WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[Synnove]

Mae Clarke was also in the original Frankenstein. I watched it again last Halloween, and I was struck by her intelligence. I had to compare her performance to Helen Chandler's in Dracula. I don't mind Helen Chandler, but Mae Clarke was more natural and modern. Frankenstein is a better film overall, I think.

Bdp, how wonderful for you! I think we drove through your town yesterday actually, but I didn't get to see much since I was in a coma by then. It was a long drive. We got lost in Detroit, too.

[MichiganJ]

In a previous post I wrote of my admiration for Raymond Bernard’s Wooden Crosses and Les Misérables. Ann Harding graciously recommended Bernard’s silent film The Chess Player and I’m glad she did. The Chess Player is an extraordinary epic, featuring a spectacular battle scene, sword fights, patriotism, suspense, a hint of fantasy, and an automation that plays chess!

Told in two parts, the first featuring the story of Polish Independence fighters rising up against their Russian occupiers, is exciting and visceral. Bernard really captures the animosity between the two factions, and when the fight finally erupts, we see the film’s heroine, Sophie, playing her piano and singing the Polish National Anthem, envisioning the Resistance's success, while Bernard intercuts with the reality of the situation.

The second part, almost another movie really, features the anamatrons. (Think Disneyworld’s Hall of Presidents, if the presidents wielded swords!) Wacky, to say the least, the second part maintains the high production values and is exciting and enormous fun. Particularly interesting is the final sequence, featuring all of those anamatrons. Exactly what is happening, is, rightly, left to the viewer.

While both parts are extraordinary, they don’t equal one movie. They are disparate in scope and meaning, and I would recommend taking a brief break between the two. (Visit the bathroom; the movie is, after all, 140 minutes, and that is a big Coke you’re drinking...)

Again, many thanks to Ann Harding , for the recommendation. Do you happen to know if any of Bernard’s other Silents (or sound) films are available? I’ve become quite the fan!

[Ann Harding]

Hi MichiganJ! I am glad you enjoyed so much that Bernard silent!
I wished I could tell you that many other Bernard pictures were available on DVD, but, alas, it's not the case....
I would very much want to see Le Miracle des Loups (1924) which sounds fabulous. In France, a few of his talkies are on DVD:

Tartarin de Tarascon (1934) with Raimu (French subs only)
Marthe Richard au Service de la France (1937) with Edwige Feuillère (no subs)
Les Otages (1938) with Annie Vernay (English subs, DVD beaver preview here )
Un Ami viendra ce soir (1946) with Michel Simon (no subs)

I haven't seen any of these. I suspect Les Otages and Un Ami Viendra Ce soir are very interesting!

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched Fast Workers with John Gilbert , Robert Armstrong and Mae Clarke. The action centres around the world of the men who build skyscrapers. The story centres around a guy his mate and their girl and is directed by Tod Browning. It has atomosphere, good performances, good storyline, I'm surprised I'd never heard of it before.

John Gilbert's voice is fine, not deep but fine. He's very thin and so is Mae Clarke, I've often felt this in 1930's films that especially the women they were thinner then, perhaps it was a reflection of the times or the fashions. John Gilbert considering he was meant to be an alcoholic, that takes calories, how do you maintain a thin figure unless of course you're under nourished?

Anyhow I digress again John Gilbert was a good actor, it's a shame that circumstances treated him as they did.

[drednm]

FAST WORKERS was a pretty snappy story with good performances from its stars.

If John Gilbert's voice can be faulted it's more that he has (at times) a sing-song cadence to his speech rather than having a bad voice.

Gilbert was also noted as one of the best tennis players among the Hollywood set. Also odd for an alleged alcoholic. Judging from his daughter's biography of him and the few family stories that filtered down to me (Gilbert was married to my grandfather's cousin, Ina Claire) his alcoholism was greatly exaggerated by MGM.

