Even Chaplin thought "Grandma's Boy" a wonderful film! Harold's "glasses character" is such a loveable nerd, I find him hard not to like. I always go for the "underdog." Chaplin was a bit like that himself. Maybe why I like him so much?
WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
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silentscreen
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Alison,
Even Chaplin thought "Grandma's Boy" a wonderful film! Harold's "glasses character" is such a loveable nerd, I find him hard not to like. I always go for the "underdog." Chaplin was a bit like that himself. Maybe why I like him so much?
Even Chaplin thought "Grandma's Boy" a wonderful film! Harold's "glasses character" is such a loveable nerd, I find him hard not to like. I always go for the "underdog." Chaplin was a bit like that himself. Maybe why I like him so much?
"Humor is nothing less than a sense of the fitness of things." Carole Lombard
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myrnaloyisdope
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Justin,
You have yet to see any Harold Lloyd??? There are gob's and gob's of Video's with Harold Lloyd on youtube. None of them are from me, because I am not even a member. He has a huge following there. Should mention, that they do not have the right version of GRANDMA'S BOY posted though. You want the one with Robert Israel score. The Ben Model's piano just does not do the film justice.
The New-Line Entertainment Box set, is the best collection of anybody's work around anywhere. I should note, that New-Line Home Video no longer exists. They have been absorbed into Warner Brothers. The Box set is still in print though. It contains all 11 Silent features, and a bunch of shorts. Even a few sound features. And it doesn't cost a mint either! Just a fabulous collection!
My favorite Lloyd films, are THE FRESHMAN (1925), and GIRL SHY (1924). But all of the features are excellent.WHY WORRY? (1923) is among the funniest films ever made! It will have you rolling! GIRL SHY In my opinion, is among the finest Romantic comedies ever produced. Lloyd was a master film maker, and, was one of the true pioneer's of film preservation.
I guarantee you will not be disappointed. H L is one of the great un-sung names in all of Hollywood history.
You have yet to see any Harold Lloyd??? There are gob's and gob's of Video's with Harold Lloyd on youtube. None of them are from me, because I am not even a member. He has a huge following there. Should mention, that they do not have the right version of GRANDMA'S BOY posted though. You want the one with Robert Israel score. The Ben Model's piano just does not do the film justice. The New-Line Entertainment Box set, is the best collection of anybody's work around anywhere. I should note, that New-Line Home Video no longer exists. They have been absorbed into Warner Brothers. The Box set is still in print though. It contains all 11 Silent features, and a bunch of shorts. Even a few sound features. And it doesn't cost a mint either! Just a fabulous collection!
My favorite Lloyd films, are THE FRESHMAN (1925), and GIRL SHY (1924). But all of the features are excellent.WHY WORRY? (1923) is among the funniest films ever made! It will have you rolling! GIRL SHY In my opinion, is among the finest Romantic comedies ever produced. Lloyd was a master film maker, and, was one of the true pioneer's of film preservation. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. H L is one of the great un-sung names in all of Hollywood history. -
charliechaplinfan
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Gagman, I'd never get angry about anyone liking Harold Lloyd.
There are points in his films which I think are pure genius, when he scales the tree in The Kid Brother and looking at his reflection in the water in Girl Crazy, I think those shots are inspired.
The use of the tall buildings like in Safety Last.
Why Worry I found disjointed, the first half better than the second half, it lagged in the middle.
I like him better when his eagerness is toned down.
I don't think The General is the best film to get acquained with Buster Keaton, I'd go for Our Hospitality or Steamboat Bill Jnr. Then watch The General, I found by doing that I appreciated it even more.
There are points in his films which I think are pure genius, when he scales the tree in The Kid Brother and looking at his reflection in the water in Girl Crazy, I think those shots are inspired.
The use of the tall buildings like in Safety Last.
Why Worry I found disjointed, the first half better than the second half, it lagged in the middle.
I like him better when his eagerness is toned down.
