More Dramatic Punch Than All the Others Put Together -- January 9, 2021

 

Motion Picture News, 01-January-1921

William S Hart was an experienced stage actor who was fascinated with the American west. He often played what became known as the Good-Bad Man. He starred in The Testing Block with Eva Novak. Lambert Hillyer directed. Here we see Bill fighting other members of the gang to see who will take possession of Eva Novak. 

It Has More Laughs Than There Are Smiths in the Telephone Book -- January 7, 2021

 

Motion Picture News, 15-January-1921

100 years ago this month, Harold Lloyd was appearing in "Number, Please." This was the standard greeting from telephone operators. I don't like the image of Harold. 

Motion Picture News, 01-January-1921

The manager of the Palace Theater in Hamilton, Ontario promoted Lloyd's "Get Out and Get Under" with a Model T Ford. 

Roscoe Arbuckle in Brewster's Millions -- January 5, 2021

Motion Picture News, 15-January-1921

100 years ago, Roscoe Arbuckle starred in Paramount's Brewster's Millions. Brewster's Millions was a novel published in 1902 by George Barr McCutcheon (writing as Richard Greaves). In 1906, the popular novel became a popular play. It has been filmed many times. 

Moving Picture World, 24-January-1914

The first adaption was the second movie directed by Cecil B DeMille ("Master Playwright, Director and Author of Numerous Dramatic Successes")  and Oscar Apfel ("Acknowledged Peer of Directors and Genius of Innovators"). It starred Edward Abeles, who had played the lead in the stage production. The Jesse L Lasky Feature Play Company was an ancestor of Paramount. 

The 1921 version was the second adaption. In 1926, Bebe Daniels starred in Miss Brewster's Millions. 

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The first talkie adaption was shot in Britain in 1935. It starred Jack Buchanan. 

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Three on a Spree was another British version released in 1961. 

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In 1945, Alan Dwan directed an American version starring Dennis O'Keefe. . 

There were Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions made in India in 1954, 1985, 1988 and 1997. There was a Chinese adaption in 2018. 

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In 1985, Walter Hill directed a version starring Richard Pryor. 

Diane Keaton, 75 -- January 5, 2021

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Actress Diane Keaton was born 75 years ago today, on 05-January-2021.  I don't remember how many times I saw Annie Hall at the Regency in San Francisco. played at another theater, and I didn't think I would find it interesting. When Manhattan came to the Regency, I went to see it only twice. I loved the black and white photography and the Gershwin score, but I found elements of the story to be creepy.

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Tanya Roberts and Barbara Shelley, RIP -- January 4, 2021 (Updated January 5, 2021)

 

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Reports said that actress Tanya Roberts died suddenly at the age of 65.  Later reports said she was still alive. Later reports said that she had been taken off life support before the first reports, but had died later.  Very confusing. 

Nowadays 65 seems too young. I remember when she joined the cast of Charlie's Angels during the last season, but I was not watching it by then. I didn't see Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, but I knew lots of people who enjoyed it.  I remember  people making fun of her when she played a geologist in a James Bond movie. I enjoyed her role on That '70s Show. 

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Barbara Shelley, who appeared in many Hammer horror films, also died. 

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Larry Semon in "The Sportsman" -- January 3, 2021

 

Motion Picture News, 08-January-1921

100 years ago this month, the Vitagraph featured Larry Semon in "The Sportsman." The ad includes a long list of Larry's movies that were available. 

Motion Picture News, 01-January-1921

Harry's leading lady in "The Sportsman" was Maryon Aye. 

Seven Years -- January 1, 2021

 

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2020 was a tough year. 

In 2020, I participated in one blogathon:

Indiana Daily Times, November 6, 1920

The Sixth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon:
https://silentology.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/the-sixth-annual-buster-keaton-blogathon/

My post:
Buster Keaton’s First Feature, The Saphead
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2020/03/buster-keatons-first-feature-saphead.html

Seattle Star, 15-January-1920

After our so-called president was impeached at the end of 2019, the Republican controlled Senate staged a farcical trial in January and February and acquitted him.  Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote for conviction. 

In  January, we saw that the new year in the lunar calendar was the Year of the Rat.

I wrote about the 125th birthday of comedian Raymond Griffith. I wrote about the `100th birthdays of DeForest Kelley and Federico Fellini, who were born on the same day. 

Buck Henry died, as did Terry Jones and Jim Lehrer.  

Indiana Daily Times, 21-February-1920

In February I wrote about the dangerous jerry collonavirus. 

I wrote about the 125th birthday of Anita Stewart. 

