Still busy working on Edna's family bio during the free time after work. Meanwhile, be sure to tune into Turner Classic Movies on Thursday evenings, starting September 6th, for a full evening of Mack Sennett silent film comics, throughout the month of September!

Sorry for the lack of new post, as I continued to work on Edna's family biography.

MK2 vs. Image

I have mentioned before how much I prefer the Image Entertainment DVD collection, over the later MK2. One reason is the film quality. On many of the MK2 Chaplin films (USA version), the contrast is just too high, losing too much detail in the highlights, shadows and mid-tone areas. This is just a couple of examples, but I could put up dozens. It's just sad to see so much detail that Rollie originally had, lost.

LINK TO LAST POST ON TOPIC

Working away on Edna's bio

Finally got a bit more free time to work on Edna's family bio! So posts will continue here, and activities on Edna Purviance's Facebook Fan page continues (currently going through Charlie Chaplin's films, one at a time, as I have done with Edna in the past). Also, I have updated The Chaplin Library recently with some new books from Dominique's collection and spot updates on DVDs. Meanwhile, back to working on Edna's family book! Stay tuned!

Show People DVD-R Release

June 15, 2012

Show People on DVD-R

Great film that deserves better

At first I was excited, until I read the details. On June 15, 2012, Warner released a DVD-R of Show People. It's an on demand recording from an original video tape. It comes with warnings about not playing on many devices and not remastered. It's also only available in the US from the Warner Shop and also Amazon, and maybe others places. I can't say I am thrilled about paying about $20 for this, but if it's the only way you can see it, it's not the best quality, and all buyers should beware. Thanks to Pam (SilentLondon), for locating the link. MORE

The Rainbow Orchid in Dutch, Spanish & French!

Exciting news!

The Rainbow Orchid

by comic artist and writer, Garen Ewing,

will be published in Spanish AND French!

La Orquidea Arcoiris and L'Orchidée Arc-en-ciel

More details to come, but the scheduled release is Christmas/New Year Season 2012/2013! With a special French box set edition to be release from France. I can't tell you how excited I am about this! Huge congratulations to Garen! He has worked very hard for years for something grand like this, so very well deserved! (English and Dutch edition are available now!) MORE INFORMATION

And extra thrill, as an Edna fan, as Edna is mentioned in the series, and Lily Lawrence (leading lady character, along with Julius Chancer) is a silent film star. A tip of the hat to Charlie Chaplin, as well, as he is mentioned in this great adventure. If you don't have it, GET IT!

EXTRA
Dominique and I translates this to French a couple of years back... 10 minute version from our interview:

Latest Silent Film Listening

From the private collection of Ben Model, more from Nigel and Jose, and the latest Silent London Podcast! 

July 4, 1918 - US Troops march in Paris, France




The Story of the Star Spangled - starring Frank Holland
Ben is looking for more information on this one.
If you know something of interest, leave a note on Ben's YouTube comments.




The latest Audio Commentary video from ChaplinCast - Mabel at the Wheel
with Nigel and Jose




AND Silent London Podcast
Presenters share their thoughts on the films of Keaton and Chaplin, and more, on the latest Silent London Podcast! LINK

Charlie Chaplin 1952 Audio Interview

Here is an excellent chance to hear Charlie Chaplin from this 1952 interview in London, just before the premiere of LIMELIGHT. This was after he wasn't allowed back to the USA, but this interview is about his film work, not the problems surrounding him, at the moment. LINK

What Edna's fans have been up to!

A look around at my Edna followers...

Ben Model, well-known silent film composer, Rare Silent Comedy Film Shorts. Every two weeks on Wednesday, Ben will be releasing a very rare, if not, only known print, from his private silent film collection, to share with fans around the world. You will find these on his YouTube Channel. All films with new music, created by Ben. He also has a new podcast, which has replaced his written blog. It's available through iTunes!

