LA CBS reported on Grand View's one day opening

Los Angeles local CBS news did run a news report on Grand View this evening, showing the one day opening today at the cemetery in Glendale.

Here is an updated link of reports, including cbs2 and Fox 11 News Los Angeles video reports of the opening.

• Video - Glendale Cemetery Reopens After 9 Months - CBS LA

• Video - Fox 11 News - Legally Troubled Cemetery in Glendale Ordered to Re-Open
(Fox video has a very short aerial view of the cemetery.)

• LA ABC News: March 31th - report

• Glendale News - Grand View cemetery opens for a few hours
"The goal is to have Grand View open every month for visitation, said Paul Ayers, the attorney who represents the families involved in a pending class-action lawsuit against the cemetery. “Ultimately, we’d like to get it up to at least two times a month,” Ayers said."- Glendale News

• Daily News - Los Angeles - Loved ones get chance to clean graves at Grand View
"Carrying armfuls of fresh flowers to brighten up their loved ones' weathered tombstones, visitors also dragged in rakes, shovels, paper towels and pruning tools to clean up the mess that grew in the nine months since they were last permitted inside."- Sue Doyle, Daily News

• Daily News - Andy Holzman Slide show of Grand View Memorial Park Visitation

Also, I received an email from Lisa Burks this evening, who has been doing detailed reports on Grand View, as well. She reported to me the mausoleum was opened for the first time since 2006. This was not widely known in advance, but a very nice surprise for visitors. Lisa said:

"It looks like there will be more regular visitations in the near future and they plan to have the mausoleum available too. I stopped by Edna and she was still decorated with the red silk rose and photo. I dusted her off and said hello from you and all her fans." - Lisa Burks














Here is a link to Lisa's photo of 'Edna' and her pictures taken today at Grand View.

The photo of Edna was actually left there by Edna fan, Mark McKenzie, in July 2004 (link). Lisa also has more reports here at Grand View Memorial Park Info.

I will post more reports when they come.
(Photo: Lisa Burks, taken Mar. 30, 2008)


Update: April 11, 2008 - Grand View may open again in late May
"Less than two weeks after hundreds of mourners were granted access to Grand View Memorial Park for the first time in 10 months, stakeholders in the troubled cemetery are planning another opening in late May." - Glendale News

Update May 21, 2008 - Grand View will be open for four hours (12-4PM) on Sunday, May 25th. See latest Grand View post.

Update June 10, 2008 - Grand View is trying to have a June 29, 2008 one day opening.

Attention POD booksellers with Amazon

If you use Amazon, this concerns anyone who creates or buys limited run books on any subject matter, whether with a traditional publisher or self-published.

I know writers who have already, or planning to have books created by POD (Print on Demand). It is actually a cost savings for many publishers these days, who can create a small run book that otherwise would cost too much to produce. There are many of these printers available, who offer their books to sell through Amazon. But that appears to be changing right now, as Amazon would rather make the whole pie, instead of having a slice.

There is a 'buzz' in the Print on Demand world about how Amazon's owned BookSurge has been 'quietly' trying to get writers with POD books (printed by other companies) and currently selling on Amazon, to sign up with Amazon's BookSurge instead, or see their 'buy now' button "turned off" their Amazon book page.

The following are links and comments of the latest reports.

June 3, 2008 - Guardian UK - Amazon kindles hope after e-readers interest explodes (note: The Kindle is a US product, that the article mentions Amazon has no plans of starting in other countries, at this time.)

May 19, 2008 - Amazon is being sued by BookLocker - The Complaint

April 8, 2008 - Washington State Attorney General Statement
more>

April 7, 2008 - YouWriteOn.com in the UK has called for a boycott of Amazon - post by Graeme Neill in The Book Sellers.

