seen - 1910s
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- DirectorUrban GadStarsAsta NielsenRobert DinesenPoul ReumertAt a tramcar in Copenhagen the piano teacher Magda Vang meets the young man Knud Svane, who falls in love with her. She is invited to spend the summer with him and his parents at the vicarage in Gjerslev. Outside the vicarage a circus troupe passes by, and Magda is saluted by the performer Rudolph Stern. In the night Rudolph climbs a ladder to Magda's bedroom. She tries to flee his advances, but after a hot kiss she surrenders, and runs away with him. Magda is hired as a dancer with Rudolph at the Empire Varieté. When Rudolph fondles a ballet dancer Magda gets furious, and starts a fight in front of the audience. Magda and Rudolph are fired. To earn some money Rudolph forces Magda to play the piano in a band at a garden restaurant. Knud turns up and recognizes her. Incognito he asks her for a private meeting. Magda thinks she is asked to sell her body and refuses, but Rudolph forces her to go. When Rudloph after a while interrupts and finds Magda with Knud, he gets furious and starts to beat her. During the turmoil she grabs a knife and stabs Rudolph in his chest. In her despair she clings to his dead body, and has to be taken away by force.The Woman Always Pays
1001 2 - DirectorJ. Searle DawleyStarsMary FullerCharles OgleAugustus PhillipsThe first filmed version of Frankenstein. The young doctor discovers the secret of life, which he uses to create a perfect human. Things do not go according to plan.1001 2
- DirectorÉmile CohlFour customers are having a peaceful game of cards in a quiet café. The atmosphere bring heavy, the waiter falls asleep and has a beautiful dream in which two angels come and play to him on violins, with such charm that he is transported to the seventh heaven. The dream changes, and we see him going through many amusing and fantastic scenes. Finally, customers annoyed by his snores, wake him by pouring seltzer over him.The Hasher's Delirium
- DirectorAugust BlomStarsEllen DiedrichVictor FabianJulie HenriksenAnna, a young girl from a poor but honest household, is offered an attractive position as a lady's companion in London. Her childhood friend is worried, but she goes anyway.
- DirectorGerolamo Lo SavioStarsErmete NovelliFrancesca BertiniOlga Giannini NovelliKing Lear decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters. The oldest two daughters fawn insincerely over their father, and get most of his possessions. The youngest daughter, Cordelia, is much less lavish in her displays of affection, and disappoints her father. But events soon lead the old king to find out how each of his daughters really feels about him.
- DirectorAshley MillerA scientist discovers reverse gravity and goes to Mars in the process.
- DirectorÉmile CohlShort film that is a mixture of live-action and animation. A clown comes upon a stage and presents a projector-like device that throws animated objects on the wall. Several animated faces and the likes are shown.The Comedy-Graph
- DirectorFrancesco BertoliniAdolfo PadovanGiuseppe de LiguoroStarsSalvatore PapaArturo PirovanoGiuseppe de LiguoroLoosely adapted from Dante's Divine Comedy and inspired by the illustrations of Gustav Doré the original silent film has been restored and has a new score by Tangerine Dream.1001 2
- DirectorFrancesco BertoliniGiuseppe de LiguoroAdolfo PadovanStarsGiuseppe de LiguoroEugenia Tettoni FiorUbaldo Maria Del ColleFilm adaptation of Homer's 'The Odyssey.'Homer's Odyssey
- 19117mNot Rated7.1 (1.9K)ShortDirectorWinsor McCayJ. Stuart BlacktonStarsWinsor McCayJohn BunnyMaurice CostelloCartoon figures announce, via comic strip balloons, that they will move - and move they do, in a wildly exaggerated style.Little Nemo
- DirectorIlija Stanojevic-CicaStarsJovan Antonijevic-DjedoTeodora ArsenovicVitomir BogicThis is the oldest found dramatic film from Serbia made in 1911. "Karadjordje" is a biography of a famed leader of a rebellion against the Turkish empire in 1804. We can see his whole life since childhood until his death in 1817 and all historic events he took part in.
