gagman66

*Pola Negri with Tullio Carminati from THREE SINNERS (1927)*

This evening for the first time ever TCM is airing Buster Keaton's SEVEN CHANCES (1925), at 8: 00 PM Eastern, 7:00 O' Clock central time. Probably my favorite of all his feature films, and increasingly among the least frequently seen in recent years.In my estimation it is far more entertianng than many of Keaton's better known films such as THE GENERAL, which I have always considered rather dull viewing experience by comparison. During the extened cahse from the rabid brides there is barely a moment for one to catch their breath from the constant spell of laughter. This is in-fact the movie that indirectly made me a Silent Comedy fan back in 1977 at age 11. A major chunk of the picture was included in Robert Youngson's 1970 compilation entitled FOUR CLOWNS. This production included assorted footage from the Silent film work of Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, On their own. Than Stan and Ollie together as a team, as well as Charley Chase. But the forth Clown was Joseph Francis "Buster" Keaton, and the entire 45 minutes or so of the final segment was devoted to Keaton's matrimonial farce SEVEN CHANCES. To that point in my young life I had never seen anything remotely as funny or innovative. I was captivated as never before with the movies. I knew the name Buster Keaton just barely. I was probably introduced to both he and Harold Lloyd in some episodes of an old forgotten series of the 70's called "THAT'S HOLLYWOOD" and they bragged on and one about these two fellows and their amazing stunt work during the Silent Era. It was fascinating and I enjoyed then clips. Later to find out that these guys were from my part of the country was a joy as well. Keaton from Kansas, and Lloyd from my home state of Nebraska.That made the discovery all the more cool. To me honest, at that point though, I was more interested in serials and Westerns, than Silent Comedy. The films of William S. Hart and Tom Mix held more attraction for me. I first saw photos of Mix the original King of the Cowboy's in a book called THE THRILL OF IT, and was fascinated by his big wide-brimmed. Tall Ten Gallon Hat. My Father had met Tom when he came to Nebraska in the late 30's with his circus. And He told me allot about him. Bill Hart also intrigued me, because unlike the flamboyant Mix, with this flare for showmanship, Hart was considered the more gritty much more realistic Western Hero of the early Cinema. I read all I could find on these two figures, and was enthralled with the many great movie stills in books I found from their films. Thus, upon catching that last 40 minutes or so of FOUR CLOWNS that Saturday afternoon in the Summer of 1977 broadened my appreciation and interest in the Silent Film medium as a whole. I immediately became obsessed with the finding out more about Silent Comedy and it's legendary masters. For those who have not seen SEVEN CHANCES before, I will not say much about the story. It is quite possible that this will be the new transfer of the movie we will see this evening, which Kino is releasing on DVD in December. Including the freshly restored Two-Color Technicolor opening segment. I hope that it will be. In any event it is great to see the film on TCM at long last during TCM's month long salute to the great Buster Keaton!

