Set in a remote Isle of Man fishing community (but shot in Cornwall), The Manxman is Alfred Hitchcock’s penultimate silent film and one of the best and most mature works of his early career. The film was adapted from the bestselling novel by Sir Hall Caine, published in 1894, which had sold half a … [Read more...] about The Manxman
The Magic of the Magic Carpet
This feature was published in conjunction with the screening of The Thief of Bagdad at Silent Winter 2013 Among the wonders of The Thief of Bagdad are the mechanical and special effects created by Hampton Del Ruth and Coy Watson, under the supervision of the film’s technical director, Robert … [Read more...] about The Magic of the Magic Carpet
Low Comedy As a High Art
This historical reprint was published in conjunction with the screening of Kings of (Silent) Comedy at Silent Winter 2013 "THAT'S the one thing that I dread,” Buster told me sadly. “I dread the day when we won’t find another new wheeze to wrap up, when all the gags will have been sprung, when … [Read more...] about Low Comedy As a High Art
The Lodger
“The Lodger was the first true ‘Hitchcock’ movie.” —Alfred Hitchcock The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog was Hitchcock’s first thriller, and his first critical and commercial success. Made shortly after Hitchcock’s return from Germany, the film betrays the influence of the German expressionist … [Read more...] about The Lodger
Legong: Dance of the Virgins
Legong: Dance of the Virgins was shot on location in the village of Ubud in Bali, Indonesia, between May and August 1933, and featured an all-Balinese cast. Directed by Henry de la Falaise, whose full name was Henri Marquis Le Bailly de la Falaise de la Coudraye, Legong was one of two films produced … [Read more...] about Legong: Dance of the Virgins
The Last Edition
Emory Johnson entered the film business strictly by chance exactly 100 years ago. While a sophomore studying architecture at the University of California in Berkeley, he took a drive through Niles Canyon and came upon a curious sight: a gang of cowboys on horseback firing their guns at a stagecoach. … [Read more...] about The Last Edition
Kings of (Silent) Comedy
FELIX GOES WEST Directed by Otto Messmer, USA, 1924 With a few exceptions—notably Winsor McCay’s 1914 Gertie the Dinosaur—early film animation made little impact until 1919. That’s when producer Pat Sullivan’s Feline Follies, starring the rowdy cat Master Tom, captured the public’s attention. A … [Read more...] about Kings of (Silent) Comedy
The Joyless Street
Melchior Street is a microcosm of Vienna just after World War I. Inflation is rampant, poverty and vice are widespread, and the division between rich and poor is vast. Outside a butcher shop, the poor and hungry wait in line, ready to barter whatever it takes to buy a scrap of meat. Among them are … [Read more...] about The Joyless Street