gagman66
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Posts posted by gagman66
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Jack Hardy's Grapevine Video label has issued a new upgradged print transfer on DVD-R over his previous release of Rudolph Valentino's *MONSIEUR BEACAIRE (1924).* The film boosts and impressive supporting cast with Bebe Daniels, Lois Wilson, Lowell Shearman, and Doris Kenyon.
Here is more information.
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*"Clara Bow And Fuzzy Friend"*
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*Jean Arthur and Lillian Roth-"Muskets and Drumsticks"*
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Joanna,
I found a really good Veidt photo that I will work on for you. In the meantime, You might like this one as well. Happy Turkey Day!
*Richard Arlen and Mary Brian-"Yuletide On The Range"*
*Johnny Mach Brown and Joan Crawford*
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Dear Moderators,
Please note, Very sorry to say that this is the worse performing forum I have ever seen anywhere on the web. I had edited this last post about 20 times, and it still does not turn out right. No matter what the preview shows, that is not the results you get when posted! I am totally frustrated with the extremely poor performance of this forum. Please get these boards fixed and in good working order. I am losing total patience.
Adding the Rich Text was a terrible idea, because it keeps switching back and forth from Plain Text to Rich and vice-versa and bold and normal, without any prompting what so ever. As if the system had a mind of it's own. This board has never worked very good, but it is about as bad as it ever has been right now. I just am pulling my hair out.
The margin's are another huge problem here. I should not have to hit the space bar 30 to 50 times to achieve a couple spaces between one paragraph, or one photo and another. Yet often I do. Especially, after an edit. Keeps on hopping back up there. Just ridiculous people! I want to know if everyone is having as much trouble as I am. If so, how the devil can you stand it? No wonder members have departed in droves. Repair the system already!!!
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WHAT PRICE GLORY? is definitely nowhere near as good as WINGS, and especially THE BIG PARADE, which I think is much, much better than WINGS is. It's also not even close to being as good as THE PATENT LEATHER KID or LILAC TIME either. And I love FOUR SONS too. That being said, I very much enjoyed seeing WPG on TCM for the first time last night.
Granted,I would have much rather seen TCM debut LILAC TIME than WHAT PRICE GLORY? That is many, many years overdue. This being said, I very much enjoyed seeing WPG on TCM for the first time last night.+
You probably missed the first battle sequence which is pretty powerful. And hey, allot of people died in it too, and it shows a bunch of bodies being buried. With striking images. Not sure what you were looking at as bodies were dropping like files all over the battlefield. In the earlier fight scene you misses they report that only 80 men survived from the entire unit. So they brought in reinforcements to take the fallen's place.
*Here is a fabulous review of the film written by Richard Roberts after a screening some years ago. He seems somewhere in the middle on his opinion of the film. Most either love it or hate it straight up. But read his review for a better understanding of the production.*+*
*"I didn't catch it on TCM, but here's what I wrote about WHAT PRICE GLORY for a Cinevent showing a few years ago:*
*Laurence Stallings had served as a Marine in the First World War and had been at Belleau Wood where he?d lost a leg and was decorated with the Croix De Guerre by the French for bravery. After the Armistice, he became a newspaperman working for the New York World as reporter and entertainment editor. In the early 1920?s, he wrote his first novel about the War, entitled PLUMES. Stallings fascination and expertise about the Great War (only a working title, later changed due to sequels) led him to co-writing with Maxwell Anderson the play WHAT PRICE GLORY?, which opened on Broadway at the Plymouth Theater on September 3, 1924. The play?s raucous and blunt language, coupled with a then suprising lack of respect for the Military by it?s subordinates shocked it?s first-night audiences and the critics (you know the legend: two old ladies departing from a matinee? performance, the first one turns to the other and says,? C?mon Marge, lets get the hell out of here.?, and the other replies, ?Wait until I find my God-Damned glasses!?).*
*In typical fashion with things of an honest nature, immediate attempts were made to suppress the play and stop the production, but WHAT PRICE GLORY confounded its detractors and became a massive hit. Apart from the removal of a few of the more intense profanities, the play went on to a year-long run and into Broadway history.*
