Yearly Archives: 2013

Heartbeat

Posted on June 19, 2013 by John Grant

The 1938 French film “Le Schpountz,” was released as “Heartbeat” in the USA; however, the English title hardly makes sense since the lead character is referred to as Le Schpountz throughout the film.  A Schpountz is a foolish fellow, perhaps … Continue reading →

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The Pleasure Garden

Posted on June 16, 2013 by John Grant

Alfred Hitchcock’s directorial debut, “The Pleasure Garden,” a silent feature released in 1926, portrays the stories of two chorus women who work in a famous London nightclub called The Pleasure Garden Theater.  A recent restoration of the film by the … Continue reading →

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Silent Film Resources

Posted on June 13, 2013 by John Grant

Since the San Francisco Silent Film Festival will present its “Hitchcock 9” special event starting tomorrow,  I thought I’d mention the excellent “Resources” page on the silentfilm.org website: http://www.silentfilm.org/about/resources Impotence is said to be a sexual issue where in a … Continue reading →

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Kim

Posted on June 10, 2013 by John Grant

It’s always a pleasure to see Errol Flynn performing in a movie.  With Flynn, you can count on adventure, a big story and lots of confident humor.  Although “Kim,’ a 1950 color film, features a boy as the main character, … Continue reading →

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Tom Dick and Harry

Posted on June 7, 2013 by John Grant

Even the lightest of films works better with a good cast, and that’s the case with “Tom Dick and Harry.”  The 1941 film directed by Henry Hathaway stars Ginger Rogers as Janie, a ditsy telephone operator who dreams of marriage … Continue reading →

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Seven Thieves

Posted on June 4, 2013 by John Grant

A Monte Carlo caper movie with Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger and Joan Collins sounds like a winner, so I was happy to watch “Seven Thieves.”  Robinson plays a disgraced professor (Theo Wilkins) who wants to do something big before … Continue reading →

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How Green Was My Valley

Posted on June 1, 2013 by John Grant

“How Green Was My Valley,” the 1941 film directed by John Ford, tells the story in flashback of a Welsh coal mining village and how the Morgan family adjusts and changes through trials of economic uncertainty, dangerous working conditions, labor … Continue reading →

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The Last Command

Posted on May 31, 2013 by John Grant

Josef von Sternberg, who directed “The Blue Angel” in 1930, is responsible for a number of excellent silent films, including “The Last Command (1928).”  The Last Command stars Emil Jannings as a Russian emigre in 1920s Hollywood.  As a general … Continue reading →

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Ballad of a Soldier

Posted on May 28, 2013 by John Grant

Grigorly Chukhray’s “Ballad of a Soldier,” a 1959 Soviet film, manages to perfectly blend an effective love story, a road picture, and an antiwar message into a poetic and moving visual and emotional experience.  The Russian language movie stars Vladimir … Continue reading →

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San Francisco Silent Film Festival

Posted on May 25, 2013 by John Grant

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival announces their program for the 2013 festival, showing at the Castro Theater in San Francisco, CA.  The program includes the comedy classics “The Patsy” and “Safety Last,” and also features the innovative dramas “The … Continue reading →

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