“Get in line and wait your turn!” Charlie Chaplin works double duty in front of and behind the camera in the 1915 silent classic A Night In The Show. Chaplin wrote and directed the film, basing it upon Mumming Birds, a stage play that Chaplin worked on while with the Karno Company in London. InContinue reading “Classic Cinema: A Night In The Show (1915)”
Tag Archives: silent film
Classic Cinema: Captain Kidd’s Kids (1919)
“Suffering sunfish! GIRL pirates!!!“ The 1919 silent short film, Captain Kidd’s Kids, starred silent film legend Harold Lloyd, his longtime co-star, Bebe Daniels, and two other Harold Lloyd regulars, the perpetual second fiddle (but no less of a star) Snub Pollard, and Helen Gilmore, who had a successful career in a number of projects byContinue reading “Classic Cinema: Captain Kidd’s Kids (1919)”
Halloween Bites! Nosferatu (1922)
“The Master is near…..” Released in 1922, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony Of Horror is the first vampire film to ever grace the big screen according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A blatant rip-off of Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel, Murnau changed the names of the characters and the ultimate demiseContinue reading “Halloween Bites! Nosferatu (1922)”
Classic Cinema: The Unknown (1927)
“Hands! Men’s Hands! How I Hate Them!” Considered by many to be the greatest film collaboration between director Tod Browning and the legendary Lon Chaney, 1927’s The Unknown is a twisted silent film that features a love triangle, murder, deception, and heartbreak. It stars Lon Chaney as Alonzo the Armless, Joan Crawford as Nanon, NormanContinue reading “Classic Cinema: The Unknown (1927)”
Classic Cinema: Three Ages (1923)
“…..the only thing that has not changed since the world began is LOVE.” The first feature length film that Buster Keaton wrote, directed, produced, and starred in, 1923’s Three Ages tells us a timeless tale of love. It is the same story told across three different time periods: stereotypical caveman times, Ancient Rome, and theContinue reading “Classic Cinema: Three Ages (1923)”
Classic Cinema: A Fool There Was (1915)
“Kiss me, my fool!” Not to be confused with the 1922 silent film of the same name and based upon the same play, 1915’s A Fool There Was is a crucial piece of cinematic history. It is the first starring role for Theda Bara, the woman that most cinephiles consider to be the first cinematicContinue reading “Classic Cinema: A Fool There Was (1915)”
Classic Cinema: Sherlock, Jr. (1924)
“Say, Mr. Detective, before you clean up any mysteries…..clean up this theater.” Buster Keaton is considered by many to be one of, if not the best, actor/director/writer of the silent film era and also one of the best actor/director/writers of all time. He’s also considered to be one of the funniest performers in history. HeContinue reading “Classic Cinema: Sherlock, Jr. (1924)”
Classic Cinema: The Lost World (1925)
Love and Dinosaurs With Willis H. O’Brien providing dazzling special effects, First National Pictures released what is considered to be the first full length feature film featuring stop-motion animation, 1925’s The Lost World. The silent film, directed by Harry O. Hoyt and adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s book of the same name by MarionContinue reading “Classic Cinema: The Lost World (1925)”
Classic Cinema: Alice In Wonderland (1915)
“I wish my cat were here. She’s such a capital one for catching mice.” Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland has been adapted for the stage, film, and television multiple times over the years. It all began in 1886 when a musical stage adaptation called Alice In Wonderland was produced by Henry SavileContinue reading “Classic Cinema: Alice In Wonderland (1915)”
Classic Horror: The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920)
“Awaken for a moment from your dark night.” Filmed entirely in a studio of intentionally bizarre and misshaped sets, 1920’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari takes its viewers on a twisted ride full of murder, insanity, and a sleepwalking. It stars Werner Krauss as Dr. Caligari, Friedrich Feher as Francis, Lil Dagover as Jane, andContinue reading “Classic Horror: The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920)”
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