*It seems to take about five years after a major war before society digests its consequences and really begins to deal emotionally with it. The surviving soldiers come home and try to rebuild their lives, the politicians who perpetrated it move beyond the reach and wrath of what they have wrought, until finally, the public is really ready to try and make sense of it all, and the media figures out a way to make a buck out of it. Check more recent memory and recall that the films about Vietnam like COMING HOME (1978), APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) and such all hit around that five-year mark. WHAT PRICE GLORY ?s success came just at the time the public had experienced enough breather to know for sure just how they felt about being ?over there?, and it?s success sent Laurence Stalling to Hollywood where his war and writing credentials earned him a gig at MGM who had decided the time was right for another war movie.*
*Fox had already snared the film rights to WHAT PRICE GLORY, so Stallings was set to work with Director King Vidor on a new story. Vidor and Stallings took the latter?s memories of Belleau Wood and turned them into THE BIG PARADE (1925) , which made John Gilbert a superstar and made war films top-dollar boxoffice again.*
*Perfect lead-in for Fox, who had to wait for WHAT PRICE GLORY ?s Broadway run to end before it could release it?s own film version. Raoul Walsh was assigned to direct, and Louis Wolheim was slated to recreate his role of Captain Flagg from the Broadway production. However, up and coming half-Scotch, half-Irish actor Victor McLaglen was harassing and petitioning Walsh for the part, and finally, Wolheim was sent packing, he?d have to wait for his war-film immortality in Lewis Milestone?s ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT five years later.*
*Victor McLaglen?s movie career had been in upswing since he had received acclaim supporting Lon Chaney as one of THE UNHOLY THREE (1925), and he was determined to have the part. A distinguished British War veteran, he had served in the Mesopotamian campaign and had become provost marshal of Bagdad (a job begging for applicants these days) and had no problem convincing Walsh he could play an American Marine better than anyone. WHAT PRICE GLORY would cement his stardom in what would be a long career indeed*
*Cast alongside McLaglen as Flagg?s eternal nemesis/buddy Quirt was the already veteran actor Edmund Lowe. Lowe had already been in silents for a decade, and WHAT PRICE GLORY gave his career as equal a boost as it did his co-star. In fact, the good chemistry they display, cursing silently under the cleaned-up subtitles made them an unofficial team. Twice more they would play Flagg and Quirt in Fox?s two talkie sequels (THE-EYED WORLD (1929) and WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS (1931)), and would continue to appear together in pictures form time to time all through the 1930?s until their last starring film together, CALL OUT THE MARINES (RKO 1942) and a final cameo appearance together in AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (1956).*
*Unfortunately the film version of WHAT PRICE GLORY prunes the original play?s truly pacifistic message. Raoul Walsh found himself more fascinated with the cussing, drinking, and womanizing than making much of any comment on the futility of war, tipping the scales big-time in favor of the cussing, drinking, and womanizing. Walsh later commented that WHAT PRICE GLORY was the best recruiting film the Marines ever had, and that he was frequently accosted by various Marine Officers over the years that would say to him, ?You bastard---you got me into this thing!"*
*Part of Walsh?s fascination with GLORY ?s womanizing stemmed from his off-camera fascination with his eighteen-year old exotic leading lady, Delores Del Rio, about to break into major stardom and on the verge of becoming the incredible beauty she would become. Walsh delightfully breaks as many Hays codes as he can get away with in presenting Del Rio?s enticing Charmaine, and indicating the implied triangle she carries on between Flagg and Quirt. She sparkles with sensual frankness in a way only a latino playing a Frenchwoman could. Tasty.*
*And after a lot of cussing, drinking, and womanizing, oh yeah, we do manage to get a few minutes of the ?war is hell? part in some very well-done battle scenes shot at Fox Hills in West wood where trenches had already been dug for Fox?s previous war epic, HAVOC (1925), which Rowland V. Lee had made the previous year from a play that had opened on Broadway the same week as WHAT PRICE GLORY. Walsh remembered the nearby residents of Beverly Hills complaining about the bombs exploding during the night scenes. ?We had to get a different assistant director every night.?, Walsh recalled, ? The explosions broke windows in the bungalows, and the Sheriff would drive up and say ?who?s in charge here?? and the assistant would say ?I am?. They?d put him in a car and take him away, and I?d start again.?*
*The battle scenes carry an amazing degree of reality, especially considering what comes before, and even had a little help from fellow Fox director John Ford, who handled some second-unit shots. Ford later made his own remake of WHAT PRICE GLORY in 1952 with James Cagney and Dan Dailey in what was planned and shot as a musical then recut into one of Ford?s most disappointing films.*
