Charlie Chaplin & Edna Purviance shopping 2010

Christmas Shopping 2010
Shopping for that silent film fan???

Or that Edna and Charlie fan on your list?

The Niles Essanay Gift Shop. Photo from Michael Bonham.

If you are shopping for a silent film fan, the choices have not been better! Loads of books and DVDs and even Blu-Ray discs are available for many films now. Here is a quick list of places and links to get some ideas for your silent fan on your list who are Edna Purviance and Charlie Chaplin fans.

1) Live in the San Francisco Bay Area? The perfect place to 'go shopping' would be the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum and gift shop in Fremont, California. A variety of silent film books, and much more, is available at their store. Do some shopping and watch a film at the Edison Theatre, would make for a perfect Saturday this holiday season. LINK

2) Looking for that special Chaplin book? Check out Dominique Dugros Chaplin Library and Database. This is the largest collection online. While there are rare hard to find books, there are loads of new books, available, as well. I have many with links as to where available. Check it out at these links: DATABASE | LIBRARY INDEX

3) Charlie Chaplin or Edna Purviance films for home viewing and more: Whether it is the latest Chaplin releases, like the new restored Chaplin at Keystone, or a rare out of print film, like the Chaplin Image Entertainment collection, you may find exactly what you are looking for at the Chaplin Film Guide and Shop. Take a browse through. LINK

4) Charlie Chaplin music fan? Check out this link to help find that perfect music, for your fan on your list. Chaplin Music guide

5) The rare Hollywood Series by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill. It should be on DVD, but still available on VHS (from private sellers). LINK

6) And of course, we have The Sea Gull by Linda Wada available online at ednapurviance.com. Except for the Niles Museum store, it is the ONLY place the book is available online. LINK
(Still have some in stock, with more planned for order.)

These are mainly for Chaplin and Purviance, but loads more are out there. Again, the selection has never been better. Happy Shopping!

Slapstick 2011

Slapstick Festival 2011
Bristol, England
January 27 - 30, 2011

Chaplin events planned for 2011 festival:
January 27th - 'Unknown Chaplin' with Kevin Brownlow
January 28th - Clara Bow 'Mantrap U' introduced by Kevin Brownlow
January 29th - Chaplin: A Homeage to Chaplin (2002) and 'The Circus'
January 30th - 'The Great Dictator'

And much more including: Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy...
See official site for full details... LINK

And to get in the mood? A video from the Bristol Silents:

LA Times reporting actor Leslie Nielsen has died

Remembering some comic moments with Leslie Nielsen... MSNBC report



Remembering Police Squad and those freeze frame endings...



Trailer for the classic 'Forbidden Planet'



Nielson's family connection to silent films: Leslie Nielson got interested in acting from his uncle, Jean Hersholt. Hersholt played in over 70 silent films, including Marcus in the 1924 film GREED. During the Oscars, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is given in Hersholt's honor. Hersholt co-founded the Motion Picture Relief Fund. More here.

'Charlie' selling a camera - New German ad

It's Black Friday, so why not show a new ad from Stuttgart, Germany using a Charlie Chaplin 'look-a-like'. He is introducing the new AVT Prosilica GX (camera).

Edna's 9th Anniversary, rolling toward 10!

Thanks to all of Edna's fan for 9 Years!

A little thank you, as we roll into 10!
CLICK IMAGE

Ednapurviance.org officially went on the web Sunday, November 25th, 2001. Our very first link to the World, on that day, was on The Chaplin Society site, linked by Garen Ewing. It has been an adventure, ever since. Thanks to all our longtime and new fans, for the journey, as we 'ride' into our 10th year. A little thank-you piece... LINK

Happy Thanksgiving!
To our USA Visitors!

Will Rogers Tribute at Hollywood Heritage Museum

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Hollywood Heritage's popular
Evenings at The Barn series

"An Evening with Will Rogers"

7:30 PM at the Hollywood Heritage Museum, 2100 North Highland Avenue
(across from the Hollywood Bowl)

General admission is $10
($5 for Hollywood Heritage members)
with free parking available

William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was one of the best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s.

The tribute to the cowboy humorist, who starred in the Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway, wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column and became Hollywood's biggest box-office star will commemorate Rogers’ passing with an evening of film clips and recollections. Rogers perished in an Alaska plane crash 75 years ago.

Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry, Will Rogers’ Great-granddaughter, will be on hand to discuss the legacy of her famous relative. Jennifer has been involved in the Rogers family business since 1991 and now serves as the family spokesperson and media contact.

She travels throughout the year to promote the legacy of Will Rogers, including riding in the Rose Parade with Sons and Daughters of the Reel West. “The tribute to Will Rogers is a wonderful event to celebrate the life of one of the greatest Americans to ever live”, says Rogers-Etcheverry.