"This will inevitably lead to less choice, less opportunities, and less royalties for p.o.d. writers," said Edward Smith, manager of YouWriteOn.Com. "It is also a red flag to the publishing industry in terms of how Amazon may use their influence on books from mainstream commercial publishing houses in the future." - from Edward Smith, YouWriteOn, posted by Graeme Neill, The Book Sellers
__________________________

April 3, 2008 - Amazon threatening UK publishers for offering discounts on their books.
From Publishing News: Amazon threat on direct selling
Plus: UK fears over Amazon.com print on demand. Roger Tagholm reports "AMAZON HAS THREATENED publishers who sell direct at discount on their own websites with punitive action. PN understands that it has said that if the publisher continues, Amazon will take the selling price as the RRP and apply its terms of trading to that price. In other words, if Amazon receives a 50% discount from Penguin, for example, but Penguin is selling a £20 book for £15 on its website, Amazon will only give Penguin £7.50, rather than £10." - more>


April 1, 2008 - Booktrade - "Amazon's move could be an attempt to castrate the small guy in favour of the big guys. Whether you are a large or small publisher or an author with a vested interest, you cannot simply ignore what is happening."

For the buyers who think all their books are shipped by Amazon?
April 2, 2008 - "Ingram and Lightning Source Statement - "Yes, June, the Amazon 'Interested parties' statement released on Monday is very much a sales pitch aimed at their customers. What it fails to mention is that for quite some time Lightning Source Inc have been 'drop-shipping' the POD books ordered on Amazon. So when customers get those nice cardboard cartoned books, with the amazon logo emblazoned on it, delivered directly to their doorstep - it has all all been done by LSI." - from Podding Along Nicely, June Austin
______________

April 4, 2008 - Save the Great Names of Publishing
"Conglomerates buying up famous imprints should remember that if the names stop mattering, the quality of the books may stop mattering too" - Nicholas Clee, the blogbooks, Guardian UK.

Chaplin's publisher, Bodley Head was taken over by Random House. They are getting ready to "relaunch as an adult non-fiction imprint" under Random House.
______________
The following is about Amazon/BookSurge.

UPDATE: April 2, 2008 - from Angela Hoycom WriterWeekly
If you are a book author (or just buy books), with any publishing company, and have not been informed yet, this is an important post you should read... Please go to this link, to read the FULL POST!

Here are a few passages from it:
"Tuesday, April 1st, was the rumored deadline Amazon.com gave to some POD publishers to sign an agreement allowing their printing division, BookSurge, to print each publisher's book to be sold through Amazon, or risk having their "buy" buttons turned off on the Amazon.com website." (Two POD publishers who signed the contract are AuthorHouse/iUniverse and Lulu.)

"Publishers, authors, and even book buyers were outraged by this apparent power-grab by Amazon. Attorneys and government officials are still studying the legality of their actions. How could they demand such a thing and what publisher in their right mind would agree to their ridiculous terms? While a band of POD publishers stayed together, refusing to sway to Amazon's demands, some did not."

Angela notes: "We are in possession of the Amazon contract and, while I'm sure AuthorHouse/iUniverse and Lulu negotiated special terms for themselves, I can tell you that the confidentiality clause in that contract is the tightest I've ever seen. Don't expect anybody at those firms to ever talk about what they had to give Amazon to keep their "buy" buttons turned on. It's been reported that some other publishers signed the contract as well and that others are still considering it, believing they have no choice."

Also: "Many guffaw the idea that, after taking over POD titles, Amazon might dare to go after traditional publishers, too. What most don't understand is that it's already happening. Booksurge is already printing POD versions of back-list, out-of-print and large-print books for HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons, McGraw-Hill, Pearson, Springer, Gale, Oxford University Press, and others.

Last week, the University of Pennsylvania Press contacted us, reporting they'd received the Amazon ultimatum, too. She said, "I work at a medium-sized university press, where most of our titles are conventionally printed via offset. However, Amazon called our director about two weeks ago, telling him that soon we would be required to use Booksurge."

Amazon going for huge discounts with the 'BookSurge printed books, but for you buyers, it is no deal. One company wrote:

"The majority of books (BookSurge) produced were defective: pages falling out, discolored covers, white splotches on the covers, etc. Of the 135 books I purchased, over 100 were defective. It was a huge embarrassment and headache for our organization."

As for the discounts, it could hurt every author, in the long run:
"According to The Robinson-Patman Act of 1936 (or Anti-Price Discrimination Act), if Amazon forces publishers to offer them a 48% discount, this action may, by default, force publishers to offer all bookstores a 48% discount. Many small publishers simply can't afford to do this. If they sign the Amazon contract and, thus, then have to offer all bookstores a 48% discount, they may go out of business."

