Category Archives: Silent Film

Antarctica Up Close

Posted on August 8, 2011 by John Grant

“The Great White Silence” (1924), a UK produced film that screened at this year’s San Francisco Silent Film Festival, contains wonderful footage from Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated attempt to reach and return from the South Pole.  When Scott arrived at … Continue reading →

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Silent Ozu

Posted on July 31, 2011 by John Grant

Yasujiro Ozu made three outstanding films in the late 1940s and early 1950s.  Better known as the “Noriko Trilogy,” the films included “Late Spring,” from 1949, “Early Summer,” from 1951, and “Tokyo Story,” from 1953.  All three pictures include wonderful … Continue reading →

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Silent Huckleberry Finn

Posted on July 26, 2011 by John Grant

This month, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival screened the 1920 version of “Huckleberry Finn.”  Directed by William Desmond Taylor, the film presents a grittier version of Mark Twain’s story.  Huckleberry Finn, played by Lewis Sargent, projects the rough and … Continue reading →

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“Upstream” by John Ford

Posted on July 23, 2011 by John Grant

The 2011 San Francisco Silent Film Festival featured a number of films from well-known directors showing their early expertise in films not seen for many decades.  The festival began with John Ford’s 1927 comedy “Upstream.”  The plot includes a group … Continue reading →

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Silent Films Announced

Posted on May 25, 2011 by John Grant

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival announces its schedule for the July 2011 event.  The films include the following: Thursday, July 14 7:00 PM Upstream 9:00 PM Opening Night Party 9:15 PM Sunrise Friday, July 15 11:00 AM Amazing Tales … Continue reading →

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A Night to Remember

Posted on April 22, 2011 by John Grant

On Sunday, May 1, at 5:00 PM, the San Francisco International Film Festival presents “Retour de Flamme:  Rare and Restored Films in 3-D.”  Retour de flamme means “flashback” in English.  Serge Bromberg, an engaging showman, producer and film preservationist, presents … Continue reading →

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Music for Silent Movies

Posted on March 22, 2011 by John Grant

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival recently got together with SFJazz to sponsor a showing of Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 film “The Kid.”  Marc Ribot played guitar at the event, held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts here in … Continue reading →

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A Silent Opera

Posted on February 18, 2011 by John Grant

“La Boheme,” the final film shown at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival’s Winter Event, tells the story of a group of impoverished artists who share an apartment building in Paris.  The 1926 MGM movie stars Lillian Gish and John … Continue reading →

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Wonderful Faces

Posted on February 16, 2011 by John Grant

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival’s presentation of “L’argent,” a French film from 1928 directed by Marcel L’Herbier (on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at the Castro Theater in San Francisco) provided a rare treat to all who saw it.  This … Continue reading →

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Best Festival

Posted on February 14, 2011 by John Grant

Every year, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival presents a 4 day summer program in February and a 1 day winter program in July.  The festival presented an excellent program on Saturday, July 12, 2011, beginning with 3 Charles Chaplin … Continue reading →

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