I don't think The General is the best film to get acquained with Buster Keaton, I'd go for Our Hospitality or Steamboat Bill Jnr. Then watch The General, I found by doing that I appreciated it even more.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Comparing comedians is impossible. What criteria do you use? How many laughs? Tears? (Chaplin fans, you know that he wants those as much as the yucks). Dollars made at the box office? There’s no way to compare and, I think, even rating them by number is unfair, it creates an artificial competition. I love Kevin Brownlow and what he’s done for Silent film, but naming his otherwise brilliant documentary Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius just perpetuates, and even endorses the inane comedic hierarchy
I think Harold Lloyd gets third billing all the time because his films were unavailable for so long. In regards to his features, he generally made two types: gag-filled comedies like Hot Water, A Sailor-Made Man, etc. and character driven comedies like The Kid Brother and The Freshman, etc. The best of Lloyd, The Kid Brother, Safety Last, Grandma’s Boy, Speedy, etc., stand right up with the best of Keaton.
In regards to Chaplin, his output, especially in Silent features, is miniscule. He has 6 Silent features (including both City Lights and Modern Times as well as A Woman of Paris!), versus Lloyd’s 11 or so and Keaton’s 13 or so. Sure, all of Chaplin’s films are classic, but since he only produced 6, two from the sound period and one decidedly not a comedy, is it fair to compare him to Keaton or Lloyd? I dunno.
I know that Langdon’s minimalistic approach to comedy is not to everyone’s taste, but the guy was brilliant nonetheless. Since he was a star on Vaudeville, he didn’t even start making movies until 1924, well after “the Big Three”, but even so, he came up with at least one true classic, The Strong Man, and arguably many others (The Chaser is very funny and Three’s a Crowd is Langdon’s attempt at adding pathos to his comedy, ala Chaplin, just a lot slooooooooower.) Don’t buy into the hooey, either, that Langdon was a Frank Capra creation. (It’s far to easy to disprove, and one of the main reasons I never read autobiographies---the authors tend to lie.) In my book, Langdon, with an output far smaller then the Big Three, and with a persona like no other comedian, fits in quite nicely with them.
Arbuckle, who knows what heights he might have reached. His shorts with Normand are inventive and he shows some acting chops, too. Plus they had enormous (pun intended) chemistry. Leap Year, the only feature of Arbuckle’s I’ve seen, is at least on par with Keaton’s and Lloyd’s early features.
I think Harold Lloyd gets third billing all the time because his films were unavailable for so long. In regards to his features, he generally made two types: gag-filled comedies like Hot Water, A Sailor-Made Man, etc. and character driven comedies like The Kid Brother and The Freshman, etc. The best of Lloyd, The Kid Brother, Safety Last, Grandma’s Boy, Speedy, etc., stand right up with the best of Keaton.
In regards to Chaplin, his output, especially in Silent features, is miniscule. He has 6 Silent features (including both City Lights and Modern Times as well as A Woman of Paris!), versus Lloyd’s 11 or so and Keaton’s 13 or so. Sure, all of Chaplin’s films are classic, but since he only produced 6, two from the sound period and one decidedly not a comedy, is it fair to compare him to Keaton or Lloyd? I dunno.
I know that Langdon’s minimalistic approach to comedy is not to everyone’s taste, but the guy was brilliant nonetheless. Since he was a star on Vaudeville, he didn’t even start making movies until 1924, well after “the Big Three”, but even so, he came up with at least one true classic, The Strong Man, and arguably many others (The Chaser is very funny and Three’s a Crowd is Langdon’s attempt at adding pathos to his comedy, ala Chaplin, just a lot slooooooooower.) Don’t buy into the hooey, either, that Langdon was a Frank Capra creation. (It’s far to easy to disprove, and one of the main reasons I never read autobiographies---the authors tend to lie.) In my book, Langdon, with an output far smaller then the Big Three, and with a persona like no other comedian, fits in quite nicely with them.
Arbuckle, who knows what heights he might have reached. His shorts with Normand are inventive and he shows some acting chops, too. Plus they had enormous (pun intended) chemistry. Leap Year, the only feature of Arbuckle’s I’ve seen, is at least on par with Keaton’s and Lloyd’s early features.
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
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charliechaplinfan
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Funnily enough, when I was growing up along with Laurel and Hardy we had Harold Lloyd. What we didn't get was Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
Chaplin was easy to discover once we had cable channels. He's usually features somewhere in the Christmas schedules.
