Monthly Archives: September 2012

Carnival in Flanders

Posted on September 29, 2012 by John Grant

Everybody should see the 1935 film called “La Kermesse Héroïque (Carnival in Flanders),” which stars the wonderful and gifted Françoise Rosay as the wife of the Burgomaster in a Flemish village.  When Spanish invaders take over the town, the men flee but … Continue reading →

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The Red Mill

Posted on September 26, 2012 by John Grant

“The Red Mill,” a 1927 silent picture starring Marion Davies, features Davies as Tina, a drudge and servant girl in Holland who falls in love with foreign visitor Dennis, played by Owen Moore.  Tina and Dennis skate together along the … Continue reading →

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Dimitrios

Posted on September 23, 2012 by John Grant

Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet team up once again in “The Mask of Dimitrios,” released in 1944 by Warner Brothers and directed by Jean Negulesco.  Lorre plays a Dutch detective story writer named Cornelius Leyden who becomes obsessed with a Greek … Continue reading →

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The River

Posted on September 20, 2012 by John Grant

An Indian film directed by Jean Renoir called “Le Fleuve (The River)” came out in 1951.  Its glorious color photography by Claude Renoir captures the sites along the Ganges River.  The story involves a  British family that runs a jute … Continue reading →

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The Merry Widow

Posted on September 17, 2012 by John Grant

Last night, TCM exposed countless millions to Erich von Stroheim’s 1925 classic, “The Merry Widow,” starring John Gilbert, Mae Murray and Roy D’Arcy.  Gilbert plays Prince Danilo in a strange European country called Monteblanco, where his cousin, Crown Prince Mirko … Continue reading →

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Artistic Pictures

Posted on September 14, 2012 by John Grant

The 31st Pordenone Silent Film Festival, scheduled for October 6 to October 13, 2012, will show a program called “The Stories of W. W. Jacobs.”  Jacobs, an English fiction writer, wrote humorous stories, but is best known for a 1902 … Continue reading →

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The Savage Girl

Posted on September 11, 2012 by John Grant

“The Savage Girl,” an interesting pre-code film made by Monarch Film Corporation in 1932, tells the story of an eccentric and drunk millionaire (Amos P. Stitch) who hires a professor to travel to Africa, catch wild animals, and stock Stitch’s private zoo. … Continue reading →

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Anna Sten

Posted on September 8, 2012 by John Grant

At the 31st Pordenone Silent Film Festival, we’ll get a feeling for why Samuel Goldwyn brought Anna Sten to America.  He saw a major star in her after seeing her Soviet and German films.  But although a great beauty,  Sten … Continue reading →

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Sparrows

Posted on September 5, 2012 by John Grant

A local gardener, Charlie, told me that, at the age of 5, he met Mary Pickford in 1927 in Anaheim, California.  He still remembers that day well; any five-year old who met Pickford at that time must have thought of … Continue reading →

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Night and the City

Posted on September 2, 2012 by John Grant

The remarkable Richard Widmark and Jules Dassin team up in the 1950 thriller called “Night and the City,” which also stars Gene Tierney and Googie Withers.  Widmark plays Harry Fabian, a con man who always looks for a bigger score. … Continue reading →

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