She reports a bit of good news:
"Despite all of this, the good news is Amazon has not removed anymore "buy" buttons from POD publishers' books pages. Maybe, just maybe, after such a large public outcry, and perhaps after some consultations with their attorneys, they're realizing that this wasn't such a great idea after all."
_________


WritersWeekly checked into this rumor recently because they did not believe it, and got this response back from a representative of Amazon/BookSurge, John Clifford, on March 26, 2008. The following is from Angela Hoy's WritersWeekly site):

"Mr. Clifford finally admitted that books not converted to BookSurge would have the "buy" button turned off on Amazon.com, just as we'd heard from several other POD publishers who had similar conversations with Amazon/BookSurge representatives.

Another comment Mr. Clifford made was that their eventual desire (Amazon/BookSurge) is to have no books from other POD publishers available on Amazon.com.

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?!" - from Angela Hoy Writersweekly

From the same site this note: "As of Thursday (March 27, 2008), the "buy" buttons for the vast majority of PublishAmerica books were removed from Amazon.com. The books can now only be purchased by resellers."

And on Saturday, March 29th, from Writersweekly: "Whiskey Creek Press is a traditional publisher that uses POD technology. We were alerted by one of their authors that they appear to be the latest Amazon/BookSurge "buy" button victim. We checked and it appears numerous Whiskey Creek Press print books are now only available through resellers. The Kindle versions are, of course, still for sale directly through Amazon." - from Angela Hoy Writersweekly

And from PublishersWeekly:
"Amazon's BookSurge mandate extends to traditional publishers as well as to online pod houses." - PublishersWeekly

Also, from the Wall Street Journal Website 'Amazon Tightens Grip' (March 28, 2008):
"Amazon's decision means that any of those publishers who want their books sold on the giant Web site will have to use BookSurge. Not only will that squeeze rivals like Lightning Source, it will reduce publishers' bargaining power.

Publishers will "have to abide by Amazon's pricing," said Bob Young, CEO of Lulu Inc, a print-on-demand publisher based in Raleigh, N.C. Mr. Young said he believed BookSurge's prices to be "slightly higher" than other printers. An Amazon spokesman declined to comment on that issue." - Wall Street Journal

More from WritersWeekly>
More from PublishersWeekly>

You can look up the full March 28th, 2008 The Wall Street Journal article under the title "Amazon Tightens Grip on Printing" by Jeffery A. Trachtenberg.

And for more reading, here is an article from Computerworld, March 28th, "Amazon Changes rules for print-on-demand publishers."

"Smith added that authors and publishers of POD books who choose not to have their books printed by BookSurge could still have their books sold directly through Amazon by participating in the company's Advantage Program, which costs $29.95 per year plus 55% of the list price of each book." - Computerworld

If you are a writer in the process of having a book printed on demand, that offers Amazon as a bookseller for your POD book, you should look into this now before pressing forward. There are articles on the web about it, but since we don't offer our book through any site, except through Leading Ladies, I just learned about this very troubling development.
_________

Yasujiro Ozu Silent Films released

Criterion is releasing three silent films by Japanese film maker, Yasujiro Ozu, in April 2008. These three silent films included: "I Was Born, But..." (1932), "Passing Fancy" (1933), and "Tokyo Chorus" (1931).

Ozu made silent films until 1936, the same year Charlie Chaplin released his last silent picture "Modern Times" (1936).

Reviewer wrote:
"...the films released in this collection cover a portion of Ozu's silent career, spanning from 1931-1933. Ozu, along with the majority of the Japanese film industry, was slow and somewhat hesitant of the transition into talkies, feeling that emotions and plot could be best conveyed with expressions and actions, not dialogue. His first sound film was not released until 1936, the same year as Chaplin's final silent masterpiece, Modern Times. These late silents mark Ozu's transition into social criticism as he both blatantly and subtly expresses his discontent with the culture of pre-WWII Japan." - D. Yarbrough

So if you are into collecting silent films, you may like to check this out.
More about Yasujiro Ozu (at sensesofcinema.com)>

Hear the first 1860 French Recording!