I had to wait until two years ago to be introduced to Buster Keaton. I had rented a bad copy of The General and didn't rate it. I watched a half hour programme on Buster Keaton which was followed by one of his shorts and I was hooked.
Then I got some Harold Lloyd films and it was hit and miss for me.
Chaplin and Keaton I just fell in love with at first viewing. Neither made a bad film in the silent era. My love of them both was instant.
Back to precodes I watched Millie the other night. Helen Twelvetrees starred as Millie a girl who marries young an has a child, her husband's family are well off, she discovers her husband lying to her and entertaining his mistress. She divorces him but leaves her daughter with her parents in law and tries to make a living for herself. She starts selling cigarettes and refuses to become a gold digger like her friends. She has energy and vitality and attracts male attention, she has a relationship with a newspaper reporter but he lets her down just like her husband. Instead she gets involved with a man about town who is quite fixated with her. As the years pass so does his ardour. Fast forward to when Millie's child Constance is 16 the man about town pursues the daughter, mother comes to the rescue but gets herself up on a murder charge, she refuses to say why she shot him not willing to bring her daughter's reputation into it.
The supporting cast includes Lillian Tashman and Joan Blondell as the gold diggers, Robert Ames and James Hall as the men who let her down and John Halliday as James Damier the man who she murders. It fits a lot of story into it's 85 mn. A recommended precode.
Chaplin was easy to discover once we had cable channels. He's usually features somewhere in the Christmas schedules.
I had to wait until two years ago to be introduced to Buster Keaton. I had rented a bad copy of The General and didn't rate it. I watched a half hour programme on Buster Keaton which was followed by one of his shorts and I was hooked.
Then I got some Harold Lloyd films and it was hit and miss for me.
Chaplin and Keaton I just fell in love with at first viewing. Neither made a bad film in the silent era. My love of them both was instant.
Back to precodes I watched Millie the other night. Helen Twelvetrees starred as Millie a girl who marries young an has a child, her husband's family are well off, she discovers her husband lying to her and entertaining his mistress. She divorces him but leaves her daughter with her parents in law and tries to make a living for herself. She starts selling cigarettes and refuses to become a gold digger like her friends. She has energy and vitality and attracts male attention, she has a relationship with a newspaper reporter but he lets her down just like her husband. Instead she gets involved with a man about town who is quite fixated with her. As the years pass so does his ardour. Fast forward to when Millie's child Constance is 16 the man about town pursues the daughter, mother comes to the rescue but gets herself up on a murder charge, she refuses to say why she shot him not willing to bring her daughter's reputation into it.
The supporting cast includes Lillian Tashman and Joan Blondell as the gold diggers, Robert Ames and James Hall as the men who let her down and John Halliday as James Damier the man who she murders. It fits a lot of story into it's 85 mn. A recommended precode.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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drednm
CYNARA with Ronald Colman and Kay Francis.... Happy couple gets in trouble when Francis accompanies her sister to Italy for a month and Colman becomes the victim of a conniving woman (Phyllis Barry) who won't let go.... In a FATAL ATTRACTION kind of move, she commits suicide but his career and life are ruined when the coroner's inquest (and her vindictive friend) blame Colman for her death.
Interesting film with good performances.
Interesting film with good performances.
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myrnaloyisdope
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I checked out several more pre-code films yesterday(it's my Sunday ritual).
After Ann Harding's glowing review I checked out Wellman's Wild Boys of the Road, and I was quite impressed. It has a bunch of the same kids as The Mayor of Hell, another excellent film with similar kind of themes. I liked the sympathetic portrayal of the kids, and I particularly liked how grim the film was. It actually felt pretty harrowing. Even with the happy ending, it felt pretty authentic.
I also watched another Wellman in Frisco Jenny, starring Ruth Chatterton. I was very impressed with this melodrama set during the 1906 earthquake. Chatterton plays a madame whose fiance played by James Murray(!) gets killed in the quake leaving her to raise their unborn child. A series of events leads her to give up the child, and years later their paths cross with tragic results. The final 10 minutes are absolutely devastating, and Chatterton impressed the heck out of me. Maybe not as good as Waterloo Bridge, but definitely holds it own as a pre-code melodrama.