- DirectorUrban GadStarsAsta NielsenValdemar PsilanderGunnar HelsengreenTwo men of high rank are both wooing the beautiful and famous equestrian acrobat Stella. While Stella ignores the jeweler Hirsch, she accepts Count von Waldberg's offer to follow her home, where she falls in his arms. At her party some days later Hirsch turns up uninvited. He says he wants to give Stella a piece of jewelry, but she repulses his advances. When Waldberg sees this he knocks Hirsch down. Hirsch challenges him to a duel by cards. Waldberg loses all his money, and in the end also has to sign a promissory note on 85.000, which should be paid within 24 hours. To help Waldberg solve his debt Stella goes to Hirsch to receive the brooch he has promised her. While he turns away, she steals a precious necklace from him, but he happens to see the theft in a mirror. He tails her to a park, where he sees Stella giving the necklace to Waldberg. Hirsch tells Stella to come to him at midnight, if she wants him to be silent about the theft. When Waldberg finds out that Stella is going to Hirsch in the night, he becomes jealous and goes there as well. By mistake he happens to shoot Stella, who reveals her sacrifice for him before she dies.The Black Dream
- DirectorGiuseppe PettineThe Beauties of Italy, Triptych of Picturesque Views
- DirectorAugust BlomStarsSvend BilleOtto LagoniValdemar MøllerThe ballet pupil Camilla Favier tells the author Jean Mayol that she had learned all lines of the main character in his new play. When the stage manager announces that the leading lady is sick, Jean suggests that Camilla could replace her this evening. Camilla makes a huge success, and she and Jean fall in love. Jean introduces her to his friend, the painter Paul Rich, who wants to make a painting of her. While she is in his atelier, Jean gets a love letter from Yvette Simon, the wife of a rich rentier, asking for a rendezvous in the wood. In Jean's empty apartment Camilla finds the letter and is devastated. In revenge she reveals the secret love story for Mr. Simon and his guests at a big party. Later she finds a new love message from Yvette Simon. She brings it to Mr. Simon, who gets furious, grabs a pistol and goes to Jean's apartment. Camilla repents and rushes away to warn Jean and Yvette. To deceive her husband Yvette dresses herself in Camilla's clothes, but he recognizes her nonetheless and kills her. Camilla is shocked and brought to a hospital by Paul, who takes care of her afterwards. When Jean turns up and approaches her, she rejects him and stays with Paul.The Ballet dancer
- DirectorMax LinderStarsMax LinderGeorges CoquetLucy d'OrbelMax needs a tonic after an illness, and the doctor prescribes a Bordeaux glass of wine three times a day. One proves to be enough, as Max drinks a quart glass of wine and proceeds to get into trouble.Max Takes Tonics
Early slapstick gag short - better than Chaplins early stuff? Pre-dates Chaplin's first screen appearance by 3 years.
Of historical interest as an alternate to Chaplin and you have to respect Linder for that not all that funny without the history.
5/10 - DirectorD.W. GriffithStarsWilfred LucasLinda ArvidsonFrancis J. GrandonEnoch Arden, a humble fisherman, marries Annie Lee. He signs on as a sailor to make more money to support their growing family. A storm wrecks his ship, but Enoch swims to a deserted island. Annie waits vainly for his return.
- DirectorD.W. GriffithStarsWilfred LucasLinda ArvidsonFrancis J. GrandonAnnie remains faithful to her husband, Enoch, even though he's been lost at sea for many years. Finally her grown children convince her to marry Philip, her former suitor. Enoch is rescued from the deserted isle where he has been stranded, and returns home. He discovers Annie's new life, and decides not to interrupt her happiness.
- DirectorAugust BlomStarsValdemar PsilanderClara PontoppidanAugusta BladA man who is used to depending on his mother to solve his financial debts becomes involved with the daughter of a lender.Temptations of a Great City
- DirectorVictor SjöströmStarsVictor SjöströmGösta EkmanGunnar BohmanA gardener runs a nursery. His son has fallen in love with the daughter of one of the workers at the nursery. The gardener, who has a good eye for daughter, runs furiously his son out of the house.The Broken Springrose
Early Seastrom, only 23 mins available - according to Wiki it is 34 mins so some missing accounts for why I couldn't follow the plot.
A gardener runs a nursery. His son has fallen in love with the daughter of one of the workers at the nursery. The gardener, who has a good eye for daughter, runs furiously his son out of the house.