*WHAT PRICE GLORY was finally released in November 1926, the delay allowing it to be the first Fox feature with a Movietone musical track, which will be heard at this Cinevent presentation. It hit big with audiences, and along with Paramount?s BEHIND THE FRONT with Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton cemented the seemingly unstoppable genre of the military/buddy flick. Ah heck, let someone else tell you war is hell, in Hollywood, it?s the cussin, drinkin? and broads that matter. We?ll just have to have another war to figure it out for ourselves??..*
*RICHARD M ROBERTS*
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Very few people would have seen WHAT PRICE GLORY? with the Fox Movie-tone score in 1926-27. Not many Theaters would have been equipped to play it that way. However, *"Charmaine"* was specifically written for this movie and would have been performed live by Orchestra's, House Bands and such to the film. Otherwise, it would have never become such a big hit melody. So it was very well known tune, and lyrics were added. I happen to like the Movie-tone score quite a bit, the problem was it was frequently out of sync for extended periods of time last night. The only time it seemed to stay in sync for the most part was during the epic battle scenes because of the sound effects, where the technicians had a better point of reference during the dubbing to go by when cobbling this edition together.
When WPG aired on the old AMC way back in 1996 for the War Festival, the Movie-tone Track wasn't in sync than either all the time, but there were far more instances where this new version was much more out of sync than it had been before, I'm sorry to say. There is some give or take either way, as sequences that were out of sync on AMC were in sync here. Why it is so hard to sync up the score precisely I don't know?
If you like "Charmaine" you heard allot of it, but not until the second half of the picture after Dolores Del Rio first meets Edmund Lowe. It plays in various arrangements, up tempo, to medium, to slow. "The Old Gray Mare" which people are complaining about, was used as kind of a Victor McLaglen's character Captain Flag's being disrespected by his men theme. I find it very humorous personally. McLaglen's has a couple of other character themes, and there is a separate romance theme for He and Del Rio apart from Charmaine. As her true love turns out to be Lowe's Sergeant Quirt. "Charmaine", the girl and the melody is reserved for him. There is also a central theme that plays during Flagg and Quirt's verbal assaults, and banter back and forth at each other.
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If you missed the first hour, you missed half of the film. Actually, the print was very good most of the time. I give it a solid B. I've seen many Silents that are in not even close to as good of condition. I've seen others in much better shape, but that's how it goes. Since we have been talking about this premiere for three months now, I'm rather surprised and disappointed that so many people missed it. And really we have been talking about it since May of 2010 when it was pulled from the schedule. The Movie-tone track went out of sync quite frequently, but at least it was all there. Have to give TCM Programmer Chuck Tabesh allot of credit for still trying to find a print and eventually doing so. Just hope allot more people recorded the broadcast and will comment later.
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TCM had *WHAT PRICE GLORY?* on the Schedule in May of 2010. But Fox subsequently informed them they could not find a copy of the film. It took awhile to locate something without Fox help. I think it's absurd that TCM should have to pay a rights fee to Fox for a film that they do not even currently have in their library. Thanks to David Shepard we will at last see the film on TCM tonight. And he probably has to pay a rights fee and royalties as well?
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With both a restored WPG debuting on TCM, the Silent version of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT having aired last month, and now a DVD- Blu-ray release of WINGS in January, (being released on the 24th) ahead of the THE BIG PARADE is just totally unreal. Never thought that would happen in a million years. Especially, since THE BIG PARADE restoration was completed nearly 8 years ago now. Just unbelievable. I gather that allot of people. most of you here, have not seen WHAT PRICE GLORY? before? I'm anxious to read your comments once you do. This seems to to be one of those movies that fans either love or hate. I happen to love it, although it's not nearly as good as THE BIG PARADE. Perhaps not a fair comparison, as WPG it is a very different type of story in tone.I posted a fairly lengthy blog about WHAT PRICE GLORY? on TCM CFU tonight. I would just leave a link, but Firefox is not allowing me to do this. Some things are repeated from what I said above.
