperated with the local Lincoln dealer to tie the car in with the movie The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln by Al and Ray Rockett.

Motion Picture News, 01-September-1923

Hoot Gibson and His Golden Mare, "Pal" -- December 11, 2024

Film Daily, 14-December-1924

I always enjoy Hoot Gibson movies. He added a lot of comedy to his films.

Ken Maynard -- $50,000 Reward -- December 10, 2024

Moving Picture World, 06-December-1924

Ken Maynard became one of the biggest cowboy stars in Hollywood. When I was young, I read a lot about him in books, but did not get to see many of his movies. Ken and his white horse Tarzan were a popular team. Ken was known as a great horseman. Clifford S Elfelt directed Ken, Tarzan "-- Famous Trick Pony" and the "Hollywood Beauty Sextette" in $50,000 Reward, Ken's first starring feature.

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Buck Jones in His New Western -- December 9, 2024

Casper Daily Tribune, 07-December-1924

Is Buck Jones smoking a cigarette, or is that a flaw in the printing or layout?

Casper Daily Tribune, 26-December-1924

"Charming Wanda Hawley is the capable little star supporting Buck Jones..." Not sexist at all.

Moving Picture World, 06-December-1924

Gets a Window for Tom's Big Sombrero -- December 8, 2024

Moving Picture World, 13-December-1924

A theater in Paterson, New Jersey topped a display window for a local hat shop with a hat purported to have been specially made by the Stetson Company for Tom Mix.

Casper Daily Tribune, 23-December-1924

"A Wild Cowboy From the West Tamed by the Wiles of the Women of the East."

Pearl Harbor -- December 7. 2024

 

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83 years ago today, a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

The 2001 movie Pearl Harbor, starring Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett, and directed by Michael Bay, was painful to watch. It somehow works in the Eagle Squadron, and the Doolittle Raid, along with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Very little of it makes sense. I feel embarrassed to mention it in a tribute to Pearl Harbor.

Harry Carey -- Harry Carey is On the Throttle -- December 6, 2024

Film Daily, 02-December-1924

Harry Carey was a pioneering cowboy star. The Flaming Forties was an adaption of Bret Harte 's "Tennessee's Parter." Tom Forman directed.

Moving Picture World, 13-December-1924

Soft Shoes is an odd title for a western. The ad says it was directed by Tom Forman, but other sources say the director was Lloyd Ingraham.

Photoplay, December, 1924

Harry Carey played a locomotive engineer in Roaring Rails. This item shows the rig that was used to shoot scenes of Harry in the right-hand seat. Tom Forman directed.

William S Hart -- A Triumphant Return for the Daddy of Western Thrillers -- December 5, 2024

Salisbury Post, 03-December-1923

I thought it was interesting that this ad does not mention the title of the William S Hart movie coming to the Iris in Salisbury, Marland. I'm guessing, because of the reference to his first film since his retirement, that it was Wild Bill Hickok. 

Kane Republican, 26-December-1924

Singer Jim McKee was a silent singing cowboy movie. Note the note in the image. "Singer Jim McKee strikes just the right note in Westerns." Kane is a town in Pennsylvania.

Harold Lloyd -- Wow! What a Knockout This Is! -- December 4, 2024

Oregon Daily Journal, 28-December-1924

Harold Lloyd's Hot Water is not considered one of his major films, but it is very funny.

Film Daily, 14-December-1924

Harold Lloyd and his crew attended the Cal-Stanford Big Game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on 20-November-1924 and captured some scenes which he used in The Freshman. The game ended in a 20-20 tie.

Moving Picture World, 06-December-1924

For Christmas -- Give a Subscription to "Photoplay" -- December 3, 2024

Photoplay, December, 1923

Christmas is coming.

Why not give someone a subscription to Photoplay, which was a popular fan magazine that was founded in 1911?

Photoplay, December, 1923

Films and Song Slides -- December 2, 2024

New York Clipper, 01-February-1908

OF Gallot offered "Seventy-five thousand fee of film stock, large and small subjects." 

Larry Semon -- Just Screened Wizard -- December 1, 2024

Film Daily, 05-November-1924

Larry Semon's feature film The Wizard of Oz was very loosely based on L Frank Baum's novel. Larry directed and played the Scarecrow, Oliver Hardy was the Tin Man and Curtis McHenry was the Cowardly Lion. Charlie Murray played the Wizard. 

Film Daily, 02-November-1924

updated 05-December-2024:

Moving Picture World, 13-December-1924

John Held, Jr -- The Love Interest in Most Movies -- November 30, 2024

Miami Tribune, 06-November-1924

I found a Time-Life series of books about decades in the Anza Branch Library. The book about the 1920s was my favorite. I particularly liked the drawings done by John Held, Jr. He defined the appearance of flappers. This book was also where I learned about Clara Bow.

Jim Abrahams, RIP -- November 29, 2024

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Director Jim Abrahams has died. I went to the Balboa Theater with some friends to see The Kentucky Fried Movie. Airplane! is an old favorite.

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