WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[silentscreen]

I got the chance to watch Raffles recently too. This is Ronald Colman in one of his most popular personas during the early 30's, that of a suave and clever thief. No one was as good as Colman in these types of roles, although I thought the script was weak and inferior to his "Bulldog Drummond" roles. Who could fail to enjoy Colman as a kind of precursor to James Bond? I think he invented the genre, and suited the part so perfectly that the character was instantly recognizable and entertaining. Lots of fun with excellent support by Kay Francis and David Torrence.

[charliechaplinfan]

Raffles is fun isn't it

I've been watching a few silents but haven't really had chance to share my thoughts until now.

Poil De Carotte is a 1925 film directed by Duvivier. It's reminiscient of Visages D'Enfants for me. There are two reasons for this, the countryside it is filmed in and the story that is centred around a little boy. It is a fairly simple tale of a little boy, the youngest in his family who has bright red hair and freckles, he was born after the love had started to disappear from his parents relationship. By the time the narrative takes place there is no fondness left between the parents. The father takes the easiest road for the quiet life. The boys mother does not care for her youngest son and the father is blind to the fact that she is cruel to him. It is the maid who comes to work for them who sees what cruelty the mother heaps on the son and how it affects the son. She tells the father and brings a reconciliation between the father and the son. It's quite a dark tale, I can't do it justice as Duvivier creates a better atomosphere than I could ever describe. Thanks to Christine for letting me know about it. It's a gem.

Then I saw Dubarry which was recorded off French TV it contained both French and German subtitles and twenty years ago I did a little of both languages as school. German was the language I learned for longest but it was the French subtitles I looked at. I couldn't work the German ones out at all but I could manage to get the jist of the French. I'd still be hopeless lost in France mind you. I had looked up Madame Dubarry history to refresh my mind as to what would be embellishment for the screen.

I like Lubitsch movies but I'm more of a fan of his comedies. The historical epic was splendidly decorated and some of the grandest scenes were a joy to behold. It wasa film for Pola Negri who manages to completely steal the screen from Emil Jannings. Pola holds your sttention, everything about her proclaims she is a star.

Next I saw The Dragon Painter this was my first chance to become acquainted with the Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa. I've loved the sound Japanese films I've been able to see and I loved this tale of the painter who paints dragons as he lost his love a thousand years before and is still searching for her. At the same time an renowned artist is looking for a student worthy of him his scouts finds the dragon painter and lure him to their master by telling the dragon painter that the master knows where his lost love is. Once inside the artists house the artist presents his daughter as the dragon painters lost love. The ruse works, the dragon painter stays with the artist and marries the daughter but he loses his gift now he has his girl. I'm not going to spoil the tale but it's a real feast for the eyes of oriental beauty.

It's companion film on the disc is The Wrath of The Gods. Directed by Reginald Barker and starred in by Frank Borzage and Sessue Hayakawa. It's a tale about a family who have a curse on them, the daughters aren't allowed to marry or the volcano on the island explodes. When Frank Borzage gets shippwrecked on the shores of the island the girls father takes him in. The girl and the sailor fall in love and marry in town. The curse of the volcano occurs and it erupts with venegence luckily the gilr gets away with her new husband.

This film was only made in 1914 but the effects are quite breath taking for the time. A lovely companion film, I'm eager to see more of Mr Hayakawa.

Lastly I saw Souls For Sale directed by Rupert Hughes. This is a look at Hollywood before the comedies Show People and Ella Cinders. It takes a more seriuos look and weaves in a bigamist cum murderer husband. The star is Eleanor Boardman and the movie boasts cameos by 35 big name stars. The most interesting are clips of Chaplin and Von Stroheim directing. Eleanor's co star is Richard Dix, they make a handsome couple.

[Synnove]

Oh, I haven't had time to watch Wrath of the Gods yet.

I saw Mantrap today, though! It's a nice Clara Bow film, where she gets to showcase her exuberant personality, and she's full of It. You have to wonder what she sees in the two men sometimes, but neither of them are very important. You can't take your eyes off Clara Bow when she's on screen. I was cheering for her at the end as well. This is a very fun movie.

