Gabriel-Maximilien Leuvielle, better known as Max Linder, began his movie career in 1905. Working for France’s Pathé-Frères until 1914, he made more than 400 films, quickly becoming the studio’s major star, portraying a French dandy, always elegant and usually desperately in trouble while trying to … [Read more...] about Seven Years Bad Luck
Serge Bromberg’s Treasure Trove
World-famous preservationist and entertainer Serge Bromberg has long been a collector of celluloid images and has regularly organized cine-shows he calls Retour de Flamme where he presents rare and often unique footage. With the recent discovery of Buster Keaton’s THE BLACKSMITH as a cornerstone for … [Read more...] about Serge Bromberg’s Treasure Trove
Serge Bromberg Presents…
A Collection of Short Films Today when we go to the movies, we can sink into multiplex recliners and absorb the show without acknowledging or interacting with another human being. More than a hundred years ago, early cinema offered an alternative experience, with active audience engagement … [Read more...] about Serge Bromberg Presents…
The Scriptwriter and the Moviemaker
This feature was published in conjunction with the screening of Destiny at SFSFF 2016 Thea von Harbou Writes Fritz Lang 1920 Das wandernde Bild (The Wandering Shadow) 1921 Vier um die Frau (Four Around the Woman), a.k.a. Kämpfende Herzen 1921 Der müde Tod (Destiny) 1922 Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler … [Read more...] about The Scriptwriter and the Moviemaker
The Scarlet Letter
When MGM signed Lillian Gish to a contract in 1925, it was a coup for both the studio and the star. MGM had been formed the previous year and needed an actress of Gish’s stature to help bring money through the gates. The studio gave Gish the creative control she wanted, plus $800,000 a year, whether … [Read more...] about The Scarlet Letter
Sangue Mineiro
By the time Brazilian director Humberto Mauro began making films in the mid-I 920s, the early heyday of Brazil's golden age of cinema had already faded into oblivion. The Bela Época of Brazilian Cinema began in 1908 with the true crime dramas of Antônio Leal — his film Os Estranguladores (The … [Read more...] about Sangue Mineiro
San Francisco, 1906
The same Miles Brothers who shot A Trip Down Market Street just four days before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake also took their camera on another trip down the city’s main artery to survey the ruins. This nine-minute segment, recently recovered at a California flea market, was identified by David … [Read more...] about San Francisco, 1906
Salmons Talks!
At the end of the 20th century, Melissa Chittick and Stephen Salmons had a dream to share their love of silent cinema with fellow San Franciscans and they founded the Silent Film Festival. Fifteen years later, the reality of their amazing creation has outstripped their wildest dreams. Today, the … [Read more...] about Salmons Talks!