Mabel Normand Broke All House Records -- January 31, 2024

Film Daily, 27-January-1924

Back around 1970, our public television station, KQED-Channel 9, showed a series of silent movies from the Paul Killiam collection. These may have been the first silents that I saw with tinting and good musical scores. One of the movies that I remember best was The Extra Girl with Mabel Normand. Mack Sennett produced, and F Richard Jones directed. 

Mabel Normand's career had been impeded by her being accused of involvement in various scandals, including Roscoe Arbuckle's and the murder of William Desmond Taylor. Some theaters stopped showing her films. The Extra Girl gave her career new life. 

Film Daily, 03-January-1924

Film Daily, 07-January-1924

Film Daily, 09-January-1924

Film Daily, 14-January-1924

Film Daily, 16-January-1924

Film Daily, 18-January-1924

Film Daily, 20-January-1924

Film Daily, 22-January-1924

Film Daily, 24-January-1924

Film Daily, 27-January-1924

Film Daily, 31-January-1924

Rudolph Valentino, 125 -- May 6, 2020

www.listal.com

Actor Rudolph Valentino was born 125 years ago today, on 06-May-1895 in Castellaneta, in the Apulia region, the boot heel of Italy. He came to America and started in the film business as an extra. He worked his way up to giant stardom, and then died on 23-August-1926 of appendicitis . He was 31 years old.

I think the first complete movie that I saw him in was Son of the Sheik, which I enjoyed immensely.  Our public television station, KQED-Channel 9, showed prints from the Paul Killiam collection.