Lloyd Hamilton Was Never Funnier -- January 28, 2024

Motion Picture News, 19-January-1924

Lloyd Hamilton starred in a series of two-reel comedies released by Educational. Many are lost.

Motion Picture News, 26-January-1924

Note the dogs in the top center photo. 

Film Daily, 28-January-1924

Film Daily, 31-January-1924

Some of us will remember that in 1923, Al Jolson signed a contract to star in a movie produced by DW Griffith. Jolson got cold feet and broke the contract. Albert L Grey was DW Griffith's brother, who worked on many of his films. Lloyd Hamilton replaced Jolson in the movie that was made, "His Darker Self." I love Lloyd Hamilton, but the movie is revolting. I will write more about it in the coming months.

Film Daily, 28-January-1924

Film Daily, 09-January-1924

Juvenile Comedies must have been Educational's response to Roach's Our Gang. Jack White produced and Earl Montgomery directed "About Face."

Film Daily, 07-January-1924

Film Daily, 31-January-1924

Educational offered free ad mats for their short subjects. These could be run as stand-alone newspaper ads or inserted into larger ads. Brian Foy directed Harry Tighe, Ned Sparks and Doris Deane in "One Night it Rained."

Motion Picture News, 12-January-1924

Baby Peggy Montgomery had been Century's biggest comedy star. She moved on to starring in features for Universal. 

Motion Picture News, 12-January-1924

Giant Jack Earle starred with Harry McCoy in Century's "Obey the Law." Robert Kerr directed. 

Motion Picture News, 05-January-1924

Fox Sunshine's "The Income Tax Collector" starred Lew Brice as a man hated by everyone. Erle C Kenton directed. Lew was Fanny Brice's brother. 

Motion Picture News, 05-January-1924

Archie Mayo directed Al St John in Fox Sunshine's "Spring Fever."

Film Daily, 10-January-1924

I know precisely nothing about Jazz Comedies, but "jazz" was a very popular word in 1924. 

Best One-a-Week Comedies on the Market -- September 23, 2023

Motion Picture News, 15-September-1923

Century Comedies proclaimed its four popular series of comedies, starring Baby Peggy, Pal the Dog, Buddy Messinger and the Century Follies Girls. 

Motion Picture News, 08-September-1923

"Baby Peggy Signs Lesser Contract." This did not mean that she was making less money, but that she had signed with Sol Lesser's Principal Pictures.

Motion Picture News, 08-September-1923

Motion Picture News, 01-September-1923

"Count on Christie Comedies This Year." Christie showed a panoply of comic actors. 

Motion Picture News, 01-September-1923

In "Navy Blues," Dorothy Devore's character dressed as a sailor and wound up serving on a ship. Harold Beaudine directed. 

Film Daily, 24-September-1923

"More Laughs Than the Navy Has Beans." Great slogan

Motion Picture News, 29-September-1923

Fox advertised series with Al St John and Clyde Cook, and the Imperial Comedies with chimps. "A new brand of high class fun." I'll bet. 

Motion Picture News, 01-September-1923

Motion Picture News, 01-September-1923

I first saw Mabel Normand in The Extra Girl on our local PBS station, KQED-9. Mabel said "I am confident it is the type that will greatly appeal to the public." She was right. 

Motion Picture News, 08-September-1923

Mack Sennett with scenes from his current comedies, which starred Ben Turpin, Harry Gribbon and Billy Bevan. 

Motion Picture News, 15-September-1923

"Down to the Sea in Shoes" starred Billy Bevan and a bunch of pretty girls. 

Motion Picture News, 22-September-1923

This ad for Paramount-Mack Sennett comedies emphasized the pretty girls. 

Motion Picture News, 15-September-1923

Educational released series of short comedies made by many different producers. Cameo Comedies were one-reelers 

Motion Picture News, 29-September-1923

Lloyd Hamilton starred in a series of two-reel comedies. Many are lost. 

Film Daily, 17-September-1923Film Daily, 17-September-1923

Motion Picture News, 29-September-1923

Lloyd Hamilton appeared in his first feature film, His Darker Self. This was supposed to be a film with Al Jolson, directed by DW Griffith; Jolson got cold feet and left. The surviving two-reeler is full of blackface and racist gags. 

   

Motion Picture News, 01-September-1923

Educational released Mermaid Comedies. Lee Moran played "The Busher," which was an adaption of a story in Ring Lardner's series called "The Busher." The famous "You Know Me Al" stories are part of the Busher series. I don't think Mermaid made any more stories from the series. 

