Edna Purviance's bio

June 6, 2018 - Re-editing Edna Purviance's family biography 2nd Draft. Photo: Leading Ladies © used by ednapurviance.org

Monday, July 28, 2008

Edna's October 2008 Birthday Event!


October 21, 2008
Edna Purviance Birthday Drawing
Win a copy of The Sea Gull - enter here

Thanks for the entries coming in! I will email you to tell you I received your entry. It also helps me check the emails to make sure everything is working well. Below is the rules for the contest.

• Open to anyone who have not received a copy of The Sea Gull

• Deadline to enter: 12 Noon, West Coast Time, October 20, 2008.

• First name drawn 12 midnight London time, October 21. (4PM Oct. 20th west coast time)

• Only properly filled out entry forms will be excepted.

• On day of drawing, you have 24 hrs to respond or another name will be drawn each 24 hrs. until we have a winner.

• Only the name of winner will be post. All information is kept private and never given out.

• Book will be signed and dated to the winner of this special birthday drawing.

Link to more about The Sea Gull >
_______________________________
Watch Edna's Place for follow-up details, as well as on, Edna's .org home site. Also check COMMENTS for added notes.

I am also working on something just for Edna's birthday, with no early details to be released.

Note: We like this book to go to a fan, so please, no resale entries. Good Luck!

To keep this post up for a few days, see my newest post on: Chasing Churchill and the Chaplin connection. more>

This is Edna's third give away. Our first was for a Chaplin Music CD collection that went to a winner in the mid-west in the US and our second was for our grand release of The Sea Gull in January. That book went to Iceland.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Chasing Churchill and the Chaplin connection

I was watching History Detectives this week, when Chasing Churchill: In Search of My Grandfather with Celia Sandys followed. It was part two in the series called: The Other Country, featuring Churchill's travels in the US.

The series mixes current day and 1929-1930s footage of US locations. Most interesting for Charlie Chaplin fans, it has rare film footage of Charlie at Hearst Castle as well as at Chaplin's Film studio, in Hollywood.

Featured in Chasing Churchill: The Other Country. Photos: L. Wada

Marc Wanamaker gives a short private tour of the current Chaplin Studios. And I believe there was footage of the Montecito Inn, as well, that Chaplin is connected with.

So if you are looking for something different with Chaplin, you might check this out. The series is available on DVD.

Update August 2, 2008 - An interesting story about the 'look a likes' on Hollywood Walk of Fame. Story from the BBC >

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

15th Anniversary 'Chaplin' Edition DVD

On October 14, 2008, Lionsgate will be releasing the 15th Anniversary Edition of the film 'Chaplin' by Sir Richard Attenborough and starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Charles Chaplin. (image from dvdactive.com.)


Sunday, July 20, 2008

Charlie Chaplin on TCM in August 2008

A full day of Charlie Chaplin is planned on TCM August 2, 2008 with more on August 4th. See Charlie from his Keystone, First National and United Artist film days, including 'A Woman of Paris' starring Edna Purviance.

Richard Schickel's Charlie: 'The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin', fills out the day, as part of TCM's Summer Under the Stars. Link to film list>

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Smith and Jones

Too Much Luxury
"American people are suffering from a peculiar disease - an insatiable craving for the luxuries of life.


Time was when if you had a good home, plenty to eat, and to wear, and means of recreation and enjoyment, we were contented and happy.

But not now.

The more we get the more we want, and the more we want the more feverish our efforts to get it.

We never have enough - are never satisfied.

If our neighbor has a car, we long for one just a little better.

If Jones has a house of beauty, Smith wants one of grandeur and magnificence.

If Mrs. Smith is at the head of the social whirl, Mrs. Jones is not satisfied until she has supplanted her.

If one man is termed our leading citizen, a dozen other will aspire to the honor.

Our abundance of the necessities of life is not enough. We must have the luxuries, both of our own pleasure and to outshine other people. And the list of life's luxuries is so long and so varied that no man or woman has ever been known to reach the end.

Millions of people fore go many of these necessities of life in order to bask in the limelight of luxury. They are lavish in adoring their persons and their surroundings at the expense of their stomachs. They enjoy the tinsel of life and endure the privations necessary in order to satisfy their vanity.

The age of sanity is disappearing. That of frivolity is here.

Modern day luxury is considered a blessing.

In reality it is more of a curse, because we do not realize when economy ends and extravagance begins."

- Lovelock, Review-Miner, February 27, 1920 - News from Edna's Day

Chaplin Music and Film in Rockland, Maine

July 23, 2008
Rockland, Maine
Music and Film: Chaplin
program of the Bay Chamber Concerts' Summer Music Festival


Composer Stephen Prutsman premiere of new original scores to Chaplin's films 'One A.M.' and 'The Rink.' Link to more information>

Monday, July 14, 2008

This week is it Slapsticon July 17-20

Slapsticon
Arlington, Virginia
July 17-20, 2008
Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre

Saturday, July 12, 2008

The Sea Gull will be available in Lovelock, Nevada

Latest Edna News: With a special thanks to Kirsten Hertz, with the Greater Pershing Partnership (Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Authority in Lovelock, Nevada), The Sea Gull "A Woman of the Sea" by Linda Wada will be available at Kirsten's gift shop A Little Something.