Too short to judge it really. - DirectorMarcel PerezLuigi MaggiStarsMarcel PerezNilde BaracchiAlfredo BertoneEpisode 2: "Zingo and the White Elephant" Zingo and his wife, Sari, who are returning from their adventures in Mexico, when Zingo learns from his newspaper that the Royal Elephant of Siam has been stolen and for whose return a large reward will be paid. Not content with settling down to a quiet domestic life, he persuades Sari and his good crew to aid him in finding this white elephant. In the Royal Square of the Capitol of Siam, he reviews the troops which are all comprised of women, which is the custom there. The Prime Minister bids Zingo and his men to visit the Royal Harem. Here they are captured by the troops and are about to be tortured to death when Sari, disguised as a colonel in the army, aids them in escaping. They find the province of Chokuff where the white elephant has been secreted, and catching the Prince making love to Sari, they demand the white elephant. He promises, but traps them all in his dungeon. They are all, but Zingo, placed in barrels with their heads protruding. Zingo files away the bars of his cage, and rolls the barrels by the guards, who are in a stupor from opium smoking. He swims down the river, towing his crew in the barrels. After a fierce encounter with the Prince of Chokuff's army, he attacks the Royal barge in the Blud River, and after a bitter struggle in which he disposes of the entire crew by throwing them overboard, he captures the white elephant and recovers his faithful Sari. He returns the sacred elephant to the King of Siam, and after a big reception by royalty and the populace, Zingo is awarded rich treasures for his noble work. Episode 3: "Zingo in Africa" After returning from Asia with his jolly band of tars, laden with gold and precious stones as a reward for his clever work in recovering the Sacred White Elephant of Siam, Zingo thought he would never again feel the call of the sea, and he didn't for several months. But the wanderlust fever soon returned, and taking his wife as his sole companion, he set out for the wilds of Africa in search of fresh adventures. From this point on, let us follow Zingo down the Nile, and record his hairbreadth escapes. Selecting a likely spot, Zingo and Sari, his wife, make camp. Hearing piercing shrieks just back of their tent, they don bear skins and hasten to the spot in time to prevent the execution of two beautiful native girls by a band of savages. The two girls now become members of Zingo's party, happy to serve their gallant protector. The next day Zingo puts on his armored hunting suit to battle with hungry lions, who have been prowling about the camp. After an hour's terrific struggle with a pair of lions, Zingo returns to find his party gone, and many evidences of a struggle. Suspecting that they have been kidnapped by roving gorillas, Zingo sets off through the forest and eventually comes to the bottom of a large tree sheltering the crudely made gorilla nest. Having a smattering of monkey chatter, he quickly gains an entrance to the nest, and there discovers his wife and the girls more frightened than harmed. The good-natured gorillas listen attentively while Zingo explains that they must proceed up the Nile in their power boat, and they bid the party an affectionate farewell. During an inspection of the Pyramids, Zingo and his party encounter some knavish artists, who drug him and make love to Sari and the native girls. Zingo is boxed up and sold to a London professor as a rare specimen, and does not regain his senses until weeks later. After startling the assembled professors out of their wits, he charters an aeroplane and flies back to Egypt overnight in time to punish the cringing artists and save Sari and her servants from further insult. Then with a last fond look down the Nile River, Zingo and his party board the aeroplane and sail back to Paris. Episode 4: "Zingo's War in the Clouds" Zingo, while working and studying over the prospectus of the Eldorado Mine in his library in Paris, is visited by his faithful crew, who are restless from lying in port and beg of him to put to sea in search of new adventures. Zingo agrees to their proposal, and decides to submit a gigantic scheme to the Eldorado Directorate for working their mine. Arriving in Mexico, he finds the mine operators are entertaining a scheme presented to them by one, Fileas Fogg. Zingo exposes Fogg's crookedness and is awarded the contract for working the mine. In order to study the country around the mines, Zingo and his wife, Sari, erect huts in a nearby river to live in. Fogg, enraged at Zingo for exposing him, with the aid of a savage Indian tribe, attacks Zingo in his river home, and after a thrilling encounter, captures Zingo and Sari. They are bound hand and foot and told they are to be executed the next morning. A pretty Indian girl sets Zingo free in the night, and rides off with him. Zingo calls on the Federal army and is honored by being given the rank of commanding officer, After reviewing his troops and submarine guards. Zingo attacks Fogg's troops, who use chloroform bombs and a special pneumatic sucker to repel his army. Zingo's submarine troops attack Fogg's deep water divers and after a severe encounter in the depths, Zingo's men are victorious. Vanquished under the sea, Fogg takes refuge in a huge motor balloon with Sari still in his power. After a most thrilling battle in which a dozen types of balloons are used, Zingo's dirigible manages to catch Fogg, and after transferring Sari, he cuts the ropes suspending the basket from the bag, and Fogg drops into eternity. Zingo sights his yacht directly below him and by lowering a rope and making it fast to the mast, they all descend and are joyously received by the crew. Zingo promises all to return home after settling up his business affairs in Mexico.Manages to pack lots of story in, in the 22 mins of pt1 - he gets orphaned in ship wreck, raised on an island of talking monkeys, gets rescued by a passing ship and ends becoming the ship captain, defeats a group of prates & starts a war with the Australian aquarium owner who has captured the giant whale that swallowed his new wife. Phwew, its like one of those series films but with all the hi-lights edited into 77 mins. Indeed it is in four sections.
