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In his book THE PARADE’S GONE BY Kevin Brownlow mentions THE CHESS PLAYER and other films by Raymond Bernard as being among the treasures of late silent cinema so it’s no surprise that his Photoplay Productions was responsible for this magnificent restoration. What is surprising is that the restoration was done in 1990 and isContinue reading “THE CHESS PLAYER: A Magnificent Restoration Of A Long Lost Silent Epic”

f proof were ever needed that silent films were an art form unto themselves as opposed to just a primitive warm up to the talkies then Alla Nazimova’s SALOME’ is it. Even 80 years after its initial release SALOME’ remains art with a capital A. This is not necessarily a good thing as works thatContinue reading “SALOME / LOT IN SODOM Make For A Truly Bizarre Double Bill”

Billed as “one of the best films you’ve never heard of”, CAPTAIN FRACASSE gives us the rare opportunity of viewing a late silent film from outside America. This 1929 French swashbuckler is based on a well known French novel by Theophile Gautier and was directed by the Brazilian born director Alberto Cavalcanti. He is bestContinue reading “CAPTAIN FRACASSE: Stylish French Silent Film Restored.”

I have seen the VHS version of this which is exactly the same as the DVD. It is worth it alone for THE COOK which I feel may be Arbuckle’s masterpiece. All of his best comic bits including his incredible acrobatic ability with objects (throwing knives, flipping pancakes behind his back) are on full displayContinue reading “THE COOK May Be Arbuckle’s Masterpiece”

THE MATINEE IDOL is a minor Frank Capra comedy made shortly after he came to Columbia in 1928. While certainly not top drawer it already deals with many themes which Capra would expand on as his career progressed. Comic bits, sentiment, and the determination of “the little guy” to succeed are well blended in thisContinue reading “THE MATINEE IDOL (1928): Early Frank Capra Plus A Great Documentary”

BACK TO GOD’S COUNTRY (1919) was one of the major successes of Canadian film pioneer Nell Shipman. It has the distinction of being the oldest surviving Canadian feature film and was also the subject of a great deal of controversy because of Shipman’s nude outdoor bathing scene at the beginning. Based on a then wellContinue reading “BACK TO GOD’S COUNTRY/SOMETHING NEW: This Double Feature Is Of More Than Passing Interest”

I have always been attracted to the story of CYRANO DE BERGERAC. I first encountered it as a CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED comic book back in the early 1960s. Shortly after that I saw the famous 1950 film version with Jose Ferrrer which appeared many times on TV when I was growing up. Once I got toContinue reading “CYRANO (1925): French Silent Version Holds Its Own”