Celebrating 10 Years of Undercrank Productions: An Interview With Ben Model

Happy summer, everyone! I’m back in the fray, and I’m kicking off the month of June with this Q&A with silent film accompanist, historian, presenter, and home video “artrepreneur” Ben Model. If you’re into silent films–especially if your motto is “The More Obscure, The Better”–then you’re definitely familiar with his quality DVD releases such as Found at Mostly Lost, The Alice Howell Collection, The Mishaps of Musty Suffer, Beverly of Graustark, and many more. (I’ve been happy to review a number of Undercrank releases over the years–you can check out the links here.) And happily, Undercrank turns ten years old this month! Ten years of successful, crowdfunded restored-and-scored rarities–with more to come.

As Undercrank’s own site describes:

Undercrank Productions is a distributor and producer of quality DVD/ Blu-ray releases of rare silent films that deserve an audience. We work with both archives and private collectors to bring the undiscovered classics of silent cinema from film cans to film fans.

So to celebrate this milestone, let’s get the interview started!

Hello Ben, thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions! To begin, what made you decide to start a home video label? It must’ve seemed like a risky venture at first, especially since you’re working with such obscure films.

Model: I didn’t intend to start a label, originally, but I was looking for a way to participate more in the scoring of silent films for DVD releases. Becoming the home video outfit that hired me seemed like a good way to make that happen. I did make a point, even with the first release–Accidentally Preserved–to create a product that had a similar presentation quality to others I’d seen by companies like Kino and Image and Milestone. I came up with a name for the label, got HD scans made of some rare silent shorts I owned in 16mm, and hired my friend Marlene Weisman, a professional graphic designer, to create the box art. The success I had with the first project led to a second volume of Accidentally Preserved, and then to my second Kickstarter for the Mishaps of Musty Suffer films. What took the risk off the table for these was the workflow I used, having all the costs covered by fan-funding and by having the DVDs made via manufacture-on-demand. I’d also tested the waters in 2012 by posting a few of the rare shorts I had in 16mm on my YouTube channel, and had gotten an enthusiastic response. 

6 Silent-Related Locations Still On My Bucket List

Yes, I am alive…barely! I was sick pretty much this whole month and had to put a bunch of writing projects on hold. So until I get some new content up I thought this repost would be a good vehicle for discussion. Do you have a “silent film locations” bucket list? Anything interesting or unique you’d like to share? Please comment!

Silent-ology

So thanks to several carefully-planned Hollywoodtrips, I’ve been very fortunate to visit some really cool silent-related locations, such as the site of the former Keystone studio, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the Roosevelt Hotel, the Chaplin studio, Buster Keaton’s gravesite, the Egyptian Theatre, Musso & Frank’s, and the closest a stranger can legally get to Buster’s Italian Villa.

About this close (before the guard comes out).

I’ve also had priceless experiences at both the Buster Keaton Convention in Muskegon, Michigan and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. For a classic film lover, each and every one of these experiences was a dream come true–from the big festivals to the little moments like relaxing in L.A.’s Echo Park and thinking, “That’s the same lake all those Keystone comedians had to jump into!”

If the water wasn’t…questionable, I would totally jump in too.

But there’s still several places I’m bound and…

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“East Meets West”–An Interview With Sessue And Tsuru Hayakawa

As a follow up piece to my post about Hayakawa’s life and career, here’s a great interview with him and Tsuru from The Picturegoer, a U.K. fan magazine that was in print from 1911 until 1960. The writer, Viola McConnell, evidently travelled to Hollywood to get some in-person entertainment coverage and was invited to the Hayakawas’ mansion. She was clearly charmed by both of them and admired their beautiful, cultured home.

Sessue and Tsuru in an ad for Black Roses (1921).

We hear a lot about Sessue, but can definitely stand to have more of his interviews floating around. I thought this one fit the bill nicely, capturing both Sessue’s dignity and Tsuru’s liveliness. A couple things I found interesting: Sessue talking about his desire to bring more Shakespeare plays to Japan, where they apparently weren’t well known; and the couple’s mention of their dream to make an epic film telling the story of Japan. An epic silent film version of that country’s entire history–a pity that project was never realized.

I kept the British spellings and other old-timey details. Note the use of “Nippon”, the old, formal way of pronouncing Japan. In 1921, only a year earlier, the U.S. had started requiring that Japanese imports be marked “Japan” instead of “Nippon”, and the English-speaking world gradually stopped using it. Anyways, enjoy!

A Photoplay pic of the couple with their pup Dynomite.

The Picturegoer
Vol. 3, No. 14, February, 1922.

“EAST MEETS WEST”

“Nishiki Ware.”

“No, Satsuma. That’s a Satsuma vase.”

“Not that one. The taller one on the black stand is Satsuma.”

Thus we argued fiercely, a little bunch of guests in the corner our hostess devotes to Japanese curios. The vase in question was, as a matter of fact, Noritake ware. I hastened to tell them so, and was politely but persistently howled down.

Sessue Hayakawa, Elegant Idol Of The 1910s

The typical leading man of silent films was a strong, dependable, clean-cut type, with names like Harold Lockwood or Earle Williams. By the 1920s Rudolph Valentino’s popularity had initiated a craze for “exotic” Latin lovers. But modern moviegoers might be surprised to learn there was another matinee idol even earlier than Valentino who seemed “exotic” to white audiences: the Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa, a major star of the 1910s.

Hayakawa’s early life was tinged by drama. He was born Kintaro Hayakawa on June 10, 1886 in the city of Minamiboso in Chiba, Japan. He had a wealthy family, his father being the provincial governor and his mother having aristocratic roots. At age eighteen Hayakawa attempted to join the Japanese naval academy in Etajima, planning on becoming an officer to fulfill his parents’ wishes. When he was rejected due to hearing problems (he had ruptured an eardrum while diving), he attempted to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) by repeatedly stabbing himself in the abdomen. Fortunately, his father discovered him in time and he managed to make a recovery.