pt2 Saturnino, his wife & crew mates rescue the king Of Siam's white elephant that's been stolen by oriental baddies, the crew are captured but released when Mrs SF gives the guards opium pipes to distract them, pt3 the husband & wife team go on an adventure down the Nile and rescue two princesses from some savages who were going to eat them & then a from a family of gorillas where FS upbringing on monkey island comes in handy, pt4 some sort of war between Northerners & southerners involving Phileas Fogg, a village of beavers, native americans, & some hot air balloon ships. Has a Jules Verne & George Mieles feel to it but not as charming or well done, more like shorts from the 1900s, feels like watching 4 shorts stitched together still rather fun though just for the amunt of stuff they fit into 77 mins. 6.5/10 - DirectorD.W. GriffithStarsWalter MillerLillian GishKate BruceA young couple struggle to get ahead, the wife always assuaging the troubles of her melancholy husband. As he climbs the ladder of success, he abandons the homely values and takes up with another woman. His wife leaves him, returning to her mother's home where she bears a child. When the husband is abandoned by his concubine, remorse drives him to find his wife...Bit zzzzz, Gish good but bit dull plot. why is this one famous -- first griffiths or Gish or combo. ? 6.0/10
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinAlbert AustinA drunken homeowner has a difficult time getting about in his home after arriving home late at night.Chaplin as his drunk swell character rather than the little tramp. Gags come quick and fast, some go on for too long, the stairs bit is funny.
Lack of plot and of other characters leave it as good rather than great compared to some of his others of this era.
7/10 - DirectorHenry EdwardsStarsFlorence TurnerHenry EdwardsRuth MackayIn the East London tenements lives one Alexandra Vickers, better known as "Viccy." She is rough-tongued, quick-tempered, and generous as far as her slender means allow. Her parents died when the girl was very young and left her to shift for herself. Later she takes up her abode with Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Smith and their nephew, Albert Grummett. In the month of August the family decides to go to the hop fields and earn their living picking the sticky vegetable from which is made the national beverage, beer. About this time in America a wealthy contractor dies and leaves his immense fortune to Victoria Alexandra Vickers, the only daughter of his brother. A search is made for the girl and she is finally located in the hop fields. She is placed under the care of a Mrs. Carrington, to become polished. After "Viccy" leaves, Grummett, with five hundred pounds given him by the girl, sets himself up in business and is soon prosperous. Mrs. Carrington's son asks "Viccy" to marry him, as he needs money to pay his debts, and the girl accepts him. She later sees Grummett, however, and after discovering that Carrington wants only her money she goes back to Grummett, and East returns to East.
- DirectorYevgeny BauerStarsOlga RakhmanovaLidiya KorenevaVera KholodnayaWealthy Mrs. Khromova has a natural daughter, Musya, and an adopted daughter, Nata. The merchant Zhurov is in love with Nata, and hopes to marry her, but she is non-committal. When Zhurov introduces his friend Prince Bartinsky to the family, both young women soon fall in love with the dashing but irresponsible prince. The prince is in love with Nata, but because of his enormous debts, he decides to marry Musya to get her dowry, and he allows Nata to marry Zhurov. All the while, Mrs. Khromova remains very uneasy, fearing that marriage is unlikely to cause the self-indulgent prince to change his ways.Good acting with Vera Kholodnaya being particularly enjoyable to watch, the sets were impressive with lots of lavish interiors or things going on in background. Plot two sisters, one adopted, the other gets to marry a prince as he's broke and needs her money but he and the other sister are in love secretly. Decent but reviews all say it's not as good as his other notable film The Dying Swan (1917) so maybe i should re-watch that.
