Harold Lloyd’s everyman persona, replete with his too-tight suit and thick-rimmed glasses, made him one of the silent era’s most famous and beloved characters. But what is less well known is that Lloyd was also one of Hollywood’s most astute businessmen. Long before he landed in movies, his early … [Read more...] about For Heaven’s Sake
The Big Parade
In 1924, three companies merged to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The new studio’s first original production was He Who Gets Slapped (1924), starring Lon Chancy and two actors who soon became bright MGM stars: John Gilbert and Norma Shearer. That same year, director King Vidor made two films for MGM … [Read more...] about The Big Parade
Beyond the Rocks
In 1922, Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino were two of the biggest movie stars in the world. Both were under contract to Paramount, and their first film together was highly anticipated, especially since it was to be based on a novel by the reigning queen of romance novelists, Elinor Glyn. Beyond … [Read more...] about Beyond the Rocks
Animation Rarities, 1917-1928
A MODERN MOTHER GOOSE (Issue #1 of Fleischer Fun Shop series, 1924) KOKO PACKS UP (Directed by Dave Fleischer; Out of the Inkwell Films, 1925) KOKO’S EARTH CONTROL (Directed by Dave Fleischer, Inkwell Studios, 1928) Max Fleischer was a New York cartoonist whose interest in mechanics led to … [Read more...] about Animation Rarities, 1917-1928