goldensilents

Lights of New York kept making me nod off. The Jazz Singer never does. I think it's the better film and that's why it's remembered more.

Yes, I agree, it does look more like Eleanor.

There may be some ancient copyright holdups that affect whether or not they can be taken out of mothballs and exhibited. Like Crawford's Letty Lynton. I have a rather mediocre print but still glad to have it: few people have seen the film in decades because of some ancient copyright entanglement from the author's estate against the studio.

I'm a mother of three sons and I haven't abandoned them. There's probably something to the supposition that John Gilbert was such a ladies' man because he was trying to make up for what he lacked in childhood from his mother. But no woman could really satisfy him because that first female relationship was such a heartbreak.

Good luck with it Nikki! I have a feeling everything is going to work out. Hard to do this kind of thing during a recession but you're really motivated and will get the job done.

Monte Cristo is definitely in the works for DVD, according to Mr. Shepard. I think his print has early Technicolor footage too. Years ago I got a VHS of the film on eBay but it was rather poor condition. I think it will be a fun picture for DVD. My favorite portrait of John Gilbert is the one I colorized for my Golden Silents' biography page on him. He looks so haunted in this picture, like a little boy whose mother had abandoned him, from which he had never really recovered....... oops, wait a minute, he WAS like a little boy whose mother had abandoned him...... http://www.goldensilents.com/stars/johngilbert.html

Yes, it's nice to see real natural acting before "Method" acting came along.

*Birth of a Nation* provided funds not just to Griffith but to the early moguls and their studios who invested in it. That one film probably had more to do with building Hollywood as a film town than any other. All of them owed their later success in many ways to BOAN. Of course that's not politically correct to say today but it's largely the truth.

That is a puzzler. It looks like a combination of both ladies. Take some Evelyn Brent, mix with Fay Wray, add a little water, salt, pepper and onions and mix to a fine brew.

I loved your review! Thanks for posting it.

Constructive criticism is good. The consumer often has great ideas that should be listened to. I haven't purchased any of the precode sets because I already have all the films recorded from the station that are in these sets. If they want my dollars they are going to have to start including precode films they have never shown before on TCM. It's really as simple as that for me. I will be buying the Universal precode set coming out in April because there are rarities on that which are never shown. I think if TCM really wants to make money on their sets, instead of showing the films in these sets in full before the sets premiere, they should do shows with Robert Osborne where he talks about their history and where he shows CLIPS from the films instead. That's a bit more savvy salesmanship. I'll bet they lose a lot of money by showing the films in full before a set comes out. If they REALLY want to make big bucks then come out with a set filled with precode rarities, like Jeanne Eagels' *The Letter* or Norma Shearer's *The Trial of Mary Dugan*. A set like that would fly off the shelves!

My sentiments exactly. Although I do think *Heroes for Sale* and *Midnight Mary* are very worthy inclusions in any precode DVD set. In fact they could have done a top notch precode set of just Richard Barthelmess precodes: *Heroes for Sale, Central Airport, The Last Flight, The Dawn Patrol, Cabin in the Cotton, The Finger Points* and *Weary River*, his first talkie. Something I noticed too: when TCM airs their commercial for the latest precode set they mention actors like Barbara Stanwyck when her face appears but when Richard Barthelmess' face appears they don't say his name, just the film title. I think that stinks. It's as if Richard wasn't an important enough actor to have his name mentioned (and you really have to be ignorant of film history if you think that!).

I watched a real oddball German silent tonight called *The Yacht Of The Seven Sins* (1928, UFA). It was missing the final reel which is probably why no one has done anything with it, but it's an interesting film nonetheless, and boasts yet another dynamic performance by the irrepressible Brigette Helm. There's virtually nothing about this film on the IMDb; no plot listed, no reviews, not even the character names are listed, just the cast. So hopefully I can fill in a few missing details. The story is about various stage performers and their rivalries. There's blackmail going on and a murder is committed. ====== spoilers ====== Brigette plays Marta Petrowna, a dancer, and she is perturbed when a rival female performer, singer Leonie Storm (played by Rina Marsa), is given a job performing on a cruise ship instead of herself. She visits her agent / producer, a Mr. Martini, to try and change his mind and let her be signed instead of the rival Leonie, and while she is there the producer is visited by Leonie's boyfriend, a stage writer named Kilian (played by John Stuart) who wants Leonie released from her contract. He has heard that the ship where she is to perform has had shady dealings with criminals in the past. The producer really wants Leonie because she's very popular and he won't release her. As Kilian is talking to Martini about this the producer slumps over dead, a paper cutter in his back. We don't see the murderer but we know Marta has not left the building. The police arrive and try to pin the murder on Kilian because he presumably was the last person to see Martini alive. While the investigation is going on Marta is working behind the scenes to make sure she gets on that cruise ship. She befriends an obviously gay pianist and performer and wows him with her dancing. Some of the best scenes in this strange picture are between the two of them; there's lots of clowning around, which helps break up the tension of the murder investigation. Marta visits Kilian and makes a pass at him, trying to woo him away from Leonie. She tells him she knows he was the last visitor Martini had in his office, which startles him. Leonie walks in on their embrace and is at first jealous but then she realizes he is innocent of any wrongdoing (though it is insinuated Marta and Kilian have had a past relationship). Marta manages to get on the cruise ship. There are obvious criminal elements on board but the entertainment goes on as usual. There are also disguised police detectives on board, watching every move of Marta and Kilian and Leonie. Just when things are coming to a head in the investigation the film ends prematurely because the last reel is missing. The film titles fill in what happens. Marta is arrested as the murderer of Martini and Leonie and Kilian are free to marry. There's some interesting camera work here, like strange cut off close ups and lots of shadow play on the walls. I said to my husband, "This cameraman is obsessed with shadows." Sometimes you are staring at the shadows instead of the actors! It's probably not one of Brigette's best films and it's frustrating that it isn't complete, but she does look striking in the film and I'm glad I saw it.