I watched another Wellman in So Big! with Barbara Stanwyck. I was actually a bit disappointed with it, as it tries to be this sweeping drama set over like 40 years, but the film is only 80 minutes long so it feels like too much of the story goes unexplained. Bette Davis and George Brent despite getting star billing only appear in the final 15 minutes or so. Stanwyck is good as always, but I felt the film was never quite successful.
I also checked out a couple of Kay Francis films: Jewel Robbery and Street of Women. Jewel Robbery is very odd indeed, with William Powell playing a smooth jewel thief, and Francis as a rich woman he seduces. What makes the film odd is the pacing as the film's first half is devoted entirely to Powell's heist and subsequent getaway, and most of the second half is Powell seducing Francis. Oh and the fact that Powell drugs his victims with marijuana, so many of the film's characters are high throughout the film. It's hard to say the film is great, but it was interesting with Powell being his usual entertaining self, and Francis being absolutely gorgeous and quite funny too.
Street of Women was disappointing though. Francis is a kept woman whose brother is engaged to her lover's daughter. Chaos ensues, everyone looks sad, and it all works out in the end. For a 59 minute it dragged quite a bit. Francis again is very pretty and quite competent, but the film just never engaged me like I hoped it would.
Finally I also checked out Mervyn LeRoy's Tonight or Never with Gloria Swanson. Interestingly Swanson plays a lonely opera singer who never sings in the film. The premise is that she must find a lover(in this case Melvyn Douglas) in order to truly become a great singer. There is a bunch of screwball elements in this too, and much like Indiscreet she carries the movie. She has great facial expressions, great comedic timing, a good voice and she's genuinely quite likable, so can someone tell why she basically stopped acting regularly in 1934?
After Ann Harding's glowing review I checked out Wellman's Wild Boys of the Road, and I was quite impressed. It has a bunch of the same kids as The Mayor of Hell, another excellent film with similar kind of themes. I liked the sympathetic portrayal of the kids, and I particularly liked how grim the film was. It actually felt pretty harrowing. Even with the happy ending, it felt pretty authentic.
I also watched another Wellman in Frisco Jenny, starring Ruth Chatterton. I was very impressed with this melodrama set during the 1906 earthquake. Chatterton plays a madame whose fiance played by James Murray(!) gets killed in the quake leaving her to raise their unborn child. A series of events leads her to give up the child, and years later their paths cross with tragic results. The final 10 minutes are absolutely devastating, and Chatterton impressed the heck out of me. Maybe not as good as Waterloo Bridge, but definitely holds it own as a pre-code melodrama.
I watched another Wellman in So Big! with Barbara Stanwyck. I was actually a bit disappointed with it, as it tries to be this sweeping drama set over like 40 years, but the film is only 80 minutes long so it feels like too much of the story goes unexplained. Bette Davis and George Brent despite getting star billing only appear in the final 15 minutes or so. Stanwyck is good as always, but I felt the film was never quite successful.
I also checked out a couple of Kay Francis films: Jewel Robbery and Street of Women. Jewel Robbery is very odd indeed, with William Powell playing a smooth jewel thief, and Francis as a rich woman he seduces. What makes the film odd is the pacing as the film's first half is devoted entirely to Powell's heist and subsequent getaway, and most of the second half is Powell seducing Francis. Oh and the fact that Powell drugs his victims with marijuana, so many of the film's characters are high throughout the film. It's hard to say the film is great, but it was interesting with Powell being his usual entertaining self, and Francis being absolutely gorgeous and quite funny too.
Street of Women was disappointing though. Francis is a kept woman whose brother is engaged to her lover's daughter. Chaos ensues, everyone looks sad, and it all works out in the end. For a 59 minute it dragged quite a bit. Francis again is very pretty and quite competent, but the film just never engaged me like I hoped it would.
Finally I also checked out Mervyn LeRoy's Tonight or Never with Gloria Swanson. Interestingly Swanson plays a lonely opera singer who never sings in the film. The premise is that she must find a lover(in this case Melvyn Douglas) in order to truly become a great singer. There is a bunch of screwball elements in this too, and much like Indiscreet she carries the movie. She has great facial expressions, great comedic timing, a good voice and she's genuinely quite likable, so can someone tell why she basically stopped acting regularly in 1934?