[feaito]

Finally I watched "Tol'able David" (1921) which was "long overdue". A beautiful Americana film with wonderful performances all around, especially the very sensitive potrayal of Richard Barthelmess in the title character. He was so young and thin when he made this film that I barely recognized him! Ernest Torrence plays one of the most despicable characters ever portrayed on screen.

[charliechaplinfan]

FAST WORKERS was a pretty snappy story with good performances from its stars.

If John Gilbert's voice can be faulted it's more that he has (at times) a sing-song cadence to his speech rather than having a bad voice.

Gilbert was also noted as one of the best tennis players among the Hollywood set. Also odd for an alleged alcoholic. Judging from his daughter's biography of him and the few family stories that filtered down to me (Gilbert was married to my grandfather's cousin, Ina Claire) his alcoholism was greatly exaggerated by MGM.

I'm glad you said that, tales of John Gilbert's alcoholism have fallen into Hollywood folklore, it's nice to know that they are exaggerated. Are there any family stories you could share with us regarding John and Ina? It accepted that John married Ina on the rebound from a reluctant Garbo but I've also heard that he loved her an awful lot.

I found myself watching Fast Workers in the same vein as I watched Queen Christina earlier in the year. Was this man ravaged by alcohol, he didn't look older than his years to me. In Queen Christina he wore a ridiculous costume but in Fast Workers he wore contemprorary gear. He looked good.

He died young, in circumstances I'm not even sure of, perhaps he was just a man who's body was destined to give out on him and not due to the legendary alcoholism.

A couple of nights ago I watched Polly of the Circus an early talkie featuring Marion Davies as a trapeze artist and Clark Gable as a priest. It sounds all wrong doesn't it. Marion and Clark don't particularly look the part but they are good and prety convincing. I love having a chance to see one of Marion's talkies, to see Clark at the beginning of his legendary career is a treat too.

Last night I watched The Cheat . I'd heard of the notorious branding scene in the film but when it came it shocked me, it was so brutal, I thought it would have been worked into the story further along, giving Sessue chance to develop more of an obsession with Fanny. I hadn't heard about the trial at the end. What a film for 1915.

Did anyone present 1910's fashions as well as Demille did?

[drednm]

actually Davies and Gable are a hoot together in CAIN AND MABEL, a much better film than POLLY OF THE CIRCUS.

Well I can't claim that my grandfather and Ina Claire were close as cousins and she was sort of a family "black sheep" but it was sort of assumed she married Gilbert as a way of improving her movie career which never quite took off. Gilbert, after all, one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. I don't remember there was ever much negative said about Gilbert but yes it was assumed he rebounded from Garbo and pretty much married the first woman who came along.

I hate the Hollywood (studio) crap that has passed from vicious gossip into "truth." As I remember the Leatrice Gilbert Fountain biography of her father (a super book), John Gilbert died from a heart attack. Of course boozing wouldn't have helped any but he was NEVER incapacitated in his acting career from booze. In his final film, THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA, he's just wonderful as the boozy and cynical guy (sort of like William Powell). And in several books, the great Colleen Moore (who lived next door to Gilbert for years) NEVER mentions him in any negative way. They were close friends and both victims of fickle Hollywood, but Moore never talks about Gilbert as some out of control drunk.

Also, what few family stories I remember about John Gilbert never mention him as a drunk.

[Ann Harding]

Yesterday, I watched a really nice French silent by the Brazilian Alberto Cavalcanti: Le Capitaine Fracasse (1928). This film is based on a novel by Théophile Gautier and takes place in XVIIth century France. The impoverished Baron de Sigognac (Pierre Blanchar) decides to follow a troupe of travelling thespians as he is reduced to starvation in his old castle. He has also noticed the nice-looking Isabelle who plays the ingenues and is in love with her. He becomes the new matamore (a bit like Scaramouche). But Isabelle is pursued by the nasty Duc de Vallombreuse (Charles Boyer, really excellent as a villain) who abducts her...
The film was shot on location in the SW of France and provides some superb vista of Renaissance & XVIIth century castles. The cast is superb with Blanchar providing one of his best performances (he could be sometimes trying in his later talking pictures). Boyer was great as the nasty, vain and lecherous Duc. The restoration and the image quality were absolutely superb. Very nice indeed!
Now I need to watch again the 1942 (talking) version made by Abel Gance. I'll dug out my old VHS and watch it tonight!