Motion Picture News, 01-September-1923

Educational released Tuxedo Comedies, which were billed as situation comedies rather than slapstick. 

Film Daily, 10-September-1923

Motion Picture News, 08-September-1923

Hal Roach with several of his stars, including Snub Pollard, Marie Mosquini, Stan Laurel, Edna Murphy and Mickey Daniels.

Motion Picture News, 08-September-1923

Hal Roach with scenes from his current comedies, including an animal series and Our Gang. 

Motion Picture News, 01-September-1923

Roach planned to release one short a week and two features a year.

Motion Picture News, 29-September-1923

Snib Pollard was one of Hal Roach's most dependable comics. We see him in a scene from "It's a Gift." Snub has invented a magnetic car. A friend had this movie on 8mm, and I loved watching it. I want  a magnetic car.

Motion Picture News, 01-September-1923

Motion Picture News, 29-September-1923

I have never seen a Spat Family movie. The series involved a married couple and a brother-in-law.

   

Motion Picture News, 22-September-1923

"Our Gang" was Roach's most popular series. 

Motion Picture News, 22-September-1923

Happy Snappy Peppy - July 22, 2023

Motion Picture Magazine, July, 1923

Jocko, a stuffed animal, receives instructions from Baby Peggy.

Motion Picture News, 14-July-1923

A New York doll manufacturer made a deal with the Stern Brothers of Century Comedies to make a Baby Peggy doll. This is not related to the Baby Peggy dolls made by disabled artist Peggy Wheeler:

Big V Riot Squad: Baby Peggy and Big Peggy -- January 26, 2023

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

Fox promoted Imperial Comedies, their new brand of two-reelers. "Because of the standard set for these productions the distribution schedule is limited to 12 releases for the season."

Cine-Mundial, July, 1923

Al St John had his own series of two-reel comedies for Fox.

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

The Covered Wagon was the first epic western and an enormous hit. Many parodies followed, such as Hal Roach's "The Uncovered Wagon." Paul Parrott, Charley Chase's brother, was the star. JA Howe directed. 

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

The hero and heroine escape from jeopardy by catching a streetcar which is running across the open prairie. 

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

"...full of whimsey and good for a round of laughs."

Motion Picture News, 21-July-1923

This ad for Hal Roach's one-reel comedies features Paul Parrott, Stan Laurel and the Dippy-Doo-Dads. I see a dog sitting in a police vehicle, a monkey dressed as a fireman and a duck who appears to be in distress. 

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

"Pick and Shovel," was directed by George Jeske and starred Stan Laurel.

Motion Picture News, 14-July-1923

In "Kill or Cure," Stanley played a patent medicine salesman whose product could be used as "a varnish, stove polish, or bug exterminator -- delightful after shaving."  Scott Pembroke directed. 

Motion Picture News, 28-July-1923

With Harold Lloyd having flown the coop, Hal Roach's biggest success was the Our Gang Comedies. 

Motion Picture News, 28-July-1923

"Lodge Night" was directed by Robert McGowan. 

Motion Picture News, 28-July-1923

Billy West started as a Chaplin imitator but later developed his own character. He starred in an Arrow series called Broadway Comedies. 

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

Eddie Lyons starred in another series for Arrow. "The Love of Tut" was one of many films inspired by the recent discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Motion Picture News, 28-July-1923

A bevy of performers from Christie comedies. 

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

Snub Pollard appeared in a series of two-reelers for Hal Roach. I have always liked the title of Snub's film "The Courtship of Miles Sandwich."

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

Sid Smith was a veteran comedian. He starred in a new series of two-reel films distributed by Grand-Asher, which was a fairly new company. "The Joke Smith and Gloom Chaser." 

Motion Picture News, 28-July-1923

"The Boy That Packs Em In." "King of Komedies." 

Motion Picture News, 14-July-1923

Grand-Asher distributed series with Sid Smith and Monty Banks. "Happy Snappy Peppy."

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

Scenes with Sid Smith and Monty Banks. 

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

"The Monarch of Mirth." "The Covered Schooner" was another parody of The Covered Wagon. 

Motion Picture News, 28-July-1923

"12 Two Reel Comedies/Every One a Knock-Out." 

Motion Picture News, 07-July-1923

Comic T Roy Barnes ("Do you know a man by the name of LaFong? Carl LaFong? Capital L, small a, Capital F, small o, small n, small g. LaFong. Carl LaFong.") signed with Grace Page Productions to star in a series of "two-reel domestic comedies." Domestic comedies usually went light on the slapstick. 

Paul Terry's animated Aesop's Film Fable was "The Covered Push-Cart." Another satire of The Covered