gagman66
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Posts posted by gagman66
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movieman1957,
Yes, Chaplin learned to play the Piano, Violin, and Cello strictly By Ear, and became very skilled at all three. He had remarkable musical instincs.
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Wendy,
Chaplin had several melodies that became the basis for popular songs, besides SMILE, originally recorded by Nat King Cole. A top 10 record in 1953.
Just a few of the others were.
TOY WALTZ (MODERN TIMES)
ETERNALLY, The Terry Theme, From LIMELIGHT (Big Hit for Jerry Vale in the late 50's. )
SPRING SONG and MANDELION SERANADE (A KING IN NEW YORK)
THIS IS MY SONG (A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG)
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mickeeteeze.
This phenomenal sequence can not possibly be done justice with Still captures, bu I tried to give a sense of what it is like to those who have never seen it before. Which includes plenty of people, because I hear over and over from new Silent film fans, that they have "Never Seen THE BIG PARADE".
Wendy,
Renee Adoree was an astonishingly gifted actress, and a very lovely woman. It is so tragic that she died just 8 years after THE BIG PARADE was released. I personally like Her with Gilbert, much better than I do with Garbo. Greta's fan's may bulk, but I don't think Garbo could have pulled off this sequence anywhere near as effectively.
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This is part 6 in a series, of still Captures from King Vidor's Silent mMovie Masterpiece THE BIG PARADE (1925). Starring John Gilbert, and Renee Adoree. With Karl Dane, and Tom O'Brien
New orders are rushed to the base. With in seconds the entire somber setting is transformed! It's time to get serious this is it! "The Call To The Front" for Jimmy's unit at last! The soldier's hastily pack up there bundles, don their dough-boy hats, and head for transport.
A command whistle snaps Jimmy out of his despair. As the regiment assembles, Melsande notice the rushing infantry, and vehicles scurrying to embark on their journey of doom. The blow-up over Justyne is quickly forgotten. All she knows is that she must see JImmy again, if even briefly, for what could be the last time. Pushing her way, through the throngs, Jimmy is just as desperate to make amends, before it is to late.
In the back of a Laree, He finally spots Melisande frantically searching though the crowd. A powder-Keg of emotions explodes between the devoted couple in a sequence that holds it's own with the great movie moments before or since.
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This is part 6 in a series, of still Captures from King Vidor's Silent Movie Masterpiece THE BIG PARADE (1925). Starring John Gilbert, and Renee Adoree. With Karl Dane, and Tom O'Brien
New orders are rushed to the base. With in seconds the entire somber setting is transformed! It's time to get serious. This is it! "The Call To The Front" for Jimmy's unit at last! The soldier's hastily pack up there bundles, don their dough-boy caps, and head for transport.
A whistle snaps Jimmy out of his despair. As the regiment assembles, Melsande notice the rushing infantry, and vehicles scurrying to embark on their journey of doom. The blow-up over Justyne is quickly forgotten. All she knows is that she must see JImmy again, if even briefly, for what could be the last time. Pushing her way, through the throngs, Jimmy is just as desperate to make amends, before it is to late.
In the back of a Laree, He finally spots Melisande frantically searching though the crowd. A powder-Keg of emotions explodes between the devoted couple in a sequence that holds it's own with the great movie moments before or since.
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laffite,
I have THE BIG PARADE on DVD-R from the Memorial Day 1994 TCM Broadcast. The last time any version of the film was shown. As I explained the new restoration was expected to be ready for broadcast much sooner than it has turned out to be.
TCM programmer has been holding out for the latest restoration to be made avaliable. Thus He has chose not to air the older version. I expect a a well hyped Prime-time premier once the new-master is able to be broadcast. Unfortunately, this has left the movie in limbo on TCM for the past 4 years.
I also have the Thames Silent's presentation produced by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill in 1983, from 2 different MGM Laser-disc transfers to DVD-R format.
The laser-disc was released in approximately 1993 by MGM Home Video. Though long out, of print, there are copies around. However, you need a good working Laser-disc player to watch them, or even transfer them to DVD-R, or DVD+R. Many people don't even know what a Laser-disc player looks like.
I have dozens of Laser-disc's that I and various friends have transferred to DVD-R over the years. The TCM print, and the Thames one of the film both have the same Carl Davis score, based on the William Axt-David Mendoza original, but the opening credits on TCM are of the 1931, re-issue credits. While the laser-disc contains the original production credits from 1925.