- DirectorL.C. MacBeanStarsHumberston WrightBlanche ForsytheBertram BurleighCardsharpers gas a drunkard and make him think he has killed his wife, so that he helps them plan a bank raid.Nice print, easy to follow the story, zips along at a nice pace but nothing intellectual about it and nothing ground breaking style wise, acting usual 1910s OTT stuff. Sets a bit dull, story line is like the Fantomas etc plots of people battling criminal gangs. Some nice feminist stuff with prominant female goodies & baddies. only of note as it's a UK film. 6.4/10
- DirectorRex WilsonStarsJoyce TempletonJack ColemanMiss MarleyA squire's mischievous son becomes a boarder at Rugby.Pretty poor, too many characters, not properly introduced. Plot not well told, no idea what was going on with the sister. fun for some of the private school lingo (you big muff, i'll fag for you if you don't toss me). Must be many oither versions of this classic that are a better interpretation. 5.5/10
- DirectorRoscoe 'Fatty' ArbuckleStarsRoscoe 'Fatty' ArbuckleBuster KeatonAl St. JohnCustomers and clerks frolic in a general store. Roscoe walks out of the freezer wearing a fur coat, then does some clever cleaver tossing. In Buster's film debut he buys a pail of molasses.Best know as the first film that Buster Keaton appeared in. It's good, the gags are simple but zip along at a good pace with the jokes not outstaying their welcome.
7/10 - Documentary, one of a series, showing Great Britain's participation in the First World War. This entry depicts the fighting, waiting, labor, and logistics of the successful British effort to push back the German army at Arras.As with many of these shot during WWI there is very little editing and it doesn't really make it much of a documentary. Lots of sequences of different regiments marching down the same piece of road. But it is always fascinating to see actual footage shot at the front lines, looking at the faces of the men who faced the horrors of war. Interesting shots of west african soldiers moving shells about, you don't tend to think of black soldiers in WWI but here is the proof. Some good shots of tanks and big rail-carriage guns blasting shells 12 miles into German lines and primitive looking planes shooting arial footage. Especially poignant watching in 2017 on Remembrance weekend.
7/10 - DirectorGeoffrey MalinsFootage of soldiers behind the lines and under fire during the battle of the Ancre, including images of tanks on the move.More WWI footage, edited by Imperial War Museum so probably a more coherent as a documentary but unfortunately the french intertitiles with no eng subs meant my attention suffered. I preferred the footage in Retreat Of The Germans (1917),
6.5/10 need subs then rewatch - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellCharlie is an immigrant who endures a challenging voyage and gets into trouble as soon as he arrives in America.
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellA reformed tramp becomes a police constable who must fight a huge thug who dominates an inner-city street.The little tramp gets caught steal a church donations box and tries to convince the preachers daughter that he;'s really a decent chap by joining the police. he then has his hands full trying to clean up the local rough street of it's head honcho.
Bit more of a story in this one but less rapid gags, some good sets. Decent - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellThe Little Tramp escapes from prison; saves a girl and her mother from drowning; and creates havoc at a swank party.Charlie as a prisoner on the run, not much plot but there is as very rapid gag rate which makes this one Chaplin's shorts I found funniest.
- DirectorYakov ProtazanovStarsIvan MozzhukhinNathalie LissenkoPolycarpe PavloffPastor Talnox furiously urges the flock to fight temptations, but he himself becomes a victim of temptation. In his house appears Satan, pushing the hero to theft and spiritual fall.Satan corrupts a devout preacher by pretending to be injured traveller seeking refuge and then hypnotizing him and his family (?) with piano music. Pt2 concerns the son who has grown up to a concert pianist.
This is very good with some strong imagery. would of been 1001 but the endings for both parts are lost this is especially jarring for the second half end. Shame - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellAn alcoholic checks into a health spa and his antics promptly throw the establishment into chaos.the drunken swell checks into a health farm to try get cured of his alcholism by the healing qualities of their natural spring. Second hald with the alcohol in the spring water and the massage / wrestling is quite funny.
