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.

How Edna listened to music when traveling?

On February 5th, I asked, “How did Edna listen to music when she traveled?”

Edna listened to music on a Grippa Perophone. The Perophone was a portable record player that Edna would enjoy on trains, ships, or in a hotel room. Made in Britain, the player came in different models. Most models, pictured on the Web, show a 'stripped down' model consisting of a wooden box, with a leather handle.

Edna's was a deluxe model, with leather-covered wood, a floral cloth-covered interior, and a special key lock. All the pieces folded down inside. It needed no electricity or batteries. Operation was a simple wind-up process.

Exactly how old Edna's unit was, I don't know. The production dates for these units vary widely, with numerous models made from the 1920s through the 1930s. Edna's player was a higher-end model with a leather case, but I haven't seen any like Edna's pictured on the Web.

Here is link to the basic wood box model from the Powerhouse Musuem: LINK

Also, here is a video from the YouTube site of one of the basic wooden box models of the Grippa Perophone. LINK

In the 1920s and 1930s, people were THRILLED to have such a device, as we are enamored with iPods today. I may have a photo of Edna's Grippa Perophone in the future biography about Edna and her family.

Web Bits...

Just a couple of web articles that either feature or mention Chaplin:

Independent UK - United Artist anniversary

Beach Beacon, Florida - Silent Actress turns 103

And in the news department from Edna's and Charlie's homeland, while Northern Nevada had a strong earthquake recently, the UK had their strongest in years Wednesday morning (Feb. 27th). Both stories from the BBC website. (Note: Wells, NV. should be positioned a good 1/4 inch to the left on the BBC map, but right on the area it hit.)

And yes, Edna did experience an earthquake during her years in Nevada. The great San Francisco Earthquake of April 1906.

British Silent Cinema Festival 2008

April 3-6, 2008
British Silent Cinema Festival
Nottingham, UK

Rats, Ruffians and Radicals
The Globalisation of Crime and the British Silent Film



Some of the films planned included: Chicago (1927), The Rat (1925), The Whip (1917). Check this link for more details.


NOTE: If you clicked looking for Silent Lives by Lon Davis, the book was released February 28, 2008. I have it listed in our Silent Book section on Edna's site. Also see this link to a March 2008 Eugene, Oregon news story about the book and Lon Davis.

With the Oscars tonight, just showing the normal view of the hallway the 'stars' will be walking through this evening.

Only looking for a couple of things this year, since I don't go to films much, anymore. Like to see "Persepolis" win for best animated film (WD has won their share, over the years) and "The Golden Compass" for visual effects or art direction (they did do that well).

Otherwise, will see what silent stars might be shown in a clip or two and see how the host does this year. (I guess I enjoyed the show more back in the days when Johnny Carson hosted it. He could deliver something biting, but with class.)

Follow-up during a show break: Well, very nice to see "The Golden Compass" win for Best Visual Effects. I do wish "Persepolis" would have won. But did see Charlie Chaplin on the show, in a clip from 80 years of Oscar moments.

Favorite moments: Seeing the song "Falling Slowly" from Once win (song by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - also stars of the film). Classy moment of the evening was Jon Stewart allowing songwriter Marketa Irglova back on stage after the commercial break to let her give her acceptance speech, after see was cut off by Conti. One of the few real moments of the whole evening.

As for the show, it had its lowest TV rating ever.

Since I never mailed so many packages to different locations on the same day before, it is interesting to see how long it takes. In general, I can mail a package to Europe, the UK, or a small city area on the east coast faster than to California.

Thanks to everyone who have wrote back and let us know your package arrived. It really helps us, and we do care that you receive you package.

Eclipse

Working in the office when I remembered about the eclipse. Missed getting a picture of the orange coloured moon, but got a so, so photo through the office window as the shadow was leaving the moon.

TCM Charlie Chaplin Birthday!

April 16, 2008, Turner Classic Movies plans a full day of Charlie Chaplin films. more>

Films listed: The Great Dictator, Monsieur Verdoux, A Dog's Life, Limelight, A King in New York, The Chaplin Revue, and Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin.

