The Silver Screen Oasis

just watched TILLIE THE TOILER (1927). 68 minutes.... a little rough but mostly a decent print but it gets darker as it goes on.... several interruptions in the filming so there's probably a little missing. Maybe there's a way to lighten the entire file?

Marion is gorgeous with dark hair and heavy make-up (to match the comic strip). Matt Moore is the boyfriend, Harry Crocker the rich millionaire, Bert Roach the brother in law, etc.

Not as good as her other comedies but worth seeing.... full of malapropisms since Tillie is basically a dumb blonde who happens to be a brunette. The opening is very funny as she's walking down the street and gets something in her eye. She starts winking to loosen the impediment and every man seems to think she's winking at him and starts to follow her. Soon there is a parade of men following Tillie. That's probably the best bit in the film.

Watched THE TAMING OF THE SHREW again and must reconsider my original thoughts. I thought it was very good this time and enjoyed both Pickford and Fairbanks (whom I disliked first time I saw this).

Set designs and camera work were quite impressive for a 1929 talkie. Sound is very good. Supporting cast also good, especially Edwin Maxwell and Joseph Cawthorn. Dorothy Jordan as Bianca has no part and her name is misspelled as JORDON in the credits.

Just finished the Jeffrey Vance bio of Fairbanks and while this film made a profit (it grossed more than a million dollars) it was a disappointment compared to recent Fairbanks and Pickford box office. This was Fairbanks' only successful talkie; for Pickford, after a hit in COQUETTE, this was also her last money-making film.

At a brisk 66 minutes, this first talkie to take on Shakespeare is certainly worth a look.

We're having the final exams of the term, and I'm also working a lot at a student organization I'm a member of, so I have almost no time for myself right now. I've been re-watching some Griffith Biograph films, like The New York Hat, The Mothering Heart and The Painted Lady. I can't find the energy to watch a longer silent.

If you're thinking of buying a set of Griffith Biographs, I can recommend the D. W. Griffith - Years of Discovery set. There are two sets that I'm aware of, and they both contain a slightly different selection of films, although they both still have the obligatory classics like The New York Hat and The Unseen Enemy. I have both sets, because I'm something of a Biograph fanatic. I think the Years of Discovery is the superior set, not only because it has a good selection of films - like the poignant social drama What Shall We Do With Our Old? - but because it has a commentary track. On some of the films, the commentator doesn't have much to say, and just leaves off with "I'll leave you to enjoy this one", or something like that. But for some of the more notable films, like The New York Hat, he provides a great commentary, putting the film within context of Griffith's other work and giving some historical insight. Since I'm fascinated with the details of these precious old movies, I really appreciate that.

I do recommend buying at least one of the sets, because the Biograph films are standouts of that era of film making, and fascinating windows into the world at the turn of the century.

I agree with Synnove that the Griffith Biographs are standouts in early cinema. It’s too bad that both DVD collections duplicate so many of the films, though, and it’s a shame that the latest Griffith Masterworks box set from Kino doesn’t include a new collection of the Biograph shorts.

Here is a link to what shorts are included on D.W. Griffith - Years of Discovery
http://digitalsilents.com/Lillian%20Gis ... B7910.html

and Griffith Masterworks: The Biograph Shorts
http://digitalsilents.com/Lillian%20Gis ... B7910.html

I checked out Clarence Brown's Possessed (1931) last night and was quite impressed again with Brown's direction. Very cinematic, and I think it improved the film quite a bit. The story concerns factory girl Joan Crawford moving to New York, and becoming Clark Gable's mistress. Complications arise through the appearance of Crawford's ex-boyfriend Wallace Ford, and Gable's political aspirations. It's all pretty pedestrian, but saved by Brown's direction and the usual strong work from Crawford and Gable.

There's a couple of great visual sequences, one right at the start of the film where Crawford happens upon a train passing through town, and she stands there in amazement as each window reveals an increasingly glamorous vision of what life could be. It's all shot in soft-focus, with the inside of the train being brightly lit, the scene has a dream like quality, as if Crawford is in fact imagining it.

I was also impressed with the closing sequence, which has a great tracking shot in the night rain, as a dejected Crawford walks slowly towards a railway station, before Gable comes and kisses her. What is a fairly predictable ending, is giving a lot of emotion through Brown's direction, I found myself getting swept up in it too.

I also checked William Dieterle's Lawyer Man with William Powell and Joan Blondell. It's a fun little film, pretty slight, and more or less a typical Warner's programmer. Powell is a small time lawyer on New York's East side, who ends up getting his shot at the big time, but gets spit up and chewed out by a powerful political machine. Blondell is his wisecracking secretary. Claire Dodd is also featured in her usual role as a treacherous blond (did she ever play anything else?), and she's quite good. It's odd how she projects an ugly quality, despite being quite attractive. I wonder if she could have pulled off a more good-natured role. It's very watchable, and I found myself getting wrapped up in Powell's quest to avenge his name, and in typical pre-code style he vows he'll be as rotten as they come so long as he can get payback.