“Will’s wisdom and quotes are timeless and we applaud the Hollywood Heritage Museum for helping to keep his memory alive.” Jennifer will be joined by Todd Vradenburg, Executive Director of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation and Board President of the Will Rogers Ranch Foundation.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has graciously allowed the museum to host the first public screening of several documentaries that were produced expressly for their popular Will Rogers DVD Collection.

The first is entitled “Back to the Ranch” and features personal interviews with Rogers’ family members at the re-dedication of the Will Rogers Ranch in Pacific Palisades. The second, “Jane Withers Remembers…” features heartfelt stories from the beloved child star who was befriended by Rogers when they were both making films at Fox Studios.

In addition, Hollywood Heritage board-member and film historian Stan Taffel will offer rarely seen Rogers movie clips from his personal film collection. A raffle for gift baskets filled with unusual Will Rogers’ related memorabilia will also be held.

The Lasky-DeMille Barn (birthplace of Paramount Pictures) is located at 2100 N. Highland Avenue, across from the Hollywood Bowl. Parking is free (in Lot D). The evening is being produced by HH Board member Bryan Cooper and Barn Committee member David Greim.

For additional information please visit:
www.hollywoodheritage.org
www.willrogersranchfoundation.org
Thanks to Janet Hoffmann for release.

Happy Flying, the American Airways, Way!

It was 1933, and flying was quickly becoming the popular way to travel, for those who could afford it. At about twice the price of a train ticket, you could fly instead of taking the rails to where you wanted to go.

Edna Purviance's husband, Jack Squire, was a flight Captain for American Airways in 1933, the same year this promotional film was made. (This was before Edna and Jack met.) Jack flew the eastern routes, including to New York City, for American Airways. It was just one of the many routes Jack flew, as he worked for the top airlines of the day, including Pan Am.

Grab a hot mug of your favorite beverage, and enjoy this trip back, to when airline travel was new and everyone was first class when they flew...

(I need to check this out, but I have read the cost for this flight was about $5.25. By train, $2.50)



Follow-up: A contrasting look at travel today vs. yesterday. (Does this really make everyone safer?) Happy flying!

Bits and Pieces for November 2010

November 25th is edna's .org 9th anniversary! The site will be heading into 10 years on the web in 2011. Since the anniversary falls on Thanksgiving in the USA, I still plan to have something on the 25th, since Edna's site is visited by a worldwide audience. So watch for it!

Meanwhile, I am starting my annual updating on the site, a bit earlier this year. So some changes, here and there, at times, the next few weeks.

Starting to get back into writing Edna's bio, which isn't easy, since work always comes first, but got some more pages done this week. I have a special spot to write it, but you won't know where, until you read the book. I won't be writing a lot about it at this stage. I rather be writing the book than writing about writing it.

I was going to do a report on The Chaplin Conference, but I am thinking of doing another video, instead (trying to find the right copyright free music, with no luck, so far). The conference was more of a personal event, for me, as it was a chance to finally meet people I never met, and see again a handful, I have. So I don't know if my report would be that exciting for a general fan.

It was a packed event, and I didn't see everything, but I have loads more pictures, so maybe some kind of report will be created out of it. If you haven't seen the two videos I have done for it, you can look here. But thanks for asking about that! I will give it more of a thought about writing something, but no promises. Really like to spend the time of EP's bio, at the moment.

Thanks for all the recent Sea Gull purchases! We still have books and plan to restock, so if you haven't gotten one, we are still in business, with happy customers keeping the book going. I sold all the books I had with me at The Chaplin Conference. (I know some publishers could have killed this project, because they are more interested in big profit, than steady sales. But we had steady sales since we started, and for not doing anything more, than being on the web, very happy to be still in business. The book will be available, as long as fans want it.

Not much more, at the moment. I know some will be (or have) started their Thanksgiving week, so have a good one. I will be working away here, with no travel plans, and probably watching the snow fly, as we head into a deep freeze right now. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! And if around, come by for Edna's 9th Anniversary Thursday!

Ben Model at the Egyptian Theatre

Silent Film, composer and pianist, Ben Model visit to the Egyptian Theatre in Boise, Idaho.

The Rainbow Orchid at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

The Rainbow Orchid Vol. 1 & 2

by Garen Ewing
published by Egmont UK
Officially part of the:

Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
The Ohio State University Libraries
Museum Curator: Lucy Shelton Caswell

I'm very excited to see The Rainbow Orchid coming part of the largest cartoon and comic materials collection in the world, at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum in Columbus, Ohio. The current home in the Wexner Center of the Arts is only for a short while, as a new permanent Museum and Library is being re-built in Sullivant Hall. A space being recreated just for comics (and dance) at an estimated cost of $20 million plus!