The gift shop is located across the street from the Lovelock Post Office and just a short walk from the Pershing County Courthouse. (Courthouse is the former location where Edna's schoolhouse once was located.)

This will be the first time a book featuring Edna will be available in Lovelock. There will be signed and unsigned editions available. (Signed editions will be wrapped with a photo inside.)

Background: Lovelock is where Edna spent her childhood years between November 1898 to July of 1913. (She was born in Paradise Valley, Nevada in October 1895.)

I had 'chats' over the years, about doing a walk in Lovelock some day, but if you do visit Kirsten's shop, you will be just across the street from where Edna spent a lot of her childhood days, dancing, horseback riding, spending time with her family, etc. on the lot once was owned by the Hill family.

Edna lived on Railroad Street, just a block south of the Lovelock Train Depot. Edna's home is gone now (torn down in the mid-1940s by the owners of the Up-To-Date Laundry). The building where the laundry once ran, still exists, but the empty space to the north side is where Edna's home and family lodging business once stood.

In The Sea Gull book you can see Edna's home and what the laundry building looked like in 1913, just days after Edna left Lovelock to go to school in San Francisco.

Edna could walk pass Bessie's home everyday, when going to school.

Edna's sister, Bessie Purviance Hill, had her first home on the large lot once owned by the Hill family. The lot today houses the Lovelock Post Office (original location of Hill Hall, which was the first city hall in Lovelock and built by Sidney Buckingham Hill in 1904) and just south of the hall, Bessie Purviance Hill's first Lovelock home. Sidney built their home soon after there marriage in 1902. Their son, Sidney Morgan Hill (Lita Hill's father) was born there.

All that is gone now, but when you look across the street from Kirsten's gift shop, you might be able to imagination Edna and Morgan dancing at one of the many events during their childhood at Hill Hall. (They became a very good team, and even won awards for their dancing in later years.)

Do take a stop in, if passing by Lovelock, or make Lovelock part of your planned Nevada tour. When in Lovelock, support Kirsten's and other businesses in the area.

Note on the schoolhouse: Edna's old school was actually moved to make room for the county courthouse. More about Edna's life will be in the future book about Edna and her family, currently called Purviance.

From the Interstate, there are three off ramps for Lovelock. The middle off ramp leads you to downtown and directly to the Courthouse. It also goes across the railroad tracks and right by the Lovelock Depot (nice stop for an ice cream or other goody). Kirsten's shop is just across the post office building about three blocks up the street.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Capitolfest 2008 - Aug. 8-10

Capitolfest 2008
Central New York's Silent and Classic Film Festival
August 8-10, 2008
Capitol Theatre
Rome, New York


Celebrating 80th birthday of the Capitol Theatre. Click on this link for more details.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Gasless Sundays

Gasless Sundays are Thoroughly Observed in New York City
"If any one were inclined to question the patriotism of the American people it would only be necessary for him to spend a few minutes on the streets of New York or any other eastern city on one of these gasless Sunday mornings to be convinced as to the utter groundlessness of his skepticism, for there is absolutely nothing to be seen in the shape of conveyances, except baby carriages, street cars and a few antiquated vehicles drawn by quadrupods of an almost forgotten species.

This is true, notwithstanding the millions of automobiles for which our people have paid billions of dollars, having in mind primarily the fact that their possession would enable them to spend the one weekly holiday healthfully and pleasurably in the open air of country.

While there is no federal statue covering this matter, the observance of the governments' request has been so complete that more than 21,000,000 gallons of gasoline have already been saved in this matter for the war requirement of the government."


Review-Miner - Lovelock, Nevada - Friday, October 18, 1918.

News from Edna's days... A timely piece with gas issues in the news and a war going on, not then, now.

(Update: The closest price I could find for a barrel of oil in 1918 was $1.23 a barrel and a gallon of gas about 20.5 cent a gallon.)

Monday, July 07, 2008

Edna's: West Mausoleum at GV will be open

Grand View open July 13 and 27, 2008 - Hours noon to 4PM
Also, Lisa Burks, who reports on all the goings and happenings at Grand View has posted to us the following:

"...Special note to Edna's fans, the West Mausoleum where her niche is located has now been opened for visitation during these special opening hours."

Thanks Lisa! Watch as more dates are being worked on.

Special thanks to IL CINEMA RITROVATO

Leading Ladies sends our thanks to Il Cinema Ritrovato 2008 in Bologna, Italy, with a special thanks to Cecilia Cenciarelli for making our Sea Gull project as part of their festival this year. See this link to Charlie Chaplin Archive for a pdf file of program for 2008.

Sunday, July 06, 2008

San Francisco 13th Silent Film Festival July 11-13

July 11-13, 2008
San Francisco 13th Silent Film Festival
this weekend!