Ayşe Behçet, has been writing a series of articles about her favorite star, Charlie Chaplin, for the Silent London blog. Being from South London, it has her own personal take about the little fellow. And joining into the ever increasing podcast world, Silent London, also has their own podcast program now.

Nigel Dreiner has created his own tribute to Charlie Chaplin, with is new commentary audio, on each of Chaplin's films, with his co-partner, Jose. The first two are on Youtube. Here is a look at Kid Auto Races:

Shana Dennis, another huge Chaplin fan, is helping with the latest screening of Chaplin films, and others, in Newcastle, Australia, June 30th. To kick things off, the town has opened a special modern look back at the silent era, with a special art exhibit at the ARThives. More details on the screening and gallery show here.


And Garen Ewing will have his The Complete Rainbow Orchid book available this coming September, in the USA and UK.

This wonderful, beautifully drawn adventure series features silent film star, Lily Lawrence, who happens to be a good friend of Edna Purviance (who makes a cameo appearance in Volume One). It's a longtime favorite here, and should be in every Edna collection! The best place to order is through Garen's Rainbow Orchid Shop, for personal signed and sketched editions, or follow his links to other online sellers. Check Garen's event list for personal appearances in the UK.

Pictured is the special three volume box set, hardcover Dutch edition.

The Silent Era art show and screening

The Silent Era
Group Exhibition
A modern look back, at the silent film era.

ARThive Gallery
Newcastle, Australia

Now through June 24th

Part of the celebration, leading up to the showing of four silent films on June 30, 2012,  by the Sydney, Australia Silent Film Festival, in the city of Newcastle. Great chance for new fans to discover silent films through the artist work presented and see four actual films from the era. Learn more at Shana Dennis' Newcastle's Silent Film Fun Factory. Great job, Shana, and everyone!

Charlie Chaplin Days!

Charlie Chaplin Days!

June 2 and 3, 2012

Fremont, California

at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum!

More details at this LINK

Youth International Silent Film Festival

May 22, 23 and 24, 2012
Youth International Silent Film Festival

Hollywood Theatre

Portland, Oregon

The third annual event will kick off this week at the Hollywood Theatre. Easy to get to by the Portland MAX Train. Just about a two block walk north of the Hollywood Station, behind Trader Joe's market. See this link for more details about event and theatre.

1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Remembering the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
5:12 AM - April 18, 1906

The Artist DVD and BluRay Release June 26th!

THE ARTIST
DVD AND BLU-RAY RELEASE
JUNE 26, 2012
more details

26th edition of Cineteca di Bologna

Cineteca di Bologna
Bologna, Italy
June, Saturday 23 through Saturday 30 2012
26th edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato

(Re)discovering Cinephilia

For several editions Il Cinema Ritrovato has managed to gather the finest cinephiles from around the world. This year we would like to discuss, listen and share opinions on the current status of cinephilia, or what can be defined as such. We feel that the present fragility of cinema – at least cinema as we known it - makes this discussion even more urgent.

Photo: Louise Brooks in Prix de Beauté by Augusto Genina (1930)

Piazza Maggiore will host two of many unmissable events for all cinephiles: the Orchestra of Teatro Comunale di Bologna will accompany Timothy Brock’s new score to Augusto Genina’s Prix de Beauté (Louise Brooks last European role) commissioned by the Orchestre National de Lyon in cooperation with the Institut Lumière; and a brand new restoration of La grande illusion - by Studio Canal and the Cinémathèque de Toulouse.


After the Great Crash. Cinema and the 1929 Crisis

As the Wall Street Crash of 1929 changed the world, cinema registered the earthquake that followed in different ways, some of the most immediate and ‘literal’ examples were not always the most interesting ones. The aftermath of the Great Depression translated into financial crisis, unemployment, the gap between the poor and the rich growing obscenely wider and people still ‘dancing on the edge of the volcano’ as World War II was approaching.

