An Appreciation A film collector since the age of eleven, the British-born Kevin Brownlow is responsible in large part for the revival of silent-film art around the world. Brownlow’s tireless sleuthing has led to the rediscovery of many of Hollywood’s silent-film landmarks, … [Read more...] about Kevin Brownlow: Monumental Man
John Canemaker: The Pied Piper of Animation
This feature was published in conjunction with a special presentation—Winsor McCay: His Life and Art—by John Canemaker at SFSFF 2013 Award-winning animator, historian, and educator John Canemaker was 12 years old when he first heard about Winsor McCay. Watching the Disneyland television program … [Read more...] about John Canemaker: The Pied Piper of Animation
James Wong Howe: Painting With Light
This feature was published in conjunction with the screening of The Spanish Dancer at SFSFF 2012 What do Mantrap (1926) and The Spanish Dancer (1923) have in common with The Thin Man (1934), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Hud (1963), and Funny Lady (1975)? All these … [Read more...] about James Wong Howe: Painting With Light
Irvin Willat’s Bungalow
This feature was published in conjunction with the screening of Behind the Door at SFSFF 2016 When I worked for the American Film Institute in the late 1960s, my wife and I, renting an apartment in West Hollywood, discovered that director Irvin Willat lived right behind us. I had only seen a … [Read more...] about Irvin Willat’s Bungalow
Heroes v. Villians
This feature was published in conjunction with the screening of The Black Pirate at A Day of Silents 2015 A hero is only as good as the villain he or she has to defeat and the silent era was full of dynamic rivalries. Some were so dynamic, in fact, that they called for a rematch. Douglas … [Read more...] about Heroes v. Villians
Here’s to You, Mr. Robinson
A Personal Tribute to the 2016 Silent Film Festival Award Winner David Robinson Back in the 1950s and ’60s, Liam O’Leary was one of the most significant figures in silent film preservation. Not only was he deputy curator at the British Film Institute’s National Film Archive, he was also mentor … [Read more...] about Here’s to You, Mr. Robinson
The Great Cast Contest of 1915
"An Opportunity to Vote for All Your Favorites and Do Them All Justice" With that announcement, the editors of Motion Picture magazine launched a new popularity contest for actors. They asked readers to vote for the best performers in twelve categories, creating a dream cast of the best stars. The … [Read more...] about The Great Cast Contest of 1915
Down to the Sea in Films
This feature was published in conjunction with the screening of L'Homme du Large at SFSFF 2019 The sea has exerted a tidal pull on filmmakers ever since cinema’s beginnings, offering a recognizable—if ever-shifting—thematic shorthand, suggesting, in turn, nature at its most savage and … [Read more...] about Down to the Sea in Films