Showing posts with label Mack Swain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mack Swain. Show all posts

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Charlie Chaplin -- The Funniest Picture the World Has Ever Seen -- April 14, 2024

Photoplay, April, 1924

Charlie Chaplin was an avid amateur boxer, but I'm pretty sure Mack Swain is out of is weight class. Mack wears his costume from The Gold Rush. The referee is Kid McCoy, who was often called the dirtiest boxer in the world.

Motion Picture Magazine, April, 1924

Motion Picture Magazine, April, 1924

Chaplin's pretty new studio is presently (2024) occupied by the Jim Henson Company.

San Antonio Light, 15-April-1924

In 1914, Charlie Chaplin played a supporting role in his first feature film, Keystone's Tillie's Punctured Romance. Mabel Normand played a supporting role and Mack Sennett directed. The star was Marie Dressler. Tillie's Punctured Romance was repeatedly reissued to take advantage of Chaplin's fame.

Washington Times, 15-April-1924


Sunday, February 25, 2024

Charlie Chaplin Seeks Feminine Foil -- February 25, 2024

Camera, 02-February-1924

Edna Purviance was Charlie Chaplin's leading lady for seven years, from his second Essanay film, through the Mutuals, to The Kid and his short films for First National. Chaplin directed her in his first production for United Artists, A Woman of Paris.

For his first starring feature for United Artists, The Gold Rush, he looked for a new leading lady. He planned to produce a dramatic film starring Edna Purviance. 

Camera, 02-February-1924

The Chaplin Studio, where he was preparing The Gold Rush, is now occupied by the Jim Henson Company.

Motion Picture News, 16-February-1924

Chaplin signed his old associate Mack Swain for The Gold Rush.

Motion Picture News, 16-February-1924

Columbia Pictures, which had recently changed its name from Cohn-Brandt-Cohn (CBC), produced Screen Snapshots, a series of short films, between 1920 and 1958. They generally featured candid photos of Hollywood stars. Chaplin and his buddy Douglas Fairbanks appeared in Number 11. 


Friday, June 23, 2023

More Thrills, Prettier Girls, Funnier Gags -- June 23, 2023

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"More Thrills, Prettier Girls, Funnier Gags" Fox Sunshine Comedies frequently featured pretty girls and animals.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"Circus Pals," directed by Lewis Seiler, featured at least one pretty girl and lots of animals. I wonder if the little monkey is Josephine. 

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Fox introduced a new line of Imperial Comedies. I like image of the Sphinx being tickled. Egyptian subjects were very popular because of the recent discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Century Comedies boasted that four-year-old Baby Peggy was promoted from short comedies to features.

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Century Comedies also boasted about the great variety of the stars of its short comedies. The second article talks about the comic strip The Gumps by Sidney Smith was being made into a series of short films. I have read examples of The Gumps and have never found it funny. Perhaps it is just me. 

Motion Picture News, 16-June-1923

Century's series of Follies Girls comedies came with "an elaborate girlie revue..."

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Century planned to release one two reeler a week for an entire year. 

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

Mack Swain started his film career at Mack Sennett's Keystone studio. Swain moved on to L-KO and then appeared in some of Chaplin's First National films. This item says that Swain was going back to work for Mack Sennett, but I'm not sure that happened.

Cine-Mundial, June, 1923

Mabel Normand, who was with Sennett at the birth of Keystone, also returned to Sennett in this period. 

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

I have seen Sennett's "Skylarking," which starred Harry Gribbon and Alberta Vaughn. It is funny.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

Harry Aitken was re-releasing Keystone comedies, probably with new titles and subtitles, as "New Edition Keystone Comedies."

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

I don't know much about Sid (Sidney) Smith except that he had been one of the Hallroom Boys and worked for Mack Sennett and Al Christy for a while.

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

Harry Cohn, his brother Jack and Joe Brandt provided the initials for C.B.C. Film Sales Corp. The Hallroom Boys Comedies were a long running series of short comedies, based on a comic strip by Harold MacGill. 

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

"25,000 Laughs! 10,000 Chuckles! 5,000 Grins!" Mario Bianchi was born in Cesena in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. He emigrated to the US in 1914. He adopted the name Monty Banks and appeared in many short comedies. He later appeared in features known for daring stunt work. 

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

In the Teens, Joe Rock and Earle Montgomery made a lot of short comedies for Vitagraph, but few survive. Joe Rock went on to star in solo comedies, and produce comedies with Stan Laurel, and later the Ton of Fun movies.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

"Chrisie Again Makes Good With Novel Comedy Attraction." Unfortunately, Christie chose to make "Roll Along" with his actors in black face. Scott Sidney directed. The movie was shot along the Sacramento River but set along the Mississippi. Jimmie Adams played Rastus Jones. 

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

I hope this one no longer exists. I am afraid to check.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

Bobby Vernon started as a juvenile comedian at Keystone, where he starred in several popular comedies with Gloria Swanson. 

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Christie sent Neal Burns and a crew to Lassen County in Northern California to shoot "Back to the Woods," a logging comedy. 

Lassen Mail, 07-June-1923

"Back to the Woods" was shot at a camp of the Red River Lumber Company. 

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

The images include Neal Burns and leading lady Vera Steadman. 

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

"A Valuable Asset of the Well Balanced Summer Program."

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

Snub Pollard appeared in a series of two-reelers for Hal Roach. I like the image of his mustache. Years ago I tried to grow my mustache to look like his.

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

I have always liked the title of Snub's film "The Courtship of Miles Sandwich."

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

Motion Picture News, 23-June-1923

Stan Laurel appeared in a series of one-reelers for Hal Roach. 

Motion Picture News, 16-June-1923

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Hal Roach's Our Gang series, starring a group of talented and not-obnoxious kids, was a big hit. I like the way they always included children of color, who were treated just the rest of the gang.

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

I am a fan of Pete the Pup, although I notice that he does not have his monocle in this shot. 

Motion Picture News, 02-June-1923

Pathé released a great variety of Pathecomedies and Patheserials, along with animated films by Paul Terry. 

Motion Picture News, 16-June-1923

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Motion Picture News, 16-June-1923

Neely Edwards and Bert Roach starred in a series for Universal.

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Educational released a series of Mermaid Comedies starring Lige Conley. 

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Neely Edwards starred in "This Way Out," a Mermaid Comedy. 

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Lloyd Hamilton starred in his own series of two-reelers for Educational. Most are lost. 

Motion Picture News, 09-June-1923

Motion Picture News, 16-June-1923

Hal Roach also produced "The Dippy Doo-Dads," a series of animal comedies. 

Motion Picture News, 30-June-1923