From All Things Considered, March 27, 2008 report, you can hear the earliest known recording ever made. Created by Frenchman Edouard-Leon Scott, it is a few seconds of the words: "Au clair de la lune" recorded on blacken paper. more>

Links of Interest

I added a new set of links called News Items of Interest. It is near the bottom of the link list on the right. Some of the current links include: the end of Polariod film, tons of plastic (like toothbrushes, lighters, even computers) washing up on Midway Island in the Pacific and the oldest known recorded voice from 1860. More links will follow.

Also, watch your emails about your orders. Next shipments out, April 4th. And don't forget the post sometime Monday about a recipe of Edna's.

'Charlie Chaplin, A Life in Concert' in Florida

"Charlie Chaplin, A Life in Concert"
April 10-13, 2008 - Maxwell C. King Center
Melbourne, Florida

April 16-17, 2008 - Raymond F. Kravis Center
West Palm Beach, Florida

Both performances with award winning composer, David Pomeranz's.

From Kravis Center:
“Charlie Chaplin – A Life. In Concert” is a brilliant new musical Masterwork by award-winning Recording Artist and Composer, David Pomeranz. Through its critically-acclaimed musical score, David takes us on a journey of the life of Chaplin, the controversial genius of the Silent Screen who lit up the world with his much-beloved character, “The Little Tramp."

From the King Center a special video can be viewed at this link.

Check both the King Center and Kravis Center for more details.

Emil Viklický Trio includes their version of 'Smile'

Czech jazz artist, Emil Vicklický, has release the new CD "Emil Vicklický Trio: Ballads and More" from Arta Records. It includes ballads from Cole Porter, Saul Chaplin and Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times Theme, Smile (lyrics by Geoffrey Parson and John Turner).

More from All About Jazz>

Alternate Silent Film Scores by Ben Model

Have a silent film, but don't like the musical score?
Visit Ben Model's site called altscore.com. His offerings are only a few right now, but he is working toward creating alternate music scores for a growing list of silent films.

For just a few dollars, you can have a fresh new score to play along with your silent film. For more information, visit this link.

All of Ben Model's scores are copyrighted and should not be duplicated.

"Charlie Chaplin" featured in Appalachian Ballet

March 29, 2008 - Appalachian Ballet - Knoxville, Tennessee - The Bijou Theatre - The spring time performance of the Appalachian Ballet will feature a segment called "With Chaplin" during their 90 minute program on Saturday afternoon and evening, March 29th, 2008. more>

"...five very different works on the 90-minute program — the classical “Giselle Act II,” “With Chaplin,” the modern piece “Into the Depths,” the classical “Quiet Blush” and the music of RobinElla... “There’s the physical stamina, and the ability to switch gears so quickly, that’s really needed,” Morton said. “Going from a calm ‘Giselle,’ with that sort of quiet repose, to all of the sudden you’re 1930s Charlie Chaplin characters..." - from The Daily Times

Lon Davis, "Silent Lives" on KMTR

Mr. Davis kindly sent us this link to a recent two-part video news story on KMTR (Eugene, Oregon) about Lon Davis and his new book "Silent Lives" (released February 2008.)

On the Eugene news site under Videos, the stories and news video are listed under the titles, Eugene author shares history of silent films: "Silent, but worth preserving" and "The Lost Art of Silent Movies."

Update: KMTR news reports have been removed from the server, but the Eugene article is still available to read, more at Silents are Golden.


UPDATE! - Here is Lon Davis Silent Lives video!




MAY 7, 2008- I found this syndicated clip of Lon Davis with Kelli Warner from an April 9th interview with Davis. more>

UPDATE APRIL 7, 2008 - Article about Lon Davis Silent Lives from The Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon) - removed from the web

UPDATE FEBRUARY 18, 2009 - Lon Davis interview with Kelli Warner has been moved to YouTube. Check it out!


Order Silent Lives through BearManorMedia and receive the FREE BONUS DVD, Silent Lives: Classic Screen Moments. Contains two hours of rare footage.

