Search found 251 matches

by drednm
February 8th, 2010, 10:44 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Replies: 3714
Views: 1046640

Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Actually I liked Lonesome and thought it was an extremely well made and moving little film. Maybe seeing it mute ruined it?
by drednm
February 8th, 2010, 7:43 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Replies: 3714
Views: 1046640

Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Watched The Sorrows of Satan and thought it was wonderful. Unlike anything else Griffith directed. My version is 90 minutes and probably missing the "FX" ending. Not the best picture quality and hideous music score tacked on. I have no memory of where I got this from. I notice a VHS versio...
by drednm
February 7th, 2010, 10:49 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: Talmadge Sisters at Kino
Replies: 5
Views: 3888

Talmadge Sisters at Kino

The Kino DVD sets for Norma Talmadge and Constance Talmadge are posted and available for preorder and a discounted price.

Her Night of Romance / Her Sister from Paris (The Constance Talmadge Collection)


Kiki / Within the Law (The Norma Talmadge Collection)
by drednm
February 6th, 2010, 6:28 pm
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Replies: 3714
Views: 1046640

Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Amazingly, Broken Blossom was a big hit.... It may have been the first "art" film produced in America to reach a wide audience. Haunting.
by drednm
February 6th, 2010, 5:18 pm
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Replies: 3714
Views: 1046640

Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Just watched Broken Blossoms which I haven't seen in years. An amazing film with terrific performances by Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess. The sets, lighting, tints, and music score are just about perfect. A simple and beautiful story despite the brutality of the world. This is a timeless class...
by drednm
February 6th, 2010, 10:01 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Replies: 3714
Views: 1046640

Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

I watched the 3-part documentary D.W. Griffith: the Father of Film by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill. It came out in 1993. Excellent. Well balanced look at Griffith the man, Griffith the filmmkaer (often the same thing). Starts out with biographical material, the short films, and then launches into h...
by drednm
February 2nd, 2010, 1:53 pm
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Replies: 3714
Views: 1046640

Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Swanson said she was always being asked about the status of 2 films: Madame Sans-Gene and What a Widow!. She was sorry for the loss of the former film but didn't care about the latter.
by drednm
January 31st, 2010, 10:35 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Replies: 3714
Views: 1046640

Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

My simple pantheon has always been that Gloria Swanson was the greatest star of the silent era, Mary Pickford was the most popular actress, and that Lillian Gish was the great actress. All three are incredible talents; indeed, the silent era was rich with talent. Among my favorites are many: Marion ...
by drednm
January 30th, 2010, 11:33 pm
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Replies: 3714
Views: 1046640

Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Watched this weekend A Romance of Happy Valley , a 1919 film starring Robert Harron and Lillian Gish. Nice pastoral film from Griffith with a plot twist at the end. Carol Dempster's first small acting part (she had done extra work) although she does not get billing. Also watched The Italian Straw Ha...
by drednm
January 28th, 2010, 2:24 pm
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: CAIN AND MABEL 1936
Replies: 8
Views: 3788

Re: CAIN AND MABEL 1936

Plus the terrific supporting cast includes Ruth Donnelly, Pert Kelton, Allen Jenkins, William Collier, Sr., Sammy White, Roscoe Karns, Walter Catlett, Hobart Cavanaugh, Mary Treen, and Jane Wyman!
by drednm
January 28th, 2010, 11:05 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: CAIN AND MABEL 1936
Replies: 8
Views: 3788

Re: CAIN AND MABEL 1936

I always liked this film, and both Davies and Gable seem to be having fun. As noted the supporting cast is excellent. The music is solid as well, but it's the chemistry between Gable's prize fighter and Davies' musical star that makes this one fun. I love it when he calls her a cluck.
by drednm
January 28th, 2010, 10:58 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: Did Louis B Mayer really sabotage John Gilbert's career?
Replies: 39
Views: 17439

Re: Did Louis B Mayer really sabotage John Gilbert's career?

and yes, many of the silent stars simply did not have images that fit the new medium of sound or the Great Depression. Gloria Swanson had a smash hit talkie debut in 1929 with The Trespasser playing a secretary who marries the boss' son, has a baby, splits up, etc. But she chose a weak comedy with a...
by drednm
January 28th, 2010, 10:39 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: Did Louis B Mayer really sabotage John Gilbert's career?
Replies: 39
Views: 17439

Re: Did Louis B Mayer really sabotage John Gilbert's career?

and I forgot Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels.....
by drednm
January 28th, 2010, 9:49 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: Did Louis B Mayer really sabotage John Gilbert's career?
Replies: 39
Views: 17439

Re: Did Louis B Mayer really sabotage John Gilbert's career?

Gilbert's drinking was more the result of dealing with vicious Mayer and MGM in general. I agree with your assessment of Swanson, Gish, Keaton and I think Gilbert fits this group (along with Pickford, Fairbanks, Bow, Haines, Barthelmess, Novarro, Davies, etc.) Their reasons for fading away had littl...
by drednm
January 28th, 2010, 9:08 am
Forum: Silents & PreCodes
Topic: Did Louis B Mayer really sabotage John Gilbert's career?
Replies: 39
Views: 17439

Re: Did Louis B Mayer really sabotage John Gilbert's career?

Yes I thought it was interesting. I flicked through rerviews (free and easily found) for all of Gilbert's early talkies; NY Times reviewer Mordaunt Hall never said a bad word about his voice. He didn't always like the films but that was more the fault of MGM. Even for Redemption the voice reviews ar...