Author Archives: chipkaufmann

VCI Entertainment in partnership with the Mary Pickford Foundation has released their second collaborative effort. The first was Pickford’s Gothic masterpiece SPARROWS which dates from 1926. JOHANNA ENLISTS  is from 8 years earlier and was made to capitalize on America’s entry into World War I. Pickford was 25 at the time and was already identifiedContinue reading “JOHANNA ENLISTS (1918): OK Mary Pickford Film In A First Class Restoration”

I first encountered FOOLISH WIVES back in 2003 as part of Kino’s Erich von Stroheim Collection of 3 DVDs. The other two were BLIND HUSBANDS / THE GREAT GABBO and QUEEN KELLY. I had heard of WIVES, had read about it, and knew there were a few public domain copies out there but I waited forContinue reading “The FOOLISH WIVES Restoration: Another Triumph For Flicker Alley”

Let me start off by saying that I am a fan of the Danziger brothers. Edward J.and Harry Lee Danziger were born in New York and moved to England in 1952 where they set up shop as B movie producers. After producing a series of successful low budget films at various studios, they opened theirContinue reading “RICHARD THE LIONHEART (1962): Not As Good As Other Historical TV Shows Of Its Era”

I first encountered GHOST STORY on VHS in the late 1980s where it had been retitled in America as MADHOUSE MANSION to avoid confusion with the better known 1981 Fred Astaire GHOST STORY. Although the print wasn’t great, I was immediately attracted to the story of three 1920s British school chums who get together forContinue reading “GHOST STORY (1974) Is Exactly What It Says It Is”

It would appear that the 2000 Image DVD and the Amazon streams of these two titles are currently not available which is unfortunate as both movies have more to offer than simply Louise Brooks and Clara Bow. Both films are middle-of-the-road Paramount releases from the mid-1920s and are great examples of the type of everydayContinue reading “Inspired Double Feature Has More To Offer Than Louise Brooks & Clara Bow”

When I pre-ordered this Blu-Ray back in September 2021, I was looking forward to it as THE SHEIK is a landmark silent movie and Rudolph Valentino’s signature role. I have had a copy of THE SHEIK since 1988 when Paramount first issued it on VHS. 35 years later that version remains the best one asContinue reading “PARAMOUNT PRESENTS: THE SHEIK – 100th Anniversary Edition”

Bette Davis is on record as saying that this is one movie that she really hated making. In fact she had to be financially coerced into doing it which is probably why she disliked it so much. That combined with the many 1941 MALTESE FALCON lovers who don’t have a sense of humor are theContinue reading “SATAN MET A LADY (1936): Not As Bad As Its Reputation Provided You Have A Sense Of Humor”

If ever there was a cinematic labor of love, then George Hoellering’s 1951 adaptation of T.S. Eliot’s verse drama MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL is it. Shot in black and white on a limited budget and using mostly amateur performers, MURDER is nonetheless a very powerful film. That power comes from the simple settings, the strikingContinue reading “T. S. Eliot’s MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL (1952): Beautifully Done But Of Limited Appeal”

This love letter to several major classical music artists of the mid 20th century came from Edgar G. Ulmer, a director who specialized in working on low budget movies. He was known in Hollywood as “the King of PRC”. Producers Releasing Corporation was a Poverty Row studio that was considered Tinsel Town’s bottom rung. MostContinue reading “CARNEGIE HALL (1947): The Experience Of A Lifetime For Classical Music Lovers”

Some three decades later (I’ll split the difference as BSD dates from 1992 while MSF is 1994), both of these Francis Ford Coppola produced movies (he also directed BSD) and make for an interesting double feature that really should be viewed back-to-back. Both were successful at the box office (DRACULA more so than FRANKENSTEIN) andContinue reading “BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA / MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN: 30 Years Later”