'Smilethon' Labor Day Weekend!

For the Labor Day holiday I will be continuing my 'Smile' postings with a 'Smilethon' weekend with the many different versions of 'Smile' with this early 'kick-off' disco version from 1975 by Pino Presti. So come by for a listen for an old favorite or a 'brand new' version!

Pino Presti, Italian disco version of 'Smile' from 1975.


Note: 'Smile' lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons (1954). First recorded by Nat King Cole (1954). Modern Times theme music (1936) by Charlie Chaplin, with the help of arrangers Edward Powell, David Raksin, and music director Alfred Newman. More about SMILE. Charlie Chaplin MUSIC.

Timi Yuro and David Whifield 'Smile'

More versions of 'Smile' as we look at the different recorded versions of 'Smile' over the years.

Soulful version from American R&B singer, Timi Yuro



British tenor, David Whifield



Note: 'Smile' lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons (1954). First recorded by Nat King Cole (1954). Modern Times theme music (1936) by Charlie Chaplin, with the help of arrangers Edward Powell, David Raksin, and music director Alfred Newman. More about SMILE. Charlie Chaplin MUSIC.

"Smile" by Sammy Davis and Dean Martin

Continuing with the different versions of 'Smile'

Sammy Davis Jr. singing 'Smile' on the Jerry Lewis Telethon:





Dean Martin on his comedy hour show:

Tony Bennett's 'Smile'

'Smile' has been recorded by many, so for the next several postings, I am going to post one each day of the most popular recordings of 'Smile.' These will not be in any order.

First posting, Tony Bennett's.



Smile lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons (1954)
Music by Charlie Chaplin (1936) part of the music score for 'Modern Times'

The Great New England Hurricane

It was a September day in 1938. People were just going about their business, like any other day, not knowing a hurricane was on it's way... Amazing footage, from some brave cameraman.

The Great New England 1938 Hurricane

The latest trailer for 'The Artist'

The latest updated trailer for 'The Artist' (2011). The scheduled release is November 23rd.
UPDATE: Just saw it recently (TWICE) and just LOVED IT! Special film, in itself.

Newcastle Silent Film Screening!

November 12 and 13, 2011
Australia's Silent Film Festival
Newcastle Screenings
Greater Union

Charlie Chaplin Mutuals, Buster Keaton in The General, Harold Lloyd and the film Nosferatu all on schedule with live music. Visit the Newcastle Silent Film Fun Factory for the latest details!

'The Sea Gull' book at Newcastle Library!

What an exciting surprise today! 'The Sea Gull' A Woman of the Sea' by Linda Wada, is now part of the Newcastle Library collection in Newcastle, Australia! This great surprise, thanks to Shana Dennis, founder of Newcastle's Silent Film Fun Factory.

Shana, with help from the Australia Silent Film Festival, will have their first silent film event this November 12 and 13th, 2011 in Newcastle. If you live in Australia and love silent films, please support these events and follow Shana's site for the latest. 

Also, for all silent film fans in New Zealand and Australia area, check out and support the silent film event in New Zealand at the Opotiki's Silent Film Festival.

Edna Purviance October Birthday 2011 event!

Edna Purviance's
October 21st Birthday Drawing!
Chance to win a copy of 'The Sea Gull'!
DEADLINE TO ENTER - Oct. 20th - NOON Pacific Time

Click on the image to the Official Entry Form!
Update: Thanks for all the entries this week from east to west coast and overseas!

Edna Purviance birthday 2011 event coming SOON!

October 21 is Edna Purviance's birthday. Watch Edna's official home site for details for our first event coming very soon!

47th Annual Cinecon Classic Film Festival

From Janet Hoffmann:

The 47^th annual Cinecon classic Film Festival at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California held over Labor Day Weekend, September 1-5, 2011, will pay tribute to the National Film Preservation Foundation with screenings of two recent NFPF funded projects, The Active Life of Dolly the Dailies– Episode 5, The Chinese Fan, produced by Thomas A. Edison, Inc. in 1914 and starring Mary Fuller as ace reporter Dolly Desmond; and Stronger than Death, released in 1920 by Metro Pictures, starring legendary Russian actress Alla Nazimova.

The Active Life of Dolly the Dailies was presented by the Academy Film Archive through a collaboration of the New Zealand Film Archive, the National Film Preservation Foundation, and the American archival community.  Stronger Than Death was preserved by the George Eastman House through a grant funded by the National Film Preservation Foundation.