"Do you think it's dangerous to have Busby Berkeley dreams?" - The Magnetic Fields
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drednm
Swanson's talkie debut in THE TRESPASSER was a smash hit but he next films were all flops. WHAT A WIDOW was a dismal comedy probably not seen since its initial release. After that bomb INDISCREET, TONIGHT OR NEVER, PERFECT UNDERSTANDING and MUSIC IN THE AIR all also bombed. Of these last 4 the first two were the best and should have done business but they just didn't. Swanson always blamed the people who pushed her into "diva" roles that were out of step with the Depression. But they aren't bad films at all.
PERFECT UNDERSTANDING is kinda clunky but has its moments, and Swanson and Olivier make a fetching team. Again outside of MGM, these British "drawing room" dramas just didn't fly. MUSIC IN THE AIR had a lot going for it but the characters played by Douglass Montgomery and June Lang are actually the central characters, while Swanson and John Boles (they are terrific) don't get much screen time. And again Swanson sings only a snippet and never has that big production number that could have saved the film.
Ultimately a lot of things probably hurt these films including the fact that Swanson no longer had a major studio behind her, distribution was probably poor, etc. A snappy comedy or a major A movie from MGM might have saved her also (she signed but nothing happened).
The fiasco with Kennedy and QUEEN KELLY hurt her reputation, and her messy private life with husbands and lovers (like Herbert Marshall) probably distracted her from her business. Obviously THE TRESPASSER proved she had no problems with her voice.
The final vote was with audiences who turned away from Swanson as they did Mary Pickford, Colleen Moore, John Gilbert, and so many others.
PERFECT UNDERSTANDING is kinda clunky but has its moments, and Swanson and Olivier make a fetching team. Again outside of MGM, these British "drawing room" dramas just didn't fly. MUSIC IN THE AIR had a lot going for it but the characters played by Douglass Montgomery and June Lang are actually the central characters, while Swanson and John Boles (they are terrific) don't get much screen time. And again Swanson sings only a snippet and never has that big production number that could have saved the film.
Ultimately a lot of things probably hurt these films including the fact that Swanson no longer had a major studio behind her, distribution was probably poor, etc. A snappy comedy or a major A movie from MGM might have saved her also (she signed but nothing happened).
The fiasco with Kennedy and QUEEN KELLY hurt her reputation, and her messy private life with husbands and lovers (like Herbert Marshall) probably distracted her from her business. Obviously THE TRESPASSER proved she had no problems with her voice.
The final vote was with audiences who turned away from Swanson as they did Mary Pickford, Colleen Moore, John Gilbert, and so many others.
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myrnaloyisdope
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drednm
I agree.... during the 20s she made a bunch of great films ... Too bad MADAME SANS-GENE appears to be a lost film.... also THE COAST OF FOLLY in which She played a dual role (she played her own mother).
Swanson is a delight in STAGE STRUCK (and gorgeous) with Lawrence Gray and terrific as Orchid Murphy in FINE MANNERS--both rare but around. And I'm a fan of THE LOVE OF SUNYA in which she plays 3 or 4 roles (but the same character).
Swanson is a delight in STAGE STRUCK (and gorgeous) with Lawrence Gray and terrific as Orchid Murphy in FINE MANNERS--both rare but around. And I'm a fan of THE LOVE OF SUNYA in which she plays 3 or 4 roles (but the same character).
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charliechaplinfan
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I've just finished watching Manhattan Melodrama, filmed in 1934 so I'm putting it under precode although I'm not strictly sure that it is. It's claim to fame is that it was the movie Dillinger was watching before he got shot exiting the cinema.
The story is makebelieve, but it's acted my MGM's best. I'm not surprised that William Powell gives agood performance but he's matched by Clark Gable. Those closing scenes in the death house, I was moved by them both.
The storyline centres around two pals who lose their parents on a boat trip and who get adopted by a man who loses his child on the same trip, a couple of years later that man gets killed. One child choses a life of crime Gable's character Blackie and William Powell choses the law and gets elected governor. Throw in the lovely Myrna Loy who was Gable's lover who realises she'll never have the contented life she would like with him, she does find it with the DA (Powell) who becomes governor because Gable silenced a man before he could have chance to ruin Powell's campaign. Gable acted out of loyalty to his old pal. Of course he gets caught, tried and sentenced to death, the Governor is the only person who can commute his sentence.