- DirectorVictor SjöströmStarsGreta AlmrothNils AréhnJosua BengtsonHelga is a young single lady who has a baby by a much older married man. After the older man tells Helga's father that he refuses to pay child support because he isn't the child's father, her father insists that Helga take him to court. On court day, just as the older married man is about to swear on the Bible that he is not the father of Helga's child, Helga suddenly tells the court that she's dropping the case because although the man did father her child, she doesn't want him to commit perjury, which is not only a serious crime but a mortal sin as well.seastrom film but I lost attention in the middle (partially due to road workers drilling). Didn't seem the most exciting or inovative plot though.
- DirectorFred O'DonovanStarsBrian MagowanFred O'DonovanKathleen MurphyAn absentee landlord's agent frames his rival for burglary.boring, some sort of romance, an evil balliff turfing poor families out of their home, a man set up for a crime, someone goes to america. 4.4/10
- DirectorJess RobbinsStarsOliver HardyStan LaurelFlorence GilbertIn their first screen appearance together, Stan plays a penniless dog lover and Oliver plays a crook who tries to rob him and his new paramour.first short with Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy working together although not yet as their famous double act.
- DirectorHarley KnolesStarsRobert FrazerLeslie StoweHoward TruesdaleSociety melodrama about a wealthy father who purchases an island to prove to his son that communism won't work.Shattered Dreams - A re-edit no mention of bolshevism in the film but lots of socialism, reds. Middle section has some OK critique of socialism ie idealism of the theory vs the realism of humans greedy nature. Later on it gets a bit more comic baddies when the commies take over, although maybe a valid argument as what happened with Stalinism. plot a bit thin but interesting historical currio of US anti-commie propoganda. 7/10
- DirectorRobert Z. LeonardStarsMae MurrayRichard CummingsHarry L. RattenberryA poor hat-check girl loses her job and is forced to get a job as a dancer at a roadhouse. There she falls in love with the son of a rich businessman. The boy's father, believing her to be after the family's money, determines to embarrass her and show his son what she really is.A girl from a working class family loses her waitress job so pretends to be a headline grabbing scandalous dancer to land a job as a cabaret dance club star despite not being able to dance, things get complicated when a rich business man's son and the lover of the actual dancer "Moina" both fall for her.
Light-weight comedy, best thing here is Mae Murray who is quite Chaplinesque, quite fun early on, later with love triangle story a bit duller. Valentino pretty anonymous performance.
Nothing special 6/10 - DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsElliott DexterTom FormanGloria SwansonDr. Edward Meade and friend Richard Burton both love Sylvia Norcross. Both enlist in the military, but Meade stays back to care for deformed children. Sylvia thinks him a coward and marries Burton. After Burton is presumed dead, Meade and Sylvia are to wed, but Burton returns maimed and scarred.A Doctor of children medicine is ready to go off to fight in WWII as a war medic but is persuaded he has more value staying behind to help cure the invalid children. His wife-to-be doesn't take this well and brands him a coward and promises her hand to his friend who is going to fight in the war. She changes her tune after running over an orphan girl and needing a doctor to help mend the girls now crippled legs. She falls back in love with Dr Meade but then war ends and her betrothed returns injured.
OK but nothing special, interesting in social content about soldiers returning to war whose loved ones may have strayed and accusations of cowardice of those who didn't go to fight.
High rating probably, as usual, due to Sunset Boulevard fans voting for Swanson without any context. ETA - I think out of the Swanson / Demille silents I've seen this one at least is a bit more serious and and has some contemporary social conext with it's WWI plot. - DirectorD.W. GriffithStarsConstance TalmadgeTully MarshallAlfred PagetIn the last days of ancient Babylon, a tomboyish mountain girl fights for her king when the city is attacked.(Intolerence edit) - Obviously edited from the youtube available version of intolerance rather than the actual edit shown in 1919. Those sets are beyond amazing as well as topless women dancing, extras getting beheaded, a flame thrower with spiked wheels, bearded men snogging. Intolerance is on 1001 so not this. would love to see a restored version of this so you could see more detail.