I am using ATI Capture on these with my All And Wonder Video card, to generate the stills. The next chapter of THE BIG PARADE, is where the story really gets intense, and it contains one of the greatest most powerful scenes in all of motion picture history. I have those captures ready to go and will post them
tomorrow afternoon sometime.
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Here is part 5 of 8 in a series of Still captures from King Vidor's Silent Movie Masterpiece THE BIG PARADE (1925). Starring John Gilbert, and Renee Adoree.
Mail call, brings Joy and despair. "Bull" doesn't read French. Ahh, but his Buddy in the Outfit, "Big Brain" does! Though apparently not out loud? Keeping the steamy contents recounting Bull's amorous escapades to himself, He pins a medal on the astonished Corporal! "Bull" gets overzealous an suffers a quick demotion. Oh, the Bitter irony, Pal "Slim" replaces him in Rank!
Meantime, Jimmy receives a telling Letter from Justyn, his Childhood Sweetheart from Back home. Melisande, spys the photo, and mistakes Her for His Sister. She soon determines otherwise however. Both are badly shaken, with Jimmy ashamed, and Melisande left devastated. Still she puts on a brave face for His sake. It was fun while it lasted, but She accepts that Jimmy must go back to Justyn if and when He returns home.
Jimmy is left distraught, though He loves Justyne, He has never been in Love as He is now with Melisande. In the next few moments, both of their World's are destined to come quickly crashing down. As a Bugle rings out sounding an ominous tone of impending peril!
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Here is part 5 of 8 in a series of Still captures from King Vidor's Silent Movie Masterpiece THE BIG PARADE (1925). Starring John Gilbert, and Renee Adoree.
Mail call, brings Joy and despair. "Bull" doesn't read French. Ahh, but his Buddy in the Outfit, "Big Brain" does! Though apparently not out loud? Keeping the steamy contents recounting Bull's amorous escapades to himself, He pins a medal on the astonished Corporal! "Bull" gets overzealous an suffers a quick demotion. Oh, the Bitter irony, Pal "Slim" replaces him in Rank!
Meantime, Jimmy receives a telling Letter from Justyn, his Childhood Sweetheart from Back home. Melisande, spys the photo, and mistakes Her for His Sister. She soon determines otherwise however. Both are badly shaken, with Jimmy ashamed, and Melisande left devastated. Still she puts on a brave face for His sake. It was fun while it lasted, but She accepts that Jimmy must go back to Justyn if and when He returns home.
Jimmy is left distraught, though He loves Justyne, He has never been in Love as He is now with Melisande. In the next few moments, both of their World's are destined to come quickly crashing down. As a Bugle rings out sounding an ominous tone of impending peril!
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I have the Blackhawk version. But it's basically the same print that was later restored to some extent and used as the basis for Disc 2 of the 2 Disc set, of Chaplin's THE GOLD RUSH for Warner's. It is also part of a Warner box set that came out in 2004.
You can see all the sequences again, that you didn't get to see today in this release. The one thing that is lacking is William Perry's extraordinary Piano score recorded for Killiam Shows in 1970. It has been replaced with a far less memorable piano score performed by Neil Brand.
I have no idea why if the Chaplin heirs were to cheap to hire an orchestra to record the 1925 score, they didn't at least re-master the Bill Perry one? That score couldn't have been any better.
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Yes, the original 1925 release of THE GOLD RUSH is a very different movie, than the sound added version. The Chaplin Estate though stupidly now considers the 1942 cut as "Definitive".That's why this is all you ever see on TCM.
There were many little bit's of business here, and there that were completly removed. Another is that the despicable Black Larsen, actually kills his sled dogs and eats them, to avoid from starving to death!
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Wendy,
Chaplin's final score for one of his Silent's was A WOMAN OF PARIS, which was re-released the year before He died in 1977. Although in 1991, the original 1923 score for live orchestra was uncovered in his vault. And Chaplin may have actually composed some of that as well.
The 1928 score to THE CIRCUS, arranged by Arthur Kaye, was also uncovered in his vault. However, the only version that has ever been released to Video, and DVD has Chaplin's 1968 score. The 1928 score has been played at theatrical screening's around the Globe, performed by Gillian Anderson, and Her Orchestra.
Likewise in 1991, the original score from 1925, that Chaplin conducted live at the New York premier was found. I have long wanted to see the fully restored original cut of the film with a new recording the 1925 score. Sadly this has yet to happen. Chaplin re-released THE GOLD RUSH in 1942, and it was quite successful, but the film was badly butchered, with several alternate cut's subbed, and even a essential part of the storyline was altered, and the original ending removed. Chaplin added a score, most of which was not original music, though some of it was. His spoken narration is rather cumbersome too.
