WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[JackFavell]

Is the Corinne Griffith movie a remake of that Fannie Hurst story, Robert?

[Robert Regan]

Yes, it is, Wendy. It would be interesting to see, as the story seems more in keeping with the post-war era than the thirties.

[JackFavell]

I'll second that! We missed you, Bob.

[Robert Regan]

Thank you, dear friend. And I you.

[feaito]

Good to se you all here! Thanks for you response WEN and for the further info Robert. I have always intrigued by "Bak Pay" because it's one of the few Sound films made by the super-beautiful Silent Superstar Corinne Griffith and I wanted to check her voice and performance. I did not know about Seena Owen's version.

[Robert Regan]

It's very hard to find, Fealto.

[feaito]

Well, let's hope that one day the Warner Archive will release a double bill or that it will be included on a Blu Ray Collection of Borzage´s films.

[Robert Regan]

I hear you, Fealto. I hope they do, too.

[CineMaven]

The weather's about to turn crappy any nanosecond now in the Northeast. So I decided to visit a cemetery.

I wanted to visit the gravesite of FLORENCE LA BADIE who died from injuries she suffered in an automobile accident back in 1917. She was twenty-nine years old. Her name is barely known today except for the most die-hard ardent silent film fans. I'm afraid that would not be me. But I saw a YouTube clip of someone's tribute to her, and I was struck. I was struck by her beauty to be sure. But even without words...without sound, I was struck by her naturalness. So I walked to Green-wood Cemetery. It took a good 45 minutes in the crisp, cold, on this day a sunny day. I've passed by these arches a million times and never went in. Too scary, and I have no family there. But this time I walked in through these gates.



( "Green-wood Cemetery Gates - designed by Richard M. Upjohn in Gothic revival style. This main
entrance to Green-wood Cemetery was built in 1861 of Belleville brownstone. The sculptured
groups depicting biblical scenes over the gateways are the work of John M. Moffitt." )

It actually wasn't scary.

I asked a guard where I could find her, and he gave me a small print out of a map, but he couldn't quite find her lot and section on that map to show me: ( Lot 17187, Section 113 ) As he went to get a bigger map and talked to his co-worker, his co-worker said "Florence La Badie? I know where she is, but you'll find nothing there. They're going to have a ceremony for her headstone later this year. I'll drive you up." Wha'?!! I got in the grounds' car and drove up. He said I could take pictures in the cemetery but no video. And there it was:



Empty...waiting. Waiting since 1917. I felt sad, sadder I guess because it was empty with no markers, headstone... nothing. Russ is an adopted mother's name I believe. I bent down, kissed my hand and touched the stone. But soon there will be something marking her there. There will be a small festival of silent stars screened one evening which you can read about here:

http://www.green-wood.com/event/silent-night/

If I can get a ticket, I'll go. I'll see Florence do her thing on the silent screen. And I'll really get some sense of her. I think I'll still feel kind of sad. But I think I'm going to feel kind of happy to see her.



( Click above photo for YouTube tribute )

[Robert Regan]

Thank you, Theresa. A lovely, moving trip for all of us. You are the best, most loving movie fan ever.

[JackFavell]

What a wonderful tribute, Maven. Gosh I am so misty eyed, knowing she's been waiting all this time to get a marker for her grave. I know she was a huge star in her time, I wonder if they left off the gravestone to prevent vandals or curiosity seekers from coming in? Maybe it was simply that there was no one to take care of the details.

I often looked at photos of Florence in my silent movie books when I was a kid. In fact, she was so striking that I've always remembered her, out of all the silent screen actresses. I had no idea until this year when I read about the donation fund that she had died tragically in a car accident at the height of her career. Thanhouser Studios was her home base - in your neck of the woods, T, or thereabouts, filming in New Rochelle, NY. They were an independent studio, outside the Biograph/Edison trust. They were known for their high class literary adaptations and gentle comedies. They never made the transition to California, and they closed in 1918.

Thanks to the Thanhouser family, the Thanhouser website, and the silent film fans who donated their pennies to the fund, Miss LaBadie has been provided with her memorial at last.

Here are links to Thanhouser's website. LaBadie's few remaining films, Tannhauser, Marble Heart, Crossed Wires, and The Woman in White are included at the second link, as well as many other Thanhouser silents:

http://www.thanhouser.org/index.html

http://www.thanhouser.org/videos-online.htm

[feaito]

Thanks for that heartfelt tribute Tess. I wasn't very familiar with Ms. La Badie, now I won't forget her name anymore. I'll look for clips featuring her on youtube.

[CineMaven]

Hi Bob, Jaxxxon, Feaito. Thanxx so much for commenting on my journey. I feel very emotional about movies in general. I can say certain movie lines, or describe a scene from a movie to someone and feel totally goosepimply and overwhelmed. I'm glad there's an outlet, an...oasis where I can express those emotions. Some of you on SSO FaceBook already saw how I lost my mind over my newest find, Joan McCracken. Thanxxx guys!