A Silent Death
On the morning of February 2, 1922, the body of silent film director William Desmond Taylor was discovered at his home. The director had been killed by a shot in the back. In his pockets was his wallet with 78 dollars, a silver cigarette case and an ivory toothpick. A 2 caret diamond ring was [...]
Sophie Tucker – Last of the Red Hot Mommas
Sophie Tucker, billed later in her career as the Last of the Red Hot Mommas, was born Sophie Kalish in Russia as her parents were immigrating to the United States on January 13, 1884. Her father decided to adopt the name Abuza in America. One could say she was destined to become an entertainer. While [...]
The Silent Cowboy
Tom Mix became film’s first Western Movie star. He wasn’t born in the west, but in the east. He was born on January 6, 1880 in Mix Run, Pennsylvania. His birth name was Thomas Hezekiah Mix, but when he enlisted in the army during the Spanish-American War he entered as Thomas E. Mix. The E [...]
Remembering Topsy the Elephant
At the turn of the 20th Century all kinds of attractions were to be found at Coney Island in New York. One of those attractions were elephants and Topsy was a three-ton tusker who was one of those attractions. She also had been use to build some of the attractions due to her great strength. [...]
Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’
A Christmas Carol by English novelist Charles Dickens was first published on December 19, 1843. It had illustrations by John Leech. The story is divided into Staves and not chapters. A stave, which is similar to a stanza, is found in music as a recurring pattern of meter and rhyme. Dickens felt this added humor [...]
Santa Claus in The Movies
Silent Santa’: SANTA CLAUS AND THE CHILDREN (1898) SANTA CLAUS (1899) SANTA CLAUS FILLING STOCKINGS (1897) SANTA CLAUS’ VISIT (1900) WAITING FOR SANTA CLAUS (1901) AN UNEXPECTED SANTA CLAUS (1908) A TRAP FOR SANTA CLAUS (1909) THE ADVENTURE OF THE WRONG SANTA CLAUS (1914) SANTA CLAUS VS. CUPID (1915) THE DETECTIVE’S SANTA CLAUS (1924) SANTA [...]
Favorite Christmas Movies
A Christmas Carol When it comes to Christmas Movies, it really begins and ends with A Christmas Carol. There has been many versions and retelling of the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens. Tops on my list is either the 1938 version starring Reginald Owens or 1951′s with Alastair Sim. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation The Griswold [...]
The Great Stone Face
During the 1920′s Buster Keaton was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, comic actor-directors of the end of the Silent Film Era. Roger Ebert has even called him the “greatest actor-director in the history of the movies”. Keaton’s films during this decade, such as The General or The Navigator, Steamboat Bill, Jr. or [...]
Died Before Their Time
Rudolph Valentino was one of the most popular stars of Silent Films in the 1920′s. When he died at the age of 31 in 1926, it is estimated that 100,000 people attended his funeral in New York. His image as the Latin Lover has lasted for decades. When Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean [...]
Stars Wars
Episode I: The Phantom Menace This is the beginning of the story, but the 4th of the movies produced. It tells the story of the discovery of Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One and foresees the beginning of the end of the old Republic and the Jedi Order. Wisdom quote: Yoda: “Fear leads to anger; anger [...]
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