(DVD Offer only good when ordering through Bear Manor Media.)

Catalina Island Silent Film Benefit 2008

May 17, 2008 - Silent Film Benefit and Avalon Ball - Catalina Island (California) - Avalon Theatre, Casino Building - showing Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" with organist Robert D. Salibury - Check this link for more details.

Happy Spring and Easter Breaks!

It is spring break time and Easter this coming Sunday, so if you happen to enjoy time off this week (or over the next couple of weeks), make it a good one!

And a bit of green is in order today!

March 31, 2008 - One of Edna's secret recipes

On Monday, March 31, I will post one of Edna Purviance's secret recipes. One that was a favorite of Lita's when she lived with Edna in the early 1950s.

Update: LINK to the March 31, 2008 post.

Recent letter about Grand View

"It was great to hear that Grand View Memorial Park will open again — even if for one day. And the 40-or-so community volunteers, including Boy Scouts, who rallied behind the cause and volunteered to staff the park are to be commended for their efforts.

But the cemetery’s operators can’t stop there, and expect that the city, or anyone else, is going to come to the rescue this time to keep it open longer." - Glendale News

Here is a link to the Glendale News of the full letter on Grand View. more>

Grand View will be open for one day on March 30, 2008 between the hours of 12-4PM.

(This article will be up for free 14 days, starting the day it was originally released on the web.)

Just a note to fans with orders. Check your emails for the latest information about your order.

Next week is springbreak in these parts. It doesn't mean much to us, since we are self-employed, but I will be doing some projects next week that need to be done. So I will do my next mailing of books March 21, 2008.

If you are having a 'real' springbreak next week, have a good one!

Falling Dollar

That £3 UK magazine just became more expensive, as the dollar continues to fall and Gold hits over $1000 per ounce (for the very first time).

Checking the current exchange rates that US consumers actually pay for UK pounds or euro is not good these days. Many of the news articles list the rates banks pay for money. That is not what consumers pay, we pay much more.

Today, depending on who you exchange with, it is running between $2.21 to $2.31 to buy one UK pound. (It can be higher, but very few lower.)

I did check the rate to see how the SG book is doing in pounds, and actually, it is running a bit cheaper now for a UK fan to buy SG, due to the falling dollar.

I will know in the coming weeks, though, if I have to increase the overseas shipping. It is basically right on, at the moment. May 2008, the post office will start charging their new rates.

Charlie Chaplin's Birthday on TCM

April 16, 2008 - Charles Chaplin's Birthday - A daytime full of Charlie Chaplin films on TCM. Check this link for more.

Also, (if you haven't done it already) check out the Media Room at the TCM website. There you will find hundreds of film clips that have been seen over the years on Turner Classic Movies. Click on browse to reach some of the silent film clips.

For Chaplin fans, there are film clips featuring Chaplin listed under SILENTS and ORIGINALS. And listed under SHORT, one of my favorite series, the FitzPatrick Traveltalks series. This series has some of the earliest color films from world locations. Lots there for many taste.

Few Chaplin and Brownlow highlights:
• The Circus (1928) - Charlie with the monkeys on the tight rope.

• Matt Groening comments about The Circus and Charlie Chaplin

• Clips from City Lights, The Gold Rush and The Kid.

• Daniel Taradesh comments about Charlie Chaplin's film clips on the Oscars.

• Kevin Brownlow on Lon Chaney

Grand View plans opening March 30, 2008

After months of being closed, Grand View gates are planned to be unlocked FOR A DAY on Sunday, March 30, 2008.



"Friends and family members of those buried at Grand View Memorial Park will soon have their first chance in more than seven months to visit their loved ones at the troubled cemetery after a Superior Court judge on Monday approved a tentative public access plan.

The plan, which attorneys involved in a series of legal actions against the cemetery signed off on, envisions up to 40 volunteers staffing the park from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 30." - Glendale News

See full story at this link to Glendale News. (GN article is available for free 14 days from this date.)

Again: Grand View plans to be open Sunday, March 30, 2008 - from noon to 4PM.

