drednm Dear Ed Lorusso 1) We need a benevolent dictator, as FDR was in the 30s! I was knocked flat by THE BARKER, on which Bob Gitt did such a superb job of restoration. That ought to change film history - to show how good a director Fitzmaurice could be and to show how at least one 'goat-gland' pic...

ILzcutter 1) the inspiration for PARADE? I had no intention of writing a book - far too much like hard work. I went to America to see my girlfriend. She was an actress in NY and had rehearsals, so I began to seek out people to interview. I told them I was writing a book, because it made me seem more...

moirafinnie Dear Moira Thank you for asking me. 1) The press got hold of the idea that Colin Jordan was in IT HAPPENED HERE, which he never was. The chief home-grown Nazi we use was Frank Bennett, formerly Group Leader for the British Union of Fascists in the Isle of Ely. He's the one that looks a b...

drednm Dear Ed Lorusso Thank you so much. But keep going on that Marion Davies book. I once made a film that took me eight years -- it doesn't matter how long a project takes so long as the final result comes somewhere near your expectations. If you post me your mailing address, I'll send you my lis...

gagman 66 1) If only these wonderful films did belong to us! Alas, WEDDING MARCH belongs to Paramount and is not ours to sell to TCM or anyone else. 2) Glad to hear THE COVERED WAGON works on VHS - I often think the antipathy it seems to arouse is due to miserable prints. Incidentally, Bologna is sh...

Sue sue Applegate Thanks for your enlightening response. As you know, it takes time to learn to 'read' silent films, so I tend to start people off with a Harold Lloyd - KID BROTHER is his masterpiece, but FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE is irresistible (as are all his silent features). .And they're all on DVD. Wh...

Dear Synnove Yes, Kenneth Branagh is brilliant - and so enjoyable to work with. If the Swedish episode is your favourite, you'll notice it was directed by Michael Winterbottom (with the editor, Dan Carter). He did it while he was setting up his first feature. Now he has become England's most prolifi...

Ann Harding

Thanks!
Yes, we are in touch with Arte, who have shown some of our restorations. Delighted at your reaction to HOLLYWOOD and CINEMA EUROPE. David Gill, who died in 1997, had a lot to do with that. Many thanks.

Dear Synnove Noticing you are in Sweden, you'll be amused to know that when our Swedish episode of CINEMA EUROPE was shown in the UK, we got an angry letter from the Swedish wife of a television executive, complaining that Kenneth Branagh's pronunciation of Swedish words was appalling! I hope you sa...

silent screen Dear Brenda I was so impressed by the documentary series THE WORLD AT WAR that I wrote a fan letter to the producer, Jeremy Isaacs at Thames TV. He replied saying that by coincidence he had just given all his crew a farewell present - a copy of my book The Parade's Gone By... And he fe...

Dear Synnove Thank you... We were given thirteen episode to cover Hollywood in the silent days. Ten years later, we only got six for the whole of Europe. So our first decision was to jettison Russia - which could do with a thirteen part series all to itself. We also by-passed Spain, because they had...

Ann Harding I did make a documentary about him - it will start the TCM Gance retrospective on April 27th (I think). I made it in 1968 and gave it the title (a quote from a co-worker) THE CHARM OF DYNAMITE. Yes, the Gance talkies were very OTT. He told me he made many of them 'with my eyes shut' - i....

drednm Dear Ed Lorusso One way wlould be for American archives to form a co-operative to make such films available. They do a wonderful job with TREASURES OF AMERICAN ARCHIVES - did you see the latest, with splendid films by Wm Desmond Taylor,(SOUL OF YOUTH), Victor Schertzinger (REDSKIN - partly in...

CoffeeDan 1) the moviegoing public adored silent pictures, but they also adored radio and when they realised that the two could be combined, paradise! However, had the studios had the courage, silents could have continued alongside talkies for a long time. But too much had been invested and so silen...

Avalon Dear Jennifer I am thrilled to know that my book had such an effect on you. If you have an original edition, send me your address and I'll mail you the Additions and Corrections pages that appear in the Univ of Calif edition. I wish I knew how to advise you; I got into this career by accident...