gagman66

Bronxgirl48, I think that UNDERWORLD came first, with George Bancroft, and Evelyn Brent. But THE RACKET too, was quite successful. Thomas Meighan was a huge star during the Silent Era, but is little remembered today. If you have seen Louis Wolheim in TWO ARABIAN KNIGHTS (1927), opposite William Boyd, and also Directed by Lewis Milestone, you have to be amazed at the man's amazing range as a performer. The spitting Image Of "Monk Mayfair", His role of the Square-Jawed Sergeant "Taxi Cab Pete", is absolutely nothing like The Caponish "Nick Scarsi", in this Movie!

Just a reminder. Lewis Milestone's THE RACKET (1928) with Thomas Meighan, Louis Wolheim, and Marie Provost, is on in about a Half-hour, or so! This film has only been aired once before on TCM, back in November of 2004. So if you did not see it than, you probably have not seen it at all! The restoration is excellent, and it has a fine Robert Israel score to boot. Don't miss it!

Pfreidman, Wait, There is no need to pay some outrageous price on Amazon! I just left you a "Private Message", a few minutes ago! Please read it first! Thanks!

PFriedman, Yes, SEVENTH HEAVEN (1927), STREET ANGEL (1928), and LUCKY STARR (1929), all still exist. In-fact, virtually pristine prints have even been shown of these three features at recent retrospectives. FOUR DEVILS (1929), however, is a lost film. Both SEVENTH HEAVEN and STREET ANGEL have been offered on VHS. Though these were not the best prints. I am not sure if LUCKY STARR has ever been on any form of official home video, or not?

Collegestudent, Hey, have you seen the acclaimed 1979 Documentary HOLLYWOOD? This would certainly be highly beneficial to your studies. Unfortunately, The Title has not be released on official DVD yet anywhere. I hope that it still will be sometime. Plans were canceled for a European release last year, much to the dismay of many collectors. However, I have all 13 chapters on 5 DVD-R's from Laser-disc, plus a bonus feature! If you would be interested in this great series, produced for Thames Television in Great Britain by Kevin Brownlow, and the late David Gill, please contact me through the "Private Message" service found on this forum! Thanks.

Ronald, If it is "Mother Movies" that you are looking for, try John Ford's beautiful FOUR SONS (Fox, 1928). Margaret Mann, is sweetest dearest old Mom imaginable! If you can't find a copy anywhere, than you can get one from me! This highly moving feature really should be properly restored, and released on DVD for everyone to discover! Not only is it a genuine Masterpiece of movie making, but it is probably John Ford's finest Silent film!

Scottman, "I missed out on the HBO released laser of THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD with the Carl Davis score among others." Please note, I think that I can help you with this matter? I just sent you a "private message" a few minutes ago.

Scottman, Incredible! I found the DVD on Ebay, and just bought a copy! I didn't think I would have any luck in running one down this soon, but I found it in just a few minutes time! Pretty excited about seeing this picture, based on your recommendation! Now if I could just locate THE VANISHING AMERICAN, THE VOLGA BOATMAN, and THE BAT, that would really be something! Haven't looked for those as yet. By the way, I have had TCM since may of 1999. I do not recall having seen THE MATINEE IDOL played since I have had the channel? Did it only air that one time back in 1995? Of course I have missed out on a few features along the way, SPEEDWAY (1928), THE FLYING FLEET (1929), SHOW BOAT (1929), and THE DEVINE LADY (1929), have all been shown on TCM, before. Yet somehow, I seemed to have forgotten to record them every time they have been run in the past!

Roy, THE LOST WORLD (1925), is a favorite, and David Shepard's restoration of the film found on the Image DVD release looks truly remarkable! I only wish that the Robert Israel score for the film was the first option among the audio selections, rather than the horrid sounding Alloy Orchestra one! Fortunately, when TCM has aired this film, they wisely decided to run it with Israel's much more vintage sounding arrangement. I have the older Lumi-Vision Laser disc release too. You may notice that the tinting in it, the colors and shades, are quite different for certain sequences, than they are on the newer longer version?