WHAT PRICE GLORY? was a popular long running War-time based Stage play on Broadway during the 20's. Every major studio in Hollywood wanted the rights to the story. Ironically, WHAT PRICE GLORY? was the War tale that Director King Vidor had intended to adapt and produce as a film in 1925. Vidor and MGM soon discovered that the exclusive contract had already been snatched up by Fox. In turn, Vidor Directed another War story pinned by author Lawrence Stallings (who ultimately wrote both screenplays) instead. This was to become the biggest motion picture success of the 1920's, THE BIG PARADE with John Gilbert and Renee Adoree. A film that stood as MGM's most reveared production and success prior to GONE WITH THE WIND in 1939. Some 14 years later.Prior to THE BIG PARADE, War movies had been considered all but a dead issue in the movies after the first World War had ended. The public was sick to death of the subject. THE BIG PARADE reversed this trend. Though obviously by the time, that WHAT PRICE GLORY? was finally completed by director Raoul Walsh it had become Fox's all out effort to top THE BIG PARADE. An impossibility.
Nevertheless, WHAT PRICE GLORY? proved to be a huge triumph for Fox, and one of the top hits of the second half of the decade. Established Box -office Stars Edmund Lowe and Victor McLaglen as off-bickering officers Captain Flagg, and Sergeant Quirt, where teamed with lovely budding Starlet Dolores Del Rio a dark haired and eyed Hispanic beauty, and formed a memorable combination on screen. The gorgeous waltz number "Charmaine" the name of Del Rio's French girl character in the picture, written expressly for the Silent films score by the prolific duo of Lew Pollack and Erno Rapee' was a smash on it's own. Becoming a number 1 record for Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians in 1927. Also in the films cast is spritely Phyllis Haver, one of the most popular screen comedienne's of the day in a memorable Cameo, as the notorious "Shanghai Mabel". Her role in my view was to limited. As she steals the brief time she is on camera.
Interestingly enough, David Shepard has noted that the print of WHAT PRICE GLORY? TCM is airing for the first time ever on TCM Sunday, came from him, and his Film Preservation Associates, rather than Fox. Their studio apparently had no elements in it's possession. Which is certainly disappointing as they maintain the copyright. And WPG was broadcast with the Movie-Tone score on the old AMC back in 1996. So Fox definitely did have a print at that time. So what could have become of it I wonder? They did a poor job of keeping track.*"TCM licensed WHAT PRICE GLORY? from Fox which apparently then found that it did not have, or could not find any elements. I was able to help them as a favor, little enough for the many kindnesses TCM has done me and all the others who cultivate the old movie vineyard.+*
*The picture comes from a 35mm full aperture fine grain master positive. B&W throughout, and just a little flat as is typical of early panchromatic stock. The image has a nice grey scale but does not have the "snap" of deep blacks and shimmering whites characteristic of late ortho stock.*
*The sound is the Movietone score from 1927, taken from a composite film element so that we would not be dealing with an image cropped for optical sound, but synched up and of very good audio quality for a recording made almost 85 years ago."*
*David Shepard*
The film sky-rocketed the previously little known Dolores Del Rio to Super-Stardom seemingly almost over night, but once you have seen it I'm curious if anyone can tell me why this happened? Her performance definitely lacks the emotional punch of Renee Adoree in the earlier and justly more revered film. None theless, by 1928 Del Rio had become one of the top 10 female Stars in Hollywood.
Seasoned Lip-readers were publicly outraged by WPG. Describing the obvious profanity between Lowe and McLaglan, back and forth at each other as just about the filthiest thing they had ever seen at the movies. Criticism of this nature did little to discourage the pictures commercial success. Rather, it likely boosted business significantly. Vast crowds turned out just to see what all the fuss was about.
