The Amusement Home of the Colored People -- May 23, 2020

Dallas Express, 29-May-1920

I was surprised by the size of this ad for the segregated Mammoth Theater in Dallas. I like the image of Chaplin. 

Clear to the Roof -- May 25, 1919

Moving Picture World, 10-May-1919

100 years ago this month, in May, 1919, Buster Keaton was awaiting his discharge from the Army. Roscoe Arbuckle and Al St John continued to produce comedies for Comique in California.

Moving Picture World, 10-May-1919

Roscoe's wife, Minta Durfee, who had appeared in many Keystone comedies, considered returning to the screen.

Moving Picture World, 10-May-1919

"...she is wading through scenarios and books that contain the material in which she is most interested."

Moving Picture World, 17-May-1919

"...one of the few leading women who is going to return to the screen, after a two years' absence."  She did not return to movies at this time, but did appear in uncredited parts in many talkies.

Maui News, 30-May-1919

If you were in Maui, Territory of Hawaii, you could see Roscoe in "The Pullman Porter" at the Wailuku Orpheum.

Moving Picture World, 03-May-1919

Tower Film Corporation was rereleasing old movies, including a set of twelve Keystones with Roscoe.

Moving Picture World, 10-May-1919

"Custer's Last Fight" was a 1912 film produced by Thomas Ince. Francis Ford played Custer and directed.  The William S Hart films were two-reelers produced by Ince in 1914.

Moving Picture World, 24-May-1919

Buster returned from doing his duty.

Moving Picture World, 31-May-1919

Roscoe purchased the Vernon franchise of the Pacific Coast League.  Roscoe and Buster were great baseball fans.

A scorebook graced with a photo of Roscoe.

Moving Picture World, 31-May-1919

Roscoe, Buster, Al St John and leading lady Molly Malone put on a comedy exhibition before a double header against the San Francisco Seals. The Vernon Tigers and the Seals split the double header.

Moving Picture World, 09-August-1919

John Ford 125 -- February 1, 2019

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Director John Ford was born 125 years ago today, on 01-February-1894.  He came to Hollywood in 1914 to work with his brother, who was an actor, a writer and a director.

John Ford became a director and worked from 1917 in the silent era to 1966 in the era of sound and television.  During World War II, he made documentaries for the Navy and ran the photographic section of the Office of Strategic Services.

Moving Picture World, 11-August-1917

John Ford directed many movies with his friend Harry Carey.  

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John Ford gave Harry's son, Harry, Jr, his start as an actor.

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Ford worked at Fox and then 20th Century-Fox for many years.  He directed films like Judge Priest with Will Rogers.

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Ford was born in America to Irish immigrants.  Ireland and Irish culture frequently made its way into his movies.  The Plough and the Stars was based on a play by Sean O'Casey, which was set during the 1916 Easter Rising.

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John Ford adapted John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath into a 1940 movie.  Ford won an Academy Award as Best Director and Jane Darwell won as Best Supporting Actress.

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John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara were friends of John Ford.  He directed many movies with them separate and together.  The most famous, which my father watched every time it was on television, was The Quiet Man, which was shot on location in Ireland.

Francis Ford as the Great Emancipator -- February 12, 2017

It, 15-July-1920

Happy 208th birthday to Abraham Lincoln, our greatest president.  In 1915, Universal released a Gold Seal production, "The Heart of Lincoln," just in time for his birthday.  Francis Ford, brother of future director John Ford, played Lincoln.  Ford directed the film and co-starred with his frequent partner, Grace Cunard.  She wrote the scenario. 

"... in his Big Americanization Feature which is soon to be released, and John Dean, father of Harry Ellis Dean, who voted for Abraham Lincoln."  Since the movie was released in 1915, this item must refer to a re-release.  Harry Ellis Dean was the business manager of the Francis Ford Studios.


I posted a 1915 story about the movie:
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-heart-of-lincoln-february-12-2015.html

Francis Ford played Abraham Lincoln in seven other films.   

Side Whiskers as Art -- May 19, 2015

Francis Ford was the older brother of future director John Ford. He was a star and director at Universal. 

With expositions in both San Francisco and San Diego dedicated to the newly opened Panama Canal, and with tourism to Europe cut off, Universal hoped to attract visitors to its new studio, Universal City.  "If you are going to California this Spring, go to your favorite theatre first, see some Universal moving-pictures, then drop in at Universal city and

SEE HOW THE MOVIES ARE MADE

Universal City is a brief trolley ride from Los Angeles whichon the direct line of the Santa Fe Railroad." 

Washington at Valley Forge -- February 22, 2015

Moving Picture World, 28-March-1914

In honor of George Washington's birthday, here is an ad for a Universal four-reeler, "Washington at Valley Forge."  Four reels was not a common length for a movie.  This was a "Universal Special Feature."  It starred Francis Ford and his frequent partner Grace Cunard.  Ford was the older brother of future director John Ford.  An actor named Pedro León played General Washington. 

The Heart of Lincoln -- February 12, 2015

Moving Picture World, 30-January-1915

Happy 206th birthday to Abraham Lincoln, our greatest president.  In 1915, Universal released a Gold Seal production, "The Heart of Lincoln," just in time for his birthday.  Francis Ford, brother of future director John Ford, played Lincoln.  Ford directed the film and co-starred with his frequent partner, Grace Cunard.  She wrote the scenario. 

"As a basis for the multiple-reel picture perhaps no period of history has lent itself so unstintingly to the screen as that of the Civil War; nor has any single personality of history been more largely monopolized as a subject for screen impersonation than that of Abraham Lincoln."  This is interesting to read with the premiere of Birth of a Nation Waiting just around the corner. 

Francis Ford had played Abraham Lincoln in seven other films.   

A Study in Scarlet -- December 28, 2014

Moving Picture World, 19-December-1914

There were two adaptions of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novel A Study in Scarlet made in 1914.  The British feature version, directed by George Pearson, is lost and anxiously sought.  James Bragington played Holmes. 

I have not heard of anyone looking for the American Gold Seal two-reeler released by Universal.  Francis Ford directed and played Sherlock Holmes.  Some sources claim that his brother John, who later became a famous director, played Doctor Watson.  I would like to see more evidence.