goldensilents

It seems like you're all reading each other's minds over here! :0

Frankly, any of the MGM titles like The Big Parade I would not listen to any gossip about on various message boards. We've been hearing it's coming out "soon" since 2003 when we were posting on the old Harold Lloyd board! I'm not holding my breath anymore. Bottom line: when they come out with an official announcement from a studio THEN I will believe it. Call me Doubting Thomasina.

Not to be mean or anything, but why should I answer your question when you didn't answer mine?

I seem to recall that, yes.

I think I recorded mine off that channel about four years ago. They play it pretty frequently. I enjoyed it more than I expected to and I remember being very surprised at how handsome Victor Jory was in the picture. When I think of him I always think of him how he looked in Gone With The Wind, decidedly less handsome than in The Devil's In Love and it was only about 6 years later.

I just bought the set new with a private seller on Amazon for just 29 dollars. A steal! I think I've only seen one or two of these movies before so I know I'll enjoy it. I LOVE Amazon One Click!

Released starting when? Any actual dates?

http://www.adobe.com/special/products/audition/syntrillium.html Unfortunately Cool Edit Pro has become Adobe Audition and they increased the price about 200 bucks over Cool Edit Pro! (for essentially the same program). I have been very careful to keep my registered disc of Cool Edit Pro handy and not to lose it when I change computers, so I can re-install it onto any new system I purchase. I use Paint Shop Pro for all my graphics work. It's like a second skin to me now because I've used it for so many years. I tried Photoshop which everyone raves about but didn't like it. It wasn't as intuitive as PSP. Also PSP is A LOT cheaper than Photoshop and you can do the same things. It has an Animation program built inside it with which you can make AVI files to convert to MPEG. Hey, btw, why didn't you answer my last email?

A friend sent it to me as a gift because he knows I love films about children. It must have come from some avant garde collection because the print was so nice and sharp and Eric Breihem (is that how you spell his name?) did the synthesized score (which was ok but I would have chosen something different).

They do a great job except I don't see any effort at artifact reduction. I wish Criterion would do more silents and use their magic in cleaning them up.

That's neat. I do the same thing all the time too. I use Cool Edit Pro. Works wonders.

I definitely would, especially if there were titles they don't always show every year. The first two you list they show frequently so I would be less tempted to buy a set if they were in it -- I already have decent copies. But the rarities? Sure!

I watched a charming avant garde short film tonight, a fantasy called *Moonland* (1924) starring a freckle faced Mickey McBan. It was so charming that I watched it again right after it was done. So innocent: the kind of childrens' entertainment they don't make anymore. I kept wishing each frame was hand tinted in different colors because the art work in the film was spectacular and it cried out for something more enhanced than black and white. It's a simple story about a boy and his dog. He looks up through his bedroom window and wonders what is on the moon (I had flashbacks to Harold and the Purple Crayon). He goes to sleep and dreams he travels to the moon. Loved it. I was thinking to myself yet again that Hollywood today wouldn't cast freckle faced boys in anything -- today the kids they hire have to have perfectly smooth skin. Today they would tell the likes of Mickey McBan, Wesley Barry, and Frank Coughlan Jr. to take a hike. Here are some snapshots from this adorable film. Golly, just checked, and this film is so rare it's not even on the IMDb. It says Mickey died in 1979. He was in a few big films like Hot Water with Harold Lloyd and Peter Pan, playing Slightly, Beau Geste, Sorrell and Son, and Emil Janning's The Way of All Flesh. What a cutie.

This morning I watched a very rare but impressive UFA silent, starring the riveting Russian actor Ivan Mosjoukine, who had defected from the Soviet Union in order to star in European films. It was called *Der Weibe Teufel - The White Devil* (1930) and starred Mosjoukine in his last silent role, beautiful Betty Amann ( from *Asphalt* ) and Lil Dagover, and in a memorable role as Mosjoukine's character's son Kenneth Rive, who apparently went on in later years to be instrumental in promoting European films to America. The movie has striking, very creative cinematography; it was filmed in multiple locations which gave it a unique look: Russia, France and Switzerland, and it boasted a synchronized music score with sound effects and crowd singing, but no individual voices for the leads. Since it came out in 1930 it probably was filmed as a silent and then later the soundtrack was added, and quite effective too, as these soundtracks go. The story is about the life and loves and military choices of a White Muslim Russian named Hadschi Murat. He lives with his mother and his young son (we are to assume the wife has passed on). He has a fight with his commander and is banished from his homeland. The Czar tries to use him for his own ends but Murat resists. He is attracted to two women, the beautiful Neidowa (Dagover) whom he rescues from the despotic Czar, and then he falls in love with a ballerina, Saira (Betty Amann). ==== spoilers ===== Eventually he dies -- slowly, agonizingly -- in battle, leaving his beloved young son in the care of his love Saira and his elderly mother. The last twenty minutes or so of the film are absolutely sublime. I loved the last scene: how he passes away on top of his horse but before he does he embraces his son, prays, and sees the images of his life flash before his eyes. In those scenes I felt like I was watching Gance's *Napoleon* all over again. Very beautiful. Apparently Gance wanted Mosjoukine to star as Napoleon but it didn't work out. I could easily see him in the role. He was one of those actors who don't look like anything special in vintage postcards, but put a motion picture camera on him and he is riveting. Here are some snapshots I made up.

What was wrong with it?

That's right. Another good directing job. Especially well done is the murder scene. Very sophisticated set up and cuts to create tension. Oh, just realized that the Robert Donat talkie film they aired last night was also directed by Feyder. I set the recorder for that one and went to bed. Will have to watch it later today. Robert Donat is one of my favorites.

Luscious, luscious print and story. Like a delectable morsal. Don't put it off too long!

2 good films. I have the original Photoplay novel of Beverly and it was a fun read. The film doesn't quite live up to it in some ways but is still good in its own right.

Robert O. reminded the audience last night that Feyder directed Ramon Novarro in *Daybreak* and *Son of India*, two precodes I love. But for whatever reason he tired of Hollywood and went back to Europe. Faces of Children has some lovely cinematography but I sure do wish whoever put it on DVD had done some artifact reduction like I do with my prints. It's distracting constantly seeing messed up frames. Here are some screen captures from the film.

Btw, I just noticed another Feyder film is scheduled for after Visages d'enfants, this one a talkie. Has anyone seen it? Think I'll record it and check it out. 2:00am Carnival in Flanders (1935) When a village's men flee, the women are left to cope with Spanish invaders. Cast: Louis Jouvet Dir: Jacques Feyder BW-114 mins

I second the motion! Bring Kleenex to cry into, all ye who enter there.

{...} Message was edited by: TCMWebAdmin Off topic

It seems like you have a lot of catching up to do on foreign silents. Did you ever get "A Throw of Dice"? One of the top five silent film prints I've ever seen. You're missing out if you don't get it.

{...} Message was edited by: TCMWebAdmin Personal Attack

Why don't you email them and find out?