Laurence Olivier Presents Hamlet -- January 19, 2025

Syracuse Post Standard, 13-January-1950

Seventy-five years ago this month, filmgoers in Syracuse could see Laurence Olivier's Academy Award-winning adaption of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. We watched this again on TCM a few weeks ago. 

"See How the World Wags," said Shakespeare. Nowadays it WAGLs -- April 17, 2024

Film Daily, 10-April-1924

"'See how the world Wags,' said Shakespeare. Nowadays it WAGLs."

Foreign Screen Version of "Hamlet" To Get Premier -- November 15, 2021

Exhibitors Herald, 05-November-1921

Asta Nielsen was a great star from Denmark. Her German production of Hamlet featured her as a princess pretending to be a prince, Hamlet. Asta Nielsen was inspired by a book published in 1886 by Edward P Vining, The Mystery of Hamlet. I remember a professor at San Francisco State ridiculing the idea.

Der Kinematograph, 05-July-1920

Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in The Scottish Play -- April 23, 2016

Moving Picture News, 26-February-1916

Today is the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, on 23-April-1616.  Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, a famous British actor, came to Hollywood in 1916, the 300th anniversary, to play MacBeth for Triangle under the supervision of DW Griffith.  In My Autobiography, Charlie Chaplin wrote about how one of Tree's daughters was hot for Charlie.  Constance Collier played Lady MacBeth. I like the image of Wilfred Lucas as MacDuff. 

Motography, 05-February-1916

Moving Picture News, 26-February-1916

Anita Louise 100 -- January 9, 2015

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Actress Anita Louise was born 100 years ago today, on 09-January-1915.  She was a 1931 WAMPAS Baby Star.  She played Titania, Queen of the Fairies in Max Reinhardt's wild production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

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She was the leading lady in John Ford's Judge Priest with Will Rogers. 



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Actor Fernando Lamas was born the same day.  I never thought much of him as an actor and I thought less of him as a man after I read about his treatment of Esther Williams during their marriage. 

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News of the Week for 09-January-1915 will appear in this blog tomorrow.