No to Age Banding of Children's books Petition

For my UK readers, I am placing this link to the petition to stop the age banding of Children's books in the UK. Authors Philip Pullman and J.K. Rowling are strongly against this proposal by the Children's Book Group of the Publishers Association. A growing list of authors, librarians, teachers, and parents are against this. If you live in the UK and like to have your voice heard, here is the link to the petition.

Paul Merton's Silent Clowns Edinburgh Fringe 2008

August 8th - 16th, 2008 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Fringe 2008 - Filmhouse Cinema - Paul Merton's Silent Clowns - Edinburgh, Scotland - Features extracts from Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy and other silent screen stars films, with presenter Paul Merton.


"Paul Merton proudly presents Buster Keaton in the uproariously funny Sherlock Junior – shown in its entirety on the big screen.

Plus hilarious extracts featuring Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy and Harold Lloyd in some of their funniest films.

All beautifully accompanied live by Neil Brand on piano and presented by Paul Merton, whose infectious enthusiasm and knowledge of these films means a splendid time is guaranteed for all." - FilmHouse Cinema

Update: August 3, 2008: Interview with Paul Merton from the Scotland on Sunday

Saturday, July 05, 2008

'Me, and my lawn chair, flying on a sunny afternoon'

Okay, this is not about Edna, but again, our local chap has made worldwide news, flying in a lawn chair from Oregon to Idaho, with over 150 party helium balloons attached. And this time (after two failed attempts) he made it to Idaho, safely... more>

(Okay, so we had another 'chap' make worldwide news this week for having a baby, but that is another story...)

Friday, July 04, 2008

Missing Metropolis footage found in Buenos Aires

Until May 1927, the original version of Metropolis could only be seen in Berlin, after Paramount (in America) shortened the original film due to poor box office. In 1928, a copy of the long version of the film was sent to Argentina, but in the process became part of the collection of film critic Manuel Peña Rodríguez.

A copy of those reels were sold to the Argentina’s National Art Fund in the 1960s. Now that longer version of the film with the missing footage has been rediscovered in Buenos Aires.

The Guardian reported:
"Helmut Possman, director of the Friedrich-Wilhelm Murnau Foundation which holds the rights to Metropolis, said the film, which is badly scratched, would be made available to the public after it has been restored.

"This material, which we had long considered to be lost forever, will help us to a new understanding of Fritz Lang's masterpiece," he said.

Martin Köerber, who restored a previous version of Metropolis, expressed his delight at the new footage.

He told Die Zeit: "It doesn't matter how bad the condition of the material is, the original intention of the film, including all of its minor characters and subplots, is now once again tangible for viewers. The rhythm of the film has been restored."

Learn more from these news and fan links:
Link to six stills from missing footage, Zeitmagazine. more>
Link to Associated Press. more>
Link to BBC. more>
Link to The Guardian. more>
Link to story in Die Ziet. more>
Link to article on Forbiddenplanet. more>
Link to article on Greencine. more>
Link to some behind the scenes images Zeitmagazine. more>

Answer to June 15th question: Edna's family on film

Answer to the June 15th question: During Edna's time in Hollywood, did any of Edna's family members appear in films?

Answer: Yes! One of her family members did appear on film. The year was 1935 and the film "The Melody Lingers On" starring Josephine Hutchinson and George Houston. The nearly three-year-old Lita Hill played one of the children in the film. The scene in the photo in the Hill collection shows Lita with star Josephine Hutchinson.

Miss Hutchinson signed the photo as a gift to Lita and her family. Lita didn't remember ever seeing the film. I have not been able to locate a copy of the film. The last showing I found was on television in the early 1950s.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

A Midsummer Nights Dream with Silent Stars

A Midsummer Nights Dream
"...in the style of the great silent films of the early 1910s and 1920s..."July 17 - 20, July 23 - 27, & July 30 - August 3, 2008
Corvallis, Oregon
Oregon State University - Memorial Union quadThe Bard in the Quad performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream

"The third installment in the Bard in the Quad Summer Shakespeare program is A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare's most popular and best loved comedy. Adapted and Directed by Scott Palmer, the 2008 production includes the first ever three week performance schedule of fifteen shows over three weekends with an audience capacity of more than 5,500.

T
he 2008 production will be performed in the style of the great silent films of the early 1910s and 1920s, with fantastic costumes reminiscent of the Ziegfeld Follies, Valentino, Mary Pickford (pictured right) and the great silent film comics Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin... all under a midsummer night's sky!" - Oregon State University

Techno Chaplin at Academy of Motion Pictures


July 24, 2008
Hollywood - Linwood Dunn Theater - 8PM
The Academy of Science and Technology presents
Techno Chaplin

An exploration of the technology and locations used in Modern Times. Presenters for the program are Crag Barron (visual effects supervisor) and John Bengtson (lawyer and film historian) author of Silent Traces: Discovering Early Hollywood through the Films of Charlie Chaplin.

Doors open 7PM - Tickets $5 (General Public) and $3 (Academy Members) - more>