Much like Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, were loved and idolized all over the globe! So was Harold Lloyd! Though we think of Lloyd primarily as an All American Boy type, He was also a huge international star! It is difficult to fathom, just how popular and famous people like this were back in those days! Remember, there was virtually no competing medium, other than the live stage. At least, until Radio started making an Impact, by about the Mid 1920's. The great movie palaces of the day, with their elaborate architecture, dazzled their awestruck patrons! While their 50 to 100 piece Orchestra's, must have been an incredible experience to have shared with an audience! In some theaters live Orchestration actually alternated shift's with the Theater Organist's, depending upon the show. Many people actually preferred hearing the awesome power of the mighty Wurlitzer, or Kimball Pipes chiming away, to all those Musicians present. I know some folks cringe at Organ scores, but live Theater Organ accompaniment, is quite impressive and simply can not be done proper justice on a Television screen at home. Years ago, as a kid in the Mid 1970's I got to see the King of the Mighty Wurlitzer the late Gaylord Carter work his magic for a live screening of Harold Lloyd's FOR HEAVENS SAKE (1926), at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha! The place was packed with people, laughing away to their hearts content! It was to say the least exhilarating, and unforgettable! But for that brief stretch of time, we were able to catch a faint glimpse of what it must have been like in those grand and glorious days of yore!

Cinemascope, I just wrote this review of the new version of Hunchback on another forum a few hour's ago. Some of it merely repeats the earlier impressions I had already expressed last night. Nonetheless, I thought I might as well post it here anyway. So here it is: The new version of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1923), which World premiered last night on TCM without advance notice, is certainly much improved over any presentation of this film I have previously seen! Though not pristine by any means, still plenty of scratches, some shrinkage, stains, and other damage. But, by comparison with what was generally available before, this is dramatically better! While the film is probably still not complete, with a few jump cut's here and there, it is much closer to full-length, than anything previously offered to the public in decades! Pictorial quality is noticeably sharper, and more well defined, than it had been in the past. The old Image DVD release literally looks like a 8 millimeter print source, up against a 16 millimeter one! In all candor, I was far more impressed with this restoration, than I was with Flicker Ally's rather disappointing work on F. W, Murna's PHANTOM last week! I feel that I have actually seen the real movie itself, for the first time! Not a compilation, or abridgement! At last, this is truly the 1923 version of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME! Finally, we have a decent impression of what the original release was actually like now! Some people on the TCM forum seem thrilled, while others expected allot more. I mean it's not been digitally cleaned up or anything. That would probably far exceed what the budget allowed for this project? For what they had to work with, and given the condition of the existing source material, I feel the results look pretty impressive? Those folks who complained, probably have not seen the miserable looking other versions that have prevailed for years? The new edition is Night and Day from the one TCM used to air from time to time! I am therefore very pleased that they picked up this restoration so quickly! I commend them for having done so, before the new DVD release has even been announced?

Izcutter, Boy, this broadcast was way in advance than! Here I thought the DVD would probably be released in the next couple months, or so! Wonder what the extra's might be? Thanks for all the enlightening information! In the meantime, I am at work authoring my own DVD-R already! They are going to have to go some to beat mine! I have 45 chapter thumbs, each a 25 second motion capture. Ghoulish menu music, and great background stills! It's gonna be Cool!

I have not seen the hybrid Silent version of SHOW BOAT (1929) yet. I have missed out on it each time TCM has aired this picture in the past! I would love to see it? What is it like? Well, this version has Laura La Plante in it! That's a pretty good start in my book!

Scottman, "Another film that looks very good from digital restoration (besides METROPOLIS), IS Capra's THE MATINEE IDOL (1928). Sony did a very nice job on this film. The only known print was discovered in France." Where did you see this film? I assume TCM will be airing it one of these days? Can you give us some details about the movie? Thanks.

Bronxgirl48, Well, I have to say that I feel like I have finally seen this movie for the first time. All other versions were abridgement's and documentary like. Not the actually film, here was the real movie itself. Past versions were so truncated that if was not easy to follow the story. I'm just burning a copy right now, for a friend who lives out of the country. It reads at just 2.67 GB, with my old drivers installed. But I added a 20 second motion scene to the menu. Taking up some extra space. Shows Quasimodo,swinging down the tower taunting the astonished on-lookers. To late to add thumbs and chapters. Anyway I am using re-writeable DVD-RW format disc's. and saving the stored program So I can add extra's later on when I have the time. Would have like to have gotten this on S- video, but I had to use Analog TV. Not enough time to switch around the connections.Won't know how it turned out until I have something burned? If it's no good, I got this on the Stand alone Panasonic too, using component video connections. So I can always transfer it later on into my PC.

