Essay

William Desmond Taylor is remembered today more for his unsolved murder in 1922, and the sordid revelations about his private life that followed, than for his once admired film career. So it might come as a surprise to many that this Irish-born director made three well-received films about Mark … [Read more...] about Huckleberry Finn

Soviet filmmaker Boris Barnet made his entrance into motion pictures via the boxing ring, with an improbable set of skills that ultimately proved necessary. It took a lot of rolling with the punches to maintain and sustain a career that began in the post-revolutionary period all the way through the … [Read more...] about The House on Trubnaya Square

The last silent film to feature Arthur Conan Doyle’s eminent detective has been less a legend than a rumor among cinephiles and Sherlockians. The Hound of the Baskervilles (Der Hund von Baskerville), a seven-reel film with a long German pedigree that even included a movie written while the country … [Read more...] about The Hound of the Baskervilles

Contemporary critics had a hard time describing the appeal of the on-surface simple, yet daringly radical domestic drama, The Home Maker. “A simple little tale” (Evening Journal); “Just a human story … but it’s one of the most gripping things seen on Broadway” (Evening World); “It hasn’t a villain … [Read more...] about The Home Maker

“I was the spark that lit up Flaming Youth, and Colleen Moore was the torch.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald Charming, vivacious and talented, Colleen Moore was one of the most popular stars of the 1920s. She was a true original, yet other stars, better known today, are credited with her innovations. … [Read more...] about Her Wild Oat

July 1, 2002, marks the 100th birthday of William Wyler (1902–1981), whom Bette Davis called her greatest director: “It was he who helped me realize my full potential as an actress.” Laurence Olivier claimed that Wyler taught him the art of screen acting and, more than anyone, persuaded him that … [Read more...] about Hell’s Heroes

When Hell Bent, starring Harry Carey as Cheyenne Harry, was released in 1918 it was among eighty-seven western features made that year, a high point in the first decade of feature-length films. In that crowded field were William S. Hart, who made nine westerns for his own production company, and Tom … [Read more...] about Hell Bent

Seeking a change of pace from his already successful career as a Swedish director and actor, Victor Sjöström arrived in New York in January 1923 at the invitation of Goldwyn Pictures. Sjöström’s intention was to study American production methods and to involve himself in a film or two. The Swede … [Read more...] about He Who Gets Slapped