Bits and Pieces

Well, it is hard to believe but February is really going by fast!

Sunday is the Oscars! So I will be ready to watch, even though I ready don't know the new stars that well, being a classic film fan. (Wonder if Charlie will show up in a clip, somewhere?) The main reason I watch certain parts anymore.

Today, I shipped off another group of packages, so check your email for information on your orders. Also, we decided to pull the poster off of international sells. We will continue to sell posters in the USA until I find a new way to ship the posters outside the USA. Mailing tubes are not the best thing to send through customs, causing long delays in deliveries. So far, except for a couple of long deliveries, all the books have been going out just fine!

On another front, exciting news on the web today as one of our longtime friends and fans, Garen Ewing, is mentioned for a new UK comic he is working on that includes a group of other talented artist and writers. Of the six new comics mentioned for this new weekly UK comic book called DFC, one of the strips is written by writer Philip Pullman.

We all wish Garen the very best with his brand new comic creation.

(I will place a link on the side to the DFC. The site opens soon...)

Update: Sad news about The DFC. The comic publication has been put up for sale by Random House. If not sold by March 27, 2009, the comic will stop publication at issue #43.

Chaplin Library Latest Page Updated 2/08

I (along with the help of Dominique Dugros) have been spending a great deal of this Presidents' Day weekend working on the Chaplin Library and Database. While the database could use more work, here and there, is it near enough to go public pretty soon. (I can't tell you how much I really love having the database. Very nice to work with.)

I have entered all the books I have on file from Dominique's current Charlie Chaplin book collection. All the books are now on the Latest Page.

There are over 120 books on this page now and deciding if it will be possible to add to the regular library. It is becoming a problem in updating due to the number of books Dominique has (over 520).

All the books are now in the database. Since the database is so much easier to update, I am leaning toward that option, but keeping the regular library up, as well. More soon... LINK

Sea Gull update

February 14th, 2008 I finally got all my backlog of orders in the post. Except for a few I am waiting to get the email and mailing addresses confirmed, all other books are in the post. Please check your emails if you have ordered a book. There are some on hold, until I do have the confirmed address.

We also had several more orders this week, which has cut into our new stock, but we still have books ready to mail. Next mailing date is February 19th. Monday is Presidents' Day (bank holiday in the USA) and there is no weekend mailing from my area.

Special thanks again to everyone who have wrote back confirming they have gotten their books. It helps us in keeping track. Email and mail is the only contact we have with people, so it really does help. Thanks for everyones support.

May 2008 Postage Rates going up!

May 12, 2008 the post office will increase their postage rates again! This not only includes first-class stamps to 42 cents, but other mail too (Priority, Express, Media Mail, special package services, etc.). Exactly how much on the other items will be announced later.

Here is a LINK to the current information on the postal website.

This does mean I will have to increase my shipping prices to cover all the new charges. But I will not increase until the new rates take effect. You have to remember it is not only the mailing rate to you that increases, but all the items shipped to me for the project increases (printed books, packaging material, office supplies for the project, etc.). So we have to cover all these added cost to keep the project going.

I won't change the base book price, unless the printer changes their cost per book.

April 2008 - Here is a link to the latest about the NEW POSTAGE RATES for 2008

Update from the Post Office: "We will announce new prices for shipping services — Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, and International Mail — in March."

Roy Scheider dies from Cancer

Roy Scheider has died in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was 75 years old. His many films included Jaws, All that Jazz and 2010. He was working on new films, while being treated for cancer.

The Sea Gull books in stock!

Finally! I received several shipments of books today that will not only clear out my backlog of orders (which I will ship out on Monday), but creates a new stock of books ready to order and ship out soon, instead of waiting for printing!

The plan is to have a stock of books on hand from here on out. So for now, we do have a stock of The Sea Gull books on hand and can ship once your payment clears.

For fans with orders, watch your emails next week on information on your order.

The Sea Gull is only available at ednapurviance.com