It might not be everyone's cup of tea, if you like Gable, Loy and Powell you've just got to see it.
Last night I watched Ladies They Talk About. Another prison drama, Barbara Stanwyck is a bad dame who only finds redemption, we hope, in the final reel. This is a precode no doubt about it. Again the story is quite improbable, she catches the eye of a crusader who falls for her, she has to learn her lesson. I'm beginning to love Barbara Stanwyck.
Lastly (gosh, you'd think the only thing I did was watch films
) I watched ZouZou, a French film made in 1934 starring Josephine Baker and Jean Gabin. I know from previous viewing that Jean Gabin is a great actor so I was thrilled to get a chance to see him in an early role. He's great, the film belongs to Zouzou played by Josephine Baker. It's difficult to appreciate why she was so special this film gives us a tantalising glimpse especially in the stage sequences. It's good for us that she made a film or two. It doesn't feel that dated either. In plot it is a little like 42nd street when an unknown has to go on in place of a star. A little gem.
The story is makebelieve, but it's acted my MGM's best. I'm not surprised that William Powell gives agood performance but he's matched by Clark Gable. Those closing scenes in the death house, I was moved by them both.
The storyline centres around two pals who lose their parents on a boat trip and who get adopted by a man who loses his child on the same trip, a couple of years later that man gets killed. One child choses a life of crime Gable's character Blackie and William Powell choses the law and gets elected governor. Throw in the lovely Myrna Loy who was Gable's lover who realises she'll never have the contented life she would like with him, she does find it with the DA (Powell) who becomes governor because Gable silenced a man before he could have chance to ruin Powell's campaign. Gable acted out of loyalty to his old pal. Of course he gets caught, tried and sentenced to death, the Governor is the only person who can commute his sentence.
It might not be everyone's cup of tea, if you like Gable, Loy and Powell you've just got to see it.
Last night I watched Ladies They Talk About. Another prison drama, Barbara Stanwyck is a bad dame who only finds redemption, we hope, in the final reel. This is a precode no doubt about it. Again the story is quite improbable, she catches the eye of a crusader who falls for her, she has to learn her lesson. I'm beginning to love Barbara Stanwyck.
Lastly (gosh, you'd think the only thing I did was watch films
) I watched ZouZou, a French film made in 1934 starring Josephine Baker and Jean Gabin. I know from previous viewing that Jean Gabin is a great actor so I was thrilled to get a chance to see him in an early role. He's great, the film belongs to Zouzou played by Josephine Baker. It's difficult to appreciate why she was so special this film gives us a tantalising glimpse especially in the stage sequences. It's good for us that she made a film or two. It doesn't feel that dated either. In plot it is a little like 42nd street when an unknown has to go on in place of a star. A little gem.Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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myrnaloyisdope
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charliechaplinfan,
Manhattan Melodrama is alot of fun, it's also the first William Powell-Myrna Loy film, and it was their chemistry in the film along with W.S. Van Dyke's support that lead to them being cast together in The Thin Man. Gable's off the charts in it too, he's so much fun to watch doing his tough guy schtick, that even though I have my doubts about his range, I still like watching him.
I am also a big fan of Ladies They Talk About...pure craziness, and Stanwyck being Stanwyck.
Can't say much about ZouZou, but I really like Jean Gabin, and would like to see something of Josephine Baker, so I'll keep that one in mind.
Manhattan Melodrama is alot of fun, it's also the first William Powell-Myrna Loy film, and it was their chemistry in the film along with W.S. Van Dyke's support that lead to them being cast together in The Thin Man. Gable's off the charts in it too, he's so much fun to watch doing his tough guy schtick, that even though I have my doubts about his range, I still like watching him.
I am also a big fan of Ladies They Talk About...pure craziness, and Stanwyck being Stanwyck.
Can't say much about ZouZou, but I really like Jean Gabin, and would like to see something of Josephine Baker, so I'll keep that one in mind.
"Do you think it's dangerous to have Busby Berkeley dreams?" - The Magnetic Fields