Showing posts with label United Artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United Artists. Show all posts

Friday, August 8, 2025

William S Hart -- Dry Those Tears Fans, Pinto's All Right -- August 8, 2025

Washington Times, 01-August-1925


Fritz was William S Hart's pinto pony. His home and ranch are now the William S. Hart Regional Park. Hart's first picture for United Artists would be Tumbleweeds. This was his last starring feature. 

DRY THOSE TEARS
FANS, PINTO’S
ALL RIGHT

Many personal inquiries and letters received by William S. Hart in respect to the Pinto pony, whose innumerable friends are anxious to know where and how he is, and what he is doing.

The Pinto, be it known, is luxuriating at Bill Hart’s Newhall ranch and once a week, invariably, his master visits him with carrots and sugar and caresses, which the pony accepts with all the dignity of a king, nosing out the other horses and refusing to leave Bill alone until certain the sugar supply is exhausted.

Meanwhile Elizabeth, the giant mule which Bill Hart acquired some years ago during the making of a picture, is almost as insistent as the Pinto.

Wonderful fields in which to graze, plenty of fodder, weekly gifts of special delicacies dear to the equine heart -- and best of all a sight of their beloved master -- this is the condition in which Bill Hart’s horses and other stock exist. And Bill, on his periodic visits, is Just as nappy to see the animals as they are to see him.

So, to all his friends In the world of men, the Pinto sends his kind regards and best wishes.

Hart is now preparing to start his first production for United Artists release and in this picture many horses, including the Pinto, will appear.

Alaska Daily Empire, 06-November-1922



Thursday, April 24, 2025

Here's Old Hard-Ridin', Two Gun Bill Hart -- April 24, 2025

Fromberg News-Herald, 23-April-1925

I like the layout.

Orlando Sentinel, 05-April-1925

Having broken with Paramount, Hart joined forces with United Artists. 

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

This is Undoubtedly the Greatest Charlie Chaplin Comedy Ever Produced -- March 18, 2025

Film Daily, 27-March-1925

100 years ago this month, in March, 1925, Charlie Chaplin was preparing to release his first starring film for United Artists, a company he had helped to found in 1919 with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and DW Griffith. It took Chaplin a while to finish his previous contract with First National.
 
Film Daily, 08-March-1925

Thursday, July 25, 2024

DW Griffith's Thrilling Romance of Love, Laughter and Tears -- July 25, 2024

Exhibitors Herald, 05-July-1924

Director DW Griffith's America was an epic about the Revolutionary War. Notice that the quotes come from three members of Calvin Coolidge's cabinet and a senator.

Exhibitors Herald, 26-July-1924

Griffith, one of the founders of United Artists, was leaving to sign a contract with Paramount. 

Photoplay, July, 1924

A view of Griffith directing a scene for "the greatest picture ever made," The Birth of a Nation. It looks as if he had some Civil War veterans visiting.

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Chaplin -- Laugh? They'll Just Pass Out Completely -- December 14, 2023

Motion Picture News, 22-December-1923

"Charles Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks pay respects to John Barrymore as he is making "Beau Brummel" at Warner's Studio." At first, I thought this must have been an old photo from the set of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Chaplin's hat resembles the one the bad guy wore in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde but then I remembered that Barrymore's Beau Brummel wound up old and decrepit. Douglas has his hair curled for The Thief of Bagdad

Motion Picture News, 01-December-1923

"Perfect Motion Picture: No One Should Miss It." Chaplin's feature A Woman of Paris was doing good business, even though he made only a cameo appearance. United Artists advertised it heavily.

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

"Grips Without a Lariat; Holds Without Extra Mob." They are trying to say that it is a good movie without having huge numbers of extras.

Motion Picture News, 22-December-1923

"Takes Its Place Among New Things of Screen."

Motion Picture News, 29-December-1923

"The Best Picture of This or Any Month." 

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

Chaplin was at work on his "first comedy release for United Artists Corporation," The Gold Rush

Film Daily, 16-December-1923

The movie career of Charlie's older half-brother Sydney was on and off. He took time to handle Charlie's business matters and became an aviation entrepreneur. Syd appeared in a group of films produced by Thomas Ince and Mickey Neilan.

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

"Laugh? they'll just pass out completely..." Great slogan.

Motion Picture News, 15-December-1923

Laugh? Why they'll d--- near pass out laughing at this one..."

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Charles Ray -- The Courtship of Myles Standish -- November 21, 2023

Motion Picture News, 10-November-1923

Thanksgiving is coming.

Speaking of Pilgrims, many years ago, I took a book about silent films out of the Richmond Branch Library. I think it was The Movies in the Age of Innocence by Edward Wagenknecht. The author spent many pages talking about Charles Ray, who was producing his own films for United Artists. Wagenknecht said that The Courtship of Myles Standish, the expensive, elaborate epic film, based on the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was a bomb on a Hiroshima scale, and that it ruined Charles Ray's career. At the time, I had never seen a movie with Charles Ray, but I think that the book prejudiced me. When I did see some of his movies later, I thought he was a pleasant actor.