{font:Georgia}This evening for the first time ever, TCM is airing Buster Keaton's Comedy Masteropiece SEVEN CHANCES (1925), at 8: 00 PM Eastern, 7:00 O' Clock central time. Probably my favorite of all his feature films, and increasingly among the least frequently seen in recent years.In my estimation it is far more entertianng than many of Keaton's better known films such as THE GENERAL, which I have always considered rather dull viewing experience by comparison. During the extened cahse from the rabid brides there is barely a moment for one to catch their breath from the constant spell of laughter. {font} {font:Georgia} This is in-fact the movie that indirectly made me a Silent Comedy fan back in 1977 at age 11. A major chunk of the picture was included in Robert Youngson's 1970 compilation entitled FOUR CLOWNS. This production included assorted footage from the Silent film work of Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, On their own. Than Stan and Ollie together as a team, as well as Charley Chase. But the forth Clown was Joseph Francis "Buster" Keaton, and the entire 45 minutes or so of the final segment was devoted to Keaton's matrimonial farce SEVEN CHANCES. To that point in my young life I had never seen anything remotely as funny or innovative. I was captivated as never before with the movies. {font} {font:Georgia}I knew the name Buster Keaton just barely. I was probably introduced to both he and Harold Lloyd in some episodes of an old forgotten series of the 70's called "THAT'S HOLLYWOOD" and they bragged on and one about these two fellows and their amazing stunt work during the Silent Era. It was fascinating and I enjoyed then clips. Later to find out that these guys were from my part of the country was a joy as well. {font} {font:Georgia} To me honest, at that point though, I was more interested in serials and Westerns, than Silent Comedy. The films of William S. Hart and Tom Mix held more attraction for me. I first saw photos of Mix the original King of the Cowboy's in a book called THE THRILL OF IT, and was fascinated by his big wide-brimmed. Tall Ten Gallon Hat. My Father had met Tom when he came to Nebraska in the late 30's with his circus. And He told me allot about him. Bill Hart also intrigued me, because unlike the flamboyant Mix, with this flare for showmanship, Hart was considered the more gritty much more realistic Western Hero of the early Cinema. I read all I could find on these two figures, and was enthralled with the many great movie stills in books I found from their films. Thus, upon c{font}{font:Georgia}atching that last 40 minutes or so of FOUR CLOWNS that Saturday afternoon in the Summer of 1977 broadened my appreciation and interest in the Silent Film medium. I immediately became obsessed with the finding out more about Silent Comedy and it's legendary masters. {font} {font:Georgia} For those who have not seen SEVEN CHANCES before, I will not say much about the story. It is quite possible that this will be the new transfer of the movie we will see this evening, which Kino is releasing on DVD in December. Including the freshly restored Two-Color Technicolor opening segment. I hope that it will be. In any event it is great to see the film on TCM at long last during TCM's month long salute to the great Buster Keaton! {font}

*Jacqueline Logan-1927*

*Anita Page-"Yuletide Dreams"*

Ed, Thanks for the link. Yeah, I got your E-mail over the weekend,. Unfortunately, I think I accidentlly deleted it before I had a chance to really read the thing. Did you catch the Silent version of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT when it premiered a couple weeks ago? What did you think?

Robert, Thanks for the update, I did receive your E-mail. I appreciate the information very much. Just did not have time to get back to you yet. I wish I could be there for this momentous occasion. The restoration looks spectacular! As I understand it THE LOVES OF PHARAOH will be released on DVD, and Blu-Ray very soon. It is not clear to me at the moment as to just who is releasing it? I sure wish that other Lubitsch Silents American ones such as THREE WOMEN, FORBIDDEN PARADISE, and SO THIS IS PARIS would all receive the same deluxe treatment. SO THIS IS PARIS was shown in a restored print on TCM France about a year ago. I also know that THREE WOMEN was recently restoredf by UCLA, or maybe it was the LOC, (?), and has been screened a few times. As a Warner' Brothers film, I have been hopeing it might pop up on TCM. That being said, we are getting some nice Silent premieres in the next coouple months. Including the George Eastman House Restoration of William Desmond Taylor's lond unseen HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1920) on the December 14th. And before that Raoul Walsh WHAT PRICE GLORY? in a new transfer in November! Looking forward to FINN especially, since I have seen WPG quite a few times. Still, it should be new to most people. Keep up the great work. Hope you finally get to record the Axt-Mendoza score to THE BIG PARADE. The DVD and now Blu-ray is long since overdue. So frustrating.

*Billie Dove-AMERICAN BEAUTY" (1927)*

*Pola Negri-"GOOD AND NAUGHTY" (1926)*

*"TWINKLETOES"-(1926)*

No, it's not Colleen Moore, Louise Brooks, Mary Thurman, or Mae Busch. It's actually Margaret Livingston who's sporting the Dutch Bob here.

Wendy, Most of these I do not have. Thanks. I do have quite a few photos of her thought that I have never gotten too. Here is a very unusual lobby-card with Nazimova. *Alla Nazimova-MY SON (1925)*

Wendy, No, it is Gertrude Astor in the Illustration. Jacqueline Logan was not a Blonde. Probably another lost film because I had never heard of it before.