[Gagman 66]

Christine,

I have this DVD, but haven't got around to viewing it as of yet.

Fernando,

Henry King's TOL'ABLE DAVID (1921) is one of the great Silent films of the early 1920's. The Robert Israel score found on the Image DVD release is among his very best. I have allot of Richard Barthelmess Silent's, as does Ed, many of them I got from him. Barthelmess was a huge Star in his day, but you rarely here his name mentioned as one of the greats of Silent Hollywood anymore? Probably because almost none of his Starring features have been properly restored? I have Henry King's next feature THE SEVENTH DAY (1922), also with Barthelmess which was considered lost until just very recently.


Ernest Torrence must have worked for most every studio in town all at the same time? I have seen him in First National pictures, Warner Brothers, MGM, Paramount, Universal, United Artists, you name it! Ernest is there! I wonder how on earth He was able to do this??? The guy must have never run out of energy?

Alison,

Haven't seen POLLY OF THE CIRCUS yet, or FAST WORKERS. I do have a bunch of Marion Davies talkies, but have only watched about 3 of them so far. Fanny Ward is cute and mischievous in THE CHEAT. I have not seen her in very many other films. This is very good early Cecil B. De Mille. Somewhat less preachy than his 20's features perhaps?

Allot of people tend to write De Mille off. He does not get allot of attention from many serious critics. As for me, films such as THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1923) THE VOLGA BOATMAN (1925), THE KING OF KINGS (1927), and THE GODLESS GIRL (1928) have made me a big fan!

Ed,

Sounds like the propaganda and myths concerning John Gilbert continue to endure. Despite that many of them have been largely disproved. I wonder why this is so?

With talk of official releases from Fox of SEVENTH HEAVEN, and STREET ANGEL possibly forth coming by the end of the year, I never thought in a million years that these films would actually beat THE BIG PARADE to DVD! The new restoration completed in 2004, hasn't been seen at all, but for a few live screenings. It was first announced for DVD by the fall of 2005 for the pictures 80th Anniversary. I don't understand why Warner's is taking so long? Apart from that the film hasn't aired on TCM period in any form since Memorial Day of 2004.

Just because the new master of THE BIG PARADE does not have a recorded score yet, this should not prevent TCM from showing the Thames version of the movie that they used to air in the interim? Though apparently it has? I suppose Warner's does not want to spoil what I expect by all rights should be Big Prime-time premier of the new version. That was understandable in 2005, and 2006. But in 2008, it's wearing pretty thin. The new version was supposed to be ready for broadcast much sooner than this!

I am getting really sick and tired of seeing that King Vidor segment with Molly Haskell, with several brief clips from THE BIG PARADE running all the time, when TCM hasn't run the film itself in over 4 years! I encourage everyone on this forum to vote for a DVD release of THE BIG PARADE on the TCM Movie Data Base. Be sure to request the movie to be shown as well.

I have no idea why Warner's did not Record Robert Israel and his 19 Piece Orchestra that performed the Axt-Mendoza 1925 score live at some screenings in 2005 than? Could have been ready to go along time ago! As I have mentioned before I would hope that they would also give us the Thames version fully re-mastered as well.

You still have a number of Gilbert talkies that I have never seen. I sent the list to Brenda, and she was amazed at all the titles! Did you watch THE COSSACKS yet?