Bill, Do you have a TV-Tuner or ATI ALL IN WONDER card? It sounds like it? So do I. Remember to defragment after big up-loads, downloads or burning! You will get far less errors that way. I have been having strange difficulties with the ALL IN WONDER card, I have had 3 of them This newest one is supposed to be the top of the line card. The X1900, but I have had nothing but problems! Listen to this, and see if you have any suggestions on what I can do? I updated to the latest ATI Catalyst drivers, Now my U-lead burning software reads my new ATI MPEG 2 files far bigger than they actually are? I don't know why?. I was trying to make a new program of WINGS, using DVD Medium setting, but it reads out at over 7 gigabyte, when opened with U-Lead DVD Movie Factory! The file is just 3.17 GB, not 7 something. But U-lead doesn't see it that way! Recorded with my old drivers installed, WINGS would have read on DVD Movie Factory 5 at 3.17 GB. I don't know if other software is reading these disc's so high? I borrowed my newest version of Nero to a friend and it is not installed. U-Lead is much better for authoring big DVD-R programs anyway. I can't author anything. until the readings get back to normal. I tried uninstalling and re-installing Movie Factory, but it made no difference. I was re-authoring OLD HEIDELBERG, from a laser-disc transfer. The file is only 2.42 gig, at DVD medium, but U-lead reads it when it opens at almost 6 Gig! Much to big a file to burn, let alone add a big menu to! I made a data disc with the older Nero, which will not author DVD's. The file is still 2.42 gig burned as data, but when I transferred that back into the slave-drive, U-Lead still interprets it at 5.9 something! Earlier I probably would have been able to make a full program of this movie using DVD High, let alone DVD Medium setting! So the ATI Update, has really got some major design errors, or something? The encoding is just not right for U-Lead anyway! BARE KNEES (1927) is still small enough to burn, it opens with U-lead at 3.33 Gigabyte, but the file is really only 1.40 gig. I should have plenty of room for a second feature, but U-Lead does not know that for some reason? This is wackers! Next, I uninstalled all the ATI Drivers, and went just with the software on the original disc that came with the Video Card. Which I can't update, to the newest version. This worked, so I could make a recording the same size, but that reads correctly when opened with U-Lead. Unfortunately, the old drivers have allot of glitches. My Machine has shut off numerous times, when using the TV tuner. You are supposed to update, frequently, but I can't do this and still author with U-Lead. Maybe there is a patch or something you can download to fix this odd problem? I have been unable to find any information though! The other problem I have is my audio is so low through the TV-Tuner it's absurd? Hardly any Volume at all? I go into audio properties, but those adjustment's make very little or no difference! Do you have any advice for me on what I can do?

Actually, this was the new restoration! Apparently, it's about the best they could do with the budget provided? This may surprise you, but In all honesty, Tonight's presentation was far and away superior to any other version I have seen anywhere! Not pristine by any means. But dramatically superior to anything that has previously been offered! There was allot of additional footage I had never seen before! Probably not full length, but definitely more complete than in decades! As it ran right at 2 hours, it was easily the longest edition I have seen. Overall, I was pretty pleased with the improvement. Good score by Robert Israel, and Donald Hunsburger as well. Could more be done? Certainly, but digitally cleaning up a feature length movie, is very expensive work! It is rarely done on Silent films. A rare exception would be Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS (1927), which was digitally restored.

Bronxgirl48, Actually, this was the new restoration! Apparently, it's about the best they could do with the budget provided? This may surprise you, but In all honesty, Tonight's presentation was far and away superior to any other version I have seen anywhere! Not pristine by any means. But dramatically superior to anything that has previously been offered! With allot of additional footage I had never seen before! Probably not full length, but more complete than in decades! Overall, I was pretty pleased with the improvement. Good score by Robert Israel, and Donald Hunsburger as well. Could more be done? Certainly, but digitally cleaning up old movies is very expensive work! It is rarely done on Silent films. A rare exception would be Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS (1927), which was digitally restored.

This could be a new restoration of Hunchback? I sure hope that it is? The version TCM generally shows is subpar to say the least! Mediocre print quality, missing title cards, missing footage, a ton of sound effects, that serve no purpose! Not to mention highly accelerated frame rates! Probably 26 or even 29 per second! That's just to fast! I think it was from an early 1950's re-issue print, if I re-call correctly? For years this film was believed only to exist in 16 millimeter reduction prints, but I believe that recently a 35 millimeter print was discovered someplace, and has been restored, or is at least being worked on? Hopefully, this is the new Image edition that TCM will be debuting tonight, but I can't find anything to support that contention?

Say, does anyone know if this is going to be the newly restored version of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1923) tonight, or not? Image is putting out the new restoration on DVD later this year, I believe? So what are they running on Silent Sunday Nights shortly? Is this it? I wasn't planning on recording, but if it's an improved print, I will! have to get cracking and get a disc lined up fast! The version TCM generally airs of HUNCHBACK is terrible! Multiple sound effects, and a pretty poor print, moving at a way to swift of a frame rate! It is also far from full-length? Hope this is the new version, or at the very least, a version that I have not seen before? I would definitely appreciate any information you may have! Thanks.