Documentary Review: “This Is Francis X. Bushman” (2021)

Thus he would proudly introduce himself during his numerous stints on the radio: “This is Francis X. Bushman!” Which is also the fitting title of the first in-depth documentary on Bushman’s life, created with love by Lon and Debra Davis. I’ve previously reviewed their engaging biography on the silent star, and can say that if you’re even slightly interested in Bushman’s colorful life, you’ll find the fruits of their research easy to enjoy.

Repost: Segundo De Chomon–The Man You Think Is Melies

Good news: After one of Minnesota’s top 10 snowiest winters on record, we finally had a stretch of magnificently warm weather this week! Bad news: This has taken a toll on my usual “write things” discipline–it’s just too warm and sunny, my friends. *Wink* Thus, in the spirit of last week’s piece on artsy imagery in cinema, here’s a repost of my little article on an excellent early cinematic artist.

Silent-ology

So you’re browsing the Interwebs and you stumble across a short film that’s clearly from the dawn of the 20th century. It has that stationary camera facing a set that’s basically a theater stage, people in quaint outfits, fairyland imagery, hand-applied coloring, and those special effects that involve sudden edits and puffs of smoke. Yes, you know exactly what this film is–it is most definitely a work by the ever-imaginative moving picture pioneer, GeorgesMéliès! ‘Tis himself!

But maybe take another look at that film, because there’s a good chance that it’s actually bySegundo de Chomón.

“Wha…?”

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Obscure Films: “The Yellow Girl” (1916), A Stripy Edwardian Novelty

Recently I spotted this well-illustrated 1917 article from Motion Picture called “Something New in Pictures.” The “Something New” was a short Vitagraph film called The Yellow Girl (no, it’s not about what you think it is), and the image below was the first of a series of large stills showing off an unusual production design. I love the stripes and checks you see in the louder Edwardian fashions and regular readers know I’m also fascinated by German Expressionism, so a novelty film hovering in the intriguing zone between “edgy style” and “avant-garde” grabbed my attention right away.

Thank You, Fellow Bloggers!

And once again, another successful Buster Keaton Blogathon has come to a close! To everyone who stopped by to read the posts, and especially to my fellow bloggers who took the time and care to contribute:

Some of you have shared with me that you look forward to this celebration of Buster’s work every year. So do I, and I can’t believe it’s been almost a decade! We might look at it as our own small way of helping share Buster’s legacy. You never know how many readers around the world may have been introduced to his work over the years, or inspired to see more.

And now it’s time to pull out my handy cloche-style hat for our annual drawing for blogathon participants! This year I’m giving away a copy of Doughboys (1930), one of Buster’s better MGMs. Drumroll, please…

And the winner is:

Congratulations to Carrie-Anne of Welcome To My Magick Theatre! We’ll be in touch.

Alrighty everyone, thank you again! And I look forward to seeing you next March for the blogathon’s ten-year anniversary–it’s going to be an epic Busterthon ’24!

He’s already studying up for it!

—

Buster And “Big” Joe Roberts, A Lasting Friendship

This is my own post for the Ninth Buster Keaton Blogathon. Please enjoy, and don’t forget to check out all the other wonderful posts, too!

If there was an official “gentle giant” of silent comedy, in my book it would have to be “Big” Joe Roberts, of Buster Keaton film fame. The jowly, 6-foot-3-inches performer played a number of intimidating “heavies”–and at least one bashful farm hand–in nearly twenty of the famed (and more diminutive) comedian’s films.

But Buster and Big Joe weren’t just coworkers but long-time pals, vaudeville veterans who spent their summers in the same quiet neighborhood of Muskegon, Michigan and shared countless memories of lakeside fun and hijinks. In fact, Big Joe’s house was just down the hill from the Keaton family.

The Ninth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon

*Checks calendar* What, it’s that time of the year already? Why yes! It’s time for:

If you told me back in 2015 that this blogathon would be going strong almost a decade later…well, I would’ve been darn pleased!

I’m excited about the variety of topics our participants chose this year (not that every year isn’t exciting) and I hope you are, too! My fellow bloggers always do a lovely job and I know our readers appreciate it. So let’s get to it!

Bloggers: Please send me the link to your post whenever it’s ready today or tomorrow! I’ll be updating the roster throughout the blogathon. Don’t forget that I’ll be holding a drawing for all participants, the winner receiving a copy of Buster’s talkie Doughboys (1930). The drawing is scheduled for March 15.

Readers: Drop by periodically to see the latest posts–and don’t forget that we bloggers love to read comments!

Wondering what the previous ‘thons were like? Here are the links to the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh aaaaand Eighth Annual Buster Blogathons–okay, I should really start a BK Blogathon Library page at this point!

The Roster:

Silent-ology | “Buster and ‘Big’ Joe Roberts, a Lasting Friendship” essay

Classic Film and TV Corner | Sherlock Jr (1924)

Silver Screenings | One Week (1920)

Cinematica | The Cook (1918)

Nitrateglow | “A Spotlight on Kathryn McGuire” essay

The Thoughts of One Truly Loved | “Inaudible Melodies” tribute video

Welcome to My Magick Theatre | Our Hospitality (1923)

Big V Riot Squad | “Buster Keaton’s Silent Shorts–Reel Two and a Half” essay

Taking Up Room | Parlor, Bedroom and Bath (1931)

Whimsically Classic | “Buster Keaton’s Influence on Lucille Ball” essay

The Inimitable BK | “Natalie Talmadge: The Early Years” essay