[charliechaplinfan]

Dredm, thank you for filling in some of the gaps concerning John Gilbert. I have his daughter's book, I plan to read it soon. I'll let you know how I find it. I'm very fond of John Gilbert. I know some think he has a tendency to overact but I like that quality, his enthusiasm for his craft.

If Cain And Mabel is better than Polly of the Circus I'll keep my eyes open for it. Marion is another character who Hollywood history hasn't treated fairly.

Gagman, last night I watched the second film on the DeMille disc, Manslaughter. You're right about his teen films being less preachy. I thought the premise of the story very good but it was made a bit overlong. To me the D A didn't have to sink to the depths he sank to and then restore himself to his former high position, it made the story unbelievable. It would be better to finish the story with the redemption of Leatrice Joy's character. Maybe others think differently. I love to look at the fashions and cars of the era.

I wouldn't write off DeMille, he made some good films, his preaching doesn't sit very well with me. To compare the two films on the same disc The Cheat is superior because it gets to the point. Manslaughter is essentially as similar story which is fleshed out with depictions of Ancient Rome and deals with the redemption of the accused and the DA when in my opinion the DA didn't need redeeming.

I don't want to appear negative about this film. It's still a good film from it's era.

[Ann Harding]

I have now watched again Abel Gance's Le Capitaine Fracasse (1942). The film was made entirely on studio with miniatures for castles and sets unlike the Cavalcanti which is on locations. The story follows faithfully the novel like the other one, except for a few minor details that Cavalcanti didn't include. This time Fernand Gravey (who made a few Hollywood pictures under the name Gravet) plays the lead and he gives a really superb performance! Unlike Blanchar, he has to deliver verses while duelling against the nasty Vallombreuse. He manages to impart his Sigognac with more depth than Blanchar. But, what is particularly striking in this film is the wonderful atmospheric cinematography obviously inspired by Gustave Doré's engravings. Gance created there one of his best talkies: the film has rythm, charm, atmosphere, humor and even a duel fought in alexandrines (twelve feet verses)! He got his inspiration equally from Doré and from Edmond Rostand for the verses. One of the most moving scene is the death of Matamore with a superb expressionist atmosphere (which wasn't exploited at all in the Cavalcanti). Abel Gance really struggled to make good talking pictures and this one is certainly one of his best with Un Grand Amour de Beethoven (1936). Worth investigating if you can understand French.

[feaito]

Yesterday I watched the landmark Raoul Walsh film "What Price Glory?" (1926), which among other things, as far as I know, turned Dolores del Río into a Star.

An action film with excellent, credible battle sequences, which raises issues in relation to War; with romance, tragedy, comedy et al. At over 2 hours of running time it is one of the longest Silents I have seen.

Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe as Flagg and Quirt are simply phenomenal. I'd never seen Lowe playing such a rugged, tough character.

**spoiler below**

Dolores has a specially touching scene near the end when she goes to "Mother's boy" tomb.

[Gagman 66]

Fernando,

I am struggling to get an E-mail response to go through to you tonight, but i will keep on rying.

Raoul Walsh, WHAT PRICE GLORY (1926) is a great feature. I hope you got to see it with the Erno Rapee-Lew Pollack Fox Movie-tone score? Silmply fabulous! McLaglen and Lowe, are priceless, as the two fudeing officers. "Charmaine" was written and Composed for this film.

In late 1924 MGM wanted to make WHAT PRICE GLORY?, which was a huge hit on Stage, but Fox bought the rights first to the monster Stage-play. Undaunted King Vidor went out and made THE BIG PARADE instead. So they actually came out ahead in the bargain. By the time WHAT PRICE GLORY? was released in became Fox attempt to Top THE BIG PARADE. Though it did not quite reach those hights, it did make major Stars of Victor McLaglen, and Delores Del Rio., and was still among the most popular films of the second half of the 20's.

A proper DVD release is long overdue for this major, major Fox Studios Silent!

My E-mail is not working. So I will respond in a PM shortly. Thanks.

[SSO Admins]

test