Film Daily, 12-November-1923

Film Daily, 20-November-1923

Film Daily, 25-November-1923

Film Daily, 30-November-1923

Added 28-November-2023:

Photoplay, December, 1923


Thursday, November 16, 2023

Chaplin Classics -- November 16, 2023

Motion Picture News, 03-November-1923

Many celebrities visited Charlie Chaplin at his studio. Here Chaplin visits two celebrities, Edsel Ford and his father Henry, at a Ford factory in Detroit. 

Motion Picture News, 03-November-1923

The Export and Import Film Company acquired the world rights, except for the US and Canada, to Chaplin's Mutual short films, one of the greatest series of short comedies ever made. 

Film Daily, 16-November-1923

Meanwhile, Chaplin's feature A Woman of Paris was doing good business, even though he made only a cameo appearance.

Film Daily, 25-November-1923

Chaplin was starting work on his first feature comedy for United Artists, The Circus

Monday, August 7, 2023

Lloyd's First Serious Attempt at Straight Farce -- August 7, 2023

Motion Picture News, 11-August-1923

Why Worry?, despite some racist elements, is one of Harold Lloyd's funniest films. It was his first film with new leading lady. Jobyna Ralston. Harold and Jobyna are supported by a giant, John Aasen.

Motion Picture News, 04-August-1923

"Why Worry? is Lloyd's first serious attempt at straight farce." "Serious"/"Farce"? Interesting combination. 

Motion Picture News, 04-August-1923

Industry big shots saw Why Worry?  in a private screening and commended it.

Motion Picture News, 04-August-1923

I have been searching through Sunday Chicago Tribunes from the summer of 1923 and I haven't found this "full page Sunday comic."

Motion Picture News, 25-August-1923

This article and the next one mention Lloyd's practice of previewing his films. 

Motion Picture News, 11-August-1923

Motion Picture News, 25-August-1923

Harold's movie, Girl Shy, would be his first production after his breakup with Hal Roach. 

Motion Picture News, 25-August-1923

Harold awarded his new leading lady, Jobyna Ralston, with a three-year contract.

Motion Picture News, 11-August-1923

Contrary to popular rumors, Harold did not plan to shift the distribution of his independent features from Pathé to United Artists. 

Motion Picture News, 04-August-1923

Safety Last continued to do well in wide distribution. Exhibitors tried various gimmicks to promote the movie. An exhibitor in Charlotte used a streetcar decorated with banners and posters. An aviator made a stunt flight to promote the film. 

Motion Picture News, 04-August-1923

Meanwhile Hal Roach and Pathé were redistributing Harold's one-reelers. I wonder if these include Lonesome Lukes and glass pictures, or just the latter. I like the image of Harold in an auto. 

Motion Picture News, 04-August-1923

Thursday, February 9, 2023

DW Griffith -- One Exciting Night -- February 9, 2023

Motion Picture News, 03-February-1923

100 years ago this month, DW Griffith was heavily promoting his latest masterpiece, One Exciting Night. Please excuse the racism in this ad. I assume it supposed to represent Porter Strong, who played Romeo Washington. Strong was a white guy who frequently played in blackface.

Motion Picture News, 10-February-1923

In Minneapolis, "the crowds packed every inch of space in the house, jammed the lobby and milled around in the streets." I think the ad displays Carol Dempster and Porter Strong.



Motion Picture News, 17-February-1923

This four-page spread must have cost Griffith and/or United Artists, a pot of money. 

Motion Picture News, 24-February-1923

Mr Ruben of Finkelstein and Ruben Theatrical Enterprises in Minneapolis/Saint Paul called One Exciting Night one of the sixth best pictures he had ever seen.


Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Every Day Will Be Pay Day When You Play Charlie Chaplin -- March 22, 2022

Moving Picture World, 18-March-1922

Chaplin was pushing to fulfill his First National contract so he could begin producing for United Artists. I like this image from "Pay Day," which would prove to be Chaplin's last two reel film.

Great Falls Tribune, 18-March-1922

The image in this ad must have been based on the photo in the previous ad for "Pay Day."

Moving Picture World, 11-March-1922
  

Exhibitors Herald, 18-March-1922

First National advertised "Pay Day" on the cover of The Exhibitor's Herald

New Ulm Review, 22-March-1922

Chaplin's previous short film, "The Idle Class," was still in release. 

Moving Picture World, 04-March-1922

A theater owner in Nova Scotia assembled this curious vehicle to advertise a showing of "The Idle Class."

Exhibitors Herald, 25-March-1922

Chaplin did not object when Billy West imitated him, but he sued an actor named Charles Amador, who used the name Charlie Aplin and made movies that closely imitated Chaplin's. 

Moving Picture World, 25-March-1922

Billy West had already given up his Chaplin imitation and was making comedies using his own character.