K. She's a member of my board too and I know how hard she is working at this, for no money, just because she loves Harold. Her friends made up the poster for her.

Very nice, coopsgirl! Evelyn had such a sensuous mouth, don't you think? The last film I watched her in, Interference, early Paramount precode, she really stood out in the beauty department especially compared to Doris Kenyon, who looked rather drab at that time.

Why make the comment at all, Jeffrey, when it could hurt her feelings? She's working really hard to make this event a success and she doesn't need criticism. It doesn't look anything like Phil Silvers AND the poster specifically says Harold Lloyd on it. You post a ton of your pictures and no one ever makes negative comments about them. I think you should think a bit more before you post. Just saying.

Here you go, here's your poster.

Bugs and gang are going to be on tonight! Thanks, TCM!

That's ok. Sorry, I might have been a little confusing in my post. *The Big Parade*, WW One. *La Boheme*, early 19th century (or at least I believe that's when the opera is supposed to take place); therefore any 20th century jazz sounding passages in a soundtrack for *La Boheme* would be out of place. Just checked Wiki and they have this: The story is set in Paris in the period around 1830.[9] It essentially focuses on the love between the seamstress called Mim? and the poet Rodolfo. They almost immediately fall in love with each other, but Rodolfo later wants to leave Mim? because of her flirtatious behavior. However, Mim? also happens to be mortally ill, and Rodolfo also feels guilt, since their life together likely had worsened her health even further. They reunite for a brief moment at the end before Mim? dies.

Looking at the big picture though it does sound a lot more promising. You see, the news of the success of the WB project will likely stir more competition among other studios to do the same. That's the beauty of capitalism. It's why you often see a Burger King just down the street from a McDonalds, or a CVS drug store opposite the street where a Walgreens is. Competition makes the world go round and benefits the consumer in the long run.

The news is coming out that soon the new WB DVD titles will be available to buy for non USA purchasers. That's a relief! I already had non USA members of my own message board email me privately "Jill, can you do an order for me?" and I was going to end up being the mailer for all these people. NOW I AM SAVED! heeheeheehee

Johnbabe, TCM has aired La Boheme at least twice and The Big Parade several times, just in unrestored fashion. At least The Big Parade has the Carl Davis soundtrack -- which I hope they keep in any "restoration" but La Boheme had tons of artifacts (which I cleaned up in my own personal restoration - took me 6 whole months to go through 250,000 frames all the while knowing I couldn't sell my work because the film is not PD) and they tacked on some dreadful piano soundtrack which didn't suit the film at all. I believe the action is supposed to take place in the 1830's yet the piano soundtrack had jazz influenced moments in it! Dumb. So maybe Kevin B. can do some miracles on these films but I am sure it will take time. If they keep Carl's soundtrack on any new restoration of The Big Parade it will need to be adjusted more than likely because a new print might run a little longer or shorter than an older print.

heehee, if I were a guy I'd ogle Laura too. Malcolm pops up in a couple of other things too. He was in the silent *Prisoner of Zenda* with Ramon Novarro and he was in *The Vanishing American* with Richard Dix. The film I'd really like to see him in is *All The Brothers Were Valiant* with Lon Chaney and Billie Dove but I believe the film is lost. I've only seen stills from it over the years.

If they work fine then don't switch, but I thought you said you couldn't burn double layer and you were interested in that. I've never heard of *The Circle* but if it's incomplete I'd probably not be in a hurry to bother. The last Malcolm McGregor film I saw was *The Untameable* (1923) a few months ago, a loan from a friend, starring Malcolm and the beautiful Gladys Walton, who was a big Universal star at the time. That film was a pip! It was an early film effort about split personality. Rich orphan girl Gladys was being hypnotized by the evil doctor John St. Polis (oooh, he's so good in those smarmy roles!) who wanted her money. One minute she'd be a nice girl and the next minute a sex kitten who would have her hands all over him and dress provocatively and strut around like a tart. It was one of the most bizarre silents I've ever seen! I think my jaw was dropped through half the picture. LOL! Malcolm plays a nice guy out for a joy ride whose car hits a tree. Gladys the good girl finds him and brings him to her home. She calls the doctor to tend his wounds and he rests in her bed recovering. Malcolm begins to suspect all is not well though cause whenever the doctor shows up Gladys' personality completely changes from demure to exotic and sexy. There's a big confrontation at the end and some double exposure scenes as the tart leaves the good girl and Gladys is restored to Malcolm and St Polis gets his (yay!). Malcolm was very handsome. I'm afraid whenever he's on the screen I tend to just ogle him and not pay much attention to his acting. haha!

4 to 5 years is a lifetime in anything related to computers. My advice would be to go to Best Buy or similar and purchase a brand new DVD burner. Get a Lightscribe model from HP, they're generally good. Get an external one if you don't feel like installing an internal. Use the internal as your backup.