Almost from the moment of its corporate birth, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer saw itself as the classiest of the major Hollywood studios, with the biggest stars, the highest gloss, and the most wholesome entertainment. Unlike competitors, it developed relatively little appetite for the more lurid likes of … [Read more...] about The Unknown
Saxophone Susy
Anny Ondra, the rowdy and radiant star of the German comedy Saxophone Susy, was a celebrated Czech actress now best remembered for two of her British films, made right at the end of the silent era. By starring in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Manxman (1929) and Blackmail (1929), this doe-eyed, … [Read more...] about Saxophone Susy
The Trail of ’98
In Bill Morrison’s dazzling Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016), he records how, by the close of the 1920s, the once-booming gold rush town of Dawson City was a site of erasure—the intrepid ’98ers were long gone and all that remained were a few old-timers, fading into history as a younger generation … [Read more...] about The Trail of ’98
Silent Films Enter the Digital Stream: An Interview with Thomas Christensen
This interview was published in conjunction with the screening of Master of the House at SFSFF 2025 Few things are more frustrating to a silent film fan than hearing about the rediscovery and restoration of a lost film and, barring travel or the hope for a future DVD release, having no way of … [Read more...] about Silent Films Enter the Digital Stream: An Interview with Thomas Christensen
Master of the House
Be careful: just because Master of the House is a hundred years old, often very funny, and capable of being thought “charming,” stay on guard. This is a dangerous film; it might rip apart some assumptions in your own household, and its various forms of domestic tyranny. Just because this festival … [Read more...] about Master of the House
The Honey Trap: Fall Guys, Patsies, and Saps
This feature was published in conjunction with the screening of Song at SFSFF 2025 FOOLS FOR LOVE There’s one born every minute and in 1911’s Across the Mexican Line, Romaine Fielding plays an American Army telegraphist who is seduced by Frances Gibson, a spy for the Mexican forces. She has a … [Read more...] about The Honey Trap: Fall Guys, Patsies, and Saps
Song
Song might be the most underrated film of Anna May Wong’s four-decade career. By the late 1920s, the Chinese American actress had become disillusioned with Hollywood’s myopic vision for her screen career—always the sing-song girl, never the leading lady. Wong had been grasping for a part that would … [Read more...] about Song
Koko!
Koko the Clown films: Jumping Beans (1922); It’s the Cats (1926); KoKo at the Circus (1926); KoKo in 1999 (1927); KoKo’s Kane (1927); KoKo’s Klock (1927); KoKo’s Kink (1928); KoKo’s Earth Control (1928) Max Fleischer’s name is hallowed among animation fans and devotees; after all, he produced the … [Read more...] about Koko!