Showing posts with label Lige Conley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lige Conley. Show all posts

Friday, May 31, 2024

Lloyd Hamilton -- His First Five Reel Comedy -- May 31, 2024

Film Daily, 29-May-1924

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

Film Daily, 11-May-1924

Film Daily, 07-May-1924

Exhibitors Herald, 03-May-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. We may be lucky that the feature length version is lost. The surviving two reeler is bad enough.

Larry Semon was also trying to move into feature films. 

Exhibitors Herald, 24-May-1924

Photoplay, May, 1924

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

Exhibitors Herald, 10-May-1924

"Hit 'em Hard" is a century comedy starring Jack Earle and Harry McCoy. "Checking Out" starred Pal the Dog. 

Exhibitors Herald, 10-May-1924

"Pretty little Evelyn McCoy" appeared in the Century Follies series. 

Exhibitors Herald, 03-May-1924

Christie Comedies emphasized situation comedy over slapstick. 

Exhibitors Herald, 24-May-1924

Film Daily, 21-May-1924

"A Christie Comedy of love among the cows."

Film Daily, 11-May-1924

"A Safe Bet That You'll Crack With Laughter."

Film Daily, 21-May-1924

"A Laugh a Day Keeps the Doctor Away."

Film Daily, 11-May-1924

"Sensible Nonsense, with plenty of hokum and laughs."

Exhibitors Herald, 10-May-1924

Exhibitors Herald, 10-May-1924Film Daily, 20-May-1924

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

Exhibitors Herald, 03-May-1924

Film Daily, 07-May-1924

Film Daily, 14-May-1924

Film Daily, 21-May-1924

Film Daily, 28-May-1924


Monday, April 29, 2024

Baby Peggy -- The Biggest Little Star in Pictures -- April 29, 2024

Film Daily, 20-April-1924

"A true symbol of mother love is Baby Peggy, sweetest of motion picture stars. Through the devotion of her mother and the constant care of her father she has been developed into what she now is -- the most winning child in the world." Ironically, her father got her blacklisted after fighting with a producer, and her parents wasted the substantial fortune that she had earned. 

Film Daily, 11-April-1924

Captain January was a feature film based on Laura E Richards' 1891 novel of the same name. Shirley Temple later starred in a talkie version. 

Film Daily, 13-April-1924

Sol Lesser's Principal Pictures produced Captain January. Eddie Cline directed. 

Film Daily, 13-April-1924

Even though she had moved up to feature films, Baby Peggy continued to appear in short comedies for Century.

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

Pal the Century Wonder Dog had his own series. 

Motion Picture News, 19-April-1924

Pal was the hero of "Checking Out," playing with Harry Sweet. Noel Smith directed. 

Motion Picture News, 19-April-1924

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

"Hit 'em Hard" starred Jack Earle (seven feet, six inches) and Harry McCoy (short). Robert Kerr directed. 

Motion Picture News, 26-April-1924

Buddy Messinger was a boy who had his own series. 

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

James Berry, an African-American young man, who had performed in two Century Comedies, was signed for a series. He was often billed as Bubbles Baker. 

Motion Picture News, 19-April-1924Motion Picture News, 19-April-1924

Century announced a series of bathing girl comedies. Bathing girl comedies were very popular during the silent era.

Film Daily, 09-April-1924

Educational offered free ad mats for their short subjects. These could be run as stand-alone newspaper ads or inserted into larger ads.

Dorothy Devore was one of Christie's most popular stars. The title "Getting Gertie's Goat." was probably a satire of the play (later filmed twice) Getting Gertie's Garter. Christie's short comedies were distributed by Educational. 

Motion Picture News, 19-April-1924

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

Film Daily, 18-April-1924

Motion Picture News, 26-April-1924

"Dandy Lions" starred Neal Burns. Lions were popular around this time in silent comedies.

Motion Picture News, 05-April-1924

Bobby Vernon, who had appeared in short comedies for many years was rewarded with his own unit at Christie. 

Film Daily, 23-April-1924

Clyde Cook was an acrobatic comedian. He was born in Australia. 

Motion Picture News, 05-April-1924
Note his pose in the last frame. 

Film Daily, 04-April-1924

Jack White produced Mermaid Comedies with Lige Conley.

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

This looks like a fun one. 

Motion Picture News, 19-April-1924



Monday, October 30, 2023

Loudest Longest Lustiest Leading Lot of Laughs -- October 30, 2023

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Century Comedies proclaimed its many popular series of comedies, starring Baby Peggy, Buddy Messinger, Pal the Dog, Jack Earle, the Century Follies Girls and Roscoe Karns. "Consistently Good." 

Motion Picture News, 27-October-1923

Baby Peggy starred in an adaption of "Hansel and Gretel." Universal also released a series based on Sidney Smith's comic strip The Gumps. I remember reading reprints of The Gumps in books and finding it ugly and unfunny.  I can usually understand old topical humor, but this was beyond me.  The movies were funny.  Poor Joe Murphy looked like Andy Gump. 

Film Daily, 02-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 20-October-1923

I did not know that Roscoe Karns, who often played fast-talking characters, had a career in short silent comedies. 

Motion Picture News, 13-October-1923

"Fashion Follies" featured the Follies Girls/Century Girls. 

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Meanwhile Baby Peggy started to make feature films for Universal Pictures. 

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

"Never Failing Box Office Attractions."  Christie offered a wealth of comic actors. 

Motion Picture News, 13-October-1923

"Christie Comedies Save Many Weak Shows." That is an interesting statement.

Motion Picture News, 27-October-1923

"A Regular Gusher of Laughs." Jimmie Adams performed in the Christie Comedy "Done in Oil." Oil discoveries were a hot topic at the time.

Film Daily, 24-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Film Daily, 21-October-1923Film Daily, 21-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Hal Roach and Mack Sennett both released their comedies through Pathé. Their stars included Will Rogers, Ruth Roland, Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston and Ben Turpin. 

Cine-Mundial, October, 1923

Film Daily, 19-October-1923

Film Daily, 22-October-1923

Film Daily, 22-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 13-October-1923

Film Daily, 28-October-1923

Film Daily, 07-October-1923

Mack Sennett comedies were "As well known as the Pacific Ocean --"

Motion Picture News, 27-October-1923

"A Series of Two Reel Kid Comedies With Wonderful Exploitation Possibilities."

Film Daily, 29-October-1923

Motion Picture News, 06-October-1923

Jack White produced Mermaid Comedies with Lige Conley.

Film Daily, 08-October-1923

Film Daily, 17-October-1923