What happens when two of silent cinema’s biggest names–actress Gloria Swanson and director Erich Von Stroheim–collaborate on a lavish and decadent costume epic? Guest writer Marsha Collock details the on- and off-screen drama that marked 1929’s Queen Kelly.
Read more →Silent Movies
The Trail of the Octopus (1919): Chills and Thrills from Yesteryear
Long thought lost, The Trail of the Octopus is a 15-chapter silent serial released in 1919. Hard to believe but even back then, every episode was packed with thrills and chills. Early Hollywood knew how to deliver a good mystery.
Read more →Pola Negri and Rudolph Valentino: Birds of Paradise in Love
Pola Negri and Rudolph Valentino, two of the most famous and glamorous movie stars of the silent era, had a secret romance…or did they? Guest writer Marsha Collock examines the details behind the duo’s clandestine relationship.
Read more →Who’s Your Favorite Silent Film Star?
John Gilbert: The Artist
John Gilbert was a silent screen star whose specialty was hot-house, throbbing romance. He was a great star in the 1920s who, with the advent of sound, crashed and burned and sunk steadily into despair and ruin. Sound familiar? If…
Read more →The Artist Wins Best Picture: Your Thoughts
Movie Fans, Your thoughts on the first time in 83 years that a silent film has won the Best Picture Oscar. Add The Artist to your DVD movie collection, pre-order today.
Read more →Safety Last (1923): Silent Movie Review
Guest blogger Chris Edwards writes: Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman, once said there was a “little bit of Harold Lloyd” in his character’s alter-ego, Clark Kent. I can see it. Like Kent, Lloyd’s characters tend to be earnest go-getters; inept…
Read more →It (1927) Starring Clara Bow Movie Review
It (1927) Movie Review It is a true silent film classic, and in this article guest blogger Venus presents an overview of some of the reviews that the picture received during its original theatrical exhibition : As everyone who reads my blog…
Read more →Women Behind the Camera: Silent Cinema
From the days of silent film, there were women directing the action from behind the camera, but their early contributions to the industry have been ignored or otherwise unheralded, in large part, over the ensuing years. Quite a few female…
Read more →Battleship Potemkin (1925): Guest Review
Guest writer Chris Edwards presents a look at a groundbreaking film classic, Battleship Potemkin: “Part One: The Men and the Maggots.” The words are rendered in tall, heavy text. White against black. Spartan, unflinching. Unluxurious, unadorned. Simple, functional. Communist. Scene…
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