Showing posts with label Dorothy Devore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dorothy Devore. Show all posts

Saturday, March 30, 2024

The Most Popular Child in All the World -- March 30, 2024

Motion Picture News, 08-March-1924

Baby Peggy Montgomery had been Century's biggest comedy star. She moved on to starring in features for Universal and Sol Lesser's Principal Pictures. Captain January was based on a book by Laura E Richards. Shirley Temple starred in a later adaption. 

Note the Baby Peggy Doll, offered at Gimbel's in New York. 

Motion Picture News, 08-March-1924

You could buy Baby Peggy Hosiery, Baby Peggy Dresses, Baby Peggy Underwear, Baby Peggy Jewelry, Baby Peggy Bonnets, Baby Peggy Dolls, Baby Peggy's Own Storybook, Baby Peggy Handkerchiefs, Baby Peggy Coats, Baby Peggy Writing Paper, and Baby Peggy Silverware. I'm exhausted from typing that list.

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

"So great is Baby Peggy's 'Fan' Correspondence that five secretaries work daily answering her letters."

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

"The most intensive fan campaign ever carried on for a star." I'll bet. 

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924

Meanwhile Century Comedies carried on without Baby Peggy. "The Century Follies Girls, a bubbling, youthful group of girlish beauty in an unusual series of clean, entertaining comedies, are making friends and profits for showmen everywhere."

Motion Picture News, 22-March-1924

Pal the Dog was the star of "That Oriental Game." Charles Lamont and Noel Smith directed. I wonder if the title refers to mah-jongg, which was very popular around that time. 

Motion Picture Magazine, April, 1924

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924

Buddy Messinger was a kid who starred in a series of Century Comedies. Albert Herman directed "The (or was it A?) Young Tenderfoot."

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924

Arthur Trimble was another child actor starring in a series of Century Comedies. The caption remarks that he "looks like Buster Brown." He later played Buster Brown in a series. 

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

Christie advertised Dorothy Devore as "A Clever Queen of Comedy." Christie's short comedies were distributed by Educational.

Motion Picture News, 08-March-1924

Scott Sidney directed "Getting Gertie's Goat." The title was probably a satire of the play (later filmed twice) Getting Gertie's Garter. 

Film Daily, 04-March-1924

Dorothy Devore's success in short comedies led Christie to put her in feature-length comedies. Hodkinson released Christie's features. 

Film Daily, 06-March-1924

Motion Picture News, 22-March-1924

Christie produced series of short comedies starring Neal Burns and Jimmie Adams. I like the stick figures. 

Film Daily, 28-March-1924

Educational offered free ad mats for their short subjects. These could be run as stand-alone newspaper ads or inserted into larger ads. Al Christie himself directed Neal Burns and Vera Steadman in "Busy Buddies." 

Motion Picture News, 22-March-1924

Bobby Vernon also starred in a series of Christie comedies. Archie Mayo directed "Reno or Bust." 

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924

Educational released shorts from many different producers. This item has ad mats from a variety of series. 

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

Cameo Comedies were one-reelers released by Educational. Sid Smith and Cliff Bowes starred in many. "Cave Inn" is a good title for a stone age comedy. 

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924



Thursday, February 29, 2024

Century Comedies -- Consistently Good -- February 29, 2024

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

Baby Peggy Montgomery had been Century's biggest comedy star. She moved on to starring in features for Universal and Sol Lesser's Principal Pictures. Captain January was based on a book by Laura E Richards. Shirley Temple starred in another adaption. 

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

I hope the kids at New York's Hebrew Orphan Asylum enjoyed Baby Peggy's first feature, The Darling of New York. 

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924

Century carried on with other comedy series. "A Barrel of Real Fun!"

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924

Al Herman had just finished directing his thirtieth Century comedy for the Stern Brothers. 

Motion Picture News, 16-February-1924

Giant Jack Earle starred with Harry McCoy in Century's "Keep Going." Robert Kerr directed. 

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924

Young Buddy Messinger starred in "Quit Kidding," directed by Al Herman.

Motion Picture News, 09-February-1924

Century Studio was at 6100 Sunset Boulevard, which is now a parking lot. At the corner of North Gower, it was near what is now Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. 

Film Daily, 11-February-1924

I know almost nothing about Sherwood MacDonald and I know even less about Butterfly Comedies. I think this is the only time I have seen the word "filmbrand."

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924

Christie Comedies: "Fast and Funny." "The Best Bet for a Balanced Program." "In the Front Line of Laughmakers." Lots of tag lines. 

Motion Picture News, 16-February-1924

Please excuse the racism. Jimmie Adams seems to have done a lot of blackface. William Beaudine directed "Aggravating Papa." 

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

Christie Comedies are "Crammed With Laughs and Action." Dorothy Devore was a popular Christie star. Scott Sidney directed "Stay Single." 

Film Daily, 25-February-1924

Film Daily, 08-February-1924

Al Christie was planning to make feature-length comedies."  

Film Daily, 25-February-1924

Dorothy Devore and Walter Hiers were going to star in the first Christie feature, Hold Your Breath. 

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924


Film Daily, 08-February-1924

Camera, 02-February-1924

The Christie Studio was at 6101 Sunset at Gower. There is nothing remarkable there now. 


Saturday, September 23, 2023

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