Category Archives: Silent Film

The Films of 1911

Posted on November 5, 2011 by John Grant

On Monday, November 21, at 7:00 PM, the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, California presents “A Century Ago:  The Films of 1911.”  The program features several short films with the theme of “Heroes and Heroines,” and it spotlights … Continue reading →

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Kansas Silent Film Festival

Posted on October 28, 2011 by John Grant

The Kansas Silent Film Festival plans its 16th annual event for Friday, February 24 and Saturday February 25, 2012.  The festival, which takes place in Topeka, Kansas, offers free showings of silent films.  Although the Whether it is a sport … Continue reading →

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Shasta Silent Film

Posted on October 15, 2011 by John Grant

The city of Redding, California presents the Shasta County Art Council’s Silent Film Festival on October 21 and 22, 2011.  The lineup includes the following: Friday, October 21, 2011 — 6:00 PM:  “Angora Love” (Laurel and Hardy, 1929), “Pass the … Continue reading →

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Lon Chaney

Posted on September 28, 2011 by John Grant

In “He Who Gets Slapped,” a 1924 film starring Lon Chaney, John Gilbert, and Norma Shearer, Lon Chaney is cheated out of his fortune (for a successful invention) and then becomes a clown in a circus.  His act consists of … Continue reading →

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Shoes

Posted on September 21, 2011 by John Grant

“Shoes,” a 1916 drama directed by Lois Weber, tells the story of a poor girl working hard at a five and dime to support her family.  Her pay envelope barely keeps her family together and her father refuses to apply … Continue reading →

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The Woman Men Yearn For

Posted on September 15, 2011 by John Grant

Marlene Dietrich plays the title role in “The Woman Men Yearn For,” a film directed in 1929 by Curtis Bernhardt.  Charles boards a train with his wife to their honeymoon destination, but spots Marlene Dietrich’s character (Stascha) and instantly falls … Continue reading →

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Mr. Fix-It

Posted on September 7, 2011 by John Grant

Silent movies are not above having ridiculous plots, including ones that include mistaken identity.  In “Mr. Fix-It,” directed in 1918 by Allan Dwan, Douglas Fairbanks agrees to impersonate his Oxford University friend to his family.  The friend, who hasn’t seen his … Continue reading →

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The Goose Woman

Posted on August 31, 2011 by John Grant

In “The Goose Woman,” from 1925, Louise Dresser plays a woman prone to drink. A famous opera singer in the past, Dresser’s character lost her voice and her considerable talents and following when she conceived a son.  She takes to … Continue reading →

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The Blizzard

Posted on August 24, 2011 by John Grant

“The Blizzard,” directed by Mauritz Stiller in 1923, features a man dragged through the Swedish Arctic by a reindeer.  The man, out in the wilderness to herd the reindeer towards a big payday (they are used for meat, hides, antlers, … Continue reading →

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The Fire

Posted on August 17, 2011 by John Grant

As a fan of impressionistic filmmaking, I watched both this year’s “The Tree of Life” and “Last Year at Marienbad” from 1961.  The Tree of Life, directed by Terrance Malick,  proved to be an incredible journey across time and generations, … Continue reading →

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