In my opinion, THE GOLD RUSH in it's truest form, has yet to be properly restored to date. Which seems rather incredible. No one has recorded the 1925 score in full, even though it was discovered in-tact. There have been some live screenings where the score was preformed. It's not just the missing Title-cards, it's critical footage that was deleted from the film, that make the narrated version a much weaker picture than the original had been.
In the 1925 release, the letter of apology from Georgia is actually intended all along for "Big Jim", Not Charlie. In-fact, it isn't even the same letter, in the '42 re-issue as the true film. It was re-written to make it appear as if Georgia was making an excuse for not attending his New Years dinner the night before. In reality, she was trying to smooth things over with Jim for slapping him across the Jaw! Jim is unimpressed, and cruelly decides to sucker Charlie in, with the note. Of course, He buy's it wholeheartedly. The sequence is so much stronger. Many of them are in-fact. Much of what made THE GOLD RUSH great is circumvented in the sound version! I first saw the original version in 1979, (I was 12 years old) from Blackhawk. Later I saw the sound re-edit in about 1980. I honestly, could not believe what Chaplin had removed.
The "Alud Lang Synne" goes on for longer, and there are some beautiful shots of the patrons in the dance hall as they reflect on the past year. A dejected "Little Tramp' turning away from the door, as it slowly closes behind him. Jack and Georgia hand, in hand headed for the cabin, He asks Her in a title card "Do you Love Me", to which she replies with considerable Joy "Yes" as He pulls her in for a kiss. Little bits and pieces of footage like this were removed throughout the film, but put them all together, and you had a significantly stronger movie!
Chaplin was such a Perfectionist it seems virtually, implausible that he would deliberately mutilate his own work like this later on? Nevertheless, that is exactly what did happen!
The most complete copy of the original film is on DVD from Warner's, with the 1942 re-issue they ran today A two disc set. However, the music is lone Piano played by Neil Brand, and not the vintage1925 score for live Orchestra. Where in the TCM presentation, the picture fades out as they head for the upper-deck of the ship, this is of course not how THE GOLD RUSH ends at all. I will post some captures later of the real ending of the film, and it is far superior to the cut-off ending of the sound added re-issue that we saw this afternoon.
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Debbie,
I am trying to explain how to get your pictures to be seen in the threads, but this board is not allowing me to do that. I will see if I can find your E-mail address , and send you the information.
Wendy,
The final verse of the Titania song, as Chaplin performs it, is not in the version of MODERN TIMES that TCM airs. This is only in the David Shepard restoration.
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coffeeman,
Wow, that's an awesome idea! There are other good Silent film scorers to choose from. Vince Giordano, and The Nighthawks, Philip Carli, Jeffrey Mark Silverman, Etc. As long as it's not the Alloy Orchestra live, or otherwise!
Let them screen something we have never seen on TCM before. A Marion Davies comedy such as TILLIE THE TOILER, THE FAIR CO-ED, or THE CARDBOARD LOVER Maybe William Haines BROWN OF HARVARD, or SLIDE KELLY SLIDE?
How about a John Gilbert feature like MAN, WOMAN & SIN or THE COSSACKS. Ramon Novarro and Renee Adoree in FORBIDDEN HOURS (1928). Even a long unseen King Vidor picture such as WINE OF YOUTH (1924) or PROUD FLESH (1926). It would be a chance to see these films, without, having to have a recorded score ahead of time. What about THE FIRE BRIGADE (1927), with Charles Ray, and May McAvoy, or Barrymore's THE SEA BEAST with future Wifey Delores Costello?
Don't want to forget about Colleen Moore's HER WILD OAT (1927), a Big Hit at the San Francisco film festival last month!
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I first saw CITY LIGHTS at the Cinema Arts Guild in 1978. I was 11 years old. There were about 75 people in attendance. Everyone wept at the ending. For years and years, I considered this the greatest movie ever made.
Chaplin started shooting the film in 1928. It took until 1931, to complete the project to where He was finally content to release it. Some of the outtakes and deleted sequences still survive. They are so brilliant, but Chaplin decided to cut them anyway. You can see these on the UNKNOWN CHAPLIN DVD release from A & E Home Video.
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Wendy,
No, that's fine. I was going to post the photo here for the last couple weeks, but hadn't gotten around to this yet. Don't worry about it though.
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A KISS FOR CINDERELLA (Paramount, 1925) Esther Ralston, Betty Bronson. Directed by Herbert Brennon.