Special thanks to museum's founding curator, Lucy Shelton Caswell, for including Garen Ewing's work into this extensive collection, which includes the largest public collection of original artwork, like from 'Little Nemo in Slumberland', by artist and creator, Winsor McCay and the comic art of 'Calvin and Hobbes' by Bill Watterson.

More about the museum:I took Lily and Julius on a 'private tour' to check it out...

"Established in 1977 with a founding gift of the Milton Caniff Collection, the Cartoon Library & Museum was housed originally in two converted classrooms in Ohio State's Journalism Building.

Since then, Caswell has built it into a widely renowned special collection that is a destination for both cartoon researchers and fans from around the world. Thousands of donors have contributed to the collection, with gifts ranging from one item to tens of thousands.

The books and package, before heading to Ohio!

With the recent addition of the International Museum of Cartoon Art's extensive permanent collection, the Cartoon Library and Museum now houses more than 450,000 works of original cartoon art, 36,000 books, 51,000 serial titles, 3,000 linear feet of manuscript materials, and 2.5 million comic strip clippings and newspaper pages.

'Calvin & Hobbes' were hiding in the 'C' section ready to pounce on Pickle

Now the world's largest collection of cartoon art and comics material, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum is currently located in the lower level of the Wexner Center for the Arts complex.

Its new, permanent home in Sullivant Hall will expand its space from its current 6,808 square feet to more than 40,000 gross square feet, providing much-needed additional storage and new exhibition galleries that will allow more of the collection to be displayed and accessible to the public." - For more information, see http://cartoons.osu.edu.

Virtual Tour of current Library and Museum in the Wexner Center for Arts



Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum: Virtual Tour from Billy Ireland Cartoon L&M on Vimeo.

Current Holding:
450,000 original cartoons
36,000 books
51,000 serial titles
3,000 linear feet of manuscript materials
2.5 million comic strip clippings and tear sheets

And, for those who never seen this, silent animated film of
'Little Nemo' by Winsor McCay.

Learn more about The Rainbow Orchid by Garen Ewing.
Julius Chancer, The Rainbow Orchid, story, artwork, characters and website
© 1997 and 2010 Garen Ewing & inkytales - Photos by Linda Wada

Links of interest:
Museum Digital Exhibits | Cartoon Image Database
Art Database | Festival of Cartoon Art
Interviews & more on The Rainbow Orchid

And the Oscar goes to... Kevin Brownlow

“My god, your predecessors did a terrible job of preserving the silent era,” - Kevin Brownlow at the Governors Awards, (The Wrap)

There is no doubt the studios were downplaying the silent era, after talkies started in the 1930s. With few exceptions (like Charles Chaplin saving his own film work, as his family - Roy Export - are still doing) the bulk of silent films were being left to turn to powder in film vaults, or dumped totally.

Kevin Brownlow, with David Gill, changed that, by saving this important film history, from disappearing totally. I know from my own research, archives that discount anything before the 1930s in film making, as part of policy, and don't save anything on films before 1930. I was told, anything before 1930 was primitive and not worth saving. How wrong they are.

As the acclaimed 'Hollywood Series' has proved, silent films were more than just silent comedies, but an era rich in storytelling, and the foundation in the making of the film industry. Stars of the 'talking era' owe the silent film makers a great deal, in their own careers. (Many even started their careers in silent films.) It was the only time we had a true international language (something we don't have now, and could use more now, then ever).

So, finally, great to see an industry embrace their real beginnings, by honoring someone who helped save the history for the current generation to learn and treasure.

The Governors Award Dinner gave everyone a chance to be free to say what they wish, instead of having the television camera broadcasting every word. And Mr. Brownlow was right. The industry did do a 'terrible job' in saving it's silent film past.

Thankfully, it took a teenager in England, to discover there was something to be saved from that past, and in the process, became a lifelong passion, that was rewarded last night, from the industry that had the least interested in it, in its past.

More links about the special Oscar event from November 13, 2010:

The Wrap - By Steve Pond
Governors Awards: 4 Oscars, 4+ hours, and No Godard, But It's Fun
LINK

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - official site
Kevin Brownlow Honorary Award - LINK
2010 - Governors Awards - LINK

The Hollywood Reporter - by Gregg Kilday
Academy Honors - LINK
_______________

Few more links of interest
Charlie Chaplin being honored with an Oscar in 1972 for his lifetime of work:
LINK

The Hollywood Series - LINK

Paris, France
Ann Harding interview with Kevin Brownlow -
English | French

Kevin Brownlow interview on BBC 4 The Film Programme

BBC 4 Radio - October 22 - Interview with Kevin Brownlow by Francine Stock on The Film Programme. Mr. Brownlow is the second one interviewed. He talks about the special Oscar he's receiving Nov. 13th, and how he got started in his interest of silent films. LINK

UPDATE: KEVIN BROWNLOW'S SPEECH AT THE GOVERNORS AWARDS DINNER.