Here is a film I would like to be able to see:

Wendy, Well, it could have been much worse. My hard-drive mighht have burned up, or the Ram could have went haywire. Replacing the Power-supply was a surprise because I just bought a new one about 3, maybe close to 4 years ago. It wasn't that old. Apparently, they do not last very long. They don't build stuff that way these days. Everything is so disposable. *THE LOVES OF PHAROAH* doesn't look like it will be on TCM aqnytime soon. However, the brand new George Eastman House restoration of William Desmond Taylor's *HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1920)* is being broadcast December 14th in Prime-time! *Dorothy Sebastian-"Butterfly Dress"*

*Ugaarate, Wendy, Etc,* {font:Book Antiqua}I am back after my computer's power supply unit died on Monday. Took me a few days to get a new power supply and extra cooling fan that would run. I had to settle for a 485 Watt Power supply. The old one was 600. I got the biggest one that I could find around here.{font}

Definitely not *SEVENTH HEAVEN,* either the original 1927 Silent or 1937 sound remake versions. There is no baby in this story. However, the plot does sound familiar. I am trying to place it.

yancy, Depends on if you have the current Keaton Kino's or not? The most recent version of THE GENERAL from Kino has three scores. Carl Davis is your defualt. Followed by Robert Israel, and Lee Erwin. TCM recently started showing THE GENERAL with the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra score which is not on the Kino DVD or Blu-ray release at all. So you will want to keep that one, for a different score than what you have. Thankfully, TCM has replaced the Alloy Orchestra score that they has used for for THE GENERAL the previous 8 years. The Mont Alto score and the print is much better and makes the film far more enjoyable. Last night was the very first time TCM aired OUR HOSPITALITY with the Carl Davis score. Before that it has a score compiled by Donald Hunsberger. The current Kino DVD and Blu-ray has both scores. I'm hoping that TCM will show SHERLOCK JUNIOR with thwe Mont Alto Orchestra score which is now the Kino default. Replacing the dreadful Club Foot Orchestra stuff that it has had for years and years on TCM. There is a very fine Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks score to SHERLOCK JUNIOR, but tKino did not use it.The score I am used to for the film. GO WEST also used to have a different score on the old Image Entertainment laser-disc, which I feel is superiour to the Eric Beheim synthesized music that it has now.

Big news! This is the very first time on TCM that *OUR HOSPITALITY (1923)* has been broadcast with the magnifcent Carl Davis musical score! Originally recorded in the early 80's for Thames Television. Although as I understand it, presented out of synch at times with the Kino print. Nevertheless, thank you so much TCM programmer Chuck Tabesh for picking up this outstanding score to this terrific film! This is the first time I have seen the film on Television with this score since 1987 or 1988! Hopefully, *SHERLOCK JUNIOR* will now have the Mont Alto Orchestra score. And *SEVEN CHANCES* has never been shown on TCM before. It is coming out on blu-ray in December.

Awesome headdress.I wish I had a better quality graphic of this image. There is a full figure shot, but very grainy. The gown was considered slightly Scandalous at the time. But of course the real Aphrodite probably didn't wear blessed a thing. So there. *Dorothy Dalton as "Aphrodite Goddess of Love"-1921*

Wendy, Laura La Plante looks to have been a Major Star as early as 1924. *EXCITEMENT* and *BUTTERFLY* were popular films that year, and *SMOULDERING FIRES* was highly acclaimed. *Dangerous Innocence-1925* ugaarate, Thanks for all the positive feedback. It is nice to have you back commenting on the posts again. Here is a nice trade for *LILAC TIME* that I found last week. *Colleen Moore-LILAC TIME-Duo-Color-Trade Ad-1928*

This is a great idea, but there are Zero sielnts listed on your slate? Why? Several of Jack and certainly Lionel's existing Silent's have never been shown on TCM. Films such as THE SEA BEAST (1926), THE BELLS (1926), THE BELOVED ROGUE (1927), THE TEMPEST (1928), and GENERAL CRACK among others have yet to air.

This forgotten film seems to have been a major, major hit for Universal in 1925, because it was re-released with a synchronized Movie-tone score in 1930. As far as I know the picture in any version is lost today. *Laura La Plante-THE MIDNIGHT SUN (1925)*

*Wanda Hawley-"BOBBED HAIR" (1922)*