In the latter half of the 19th century, “the woman question”—debate on the rights and roles of “the fair sex”—went from being a rather rarefied topic to a more mainstream one, boosted by the Industrial Revolution greatly increasing women’s presence in a wage-earning workplace. That discussion … [Read more...] about Bed and Sofa
Janko the Musician
Pre-World War II Polish cinema remains a largely unknown quantity for two reasons: the cruelty of history and the blinkered viewpoint of much 20th century film scholarship. Poland’s tragic decimation during World War II resulted in the loss of most of her cinema output—ninety-five percent of all … [Read more...] about Janko the Musician
The Humming Bird
Making one movie as a way of auditioning for a coveted role in another movie seems like an expensive and troublesome way to go about it, but Gloria Swanson was a hard woman to discourage. And in 1924, the part that Swanson wanted was, believe it or not, Peter Pan. Her studio, Paramount, formerly … [Read more...] about The Humming Bird
Laurel and Hardy: Their Silent Best
THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY Directed by Clyde Bruckman, USA, 1927 Cast Noah Young, Charlie Hall, Budd Fine, Eugene Pallette, and Anita Garvin Source: FPA Classics THE FINISHING TOUCH Directed by Clyde Bruckman, USA, 1928 Cast: Edgar Kennedy, Dorothy Coburn, and Sam Lufkin Source: FPA … [Read more...] about Laurel and Hardy: Their Silent Best
Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
Nearly a hundred years ago, F.W. Murnau, cinema’s great fatalist, and Robert Flaherty, cinema’s great naturalist, left for the South Seas to make a movie. The impetus came from their mutual disaffection with Hollywood, and a legend that Flaherty had heard during his stint unsuccessfully working on … [Read more...] about Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
The Caveman
Screwball comedy delighted in frolicking in those effervescing spaces that supposedly exist between the classes: William Powell’s “forgotten man” discovered by bored rich girl Carole Lombard; Jean Arthur’s simple secretary dropped upon by a sable coat; Gary Cooper’s Mr. Deeds learning that high … [Read more...] about The Caveman
Japanese Paper Film Project
“Film” has been synonymous with “cinema” since W.K.L. Dickson used George Eastman’s Kodak Transparent Film to make pictures move on the Edison Kinetoscope in 1895. A roll of photosensitive emulsion coated on a flexible base of nitrate cellulose, Kodak Transparent Film had been introduced for still … [Read more...] about Japanese Paper Film Project
Hula
In 1927, Paramount Pictures reteamed Clara Bow, who had just been dubbed Hollywood’s first “It Girl,” with Paramount’s “just doesn’t miss” director, Victor Fleming, in Hula, the follow-up to their smash sex comedy Mantrap (1926). The duo managed to brew the same erotic white lightning they had … [Read more...] about Hula