Sunday, January 10, 2016

Grauman's Chinese -- Joan Blondell -- January 10, 2016


Joan Blondell, widely loved Warner Brothers star, left her hand and high-heeled shoe prints in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese on 10-February-1937. Her upstairs neighbor is Hearst gossip columnist Louella O(ettinger) Parsons. DSCN4147.

I think I have enjoyed every movie I have seen her in, including Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933, The Public Enemy, Topper Returns  and Nightmare Alley. 

I took this on 18-July-2009.

www.listal.com

www.listal.com
www.listal.com

Friday, January 8, 2016

News of the Week January 8, 1916 --January 8, 2016


The 08-January-1916 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.



"Welcoming Yoshito, 122nd Emperor of Japan in Kyoti, Japan.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  Yoshihito was crowned Emperor on 10-November-1915, succeeding his father, Meiji.  Yoshihito suffered from health problems throughout his reign.  Yoshihito's son Hirohito became regent in 1921.  Yoshihito died in 1926.  I assume that Kyoti means Kyoto.

"Roger W. Babson conducts outdoor office in zero weather.  Copyright, 1915, Mutual Weekly."  Babson was an eccentric entrepreneur who founded three universities and colleges.  I don't know what he was doing outside in zero degree weather. 


"Ex-Bandit Al Jennings in New York City.   Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  Jennings was a former bank and train robber who once shared a prison cell with O. Henry.  Jennings later starred in some movies.

"Two immense grain elevators in Pennsylvania are destroyed by fire.  Copyright, 1915, Paramount News Pictures."  I have not been able to find any details about these fires.


"Christmas trees shipped from Maine woods.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  I wonder if they still travel by rail. 

"A view of U. S. flagship Pennsylvania.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  Dreadnaught USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) was launched on 16-March-1915.  During the Pearl Harbor attack, she was in drydock, but her anti-aircraft guns fought back.  15 of her crew were killed, but she was able to sail to San Francisco for repairs.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Monday, January 4, 2016

Seattle's Big Coliseum Opened -- January 4, 2016

Motography, 29-January-1916
The 2500-seat Coliseum Theater in Seattle was the largest movie theater in the United States when it opened. 

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Scared Stiff -- January 2, 2016

Film Daily, 29-April-1926

Clyde Cook was born in Australia, appeared in British music halls, starred in short comedies for Hal Roach, and had a long career playing small roles in silent and talkies. I don't know anything about the short "Scared Stiff," but the image seemed appropriate since this is going to be the Year of the Monkey. 

A note at the bottom of this ad says that it is a cornerblock provided to theaters to use in newspaper advertising.

Friday, January 1, 2016

News of the Week January 1, 1916 --January 1, 2016



The 01-January-1916 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.  Unfortunately, someone tore an item out of the page behind.


The caption is missing from the left-hand photo, but I see a heavy-duty railroad flatcar with the barrel of a large artillery piece, either on its way to a ship or a coastal defence fortification.

"C., M. & St. Paul installs electric engine at Butte, Mont.  Copyright, 1915, Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  The Milwaukee Road (Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul and Pacific Railroad) opened its Pacific Coast extension in 1909, but found it difficult to operate because of steep grades and bad weather in the mountain passes.  They electrified part of the line in Montanna and Idaho in 1914 and 1915. 


The left-hand picture is missing completely.

"First Trial of the United States amphibious automobile.  Copyright, 1915, Mutual Weekly."  Delia The Motor Duck was designed and built by Michael de Cosmo in San Francisco.


"Water falls make motive power at Great Falls, Mont.  Copyright, 1915, Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  Hydroelectric plants supplied the power for the Milwaukee Road's Pacific Extension.

"Crow Reservation Indian chiefs visit the capitol.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  I assume they are from the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana.

Two Years -- January 1, 2016

Moving Picture World, 07-September-1918

I launched this blog two years ago today, on 01-January-2014.  I split it from my other blog, The Pneumatic Rolling-Sphere Carrier Delusion

