The Unholy Three is the third film by Tod Browning starring Lon Chaney, as well as their first together at MGM and the start of their collaboration as purveyors of the tragic and the bizarre. The two could not have been more different. Chaney was a model of American “bootstraps” discipline—hard work … [Read more...] about The Unholy Three
Sparrows
Sparrows is equal parts Gothic thriller and sentimental melodrama. Set in a swamp in the Deep South, it’s the story of a “baby farm” whose evil head keeps the children in squalor; spunky Mary protects and ultimately saves the children from his evil clutches. The set for the farm was built on four … [Read more...] about Sparrows
Silly Symphonies, 1929–1935
The Skeleton Dance (directed by Walt Disney, 1929), Hell’s Bells (directed by Ub Iwerks, 1929), Night (directed by Walt Disney, 1930), The China Plate (directed by Wilfred Jackson, 1931), Egyptian Melodies (directed by Wilfred Jackson, 1931), The Ugly Duckling (directed by Wilfred Jackson, … [Read more...] about Silly Symphonies, 1929–1935
Show People
Marion Davies and William Haines were two of the most popular stars of the late 1920s, and Show People, directed by King Vidor and loosely based on the life of Gloria Swanson, spotlights both stars at their creative peak. Yet unknown to their fans, both lived “alternative lifestyles” in a time when … [Read more...] about Show People
Seventh Heaven
You can read the program essay for our 2018 screening of Seventh Heaven here Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell were one of the great romantic teams in movie history. Their first film together, Seventh Heaven, is the transcendent film romance of the silent era, and is also the first of three films … [Read more...] about Seventh Heaven
Pandora’s Box
You can read the program essay for our 2012 screening of Pandora's Box here By mid-October 1928, when production began on Pandora's Box in Berlin, the art of silent cinema was at its zenith. That year alone, U.S. audiences had already been treated to Buster Keaton in Steamboat Bill, Jr., Frank … [Read more...] about Pandora’s Box
Laurel and Hardy – Three Shorts
THE FINISHING TOUCH Cast Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Edgar Kennedy (Policeman), Dorothy Coburn (Nurse), Sam Lufkin (House owner) Production Hal Roach Studios, 1928 Director Clyde A. Bruckman Producer Hal Roach Titles H. M. Walker Photography George Stevens Supervisor Leo McCarey Editor Richard … [Read more...] about Laurel and Hardy – Three Shorts
The Girl with the Hatbox
Today, Russian cinema of the 1920s is best remembered for its epic and revolutionary themes, socialist propaganda, and avant-garde experimentation. Boris Barnet’s The Girl with the Hatbox, however, is a charming example of the era’s popular entertainment. The film is a lighthearted romantic comedy … [Read more...] about The Girl with the Hatbox