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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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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Buster Blogathon 9 Is A Week Away!

Attention all readers! The Ninth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon is only a week away–man, how time flies. I’m looking forward to another great selection of thoughtful posts, and I’m sure you readers are too!

If you’re a blogger who hasn’t signed up and are interested in joining, jump on in! I’ll even accept new participants during the blogathon itself, because why not. The more the merrier!

Update: As many of you know, every year I hold a little drawing for blogathon participants (using my handy 1920s-style cloche hat) as a thank you. This year I’ve decided to give away a DVD of Doughboys (1930), one of Buster’s early MGM features and his second talkie overall. While many fans aren’t wild about his MGMs, most look kindly upon Doughboys and Buster himself was pleased with it, too. It’s also interesting to see Buster drawing on his real-life experiences in WWI.

So here’s what we have to look forward to next week!

The Roster:

Silent-ology | Big Joe Roberts and his friendship with Buster

Whimsically Classic | Buster’s influence on Lucille Ball

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

Nitrateglow | Buster’s leading lady Kathryn McGuire

Welcome to My Magick Theatre | Our Hospitality (1923)

Silver Screenings | One Week (1920)

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

Classic Film and TV Corner | Sherlock Jr (1924)

Cinematica | The Cook (1918)

Inimitable BK | Article on Natalie Talmadge

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

Thoughts On: “Synthetic Sin” (1929)

So I just got back from attending the Kansas Silent Film Festival (for the third time!), and until my post on “Underworld” ready to go I thought I do a repost of this fun flapper feature. Starring the wonderful Colleen Moore, one of my favorite ’20s actresses, “Synthetic Sin” is a light comedy that mixes our lively heroine up with a group of gangsters–at a time when gangsters themselves were all over the papers. Enjoy!

Silent-ology

One of the most delightful things about watching a 1920s flapper film is that it’s always happy to confirm all your expectations about the Jazz Age…or the shined-up Hollywoodland Jazz Age, at any rate. The moment you pop in that DVD or plunk down in your seat in the (independent) theater, the bobbed hair, flasks, short-ish skirts, greased-back hair, Charleston dancing and snappy slang come roaring back to life. And what better way to revisit that exciting, “Ain’t We Got Fun?” era than with the vivacious Colleen Moore?

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Thoughts On: “The Musketeers of Pig Alley” (1912)

It has a brief running time, but this Biograph drama turned out to be far more influential–or perhaps prophetic–than the studio could’ve imagined. Here’s my thoughts on the film with those famous stills from your film history books:

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The first intertitle of The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) starts with four words: “New York’s Other Side.” Director D.W. Griffith wouldn’t have realized it at the time, but these words were ushering in the new genre of the “crime drama”–as well as its offspring, the gangster picture and film noir.

The 18-minute Biograph short wasn’t the first to depict crime, of course (a number of early films did, such as A Desperate Encounter Between Burglars And Police, 1905), but it’s the best and earliest surviving prototype of a gangster film. All the familiar notes are there: the introduction to the “dark underbelly” of a city, the charismatic crime leaders, the tough dames, and the crowded, rundown neighborhoods. The images of hardboiled gang members slinking through deserted alleyways and Lillian Gish’s character giving Elmer Booth a disdainful slap all have their echoes in film noir.

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Christmas With The Gish Sisters

Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to all my readers! I enjoyed writing this post a few years back and thought I’d send it around again. Somehow, the winsome Gish sisters go very well with Christmas, don’t they? Have a grand weekend!

Silent-ology

MERRYCHRISTMAS, my friends! I sincerely hope you’re all having a fine holiday season, no matter where you may be.

You might notice that while Silent-ology goes all out on spooky film-viewing in October, it’s a bit quieter around Christmas. That’s because: A) Back in the silent era, Christmas wasn’t the commercialized extravaganza it is today–there really aren’t a ton of Christmasy silents to choose from, and B) December is a very busy month! So I tend to be more sparing in my Yuletide-themed posts, although I make sure to decorate Silent-ology appropriately.

Hold on, I’ll just put up a few more ornaments.

So! With that said, here’s a bit of festive Christmas reminiscing from Lillian Gish’s autobiography The Movies, Mr. Griffith and Me, where she occasionally looked back on holidays from her childhood. At times life…

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A Century Of “Nosferatu” (1922)

As you sit down to sometime this weekend to enjoy the great German Expressionist classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (just a hunch, but something tells me you will!), keep in mind that 2022 has a special significance: it’s the 100th anniversary of this milestone piece of cinema!

Its “birthday” of sorts is technically March 4, 1922, when the studio Prana-Film hosted its grand premiere at the Marmorsaal (“marble hall”) of the Berlin Zoological Garden. It was released in German theaters on March 15, and then slowly made its way around the Netherlands, France, Estonia, a few other European countries…and that’s about it, until it was finally released in the U.K. in 1928 and the U.S. in 1929.

Silent-ology’s Handy Tips For (Accurate) Roaring Twenties Halloween Costumes

This gallery contains 8 photos.

Originally posted on Silent-ology:
So you want to dress up as a flapper or a Prohibition-era gangster for Halloween!! (Don’t we all, at some point?) And you probably already have some visions in mind–a fringed dress paired with a feather…

Thoughts On: Keaton’s “The Haunted House” (1921)

Happy Buster Keaton’s Birthday!! In his honor I’m reposting this piece I wrote on one of his classic shorts. It also makes me nostalgic since I headed to my first Damfino convention shortly after writing it. Ah, memories!

Silent-ology

Not only was yesterday Buster’s birthday, but this weekend I’ll be heading to Muskegon, Michigan for the official Damfino convention! This will be my very first time at this event (I’m giving a presentation too, so wish me luck!). Thus, it only seemed fitting to start out this Halloween month with one of Buster’s more well-known shorts.

There seemed to be certain plots and tropes that all silent comedians tried out in turn. Everyone did food preparation gags, everyone went to the beach, everyone (everyone) from Harry Langdon to Chaplin himself showed up as a white-clad street cleaner at some point. In 1921, it was Buster Keaton’s turn to try his hand at the familiar gag-rich setting of The Spooky Haunted House.

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