WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[Gagman 66]

moviemagz,

I have a poor looking copy of ROMANCE OF THE REDWOODS, but I haven't watched it yet. The other films she did with De Mille are quite good THE LITTLE AMERICAN, and JOHANNA ENLISTS. I probably have a couple hundred films in my collection I have yet to watch once. While I have others I have seen 25 times!

[ChiO]

LA MERVEILLEUSE VIE DE JEANNE D'ARC aka SAINT JOAN THE MAID (De Gastyne, 1928). De Gastyne began production on this film at about the same time that Dreyer started THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, but due to some production issues, Dreyer's film was released first. One wonders how much, if any, impact that has had on their respective status.

Unlike THE PASSION..., this film starts with Joan shortly before she has her vision and also includes a battle sequence before it moves to her imprisonment, trial, execution. As a result of the differences in context and emphasis, for me, whereas Dreyer's Joan symbolizes women's struggles against cultural and institutional obstacles to a free life, de Gastyne's Joan is more of a classic heroine fighting for her people's liberty from foreign rule.

I have seldom seen a battle sequence that is quite as moving, reminiscent of Eisenstein and Pudovkin (I admit with great embarassment that I haven't yet seen Gance's NAPOLEON, which may be a more likely precursor). At times one suspects that Dreyer and de Gastyne had spies at each other's shoots because some of the shots of the trial are strikingly similar: extreme close-ups, cuts to a church steeple and cross, even the tilt of Joan's head.

Although THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC retains its position as my second favorite film, LA MERVEILLEUSE VIE DE JEANNE D'ARC, too, is a glorious and moving work that is well worth seeking out.

[drednm]

I watched THE LITTLE AMERICAN today... it has a few terrific scenes but is mostly US propaganda against Germany. Of course Mary Pickford is solid (she never gave a bad performance) and it's interesting to see Jack Holt as the leading man.

[Gagman 66]

Was this the restored version from Eastman House? The haunting Image of the Crucifix still standing unscathed among the bomb decimated countryside is one that no-one is ever likely to forget. What a powerfully moving sequence.

It's to bad that most of the footage aboard the Lusitania type ship is missing, and what survives is in poor shape. Though the rest of the film is beautifully restored.

Chico,
Where did you see the rarely seen Joan Of Arc film? I have wanted to find a copy for a very long time. Every since I first saw Thames HOLLYWOOD clear back in 1981? is the film in good condition?

[Ann Harding]

Yesterday I discovered Lubitsch's The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) with Maurice Chevalier, Miriam Hopkins & Claudette Colbert.
This delightfully fluffy comedy sails along at such a great pace, it's amazing! The use of music nearly all along the picture was pretty revolutionary at the time when scores were limited to a few scenes. Claudette Colbert is just wonderful as the violin player having an affair with Lieutenant Nikki (M. Chevalier). The double entendre in their dialogues is so loaded with innuendo, it's a hoot! Miriam Hopkins starts out as the old-fashion straight-laced princess who by the end has become some kind of a jazz-baby! The story is very lightweight but the acting and direction make it an enormously enjoyable piece of cake! If you are feeling moody, it's a brilliant remedy!!!!

[feaito]

Yesterday I discovered Lubitsch's The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) with Maurice Chevalier, Miriam Hopkins & Claudette Colbert.
This delightfully fluffy comedy sails along at such a great pace, it's amazing! The use of music nearly all along the picture was pretty revolutionary at the time when scores were limited to a few scenes. Claudette Colbert is just wonderful as the violin player having an affair with Lieutenant Nikki (M. Chevalier). The double entendre in their dialogues is so loaded with innuendo, it's a hoot! Miriam Hopkins starts out as the old-fashion straight-laced princess who by the end has become some kind of a jazz-baby! The story is very lightweight but the acting and direction make it an enormously enjoyable piece of cake! If you are feeling moody, it's a brilliant remedy!!!!

I'm glad you enjoyed Christine; it is one of Lubistch's best! Thanks to the discovery of Chevalier's early '30s films, he's become an absolute favorite of mine.

We must thank heavens for the Eclipse Label!!

[drednm]

THE SMILING LIEUTENANT is a great film and Miriam Hopkins is a hoot in the finale with her jazzy piano and dangling cigarette... Colbert and Chevalier are good but I think Hopkins steals the film.

[traceyk]

traceyk,

I must respectfully disagree. I thought Billie Dove was amazingly good in A NOTORIOUS AFFAIR (1930), and had a very lovely speaking voice. I was enchanted with her voice graceful movements and gestures. In-fact the the film left me screaming for more Billie Dove, and several people on the TCM forum felt the same way. I refuse to accept that sound killed her career. Basil Rathbone as the Husband, was horrible in this early roll. Billie was way better than him.

I also thought that SECRETS (1933) was amazingly good for Pickford's final film, and that she still looked quite, quite beautiful The main-title theme was especially memorable, I was very happy to see a crisp new print of this movie. Would sure enjoy seeing a restored version of the original Silent version with Norma Talmadge sometime.

Well, I don't know. Billie Dove just turned me off, especially in the first part of the film. She looked like a Cupie doll in those beginning scenes. A woman of 27 shouldn't look like a Cupie doll, even if she is playing a much younger woman. Pickford did a lot of that wide eyed blinking in the early scenes, too. Maybe the wide-eyed innocence was just leftover from their silent careers? It was a different time and style of acting.