The National Film Preservation Foundation is the independent, nonprofit organization created by the U.S. Congress to help save America’s film heritage.  Growing from a national planning effort led by the Library of Congress, the NFPF began operations in 1997.  It works directly with archives to rescue endangered films that will not survive without public support.

The NFPF provides resources that enable libraries, museums, historical societies, archives and universities to save American films not preserved by commercial interests.

Federal monies are authorized through The Library of Congress Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs Reauthorization Act of 2008 and secured through the Library of Congress, with which the NFPF is affiliated.  These act as an incentive to donors who “match” the federal funds with private contributions of cash and preservation services.

The Active Life of Dolly of the Dailies and Stronger Than Death are two of nearly forty rare and unusual films to be screening during the five-day Cinecon Classic Film Festival.  Other title scheduled included Raymond Griffith’s Civil War comedy Hands Up! (1926); Stormy Weather (1943) featuring legendary black entertainers Lena Horne, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Cab Calloway, Thomas “Fats” Waller and the Nicholas Brothers; Beauty’s Worth (1922) produced by newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst and starring Marion Davies; Blazing Days (1927) an early effort by future Oscar-winning director William Wyler; and The Brasher Doubloon (1947) a film noir classic based on Raymond Chandler’s novel, The High Window, with George Montgomery in the role of detective Phillip Marlowe.

In addition to the film screenings, Cinecon offers a movie memorabilia and collectibles show during the festival at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, 1755 North Highland Avenue in Hollywood.

Among those being honored with the Cinecon Career Achievement Award during the September 4, 2011 awards banquet are actors Julie Adams, James Lydon and Fay McKenzie.

Julie Adams moved to California in the 1940s and worked as a secretary while studying acting.  After landing a small role in Paramount’s Red Hot and Blue (1949), she appeared in seven films James Ellison-Russell Hayden westerns for Lippert Pictures under her real name, Betty Adams.  She was signed by Universal Studios in 1949 and renamed Julia Adams, before settling on Julie Adams as her professional name in the early 1950s.  Among Julie’s best-remembered films are The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954), Hollywood Story (1951), Bend in the River (1952), Six Bridges to Cross (1955) and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957).

Jimmy Lydon made his Broadway stage debut in the 1937 play Western Waters.  Entering films in 1939, Jimmy appeared in such films as Tom Brown’s School Days (1940), The Mad Martindales (1942), Life with Father (1947), and The time of Your Life (1948), but will always be remembered for his role as teenager Henry Aldrich in the 1941- 1944 Paramount Pictures series.  Lydon starred in The First Hundred years on CBS, TV’s first daytime drama – or soap opera.  In the 1950s, Lydon started to split his time between assignments behind as well as in front of the camera, helping to create 77 Sunset Strip (1958) and becoming a TV production executive.

Fay McKenzie began her film career as a child in silent pictures.  Among her early films was the 1924 Photoplay Medal winner, The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln.  As a teenager in the early 1930s, Fay appeared in a number of poverty row oaters with the likes of Wally Wales and Buddy Roosevelt.  Fay is best remembered for her work with Gene Autry at Republic Pictures, where she was the feminine interest in Down Mexico Way (141), Sierra Sue (1941) Home in Wyomin’ (1942), Heart of the Rio Grande (1942) and Cowboy Serenade (1942).  She also appeared in a number of films for director Blake Edwards, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) and The Party (1968).

Previous Cinecon Career Achievement Award honorees include Don Murray, Celeste Holm, Luise Rainer, Roger Corman, Rose Marie, Mickey Rooney, Diane Baker, Rhonda Fleming, Marilyn Knowlden, Ray Harryhausen and many others.  Through its 45 year history other Cinecon honorees include such Hollywood legends as Colleen Moore, Myrna Loy, Hal Roach, Burgess Meredith, Alice Faye, Jean Simmons, Fayard Nicholas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Eleanor Powell, Jackie Cooper, Ruby Keeler, Jane Russell and directors Robert Wise, Delbert Mann, Vincent Sherman and Budd Boetticher.

For more details and registration information, visit the Cinecon Classic Film Festival. Thanks to Janet Hoffmann.

Happy Birthday, Lucy! Charlie Chaplin style

Happy 100th Birthday to Lucille Ball! Here is Lucy from 1962, playing Charlie Chaplin with Vivian Vance.

Charlie Chaplin look-a-likes, 1927 style

Delightful look back to the 1920s in Martinez, California on San Pablo Bay. A slice of real life, that includes the school children of the day, dressing up like Charlie Chaplin. Film about 14 minutes. Enjoy!