Is the Raffles film based on E. W. Hornung's stories? I can see how Ronald Colman would fit that role. I'm intrigued now.

[SSO Admins]

Yes, it's based on the Hornung stories. Somewhere in the mess of stuff around here I have a disk with the 1925, 1930 and 1939 versons, but they're all in .avi format.

[charliechaplinfan]

Last night I watched The Old Dark House I loved the fact that the producers made the audience aware that Boris Karloff was playing Morgan. They were worried that people would leave the theatres unaware that they had watched Boris Karloff. Although he was the most bankable star he wasn't given much to do apart from look very scary.

The Old Dark House is a place were travellers come for refuge from a bad storm, these include Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton and Lillian Bond. The butler who opens the door is Morgan played by Boris Karloff the master and mistress of the house are strange to say the least. There are no beds for the guests they must stay in front of the fire. The night does not go smoothly.

I confess I loved Charles Laughton in this film. I think it's because I liked his accent. A trifle overdone perhaps but very Lancastrian, I'm very used to the accent coming from 'oop north'.

Maybe I'm becoming a horror film fan.

[Synnove]

Yes, it's based on the Hornung stories. Somewhere in the mess of stuff around here I have a disk with the 1925, 1930 and 1939 versons, but they're all in .avi format.

That sounds pretty good! I had always hear that these stories were supposed to be some kind of criminal version of Sherlock Holmes, but they are really so much darker, even from the start. Raffles has a questionable view on morality, and his friendship with Bunny isn't on such equal terms as Holmes's friendship with Watson. They're very interesting stories. I bet could be made into great films during the classic era.

[drednm]

Feaito.... STAGE STRUCK is available in a bootleg (?) copy with a timer showing onscreen. I haven't watched this version (I got it from Gagman) but saw the pristine copy at Eastman House a few years ago.

I agree with you: Gloria Swanson could do anything and she's a delight in this practically unknown comedy with Lawrence Gray. I also just got a so-so copy of Swanson's FINE MANNERS, another Swanson gem (which I also saw at Eastman House). In this one she plays a working girl who meets a rich man (Eugene O'Brien) and is taken into his home so that his mother can make Swanson into a lady. She plays Orchid Murphy, so you can guess they have their work cut out for them.

[charliechaplinfan]

I like Gloria Swanson. She never fails to make me smile be it on screen or in her memoires

[Ollie]

I brought up Laughton on the DO WE CARE thread because of CCFan's OLD DARK HOUSE. That was probably the film - filled with characters I'd paid attention to earlier in life - which made me locate all those Laughton films and start paying attention to him.

[feaito]

Feaito.... STAGE STRUCK is available in a bootleg (?) copy with a timer showing onscreen. I haven't watched this version (I got it from Gagman) but saw the pristine copy at Eastman House a few years ago.

I also saw that copy drednm and it was quite unnerving to watch, but it's the only one in circulation apparently, until the pristine copy you saw is put on DVD by whomever owns the rights to it.

[Ann Harding]

Yesterday I watched M. Curitz's Female (1933) with Ruth Chatterton & George Brent. In this precode, Ruth Chatterton wears the pants! She is the CEO of a car manufacturing company and has numerous male secretaries from whom she can select lovers...and discard them when she is fed up! Basically, it's a complete role reversal!!! This modern Catherine the Great finally meet the man which is going to make her a 'housewife'. Alas, it's that great bore George Brent... The ending is very moralizing but the film is worth catching just for the wonderful beginning (so naughty!). Ruth Chatterton doesn't try to make her female executive a nice person: she is very tough and looks very much in charge!