"The one-time opening will be treated as a trial run, but if all goes smoothly later this month, it could lead to regular monthly visitations, said attorney David Baum, who represents cemetery operator Moshe Goldsman... Unlike previous openings, visitors are asked to proceed in their vehicles through the cemetery gates instead of stopping to get information. Once parked, volunteers will direct visitors to informational literature or deliver it themselves, Baum said. " - Glendale News

Short Program: ...Down, Never Out

All things Considered "The Little Tramp: Frequently Down, Never Out" from their in character series. Program by Bob Mondello. Broadcast February 11, 2008. Program 8:20 minutes. For longtime Chaplin fans, this short program offers nothing new, but a recap about Chaplin's character. LINK

"In France he was Charlot, in Ecuador Carlitos: to all, Charlie Chaplin's hobo was unforgettable." - NPR

Information the mainstream keeps silent

I had a backward fall a little while back that is causing some problems just sitting in front of the computer these days. So, instead of so must computer stuff lately, I have been spending time away, which includes watching some great documentaries currently on Link TV.

With so much of everything we read and hear today being filtered by a handful of corporations, Link TV is one of the very few independent stations left.

Included in this series are The Corporation, Orwell Rolls in His Grave, Burning Our Future, Propaganda and Politics, The Planet, Stealing Democracy and many more. With it being an election year, people should pay attention and take a peek at some of these films.

Living in an area where forest are (and have been) harvested heavily for a century, I can understand how the people of West Virginia must feel, as shown in the film Burning Our Future.

When you see whole mountains and forest being destroyed and being re-built into a man-made grasslands (changing the landscape forever, polluting fresh water, etc.) just to get coal to burn for cheap electrical power, it might make you look at your cellphone charger or microwave differently. Our world runs on electricity, but we need to see where is it is coming from and what it is doing to others.

I have visited locations where mountains have been destroyed in the mining industry in the western states. It is not new to see, but very sad we haven't become smart enough yet, not to do this sort of wholesale destruction.
__________

Now I know this post has nothing to do with silent films, but I have to say, one of great pleasures I had in meeting Lita, was she really cared about all this stuff too. We use to talk about all this and much more. It is just one of many reasons I really miss her. I am continuing to work on a project for her, that I plan to launch this spring.

Series of Silent Film Showings for spring 2008

Images represents programs in London, Salt Lake City, Korea, New York and Seattle.

USA
The Organ Loft - Salt Lake City, Utah
2008 Spring Silent Movie Series
includes Lillian Gish, Buster Keaton and Douglas Fairbanks
check site for dates and times

England
Barbican Films - London
Silent Film & Live Music Seriesincludes Nanook to the North and The Wind
check site for dates and times

Korea
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts - Seoul
Hello! Chaplin Original Film Festival
Same program from 2003 at the London Royal Festival Hall, which has toured several countries. Includes Chaplin's feature films and film shorts.
check site for dates and times

USA
Lafayette Theatre - Suffern, New York
Big Screen Classics
Includes City Lights
check site for dates and times

USA
The Paramont - Seattle, Washington
Silent Movie Mondays - Douglas Fairbanks Festival
Festival for the month of June.
check site for dates and times

Sir Charles Chaplin - March 4, 1975

"I'll make one more picture... "
I had an email today from one of our longtime fans about Charlie and his knighthood, which happen on this date on March 4, 1975. Here is the link to the BBC website for ON THIS DAY.

SG update

We had a very nice wave of new orders for The Sea Gull that came in since Sunday night and carried into this morning. So many, in fact, I just placed a new order in for books to be printed to help fill up the stock again. (I still do have some books in stock, just trying to stay ahead of it.)

Because of so many new orders in the last few hours, I will do my planned shipping on Tuesday, instead of today. This way it gives me time to confirm addresses, and take one trip to the post office (which helps me save a bit on gas too, with the prices shooting up locally).

Special thanks to everyone for helping support this project! Watch your emails for more about your order. Other book orders in shipping now, should be arriving soon.

Chaplin Library - New e-book section

Dominique has started a new Charlie Chaplin e-book collection. We decided to start a special section just for Chaplin e-books. Also, I updated the link section on the library introduction page.

Also, I updated A Brief Glimpse page. See Edna Links below on right.