George Clooney plays a ’50s film star who’s kidnapped in the new movie Hail, Caesar!, but in 1925 crooks plotted to abduct silent screen heroine Mary Pickford and hold her for ransom. Guest writer Patrick Downey shares the remarkable true-crime story.
Read more →Silent Movies
Three Ages (1923): Buster Keaton as Time-Hopping Romeo
The quest for love in the Stone Age, Ancient Rome and modern times was the theme of Buster Keaton’s comedy Three Ages. For the Second Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon, we travel back to 1923 and review Buster’s first feature as director/star.
Read more →Tarzan of the Apes (1918): Watch Out for That Tree!
The legendary lord of the jungle first swung onto movie screens 97 years ago in Tarzan of the Apes, with Elmo Lincoln in the title role. Guest writer Fritzi Kramer goes out on a limb–er, vine–to review the 1918 silent adventure saga.
Read more →Olive Thomas Spreads Her Wings as The Flapper (1920)
An adventure-seeking schoolgirl gets more than she bargained for when she becomes involved with an older man and some jewel thieves in The Flapper. For the Anti-Damsel Blogathon, we review this 1920 comedy starring silent film beauty Olive Thomas.
Read more →Tragic Star: Beautiful Olive Borden
Her beauty and on-screen innocence earned silent film actress Olive Borden the nickname “The Joy Girl,” but her private life was anything but a happy experience. Guest writer Marsha Collock looks back at Borden’s all-too-brief career.
Read more →The Phantom of the Opera (1925): Lon Chaney Triumphant
One of silent cinema’s greatest–and strangest–love stories was Universal’s The Phantom of the Opera, with Lon Chaney in perhaps his most famous role. Guest writer Fritzi Kramer rips the mask off the 1925 thriller’s behind-the-scenes secrets and travails.
Read more →The Hope Diamond Mystery: A Classic Cinema Cliffhanger
It’s one of the most valuable–and “cursed”–gems in history, and in 1921 it was the subject of a thrill-packed silent serial. Learn about the rediscovery and restoration of The Hope Diamond Mystery, now available on home video.
Read more →J’Accuse (1919/1938): Abel Gance’s Haunting Anti-War Fables
As part of the World War One in Classic Film Blogathon, MovieFanFare compares French director Abel Gance’s two versions of his anti-war fantasy J’Accuse: a silent version shot during the conflict’s final moments, the remake made with Europe on the brink of World War II.
Read more →Sherlock Holmes (1922): The Great Profile’s Great Detective
Based on a popular stage play, the 1922 whodunit Sherlock Holmes featured screen heartthrob John Barrymore in the title role. Guest writer Fritzi Kramer offers her take on the Great Profile’s turn as Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective.
Read more →Hooray for Hollywood: Souls for Sale
In today’s guest post, Marsha Collock examines the 1923 Hollywood tale Souls for Sale. Read on to learn about how it portrays life in early Tinseltown!
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