Honestly, to me, the only actresses I've seen from the silent era who seem to translate well to modern times is Garbo and Joan Crawford. I don't care for John Gilbert in his silents either--always looks like a pole-axed ox to me, though he was good in Queen Christina and Downstairs. Maybe I just don't get silent film acting?[/b]

[Gagman 66]

tracyK,

Billie Dove didn't look like a Cupie Doll to me, neither did Pickford, and I don't remember any blinking to speak of? I think you need to see Janet Gaynor in SEVENTH HEAVEN and STREET ANGEL and your views on Silent screen acting would be altered dramatically.

As for John Gilbert, have you seen THE BIG PARADE? Again Renee Adoree's heart-rending performance in this picture will give you a new appreciation of the actresses of the Silent screen as well.

[drednm]

So far this weekend I've watched THE LITTLE AMERICAN (1917) and 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1916).

The Pickford film was short (about 65 minutes) and pure WW I propaganda (the studios were forced to churn out anti-Germany films). But Pickford was still a delight in this forced story about a young woman caught in France during the war. She runs into 2 former boyfriends: Raymond Hatton (French) and Jack Holt (a nasty German). After Mary is caught passing signals to the Americans she is set to be shot as a spy!

There's a remarkable scene as Pickford and Holt are wandering through a bombed-out city where only the wall of a church seems to be standing. Against the wall stands a large cricifix. When the wall is bombed and crumbles, only the Jesus figure remains, suspended in mid-air. It's a very surreal moment for such a straightforward film. Music score is not very good.

20,000 LEAGUES is an excellent print with ok music score. The tints are quite gorgeous. It's watchable but the melding of this Jules Verne story with THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND doesn't quite work. No name actors in this one except for Matt Moore in a supporting role. He's one of the Moore brothers (Owen and Tom the others) and had a long career in movies.

I guess the real star here are the special effects, which are quite good for 1916 and include many underwater scenes. The "Nautilus" is also well done. Why is it that I don't remember Captain Nemo as being an Arab?

The acting is pretty bad with lots of arm waving and posing while the actors speak lines. Still worth a look.

[MichiganJ]

While recovering from my second round of surgery I’ve been only able to watch things that require short attention spans. I found the perfect disc in the Lost Serial Collection, which contains the surviving fragments or episodes from Silent serials. Since the plots of serials are only means to get to and from a cliffhanger, and since there is little or no character development to worry about, these fragments are just the ticket. In one segment, from A Woman in Grey, a young woman is tied to a bed, face up. Above her is a concrete slab, as big as her, with a spike jutting from its center. The slab is suspended from a pulley, the rope of which is tied near a table. An old crone comes in, snarls at the bound woman, and goes over to the table, lighting a candle, and placing it directly under the rope. Strand by strand the rope, separates, the bound girl squirms, the final strand is about to snap, and then... “Next Episode: The Mystery of the Dutch Cheese Maker”.

Does it get any better?

[Gagman 66]

Kevin,

The Mystery of the Dutch Cheese Maker”. Now that is funny! Where did you get this collection from? I have never heard of it?

[charliechaplinfan]

I've been watching a couple of precodes. The Most Dangerous Game and Kept Husbands both with Joel McCrae. I'm sure many would like the first film the best but I liked Kept Husbands, maybe it's the styles or the more modern story. Both well worth watching.

I'm looking forward to seeing some Maurice Chevalier soon

[MichiganJ]

gagman wrote:

Kevin,

The Mystery of the Dutch Cheese Maker”. Now that is funny! Where did you get this collection from? I have never heard of it?

It’s a 2-disc set called Lost Serial Collection by a company called The Serial Squadron.
www.serialsquadron.com

I’d read a review of the set, and, even though I’m not that into serials (insert Capt. Crunch joke here), I had to give this a try. So far it is great. I’m only sampling snippets, and many of the stunts are quite exciting, reminding me, a little, of the Hazards of the Game episode of Kevin Brownlow’s Hollywood. Although it must be said that most of these were made on the cheap; many of the sets would have been rejected by Ed Wood! Still, that’s part of the fun.

CCF

As the original King Kong is my all-time favorite movie, I do also love The Most Dangerous Game (It was shot while Kong was in production. The great ape took his sweet time doing his scenes). I remember as a kid, though, being greatly disappointed to find out that the love of my young life, Fay Wray, wasn’t actually blonde like Ann Darrow, but actually wore a (very convincing) wig. I got over it, though, after seeing Ms. Wray in Most Dangerous Game.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've not seen the original King Kong in so many years. I hate sad endings. I did try the recent film, so dull and long winded.

Have you seen Fay Wray in The Wedding March if not you must. She's lovely she suits brown hair.

I've watched two great films.

The Divorcee with Norma Shearer. Taking the story from today's standpoint, how dare he be so afronted that she had balanced the accounts. I've recently discovered Norma's precodes, I like them very much.

The Love Parade directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Jeanette Macdonald and Maurice Chevalier. How I loved this film, itr made me smile from beginning to end. Is it Chevalier I love so much or is it Lubitsch or is it the combinationof both that is irresistable? I'm going to find out, the next disc is Monte Carlo. Can't wait