Showing posts with label Scott Sidney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scott Sidney. Show all posts

Saturday, March 30, 2024

The Most Popular Child in All the World -- March 30, 2024

Motion Picture News, 08-March-1924

Baby Peggy Montgomery had been Century's biggest comedy star. She moved on to starring in features for Universal and Sol Lesser's Principal Pictures. Captain January was based on a book by Laura E Richards. Shirley Temple starred in a later adaption. 

Note the Baby Peggy Doll, offered at Gimbel's in New York. 

Motion Picture News, 08-March-1924

You could buy Baby Peggy Hosiery, Baby Peggy Dresses, Baby Peggy Underwear, Baby Peggy Jewelry, Baby Peggy Bonnets, Baby Peggy Dolls, Baby Peggy's Own Storybook, Baby Peggy Handkerchiefs, Baby Peggy Coats, Baby Peggy Writing Paper, and Baby Peggy Silverware. I'm exhausted from typing that list.

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

"So great is Baby Peggy's 'Fan' Correspondence that five secretaries work daily answering her letters."

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

"The most intensive fan campaign ever carried on for a star." I'll bet. 

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924

Meanwhile Century Comedies carried on without Baby Peggy. "The Century Follies Girls, a bubbling, youthful group of girlish beauty in an unusual series of clean, entertaining comedies, are making friends and profits for showmen everywhere."

Motion Picture News, 22-March-1924

Pal the Dog was the star of "That Oriental Game." Charles Lamont and Noel Smith directed. I wonder if the title refers to mah-jongg, which was very popular around that time. 

Motion Picture Magazine, April, 1924

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924

Buddy Messinger was a kid who starred in a series of Century Comedies. Albert Herman directed "The (or was it A?) Young Tenderfoot."

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924

Arthur Trimble was another child actor starring in a series of Century Comedies. The caption remarks that he "looks like Buster Brown." He later played Buster Brown in a series. 

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

Christie advertised Dorothy Devore as "A Clever Queen of Comedy." Christie's short comedies were distributed by Educational.

Motion Picture News, 08-March-1924

Scott Sidney directed "Getting Gertie's Goat." The title was probably a satire of the play (later filmed twice) Getting Gertie's Garter

Film Daily, 04-March-1924

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

Film Daily, 06-March-1924

Motion Picture News, 22-March-1924

Christie produced series of short comedies starring Neal Burns and Jimmie Adams. I like the stick figures. 

Film Daily, 28-March-1924

Educational offered free ad mats for their short subjects. These could be run as stand-alone newspaper ads or inserted into larger ads. Al Christie himself directed Neal Burns and Vera Steadman in "Busy Buddies." 

Motion Picture News, 22-March-1924

Bobby Vernon also starred in a series of Christie comedies. Archie Mayo directed "Reno or Bust." 

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924

Educational released shorts from many different producers. This item has ad mats from a variety of series. 

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

Cameo Comedies were one-reelers released by Educational. Sid Smith and Cliff Bowes starred in many. "Cave Inn" is a good title for a stone age comedy. 

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924



Monday, June 26, 2023

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.

Sunday, April 30, 2023

Christie Comedies -- New Ideas -- New Laughs -- April 30, 2023

Motion Picture News, 14-April-1923

Christie Comedies were becoming more ambitious. "Backgrounds from Hawaii to Alaska -- different in every picture. "Green as Grass," centered on horse racing, starred Jimmie Adams and was directed by Scott Sidney. "... a fast and thrilling race of laughs."

Motion Picture News, 14-April-1923

Jimmie Adams and Charlotte Herriam. 

Motion Picture News, 14-April-1923

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. "Every actor in the picture will be in burnt cork, that is to say there will be no real colored folks in the piece..."

Motion Picture News, 07-April-1923

Century Comedies, which had produced short comedies like "Sky High" was going to feature their biggest star, Baby Peggy, in a feature-length movie. Elsie Jane Wilson was to direct, but King Baggott would end up with the credit.  

Motion Picture News, 14-April-1923

Doris Eaton became known as the "Last Surviving Ziegfeld Girl" before she died in 2010. She appeared in three editions of the Ziegfeld Follies between 1918 and 1920. Her husband Joe Gorham, a former director for Flo Ziegfeld, produced a revue called the Gorham Follies. Joe Gorham died six months after they married, leaving Doris a widow at 19. At least two short comedies in the Gorham Follies series were produced. 

Doris and her sisters Pearl and Mary, all beautiful, appeared in several editions of the Ziegfeld Follies.

Motion Picture News, 14-April-1923

Hal Roach was producing short comedies which alternated between Paul Parrot, brother of Charley Chase, and Stan Laurel. 

Motion Picture News, 28-April-1923

Hal Roach's new series, Our Gang, was a hit.

Motion Picture News, 28-April-1923

Snub Pollard had his own series of two-reelers for Roach.

Motion Picture News, 07-April-1923

Lloyd Hamilton had his own series released by Educational. "His unerring sense of comedy..."

Motion Picture News, 14-April-1923

"The majority of  'F. O. B.' was shot in a box car ... The cast of 'F. O. B.' has no women."

Motion Picture News, 14-April-1923

Educational released Mermaid Comedies, produced by Jack White and often starring Lige Conley. Note the lion.