William K. Everson listed this as one of the top films of the Silent Era. The movie exists, but unlike Brennon's earlier PETER PAN (Paramount, 1924) is not on DVD, and doesn't figure to be anytime soon, if ever?
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Lynn,
So are you excited about the prospects of seeing THE BLACK BIRD? Did you get my PM, The other day?
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mickeeteeze,
This is of course not how THE GOLD RUSH ends at all. I will post some captures later of the real ending of the film, and it is far superior to the cut-off ending of the sound added re-issue that we just saw.
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mickeeteeze,
Here again this sequence that is playing now, is poorly re-cut. I first saw the original version in 1979, (I was 12 years old) from Blackhawk. Later I saw the sound re-edit in about 1980. I honestly, could not believe what Chaplin had removed.
The Old Lang Synne goes on longer, and there are some beautiful shots of the patrons in the dance hall as they reflect on the past year. A dejected "Little Tramp' turning away from the door, as it slowly closes behind him. Jack and Georgia hand, in hand headed for the cabin, He asks Her in a title card "Do you Love Me", to which she replies with considerable Joy "Yes" as He pulls her in for a kiss. Little bits and pieces of footage like this were removed throughout the film, but put them all together, and you had a significantly stronger movie!
Chaplin was such a Perfectionist it seems virtually, implausible that he would deliberately mutilate his own work like this later on? Nevertheless, that is exactly what did happen!
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The original score to THE GOLD RUSH, has yet to be restored to the film. No one has recorded it in full, even though it was discovered in-tact in 1991. It's not just the missing Title-cards, it's critical footage that was deleted, that make the narrated version a much weaker film than the original had been.
In the 1925 release, the letter of apology from Georgia is actually intended all along for "Big Jim", Not Charlie. In-fact, it isn't even the same letter, in the '42 re-issue as the true film. It was re-written to make it appear as if Georgia was making an excuse for not attending his New Years dinner the night before. In reality, she was trying to smooth things over with Jim for slapping him across the Jaw! Jim is unimpressed, and cruelly decides to sucker Charlie in, with the note. Of course, He buy's it wholeheartedly. The sequence is so much stronger. Many of them are in-fact. Much of what made THE GOLD RUSH great is circumvented in the sound version!
The most complete copy is on DVD from Warner's, with the 1942 re-issue they are running now. A ttwo disc set. However, the music is lone Piano played by Neil Brand, and not the vintage1925 score for live Orchestra.
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I have the Carl Davis re-orchestration of Chaplin's score to CITY LIGHTS. It is the Alternate track on the now "Out of Print" Image Entertainment DVD release. You will not find it included on the Warner DVD.
CITY LIGHTS is Chaplin's greatest work, and it hasn't been shown on TCM, in a long time. I am disappointed that it is not airing in Prime-time, but at least they are running the film again.
That being said, by all rights this should have been Harold Lloyd's Day. Buster Keaton had his last year, and Charlie back in 2006. It's only fair that Lloyd would have been honored this year on TCM's Summer Under The Stars.
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April Showers,
I love the score to THE KID, and think it is among Chaplin's best. Why would you turn down the Music? This score was recorded in 1972. However, the film is missing a couple of it's very best, most poignant sequences in this version. Only David Shepard's restoration which used to be on DVD from Image is complete.
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mickeeteeze,
Chaplin's final score for one of his Silent's is the film airing right now A WOMAN OF PARIS, which was re-released the year before He died in 1977. Although in 1991, the original 1923 score for live orchestra was uncovered in his vault. And Chaplin may have actually composed some of that as well. The 1928 score to THE CIRCUS, arranged by Arthur Kaye, was also uncovered in his vault. However, the only version that has ever been released to Video, and DVD has Chaplin's 1968 score.
Chaplin re-released THE GOLD RUSH in 1942, and it was quite successful, but the film was badly butchered, with several alternate cut's subbed, and even a essential part of the storyline was altered, and the original ending removed. Chaplin added a score, most of which was not original music, though some of it was. His spoken narration is rather cumbersome too.
Likewise in 1991, the original score from 1925, that Chaplin conducted live at the New York premier was found. I have long wanted to see the fully restored original cut of the film with a new recording the 1925 score. Sadly this has to happen. In my opinion THE GOLD RUSH has yet to be properly restored. Which seems rather incredible.
CHAPLIN
in Silent
Posted
Debbie,
So is this the link?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DckSK0l4DhA
The whole sequence is complete here. There are a few others posted that are not though. Interestingly enough, at the end it mentions Carl Davis reprisal of Chaplin's vintage score from 1988. However, the music is the original track.