Large format photo - Charles Ray

Summer is leading me to be a bit lazy, so I have been posting more photos than usual instead of writing. I do have one written post coming after I get back from Capitolfest so look for some new writing in the next two weeks.

This large format still is of Charles Ray from an unknown silent film. If anyone can help with the title, I'd love to know it.

El Brendel - rollerskate FAIL

These shots are pre-production stills from the lost 1930 feature "The Golden Calf" (which I previously blogged about and then offered up some more stills). From left to right we have Richard Keene, El, and the ever wonderful Marjorie White.

It appears El has trouble staying on his feet, but Marjorie seems to have gotten the most hurt in the "end"!

El Brendel comes to Capitolfest!

In 2009, I thought the film going public were lucky when the brains behind Cinefest picked the 1933 El Brendel feature "The Last Trail" to screen last March, but JUST IMAGINE my utter surprise when I got word the SUPERB film festival, Capitolfest, picked El’s flick, “Movietone Follies of 1930” to be included in the schedule at their 7th annual fest to take place August 7th-9th in lovely downtown Rome, New York!! HOO-RAYY!!!

This year will mark my fourth journey to what I consider one of the top film shows in the United States. Billing itself as “a vacation, not a marathon” the leisurely pace of the festival and the fact the films shown are screened in 35mm (with the exception of the “pre-glow” show on Friday night), make this a CERTAIN stop for me every year since I found out about from my friend Rich Finegan.

So just what are they showing this year? Well, if you want to see a full schedule you can go here, but for me here is what I am excited about seeing:

Of course, the big draw for me is the rarely screened “Movietone Follies of 1930” starring this website’s namesake, but also featuring diminutive firecracker Marjorie White in one of her early roles. Miss White is probably best known to the general public today from her final film appearance in The Three Stooges first short for Columbia, 1934’s “Women Haters” (as Larry Fine’s new bride. Marjorie is in the above photo on the right), but film fans know her better for the roles she did at Fox Films which always showed off her wild enthusiasm and sex appeal. Her untimely death in a car accident in 1935 brought her the cult status she enjoys today.

The Charley Chase 1939 short, “The Awful Goof” (a scene above), was one of four shorts the comedian did for Harry Cohn at Columbia that was NOT released in the package distributed by Screen Gems for television in 1959. It is my understanding that this film has only had one other public screening since its original release date.

Since this year’s Capitolfest is a tribute to Boris Karloff, what a better way to honor the man by showing a rarely seen Universal from the same year he made “Frankenstein”. 1931’s “Graft” is not one I can comment on because, frankly, I haven’t seen it and haven’t heard much about it, but I am excited to view it !


The 1928 First National feature, “The Barker” (above) looks enticing from the one still I have for it (YOW-ZA Dorothy Mackaill!). The note on the film, from the Capitolfest website, has a great mini-review from the December 15th, 1928 issue of Harrison’s Reports that states, “The picture has been done exceedingly well. One, in fact, is made to feel as if seeing real people and not mere shadows.” PLUS, it has an early appearance by Douglas Fairbanks Jr., so that should rope you in.

Also on the bill are an assortment of shorts, most famously from the Vitaphone series (including Pat O'Brien in 1930’s “Crimes Square”) and an intriguing mysterious one from Germany’s UFA Studios called “The Eagle’s Nest” that even the people putting on the show don’t know what it is!

I urge anyone who is interested these type of films to try to make the trip to Rome and check the festival out and even if you can’t make it drop them an email and let them know that we ALL appreciate the good work they are doing by sharing these treasures to a whole lot of adoring fans.

more 30's film ads

I already posted some of these once, so here we go with another round of film ads from the early 30's (OK, there may be one or two from the late 20's).

We won an award!

Matthew, over at The Marx Brothers Council of Britain, has bestowed up this blog the "One Lovely Blog Award"! I heartily accept with great thanks. As per the rules of receiving this award, I must:

a) name the person that gave it to them,
b) post a photograph of themselves driving a tractor in a pinstripe suit,
and c) pass on the award to other deserving sites, letting their authors know that they have been chosen.

Seeing as I don't have access to a tractor and I have already done the first one, that only leaves the final option for which I have chosen 3 deserving sites:

1. John McElwee over at Greenbriar Picture Shows for his on going writings about classic films.

2. Amy Jeanne who offers us the super It'll Take The Snap Out of Your Garters! site which is one of the first blog I read when it was over at Live Journal. Her posts just keep getting better and better.

3. Finally, I must give recognition to Jonas over at All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing! for his continued great work to spread the word about early sound films.

Congrats to all the winners!

Janet Gaynor at the beach

These photos, originating from at least 2 different shoots, feature the LOVELY Miss Gaynor showing us what the well dressed beachcomber will be wearing in the early 30's.

"Can Anything Good Come Out of Hollywood?"

When I posted about this book back in March, I had just returned from Cinefest and hadn't had much time to go through it, but now I do so let's revisit it.

The book was published in 1923 and written by Laurance L. Hill and Silas E. Snyder and I initially thought it was a religious book touting the evils of Hollywood. After the quick read (it's only 64 pages) I found it to be a rather charming travel guide, trying to drum up commerce after the recent Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and William Desmond Taylor scandals (as mentioned inside).

Each section starts off giving a brief history of the city and goes on to present the case why in the early 1920's, Mom and Pop America shouldn't be afraid to come and enjoy the film industry section of "The Golden State". The religious and moral overtones ARE present throughout but always connected to present the city in the best light possible.

The best part of this book, for me, happens to be the numerous photographs showing the primitive Hollywood before structures covered nearly every square inch of earth and movie stars in candid poses. We also get to see some of the beautiful star homes in all their glory and without all the security needed today. I have left in the captions at the bottom of the pictures so one can see the religious angle of the book and have added some commentary where I think it fits.

Is that and early "H" from the "Hollywoodland" sign?

you can read all about the Studio Club here

what???

c'mon, no gossip???