A Selection of Enchanting Short Silent Films In Fond Memory of Film Preservationist David Shepard (1940–2017) The San Francisco Silent Film Festival owes an enormous debt of gratitude to film collector and preservationist extraordinaire David Shepard, a valued member of the festival advisory … [Read more...] about Magic and Mirth
The Lost World
Sherlock Holmes made his first print appearance in 1887 and quickly became a widespread sensation. Unlike the public, British writer Arthur Conan Doyle grew quickly sick of him and tried to abandon him for other literary endeavors, creating another character with an enduring impact, though he’s … [Read more...] about The Lost World
The Last Man on Earth
When looking back on the silent films released by Fox Film Corporation, we tend to gravitate toward the early efforts of directors who went on to long and prominent careers: John Ford (The Iron Horse, Four Sons), Frank Borzage (7th Heaven, Street Angel), Howard Hawks (Fazil, A Girl in Every Port), … [Read more...] about The Last Man on Earth
Lady Windermere’s Fan
In June of 1925 Motion Picture World announced “‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’ Is Lubitsch’s New Warner Film.” Industry insiders must have marveled at the news that Rin Tin Tin, Warners’ profitable pup, would soon be sharing space with the dead, gay, Irish playwright whose 1892 hit play was known for … [Read more...] about Lady Windermere’s Fan
The Informer
“This wasn’t Irish stew—it was bouillabaisse mixed with ghoulash.” Many decades after the release of Dublin-set thriller The Informer, a member of the stunt team reflected on the multicultural makeup of this ostensibly British-made film. “Here they were, making a purely Irish story with a German … [Read more...] about The Informer
Get Your Man
Preceded by surviving fragments of Paramount’s 1927 comedy Now We're in the Air, restored by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. How lucky are we to get to see the newly restored 1927 comedy Get Your Man? Starring the utterly delicious Clara Bow paired with the handsome Charles “Buddy” Rogers … [Read more...] about Get Your Man
The Freshman
There are many great silent comedies worthy of a festival’s opening night, but Harold Lloyd’s The Freshman isn’t just funny, it’s foolproof. We all love to root for an underdog, and in this masterfully constructed feature Lloyd builds story and character hand-in-hand to a climax that has us cheering … [Read more...] about The Freshman
Filibus
“No other crime thriller compares to Filibus!” trumpeted a double-page ad in the April 1915 edition of Italian film magazine La Vita Cinematografica. For once, studio PR was no exaggeration. Filibus, which follows the exploits of a futuristic female super-villain who pounces on her prey from a … [Read more...] about Filibus