In 2015, I participated in ten blogathons.  In January I wrote "The 3-4-5 Keatons" for The First Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon, hosted by Lea at Silent-ology.  In March, I wrote two posts, "Departure of a Grand Old Man" and "Miss Mend" for the Russia in Classic Film Blogathon, hosted by Fritzi at Movies Silently.  In May I participated in two blogathons.  I wrote "Mabel and Fatty Viewing the World's Fair at San Francisco" for the Shorts! Blogathon, hosted by Fritzi at Movies Silently. I also wrote "Idol of Every Boy in the World (Tom Mix)" for The Film Preservation Blogathon IV -- Science Fiction, hosted by Ferdy on Films, This Island Rod and Wonders In the Dark.  In June I wrote "Life of an American Director: Edwin S Porter in 1903" for The Classic Movie History Project Blogathon II, hosted by Fritzi at Movies Silently, Aurora at Once Upon a Screen and Ruth at Silver Screenings.  In August I wrote "The Exploits of Pearl (Pearl White)" for The Anti Damsel Blogathon hosted by Jo at The Last Drive In and Fritzi at Movies Silently.  In September I wrote "Lauren Bacall -- You do Not Have a Small Mind" for The Lauren Bacall Blogathon hosted by Crystal at In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood.  In October I wrote "Roscoe Arbuckle and Buster Keaton in 'The Bell Boy'" for The Silent Cinema Blogathon hosted by Crystal at In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood.  In November I wrote "Cisco Kid Was a Friend of Mine" for Swashathon -- A Blogathon of Swashbuckling Adventure, hosted by Fritzi at Movies Silently.  In December, I wrote "Tom Mix in The Great K&A Train Robbery" for The "Try It, You’ll Like It!" Blogathon hosted by Fritzi at Movies Silently.  In August I added a page with all the blogathons I have participated in on this blog and my other blog. 

In January I wrote about Charlie Chaplin starting work at Essanay and the NOLA Company in New Orleans.  I wrote about The Exploits of Elaine, a Pearl White serial.  We celebrated the 100th birthdays of Dorothy Dell, Anita Louise and Veda Ann Borg and the 75th birthday of Katherine Ross.  We marked the deaths of Anita Ekberg and Rod Taylor. The post about Anita Ekberg and Rod Taylor has been one of this blog's most popular.  Somehow I did not write about the death of Lizabeth Scott. 

Terrorists attacked the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing much of the staff.  

In February we celebrated the 125th birthday of Adolph Menjou, the 100th birthdays of Eddie Bracken, Zero Mostel and Ann Sheridan and the 75th birthday of George Romero.  Leonard Nimoy and Louis Jordan died.  We also marked the 100th anniversary of the release of Charlie Chaplin's first movie for Essanay and Birth of a Nation and the 75th anniversary of the release of Walt Disney's Pinocchio.  We marked Chinese New Year, the Year of the Goat, with Laurel and Hardy's "Angora Love." 

From March through August, I took a break and cut back on posting.  During that time, Albert Maysles, Christopher Lee, Patrick Macnee, Omar Sharif, EL Doctorow, Yvonne Craig and Manoel de Oliveira died.  We celebrated the 125th birthdays of Stan Laurel and Man Ray, the 100th birthdays of Orson Welles, Ingrid Bergman, Ring Lardner, Jr and Priscilla Lane and the 75th birthdays of Jill St John and Bugs Bunny.  We marked the 100th anniversary of the death of John Bunny and the sinking of the Lusitania.  I later learned that Nova Pilbeam had died in July.  We marked the conclusion of Chinese New Year with Goofy Goat.  In March I started a series of ads trying to get people to visit Universal City. 

In September, I restarted some of my regular series, dropping others.  Jean Darling and Dickie Moore of Our Gang died.  We celebrated the 100th birthdays of Edmond O'Brien and Brenda Marshall and the 75th birthdays of Brian DePalma and Raquel Welch.  We noted the 125th anniversary of the disappearance of Louis Le Prince.  We noted the 100th anniversary of the release of WC Fields' first movie.  We noted the canonization of Saint Junipero Serra. I wrote about the launch of Triangle. 

In October I wrote about a DVD, The Mishaps of Musty Suffer, Volume 2. I started a short series, Iconic City Hall, about a series of posters about movies that use San Francisco's beautiful City Hall as a setting.  I noted the 125th birthday of Groucho Marx.  Maureen O'Hara and Joan Leslie died.  I marked the 75th anniversary of the release of The Great Dictator and the death of Tom Mix.

In November, I started a series about Vogue comedies.  I made a post about Audrey Munson and her controversial film debut.  We marked the 125th birthday of Robert Armstrong and the 75th birthday of Elke Sommer.  We marked the 75th anniversary of the release of Fantasia.

In December, I marked the 125th birthday of Fritz Lang, the 100th birthdays of Eli Wallach and Frank Sinatra, and the 75th birthday of Richard Pryor.  I wrote about attending the musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.  

The image is from the 07-September-1918 Moving Picture World.   Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.