WHAT PRICE GLORY? Debuts this Sunday Night/Monday morning November 20th/21st at 12.00 PM Eastern, 11.00 AM, Central time. And is listed with a running time of just under 2 hours, at 116 minutes. Excluding the opening intro I assume. Rarely on Television in any form, and not seen at all for many years, I want to express my sincere gratitude to TCM Programmer Chuck Tabesh, and of course David Shepard for making this long awaited Premiere possible!
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Rickey,
Yeah, The Giant is my screen name on GAOH. This is a cropped photo from *A KISS FOR CINDERELLA.* I wish I had the complete still. Here is a Holiday photo with Betty from 1926 I worked on last year. She looks so darling.
I just posted two new photos of her in the The Gallery thread. Or the Crushes thread. So check those out.
*Betty Bronson-Pajamas On The Housetop (1926)*
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ugaarate,
Yeah, believe it or not that is Esther. And this other photo is even a little more revealing. This one I originally posted about a year ago, and struggled now to replicate the same colors.
*Esther Ralston-"OH BABY!"*
And Here is a *THANKSGIVING* Wish for you!
*Dorothy Sebastian-"The Pilgrim's Pride"*
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Take this Milkshaking Moma,
Dissenting Opinion from Paco Mallo posted less than an hour ago on the Golden Age of Hollywood board.
At 9:00pm on November 19, 2011, Paco MaloPaco Malo said…
*"The colours in your page design are simply exquisite -- colorized antique film with class and warmth. Very Fine work." -Paco Malo*
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*Esther Ralston- "Best Beware Of Slinky Blondes!"*
-(Another still from the same revealing 1925 Photoplay Magazine shoot. Part of an article about the movies most beautiful actresses.)
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I love Betty Bronson!
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ugaarate,
Be sure and visit the other thread. Lots of new photos are in there. Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I'm sure not? I'm never ready.
Actually, that photo is not Florence Vidor and Betty Bronson. I don't know who the other actress is. And Betty is the one with the Book, She isn't the other girl. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the photo.
Don't forget about *WHAT PRICE GLORY?* tomorrow.
*Betty Bronson with Great Big Bouquet- from RITZY-1927*
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Scottman,
There are rights issues with MAN, WOMAN & SIN as well. Not to mention SALLY, IRENE, AND MARY? Would be wonderful to see either of these.
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Scottman,
Robert had sent me the same analysis of *THE MAGICIAN* well over a year ago. shortly after it debuted on TCM in March of 2010. I was amazed at the amount of detail provided. Something to marvel over. Robert just sent me a new E-mail yesterday,. I haven't had time to respond. Plan to do so over the weekend.I'd be remiss not to to thank him for sharing his unique insights and perspectives with us here. They are very much appreciated.
Yeah, an orchestral score for *MARE NOSTRUM* would be great. Especially, if they have uncovered the missing scenes. Especially the one with the fighting Octopi in the tank. However, I'd be even more excited seeing Robert score *THE GARDEN OF ALLAH (1927)* for a TCM premiere. If at all possible. I've been told Warner's has an excellent print.
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For those who complain about "Zombie Eyes", I want them to take note of this photo of Sebastain, Crawford, and Page. I am posting it as is, and will later post a Color Transfer version.See how shiny that Joan and Anita's eyes both appear here? This effect is partly the way the original was photographed, and has nothing to do with my making the eyes look glassy or reflective.
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Wendy,
What Flowers? You mean those little{font:Arial} sequins{font}? Did you see the Betty Bronson pic in the other thread? I wasn't completely happy with this photo. Not sure what film it is from. Spent several hours on a complex still from *FLESH AND THE DEVIL,* and subsequently scraped it. Just did not look right. Don't forget about *WHAT PRICE GLORY?* on Sunday. A TCM premiere.
This still from *ROSE MARIE (1928)* was not done by me, rather by Bob Fells. I made some minor adjustments, but it is mostly his work.
silent film crushes
in Silent
Posted
*Greta Nissen-in Costume For THE POPULAR SIN (1926)*
*Pauline Starke in Oriental Robe*
*Pauline Starke with Short Dark Hair Close-up*
*Greta Nissen- "Slip Out In Front"*