Kirk Douglas died at 103. Robert Conrad and Orson Bean died. 

I like the image of director Erich von Stroheim. 

Motion Picture News, 27-March-1920

In March, the TrumpVirus shut down movie theater, restaurants, bars and all other businesses considered to be non-critical. 

I noted the 125th birthday of Shemp Howard and the 100th birthday of James Doohan. 

Max von Sydow, Stuart Whitman and Lyle Waggoner died. Trickster Mal Sharpe died. 

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In April, San Francisco planned to celebrate the 150th birthday of Golden Gate Park, but had to scrap its plans because of the TrumpVirus.

I noted the 100th birthday of Toshiro Mifune. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of actress Clarine Seymour. 

Honor Blackman died, as did Mort Drucker, August Wilson and Brian Dennehy. 

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In May, I wrote about the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony. 

I wrote about the 125th birthday of one of my heroes, Fred Allen. 

Peter Mayhew died, as did Peggy Lipton, Doris Day, Tim Conway and Machiko Kyo. 

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In June, COVID-19 deaths and infections were skyrocketing in the United States. 

I wrote about William Boyd and Louise Fazenda's 125th birthdays. I mentioned Ray Harryhausen, Paul Frees and Ian Carmichael's 100th birthdays. I wrote about Adrienne Barbeau's 75 birthday. 

I wrote about the 150th anniversary of Charles Dickens' death. 

Joel Schumacher died. 

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In July, actress Olivia de Havilland died at 104. American treasure Carl Reiner also died, as did composer Ennio Morricone. 

I started a new series with poor Virginia Rappe. 

I noted Gracie Allen and Ken Maynard's 125th birthdays, Yul Brynner's 100th birthday and Helen Mirren's 75th birthday. 

I wrote about the 75th anniversary of Alla Nazimova's death. 

KTVU

In August, Bob March died. He played Captain Satellite on KTVU-Channel 2. 

I wrote more about movies made from F Scott Fitzgerald short stories. 

I wrote about Bert Lahr's 125th birthday. I noted the 100th birthdays of Charlie Parker, Maureen O'Hara, Shelley Winters, Ray Bradbury and Ella Raines. 

Steve Martin and Wim Wenders celebrated their 75th birthdays on the same day. 

Actor Chadwick Boseman died far too young. Wilford Brimley died. I mentioned the 100th anniversary of the death of Omer Locklear. 

Motion Picture News, 25-September-1920

September was an exciting month. Because of the TrumpVirus, the Niles Essanay Film Museum held an online film festival. The San Francisco History Fair was mostly online.  

I wrote another item about movies made from F Scott Fitzgerald's short stories. 

I noted the 100th anniversary of the deaths of Bobby Harron and Olive Thomas. 

I noted what would have been Paul Muni's 125th birthday. I wrote about what would have been Mickey Rooney, William Conrad and Richard Farnsworth's 100 birthdays. 

Diana Rigg and Michael Lonsdale died. 

Motion Picture News, 02-October-1920

In October, we rushed towards the conclusion of a long election. 

I wrote about the 125th birthdays of Buster Keaton, Edna Purviance and Evelyn Brent. I noted the 100th birthdays of Larraine Day, Mario Puzo, Montgomery Clift, Melina Mercouri, and Walter Matthau. I wrote about the 75th birthdays of John Lithgow and Jaclyn Smith. 

Sean Connery, James Randi and Rhonda Fleming died. 

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In November, Alex Trebek, the host of Jeopardy, died. Later in the month, coincidentally, I passed the third stage of the audition to be on Jeopardy.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the presidential election. Many Republican dead-enders tried to overturn the results in court, alleging massive fraud but producing no proof. 

I wrote about the 125th birthday of Busby Berkeley. I noted the 100th birthdays of Jack Elam, Gene Tierney, Noel Neill, Virginia Mayo and Ralph Meeker. I wrote the 75th birthday of Goldie Hawn, 

Vampirella 51, 1976

In December I started a new series of ads for 8mm and Super8 films. I used to see the ads in the back pages of Warren magazines, but I never had the money to buy one. 

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of commercial cinema, when the Lumière Brothers showed their movies to a paying audience. 

I wrote about Frances Gifford's 100th birthday and Bette Midler's 75th.

I wrote about the deaths of John le Carré, Pamela Tiffin and David Lander. Dawn Wells died of the TrumpVirus. Director Joan Miklin Silver died on 31-December-2020, so I did not get to write about her. 

Beautiful Yvonne De Carlo acted, sang and danced in many Hollywood movies. I first saw her on The Munsters.