"The Golden Calf" - vol. 4 of pics

Like I have stated here before, I have TONS of pictures from the lost 1930 film "The Golden Calf". As I get further into my collection, I feel a deep sense of loss that this feature is missing. El was really hitting his stride at Fox with the success of his previous film, "Sunny Side Up", and "The Golden Calf" was sandwiched between that picture and the song/dance spectacular which turned out to be his first starring vehicle, "Movietone Follies of 1930". This film might have been another opportunity to see a really great role for El before the bosses at Fox started handing him crappy scripts.

I have probably one more of these "Golden Calf" photo sets to post before we can finally say good night and move on, that is unless someone has the original sound discs for the film and we can try to recreate it a la "London After Midnight".

El Brendel - 30's sex symbol??

Well, maybe not, but here is an early 30's shot of El looking really dapper and every bit of the leading man.

Not too much time lately to update the blog but hopefully soon. Until then, you'll probably be getting more photos, ads , and glass slides. AND I think a readers choice post may be in order so
if you have any idea of ANYTHING you's like to see (photo wise), let me know and I'll see if I have it.

more pics from "The Golden Calf" - the extras

It seems I never run out of photos from "The Golden Calf". I have previously posted a bunch here and here, but while going my "archive" last week I found OVER 100 photographs from the El Brendel films "Movietone Follies of 1930", "Hot For Paris", "Olsen's Big Moment", and "The Golden Calf" that I never realized I had. I must have just put the 8X10's on the shelf when they came through the mail so I could go through and scan them later, and it seems I just forgot!!!

So here we go, these are extras from "TGC's" large dance finale and while NOT a legitimate "Sexy time Saturday" post, I think their "pre-code" outfits may lead one to think they should be included there.

I still have MORE pictures from this lost film to share, so look out for a future post with more of "The Golden Calf"!.

Large format.....what the hell??

Only one thing about this photo I am sure of........the man is a very young Warner Baxter. Just what the hell else is going on here (other than roasting marshmallows) I have no idea. There is no film code on the image and certainly if there was a snipe on the back it disappeared YEARS ago. If anyone knows any of the other players or if this still is from a movie, holla at yer boy!

Ian Elliot has AGAIN come to solve another mystery!:

Hi Louie. This would be on the set of Cecil B. DeMille's THE GOLDEN BED (1924), and I believe that's Irene Rich at the right, playing one Flora Lee Peake (I haven't seen this film). Robert Birchard describes the scene the ladies are costumed for:

The highlight of the film is the "candy ball", one of DeMille's most erotic sequences, with doting young men biting strategically placed marshmallows from the glittering gowns of Flora Lee's beautiful girlfriends....

Two Sisters tag-thingy

I got the nod from Lolita over at the excellent Lolita's Classics blog to partake in a little quiz/survey started by Elizabeth over at the Oh By Jingo! Oh By Gee!, so even tho I'm usually against these sorts of things, I'll have a bash:

1. Do you like Greta Garbo? It depends. I have seen her in some great films ("Flesh and the Devil", "Ninotchka", "Susan Lenox...") and some terrible ones (usually the "period" movies with the exception of "Queen Christina") but I am probably one of the few people who LOVED her in "The Two-Faced Woman". If you're asking me as a man, she is exquisite, not may stars came close to her in the looks department, IMHO, and here's a still from "Susan Lenox...." to prove it:

2. In Buster Keaton's MGM films, do his gestures and his plots resemble those of Harry Langdon? I think both men built their individual reputations on characters that didn't need to speak to convey feeling or comedic fun, but when they HAD to speak in front of the cameras, their persona's didn't translate too well. But I love them both in silents and talkies, just that the sound films are a BIT rough going.

3. Who is your favorite director of silent dramas? Frank Borzage, who else, but I did see that terrible film "Back Pay" at Cinefest in Syracuse this year so maybe he's not so great after all........ Oh, and maybe second place would have to be F.W. Murnau. Maybe he's the best director of all time.

4. Do Harold Lloyd's movies (movies, not shorts) drag along? Nope, he's one of the finest crafters of silent films, in my book.

5. Who made better silent shorts, Mack Sennett or Hal Roach? Hands down Hal Roach. I think the early Sennett films are basically the same story re-tread OVER AND OVER again. Seriously, watch 5 in a row and tell me if you're not ready to blow your brains out. Even Sennett's later films are hard to watch. The Roach films had better actors, directors, and they had Thelma Todd!!!

6. Is Al St. John a genuine heavy, or a baby heavy? (This is based on the idea of the "Baby Vamp", which was the character of the girl who was vampish, but not a vamp.) Mr. St. John was just another piece in the story. Couldn't be a heavy as he lacked all the features of a TRUE heavy, but could certainly be the villain in certain roles. His later shorts where he was the lead are a revelation and need to be rediscovered as the 3 I have seen are excellent.

7. Do you like 1920s musicals? Are you sure that this wasn't supposed to be "30's musicals"?? I like "Sunny Side Up" that's for sure but really don't know what 20's musicals would be in the list.

8. Do you like Al Jolson's movies? No. He's a prick who comes off terribly and his acting sucks, too. As for his voice, it has its place in time but CERTAINLY NOT in Louie's world!

9. Who is your favorite animal star? This may be the hardest question to answer on this list. There are a few I like, such as Pete the Pup (from "Our Gang"), Snooky the Humanzee (which should get a round of groans from everyone reading this), but maybe my favorite would have to be Roscoe Arbuckle's dog, Luke. Never has there been a connection between man and animal that has translated SO WELL on screen.

I guess that's it. Thanks, Lolita, for giving me something other than my daily grind to do today during my lunch break!!