[rogerskarsten]

I watched a great film this evening called CONRAD IN QUEST OF HIS YOUTH, starring Thomas Meighan and directed by William DeMille. Here's the review I submitted to the IMDb:

Conrad (Thomas Meighan) is suffering a mid-life crisis. Having just
returned to his native England after a military position in India, he
is overcome with unhappiness, realizing that he no longer feels like
the man he used to be. Believing his happiest days were those of his
youth, he attempts to re-capture the sensations he remembers so
vividly. Yet despite his efforts, it proves impossible to return to the
land of the past. Milk and porridge no longer taste as delicious as
they once did; the childhood sweetheart has become a doting matron; and
the mature woman who was once the object of a seventeen-year old boy's
passionate crush has also aged, even as he has.

The fourth act of this story introduces a new character whose path
inevitably crosses with Conrad's. Again the contrasts of youth and age,
memory and reality play a role in their interaction.

William de Mille's direction is lyrical and perfectly paced. Conrad's
nostalgic quest for lost time is at once both gently mocked and
sympathetically presented. The performances are uniformly excellent,
especially Meighan's.

[drednm]

Marion Davies is probably the most underrated star of the 20s and 30s....

[charliechaplinfan]

I agree with you Dredm, she's terribly underrated.

I've been watching The Doll directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Ossi Oswalda. I much prefer his fluffy comedies. The story centres around a man who doesn't want to get married and decides to marry a doll so he can gain a legacy from his uncle. Off he goes to the dollmaker who has just finished off a doll in the image of his daughter. The man buys the doll but before he can go away with his purchase the boy who works in the workshop and Ossi the daughter has to stand in for the doll so the little boy won't get a thrashing. They are unaware the doll is to be a bride. Off the man goes with his doll/Ossi, he finds himself untterly bewildered at the antics of his doll.

On one level it's all awfully innocent fun, but is it? Well that's why I like Lubitsch.

I watched The Blue Light starring and directed by Leni Riefenstahl. I'm not awfully fimiliar with her. She's beautiful, in fact her character in this looks very similar to Paulette Goddard in Modern Times perhaps Chaplin got his influence from The Blue Light. What emerges is a powerful film, full of magnificent looks at the Alpine landscapes. The villagers live at the foot of the mountain and when the moon comes out the summit shimmers, many of the young men climb the mountain, under it's spell but all die in the attempt. Junta, Leni Riefenstahl can climb about the mountain and search out it's treasure, she is never injured and the villagers hate her for this. One man amongst the villagers befriends her, only to betray her reveal the way to the top of the mountain to the villagers who become rich once they have stripped the mountain of it's wealth. Once Junta sees what has become of her mountain she dies of a broken heart.

It's sounds a little melodramatic, it is a beautiful film beautifully told.

[bettyjoan]

Howdy all. - I gotta say that I've got a problem, - but don't worry, it's probably neurologic and therefore there's probably no hope for me and so 'Why worry?'. That is: Why can't I remember the names of films when I sit down to blog? - I figure it's probably cause I usually write at the end of a tired, tiresome day and my films are somewhere else, several square feet away. Anyway...

'Dancing Daughters' with John Mack Brown and Joan Crawford and the glorious and Still- Alive- and Sipping Champagne- Anita Page in a remarkable tour de force. - Johnny Mack was one of Joan's personal University of Alabama football player discoveries and he was marvelous, truly. - Is someone writing about him in another site? (I'm new to SSO.)

By the way, is anyone else old enough to remember when Joan Crawford guested on Johnny Carson and had a conniption fit (sic?) when he asked her about her silent movies?:" I NEVER made a silent movie!" - Gosh, what a blatant lie. But Joan was blatant, wasn't she? - I think that's why we love her, in many ways. (When I wanta watch 'Woman on the Beach' I ask my husband to give me "b**** on the Beach" and he gets it.) - Good thing he didn't mention her blue movies. - As Joan Fontaine said: "Joan had sort of an X-rated mind."

Dancing Daughters had all kinds of wonderful scenes but I really do believe that Anita Page outshone everyone in the last scene. As a hasbeen former actress (anyone having once-been being defined as hasbeen that is...) I know that doing what she did in that scene; not only being deliriously drunk and vicious but still subtle and true - well, I couldn't have done it, even in my best days.