- DirectorErnst LubitschStarsPola NegriEmil JanningsHarry LiedtkeThe story of Madame DuBarry, the mistress of Louis XV of France, and her loves in the time of the French revolution.Ernst Lubitsch drama, good print and accompanying score but subs had been done on auto-translate so the plot wasn't as easy to follow as it could have been. Probably a bit too light for 1919 by which time films were turning into a more artistic form as seen in the 1920s. would of been class if 5 years earlier but things had moved on and I expect more from a director in this year. Some nice filming locations at French palaces and the ending crowd guillotine section is quite gripping but i lost interest in the middle (probably due to the dodgy subs though).
- DirectorRichard OswaldStarsAnita BerberConrad VeidtReinhold SchünzelA demon, a reaper, and the ghost of a prostitute read gothic short stories and act them out.Eerie Tales
The characters in 3 paintings on an old bookshop's walls come alive at night and re-enact horror stories from the books in the shop. Early hint of German expressionism in this film of 5 short stories. Like most anthology films some are hit, some are miss (my favs were The Apparition and The Suicide Club) but the fact the same 3 actors played the main roles in each section helped make it feel as if the stories were linked rather than just watching 5 shorts in a row.
Good - possible 1001 - shame last section was rather dull. - DirectorBurton L. KingStarsRobert AlexanderGeorge G. McMurtryCharles W. WhittleseyA battalion of the U. S. Army's 77th Division penetrates deep into the Argonne Forest of France during the First World War. The battalion becomes surrounded and holds out for six long days, awaiting reinforcement and rescue.The war bit doesn't start til the second half of the film, first half is character development of the soldiers that end up forming the "battalion", a spoiled rich kid whose influential relations try to give him an easy ride but he rejects it, an on the run criminal. Battle stuff is quite factual with animations showing troop line advances on a map but the action isn't that spectacular. Not all that memorable.
- DirectorJohn InceStarsAlice LakeFrank CurrierJack MulhallOn a visit to the city of Boston, a village girl is taken advantage of by a man there and returns home feeling sullied and ashamed. A young man who had once sought her hand returns from years away in Europe and reiterates his suit. She returns his love and agrees to marry him, but has difficulty telling him the truth about her misadventure. When she finally does, his response seems to doom the pair to tragedy.An adopted girl from the country goes to city after rejecting a local artist but a man takes advantage of her country girl naivety. She meets the artist again (now rich and successful) and he asks to marry her but should she tell him about what the city based scoundrel did to her? OK but not great, story was easy enough to follow. not worth 7.8 - 6.7/10
- DirectorVictor SjöströmStarsVictor SjöströmHarriet BosseTore SvennbergLill-Ingmar is having a troublesome love life with his bride to be Brita.Seastrom directed & stars. version I saw was 2 hr 13 mins you know the score - European, art house, not much action - film compelling due to great acting and good storyline. Even at the 2hr length this was quite watchable. An arranged marriage to the woman's dismay, the husband forces himself on her and she ends up pregnant, she kills the baby and has a trial. During the trial the man says he would still marry her which makes her change her mind about him & fall in love with him but she is sentenced to 3 three years in prison. 7.4/10 I wonder what was in the other 2 hours of the film that is missing? it seemed complete & the story made perfect sense.
- DirectorGeorge Foster PlattStarsEtna RossEdith LyleRoy StewartThe story of Helen Keller and how she overcame her disabilities.Silent version of the Helen Keller story
Dipping my toe back into the world of silent movies this winter, my quality control might take a few films to recalibrate. Not as good as the famous "The Miracle Worker" it's more of a feel good film rather than a gritty drama about struggling with to overcome a severe disability but what it does have in the last third is Hellen Keller & anne playing themselves or rather its a docudrama with some plot about a childhood friend ending up needing Helens help when her son is blinded while fighting in WWI. Not bad 7.1/10 - DirectorLéonce PerretStarsAdrien PetitMaurice LuguetLouis LeubasA moneylender kidnaps the young son of an rich widow as part of a plot to cheat her of her fortune. The boy is sent away on a fishing boat with the intention of drowning him, but a kindly old fisherman intervenes.Plot - lots of twists, subs autotranslated so a bit hard to follow the finer points, acting the usual 19120 arm gesticulating.
plot = two men set out to swindle a rich Parisian widow of her fortune, one romances her so she marries him (?), the second sets it up so her son is sent to sea where he's paid the captain to drowned the boy at sea, then they'll poison the woman and the split the inherited fortune. Howebvver the conning husband has a bout of councientiosness and drinks the poison himself but the wife arrested fir killing him. Luckily for the boy an old sailor takes pity on him and they escape the ship in a row boat. They get rescued and once home the boy has to save his mother and expose the evil Werb as the mastermind behind the plot.