This atmosphere produced films like Seifenblasen (Dudow), New Earth (Ivens), Man's Castle (Borzage), Hard to Handle (LeRoy), Sonnenstrahl (Fejos), Darò un millione (Camerini) and Komödie om Geld (Ophuls), as well as the Swedish Petterson och Bendel by Per-Axel Brenner, probably the first European anti-Semitic film. Julien Duvivier’s 1933 masterpiece D avid Golder - adapted by Irène Némirowsky’s novel and with the great Harry Baur – will open the series.

Photo: Man’s Castle by Frank Borzage (1933)

Ivan Pyr’ev, Mosfilm’s Enigma

Following last year’s discovery of Boris Barnet’s delightful works, we are now paying a tribute to another Soviet master of musical films, comedy and drama. Undoubtedly, some of Pyr’ev’s films, such as The Party Card or Kuban Cossacks, a colourful celebration of Kolhoz happiness, are historically ambiguous to say the least, but how can we but admire an artist who was able to represent a gigantic fraud with such a vision, musicality and humour? Mostly known for his musicals, starring his wife Marina Ladynina, Pyr’ev made several films which are in no way inferior to the more popular production by Grigorj Alexandrov (and his wife Ljubov Orlova) and reached its peak with At Six o'clock after the War (1944), one of the most extraordinary films on the Second World War. Pyr’ev certainly worked for the regime but he certainly was no second rate director.

He was genuinely interested in the national folklore and in the ‘classics’ and had an eye for entertainment. At his best, like in the colour film Song of Siberia, Pyr’ev was a true poet. This programme is curated by Olaf Möller.

Photo: Kuban Cossaks by Ivan Pyr’ev (1950) (Austria Film Museum Collections)

Mrs Hitchcock a.k.a Alma Reville

Alma Reville, wife of Alfred Hitchcock, was a major influence on his work but she also had a filmmaking career of her own, both before and after their marriage in 1926. She started as editor's assistant and continuity girl and was senior to her future husband when they met at the Famous-Players-Lasky studio in Islington in the early 1920s. Alma was Assistant Director on Hitch’s first solo film, The Pleasure Garden, and he proposed on the boat home from Germany. Alma worked on nearly all of her husband’s films, either credited or more informally - they were famously spent their evenings discussing the day’s filming and refining their work.

Alma had a particular talent for continuity, editing and story structure and this is evident in the films she made with her husband like Murder! (1930) and those she made independently of her husband such as The Consta nt Nymph (1928),The First Born (1928 ), After the Verdict (1929). This programme is curated by Bryony Dixon (British Film Institute National Archive).

Photo: Alma Reville and Alfred Hitchock (BFI Stills Posters and Designs Collection)

Japan Speaks Out! The First Talkies from the Rising Sun

In the United States and Western Europe, the transition to sound was rapid and practically complete by around 1930. In Japan, the process was slower and more gradual. Japan’s silent films were routinely accompanied by speech from a live narrator, the benshi, and early experiments with direct sound, were in progress as early as the mid-1920s. But sound films did not form the majority until 1936, and silents continued to be made until the outbreak of World War II. This retrospective, showing over two years, will explore the rich cinema of the transitional era, with a particular focus on the creative uses to which Japanese filmmakers put the emerging sound technology. 

From acknowledged masters such as Kenji Mizoguchi to neglected artists like Yasujiro Shimazu and Sotoji Kimura, filmmakers responded creatively to the challenges and opportunities of sound, producing a rich mixture of part-talkies, documentaries, musicals, and dramas united by their determination to exploit the new possibilities of sound cinema. This programme is curated by Alexander Jacoby and Johan Nordström, in collaboration with the National Film Center of Tokyo.

Photo: Namiko by Eizo Tanaka (1932) (From the National Film Centre of Tokyo)

(Latest Press Release from II Cinema Ritrovato)

For more details contact ll Cinema Ritrovato - LINK