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

Ad Mats -- Advertise Your Short Subjects -- June 26, 2023

Film Daily, 01-June-1923

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

Lige Conley starred in Mermaid Comedies. I like the image of Conley with a stock ticker. Roy Del Ruth and Jack White directed. 

Film Daily, 05-June-1923

Harold Beaudine directed Bobby Vernon in "Plumb Crazy," a Christie Comedy. I like the dog. 

Film Daily, 08-June-1923

Educational also released shorts that were not comedies. Gene Sarazen was a prominent golf champion. 

Film Daily, 27-June-1923

Christie Comedies produced "Take Your Choice" with Bobby Vernon. Scott Sidney directed. 

Film Daily, 30-June-1923

Louise Fazenda and Harry Gribbon starred in "Cold Chills," a Mermaid Comedy. Del Lord and Jack White directed.

Baby Peggy -- The Kutest Little Kiddie on the Screen -- October 28, 2022

Film Daily, 08-October-1922

Baby Peggy Montgomery grew to become Century's biggest comedy star, even surpassing her old comrade Brownie the Century Wonder Dog. Universal released Century Comedies. "Little Red Riding Hood" was a short film, but it was treated as "A Century Special Production."

Motion Picture News, 28-October-1922

"Consistently Good!" does not seem to be an inspiring tag line. 

Moving Picture World, 21-October-1922

I would like to see Queenie the Trick Horse do her act. I'm a little sad that Johnny Fox was not a fox. 

Motion Picture News, 21-October-1922

"Just Dogs" starred the approximately 50 Century Dogs, who did not always get along with each other. 

Motion Picture News, 14-October-1922

Century made a deal with a large department store in Toronto to promote books related to the "Century Special Fairy Tale" series. I wonder if they meant to say "Cooperation" in the title. Baby Peggy visited San Diego. 

Motion Picture News, 21-October-1922

Educational released Cameo Clean-Cut Comedies, starring Jimmie Adams, who appeared in many silent comedies and, for a time, was one of the Hallroom Boys.

Motion Picture News, 21-October-1922

Do "Clean-Cut Comedies" and "Single Reel Rough and Tumbles" sound contradictory?

Motion Picture News, 28-October-1922

The Christie Film Company was a major producer of short comedies from 1911 to 1933. Educational distributed their films. Al Christie was the director and Charles Christie ran the business. "The Whole Darn Family Aboard the Christie Laugh Boat." 

Motion Picture News, 14-October-1922

"Book Christie Comedies and Advertise Them!"

Motion Picture News, 14-October-1922

"Choose Your Weapons" starring Bobby Vernon, a Graustarkian/Ruritanian costume picture, was going to have a significant budget. 

Motion Picture News, 14-October-1922

Dorothy Devore played a jockey in "Let 'Er Run."

Photoplay, October, 1922

Al Christie carefully measures the length of Vera Steadman's dress. Rising hems were a hot subject.

Moving Picture World, 14-October-1922

Educational released Mermaid Comedies. Lige Conley starred in "The Steeplechaser," supported by Spencer Bell, who made many movies with Larry Semon. 

Motion Picture News, 21-October-1922

Al St John made a starring series for Fox. Fox Sunshine Comedies advertised "Pep and Pulchritude." Thanks to reading about silent movies, I may have been the only fourth grader in San Francisco who knew what "pulchritude" meant. 

Moving Picture World, 14-October-1922

Stan Laurel played a clumsy carpenter in "The Egg," released by Metro.

Moving Picture World, 14-October-1922

"Mud and Sand" was fun. 

Baby Peggy -- The Child Wonder of the Screen -- September 28, 2022

Film Daily, 03-September-1922

Baby Peggy Montgomery grew to become Century's biggest comedy star, even surpassing her old comrade Brownie the Century Wonder Dog. Universal released Century Comedies. "Little Red Riding Hood" was a short film, but it was treated as "A Century Special Production." 

Motion Picture News, 02-September-1922

The Big Bad Wolf was played by a dog named Peter the Great.

Motion Picture News, 02-September-1922

Carter and Flora Parker DeHaven were vaudeville performers. They were usually billed as Mr and Mrs Carter De Haven.

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

The Christie Film Company was a major producer of short comedies from 1911 to 1933. Al Christie was the director and Charles Christie ran the business. "That Son of a Sheik" starred Neal Burns. 

Moving Picture World, 09-September-1922

Educational distributed many different series of short comedies. "The Spice of the Program."

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

The Christie Film Company was a major producer of short comedies from 1911 to 1933. Educational distributed their films. Al Christie was the director and Charles Christie ran the business. "That Son of a Sheik" starred Neal Burns. 

Moving Picture World, 23-September-1922

Earl Hurd was a pioneering animator, who had worked with JR Bray to develop cell animation. Hurd produced a series of short films that combined animation and live action. Educational released his movies.

Moving Picture World, 09-September-1922

Educational also released Mermaid Comedies, which starred Lloyd Hamilton.

Moving Picture World, 02-September-1922

"Book at Educational Exchanges." Johnny Hines starred in a series of short comedies as Torchy. I like the images in these ads.

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

Moving Picture World, 30-September-1922

Moving Picture World, 09-September-1922

Hal Roach's new series, Our Gang, was released by Pathé. "Big Laughs From Little Kids." 

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

"Kids! Animals! Laughs!"

Moving Picture World, 02-September-1922

Himself.

Moving Picture World, 30-September-1922

Roach veteran Snub Pollard had moved up from one-reeelers to two-reelers. 

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

 

Moving Picture World, 09-September-1922

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

"More Laughs, Longer Laughs, Longer Comedies."

Moving Picture World, 30-September-1922

Metro was going to release short comedies starring Stan Laurel.

Fox produced and released several series of short comedies. 

Moving Picture World, 23-September-1922

Clyde Cook's "The Eskimo" was directed by fellow comedian Slim Summerville. 

Moving Picture World, 09-September-1922

Bud Fisher's Mutt and Jeff was the most popular comic strip in America for many years. Augustus Mutt and Jeff had many timely adventures. Fox released a series of animated cartoons. 

Moving Picture World, 23-September-1922

Uncle Dan Mason, who had played the Skipper in a series of short comedies based on Fontaine Fox's comic panel The Toonerville Trolley That Meets All the Trains, moved to FBO to star in a series of Plum Center Comedies.

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

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.

Moving Picture World, 09-September-1922

I don't know anything about Frankie Lee. 

Moving Picture World, 09-September-1922

I also know nothing about Federated Radio Comedies, although the item below may refer to them. 

Indianapolis Journal, 17-September-1922

"...two-reel radio comedies based on the science of radio."