For 1914 this has aquite a complex and twisty plot buut its still easy to follow even only autotranslated eng subs available. 7.3/10 1001? - DirectorIrvin WillatStarsHarry HoudiniThomas JeffersonAnn ForrestJailed unjustly for a murder he did not commit, a young man uses his amazing powers of escape to free himself and pursue the actual killers, who hold his fiancée captive.Houdini
A news paper owner and 2 accomplices frame the papers star reporter for the murder of a rich miser they all want out of the way for differing reasons. the love plot is between the old man's ward and Houdini (the rich man's nephew).
Only really of note for being Houdini's first film, although the stunts are quite spectacular considering they're before Keaton & Lloyds era. 6.8/10 - DirectorHarry LorraineStarsBernard DudleyMaudie DunhamJimmy Learmonthpretty dull, only worth watching as a Brit WWI related flick. Too blokes arrive back in their voillage as war heroes. Their caoptain teel show they won their VCs. pt 1 a ring odf spies tries to steal some secret documents pt 2 Brit soldiers try to get the documents across enemy lines in WWI Turkey. It gets a bit Cerry On Up The Khyber near the end in facrt they might of nicked it off here. 6.2/10
- DirectorAlbert CapellaniStarsAlla NazimovaMargaret McWadeVirginia RossMahlee, the Eurasian granddaughter of an avaricious Peking woman, is known to the Chinese as "devil feet" because her feet were never bound. Following her grandmother's death, Mahlee falls in love with Andrew Templeton, whose father runs the American mission, and she embraces Protestantism. Mahlee is introduced to Sir Philip Sackville and his daughter, Blanche, whom she discovers are her birth father and half-sister. Andrew falls in love with Blanche and shuns Mahlee because of her Chinese heritage. The dejected Mahlee collaborates with another Eurasian, Sam Wang, in bringing the Boxer Rebellion to Peking. During the Feast of the Red Lantern, Mahlee dresses as a celestial goddess and is paraded through the streets on a litter, blessing the Boxers and encouraging the people to join the rebellion. She then learns that the mission is in danger and warns the occupants, but Sir Philip will not take her with them as they escape. Mahlee has lost the trust of the Boxers, and Wang dies protecting her. After the rebels are defeated by the Western Allies, Mahlee drinks poison and dies.Mahlee and Blanche Sackville are half-sisters, Blanche the daughter of an Englishman and his wife, Mahlee of the Englishman and his Chinese mistress. Mahlee rejects her people and attempts to find a life for herself among the Europeans. But she finds the color line impossible to pass and returns to lead her Chinese people in rebellion.
nICE ORIENTAL LOOKING SETS & COSTUMES BUT THE plot left me a little cold with no real empathy for any of the characters, bit more excoting at the end when the Boxer Rebellion is repressed.
6./10 - DirectorGermaine DulacStarsAndrée BrabantGabriel SignoretJules RaucourtA Parisian museum director believes his wife has lost interest in him and so places a poisoned cigarette in the box on his desk - thus allowing chance to decide the moment of his death.Crisp print but heavily damaged in parts.
A museum curator has a new star arttraction, an egyptian mummy of a woman. He tells the story of how she was married to an older prince but when he found she was having an afffait with a younger man he realized he coulndt compete wwith younger rival due to his older age so committed suicide by poisoning a bun he knew that at some point would end up ihis plate.
The curators life ends up moimicing the story when he suspects his younger wife is having an affair with a young man, he poisins one of his cigarretes and puts it back with a bundle of others knowing at some pont he will smoloke it and die.
Nice, well shot, good acting, liked this from Dulac. 50 mins only. 7.4/10 - DirectorTod BrowningStarsPriscilla DeanWellington A. PlayterLon ChaneyA slum girl is forced to steal for a living. After she swipes a rich society's matron's necklace, she hides out at the home of a man who turns out to be the socialite's former fiance.first tod browning, lon chaney & priscilla dean hook up
a pair of pickpockets, the wo,man tries to go straight after stealing some pearls, during the escape when she meets and falls for a rich man whose just lost all his money. her partner in crime isn't ha[ppy about new love life,
its all very basic, plot too simple and rather twee. 6.6/10