Poland had regained its statehood following the end of the First World War and set about rebuilding itself politically and economically, as well as culturally. The reborn nation’s film industry was part of its renewal. In his 2002 book, Polish Cinema: A History, Marek Haltof notes that Poland’s … [Read more...] about The White Trail
High Treason
A band of evil arms-dealers plot to blow up the Channel Tunnel and bomb tall buildings in New York, driving two great superpowers to the brink of war. Will London’s Peace League be able to save the world? High Treason is set in the London of the future. The city’s skyline, in high Art Deco … [Read more...] about High Treason
Miss Lulu Bett
Four versions of Miss Lulu Bett—novel, play, revised play, and film—bounced out between 1920 and 1921 in such rapid succession they practically collided. Zona Gale’s book earned a rave in the New York Times in March of 1920, the theatrical adaptation (again by Gale) won a Pulitzer the following … [Read more...] about Miss Lulu Bett
Sensation im Wintergarten
German films of the Weimar era often feature individuals struggling to escape either circumstance and convention, with their fate—especially their happiness hanging in the balance. It was the tenor of the times. Sensation im Wintergarten (released as Their Son in the U.K.) is one such film. Its … [Read more...] about Sensation im Wintergarten
The Clown
THE CLOWN was preceded by Asta Nielsen’s debut film THE ABYSS (Afgrunden, 1910, directed by Urban Gad and costarring Paul Reumert, 38 min.) also from the Danish Film Institute. On March 16, 1917, the world was stunned by news of the sudden, unexplained death of the Danish actor Valdemar … [Read more...] about The Clown
Amazing Tales from the Archives 2026
Our Amazing Tales program began in 2006 as a way to highlight the importance of film preservation and to provide insight into the remarkable work done by film archives around the world. This year’s presenters include Kyle Westphal, Thomas Christensen, Andreas Thein, and Carlo Chatrian. The Case … [Read more...] about Amazing Tales from the Archives 2026
Queen Kelly
Where do you begin with an epic such as Queen Kelly? Let us try starting at the end. In January 1929, after three months of filming with barely a break, the film’s star and producer Gloria Swanson walked off set to make a phone call to her lover and fellow producer Joseph P. Kennedy. “Our director … [Read more...] about Queen Kelly
Go West
Go West is unique in Buster Keaton’s work, not only because of his most unusual “heroine,” a comely Jersey cow named Brown Eyes. It also is the only film in which “The Great Stoneface” combined comedy and pathos in a manner similar to Chaplin’s trademark approach in films such as The Gold Rush … [Read more...] about Go West