Kevin Brownlow's 'It Happened Here'

Friday, November 12, 2010 - Hollywood - Kevin Brownlow's films "It Happened Here" and "Winstanley" will be screened, with Mr. Brownlow introducing the films, live. He is in Los Angeles to receive the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science's Governors Award on Saturday night.

Tickets appear to be still available for this Friday evening screening, so if in the area, certainly a great time to see these films. LINK




Update: Kevin Brownlow in Hollywood introducing his film Nov. 12, 2010 ( video from RusselMetty on yt)

Edna Purviance on Turner Classic Movies tonight!

Turner Classic Movies will be showing 'The Immigrant' this evening, as part of their look at the series "Moguls & Movie Stars, A History of Hollywood. 'The Immigrant' stars Charlie Chaplin with leading co-star, Edna Purviance. Check the TCM schedule for other Edna and Charlie films this month on TCM.

A clip from an older version, re-released during the sound era:

My Chaplin Conference Experience - Part One

Charlie Chaplin

International Conference
Zanesville, Ohio
Ohio University - Oct. 28-30, 2010

My Charlie Chaplin
Conference Experience
Part One

A mini taste of my travel and seeing events at Ohio University.
LINK


Note: This Quicktime video file was saved for high speed modems and/or broadband, so do wait for the film to load, if an image doesn't show, right away.

A few minutes at the Chaplin Conference

Here are a few minutes behind the scenes at the
Charlie Chaplin Conference
in Zanesville, Ohio - October 2010
LINK

Video by Linda Wada, ednapurviance.org

A little feedback off the web:
1) A comment my husband found on the web from a new fan of Chaplin.

"Linda Wada presents her labor-of-love film about Edna Purviance. The film features an interview with Lita Hill, Edna’s grand-niece. In her barn owl eyeglasses, Lita is quite a character. Even though she was in her late 70’s when the film was made, she’s clear and thoughtful. She visited her Aunt Edna often as a child, and lived with her for several years as a teenager. They’re second-hand stories of Edna’s life, of course, but interesting in spite of that." - Scott Cameron

Follow -up: First off, Lita live with Edna from her late teens to early 20s, until Lita married in the mid-1950s (and even off and on, after she was married). She also spent much time with Edna as a child, and even visited her in the 1940s in San Francisco (parts of this was removed to keeping the video to one hour and make room for adding new film footage of Edna). I don't think this new fan realized he saw Edna in her later years for the very first time, and in colour, since this was the very first showing of the footage of Jack's.

As for the second hand comment, most of Lita's stories were her own personal accounts from the time she knew Edna, after Edna's film career. The only 'second hand comment' he may refer to, is some Lita talked about Edna's career. But as the listeners learned, Edna never really talked about her film career to her.

The glasses Lita wore in the interview were her on choosing. Lita loved a bit of flair, as special glass frames showed. But, over the course of filming over three days (one hour each day), or even between breaks, Lita would change her glasses to her wire ones. We were not interested in fashion, but only talking about Edna, so left her choose whatever glasses she wanted to wear, and she felt comfortable in. That is all that mattered.

Just glad Mr. Cameron came to the conference and enjoyed the 'Angel from Nevada' presentation. There were many events to see, so very happy he took the time to see ours. Thanks, Mr. Cameron!

Niles Essanay Needs YOU!

Do you live in the San Francisco Bay area (by Fremont, California) and love silent films? The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum is looking for new volunteers to help with the store, office and tours. Contact Michael Bonham in Niles for more details. LINK

"Special note: We are in need of new volunteers to help our museum grow. We are looking for trainees to help out in the museum store doing inventory, stocking merchandise, or selling during our open hours. Retail sales experience is desired but not mandatory. Also, if you are interested in local history, silent film, and enjoy talking to people, we are in need of more docents (tour guides). If that interests you, we will provide all the materials and training you'll need. Take it from me, it's a fun job! If you have computer skills, we could use your help with data entry and and other related tasks. Just reply to this message and tell us what you'd like to do." - Michael Bonham, Niles

Chaplin Conference 2010

Finally back home, where my internet is easier to work with. Watch for a Chaplin Conference post coming... Meanwhile, if a fan on Edna Purviance's Leading Lady Facebook page, I have a few posts over there, for members to see.