Scottman, Yes, TCM has aired The Thames version of OLD HEIDELBERG, with that great Carl Davis score in the past. However, I have not seen it run since at least 2003. This transfer is from 1987, and could clearly be mastered much better today, than it could from film stock 20 years ago! This version was released on Laser-disc in the early 90's. The print is good, but a little soft. Apparently, THE STUDENT PRINCE was the American title, while OLD HEIDELBERG, was the European one. I have the film recorded both off TCM, and from Laser-disc, but I would love to see it released on official DVD, as part of Ernst Lubitsch, Ramon Novarro, or Norma Shearer collection! I think this is one of Lubitsch best films! A match for any of his talkies! I have to be honest, I have both versions of King Vidor's SHOW PEOPLE (1928) that you are talking about. The Carl Davis scored one is from VHS, I transferred it to DVD-R. The print, at least from VHS is simply not as good, as the one TCM shows from time to time. I also recorded that version to DVD-R and paired up with THE PATSY for a Marion Davies double feature. You are not the first person I have heard who claimed that the Thames print was superior for what ever reason? I wish that it were, but it isn't. The Thames Transfer appears noticeably softer than the one TCM runs, and is not nearly as sharp or bright. Although, it's possible the TCM print, may have more damage in brief spots. I am not sure? I actually saw the vintage music track version of SHOW PEOPLE first. While I agree it definitely needs to be synched up better than it is, personally I like the vintage score very much. If you listen closely you will note the unmistakable William Axt, Glenn Mendoza love theme from THE BIG PARADE, played briefly during the final sequence on that original 1928 track! That is why I labeled the final Thumbnail on my DVD-R "The Big Parade, Gone By!" There is some give or take either way. The Thames version on the video-tape I have is clearly not framed the best, and the title cards run way off to the side, partially out of view. Not so with the version TCM airs. I'm afraid that the frame rates are simply incompatible between the two versions as well. I have tried to synch up the Davis score with the print TCM runs several times, but it can't be done! So when SHOW PEOPLE is finally released on DVD, it's unlikely that the disc will contain both scores.

lloydt, Yes, What you are referring to is called "CHRISTMAS PAST". A DVD set of this collection was released by Kino years ago. It may, or may not, still be in print? Wish I had this one too! It is one of the few Silent DVD collections I do not own.

Arkadin, Oh yah, THE SPECTER! Talk about a powerful dude! Those books were pretty eerie! I read allot of the DC titles too. Hey, back than comics were only 15 to 20 cents a piece! Today I have no idea what they cost? Maybe it's just me, but I always liked The JUSTICE SOCIETY, better than the JUSTICE LEAGUE? I still buy an occasional special one or two shot's like BATMAN/THE SPIRIT, that came out just last year. Also have almost every DC-Marvel Team Up comic, like BATMAN/CAPTAIN AMERICA, BATMAN/SPIDERMAN, DAREDEVIL/BATMAN, SUPERMAN/FANTASTIC FOUR, SUPERMAN/SILVER SURFER, and The four part JUSTICE LEAGUE/AVENGERS from a few years back. There was even a time when Superman and Captain America were combined into one character, called THE SUPER SOLDIER! You see elements of both costumes in the character. Another Wild one was JLX, an amalgamation of X-Men, and the Justice League! Or how about BRUCE WAYNE: AGENT OF SHIELD! I love these amazing company crossovers! I have dozen's of them!

Arkadin, We could be talking all night here! I know of many classic comic book sites, but don't have any of the links handy. Beware most of them are chuck full of Spyware, and even an occasional virus! So be careful searching around! I used to love DAREDEVIL AND THE BLACK WIDOW, CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON, and all those other great titles back in the 70's! You know what I still do! Those were the days! Most of those comics were so well written! I think I have every AVENGERS issue from about 1969-1980! The Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, AVENGERS, not Steed, Cathy Gale, Mrs. Peel, Tara King, Purdey, Gambit etc! Though I certainly love them as well! In-fact THE AVENGERS is my all time favorite TV show! There are tons of sites devoted to this fantastic series all over the net!

Arkadin, Yes, Gwen Stacy was heaved off the George Washington Bridge, by the original GREEN GOBLIN! (Harry Osborne). Spidey caught her with his webbing before She hit the drink, but her neck snapped, and she died! An unforgettable moment in comic book history! A couple years later in 1975, Gwen turned up alive! But this was in reality a clone whipped up by THE JACKAL, just to torment poor Peter! Another highly memorable story line! I still have the original issues!