I have recently watched several silents.
The Viking (1928) by R. William Neill with Donald Crisp and Pauline Stark. The film is mostly remarkable for its use of two-strips Technicolor though the restoration is nowhere as good as with Redskin.
The story of the Viking leader Leif Ericsson (D. Crisp sporting a wig and a long moustache) is there retold in a rather campy way. The curvy Helga Nilsson (Pauline Starke) is posing around in a her short attire with plunging neckline. All the men are in love with her and compete for her attention...
The film is a real curio for its use of color and also for the soundtrack. Being a great opera lover, I was rather surprised by the heavy use of Wagner's Die Walküre and Der Fliegende Holländer. The romance on screen is underlined by frequent quotes of Wintersturm and Du bist der Lenz from the Siegmund/Sieglinde romance in Act 1 of Die Walküre. The analogy is reinforced by the costumes of the vikings with the winged helmets. It feels at time like an antiquated Wagnerian performance from the 20s. Interesting if you don't take it too seriously.

My Best Girl (1927) by Sam Taylor with Mary Pickford and Charles Buddy Rogers. This charming comedy offers a disfunctional family not unlike the one in The Patsy where Maggie (M. Pickford) has to do absolutely everything at home. This is really the Cinderella fairy tale with Mary, a simple employee, marrying the boss' son. If Sam Taylor is no great shakes as director, the film works astonishingly well thanks to Pickford's performance and probably heavy involvement behind the camera. The print is gorgeous. Lots of fun!

Christine,

I love THE VIKING myself. But TCM hasn't aired this movie in at least 7 or 8 years. It is long overdue for another broadcast. I could probably get a much better recording now. Hard to believe that is Donald Crisp with the Long hair and beard as Leif Erichson. I personally feel that the Two-color Technicolor is stunning in this film. I have REDSKIN too, but I haven't watched it yet.




Pauline Starke From THE VIKING (MGM, 1928)

Christine,

MY BEST GIRL is one of Pickford's very best features. The orchestral score on the Milestone DVD release by David Michael Frank is quite good. Unfortunately, it is the only score of his that I have heard? He must have worked on other projects? Yes, It is a beautiful print. I think this was Buddy Rogers first film, after WINGS.

Sam Taylor learned allot under Harold Lloyd about film-making and techniques, and it's readily apparent here. Though, I always consider Lloyd above any of his self appointed Directors, and Mary had the same type of creative controll of her films. It's interesting that the DVD was released 10 years ago. Probably one of the first Silent films to appear in this fledgling format.

Speaking of which, we are supposed to be getting some new Pickford's from Milestone on DVD for the first time in 2009. These to mark 30 years since her passing. There will be a new version of SPARROWS, freshly restored in 2006.Boasting A newly composed score by Jeffrey Mark Silverman. THE LITTLE PRINCESS, and THE HOODLUM, are also expected to be offered on official DvD for the first time. Hopefully, there will be a few others as well.

By the way, I finally figured out how to get all of the Photo-play ORPHANS OF THE STORM recorded! Still waiting on CITY GIRL.

Sam Taylor had a big reputation in the 20s and was the pick of Fairbanks and Pickford to direct THE TAMING OF THE SHREW....

Gagman wrote:

THE LITTLE PRINCESS, and THE HOODLUM, are also expected to be offered on official DvD for the first time.

A Little Princess was available as a special feature on the Milestone release of the documentary on Frances Marion, Without Lying Down. Not sure if there is a difference with the “A” and “The”, though. (A Litte Princess vs. The Little Princess) While a new version of Sparrows is welcome, I hope they release more of her titles that have yet to have official release.

I'm glad you enjoyed My Best Girl Christine, it's one of my favorite Mary Pickford films.

MichiganJ wrote:Gagman wrote:

THE LITTLE PRINCESS, and THE HOODLUM, are also expected to be offered on official DvD for the first time.

A Little Princess was available as a special feature on the Milestone release of the documentary on Frances Marion, Without Lying Down. Not sure if there is a difference with the “A” and “The”, though. (A Litte Princess vs. The Little Princess) While a new version of Sparrows is welcome, I hope they release more of her titles that have yet to have official release.

I agree completely. Much as I love SPARROWS, it's one of Mary's most common titles. Since these DVD editions are quite pricey, give us some of her rarer films instead like the talkie KIKI or DOROTHY VERNON. "A" or "The" LITTLE PRINCESS is the same film and like you note, it is already on DVD via the Marion documentary so it's not really necessary either until it's a much better print.

I'm curious about the recent DVD release of SECRETS? Does anybody know if this is an "official" release - or did someone discover it has fallen into public domain?

Speaking of MY BEST GIRL Amazon has it on sale now for $11.99.

Amazon.com currently has a number of Image Entertainment silents on sale for the amazing price of $10.99 each!!! Have never seen them anywhere near this low before anywhere. It's not the full line on sale but there are a dozen or two on sale at that price (or slightly higher, $11.99, and a few are slightly lower like CHAPLIN'S GOLIATH documentary). There alas is no thread pulling up everything on sale but type in Image Entertainment silent at Amazon and you will pull up everything - including what's not on sale.

Some of the titles I saw currently at $10.99 are:

TRUE HEARTED SUSIE
SALOME
MALE AND FEMALE
THE CLINGING VINE
REGENERATION
THE AFFAIRS OF ANATOL
THE THIEF OF BAGDAD

Best of all, the multi disc SLAPSTICK ENCYCLOPEDIA which lists for $69.99 and is rarely found unde $60 in on sale and an unbelievable $34.49!!!!! I don't know how long these prices will last and Amazon has been quite quirky of late, dropping or raising sale prices by .50 or a dollar at times or suddenly ending sale prices without notice so these prices may not be the same when you get there. I suggest buying ASAP if you want any of these!

MALE AND FEMALE is one of the best films of the teens.......

MALE AND FEMALE is one of the best films of the teens.......