A Little Girl Who Did Not Believe in Santa Claus (1907)

Runtime: 14 minutes. Studio: Edison Manufacturing Company. Directors: J. Searle Dawley, Edwin S. Porter. Cast: Gitchner Hartman, Mr. Lehapmen, Bessie Schrednecky, William Sorelle, Miss Sullivan.

I love Christmas. It is in my mind it is easily the best time of the year. Naturally as a film lover, this also means I love Christmas movies. This of course includes well established classics such as It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Chirstmas Story and so forth, but this also includes some of the more forgotten films, such as the one I am discussing here.

The directors of this film were J. Searle Dawley and Edwin S. Porter. J. Seale Dawley often called himself the first motion picture director. The reason he called himself this is because he felt that before he started directing (in 1907) that the cameraman was the one in charge of the movie. Over his career he directed such early cinema classics as the 1910 film version of Frankenstein, the 1916 version of Snow White (which helped inspire Walt Disney to make the 1937 animated classic), and the 1918 film version of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Interestingly he was first hired by his co-director here Edwin S. Porter. Edwin S. Porter was one of the greatest pre-Griffith directors. He started directing in 1898 with a short film called The Caviler's Dream. He also directed such classics as The Great Train Robbery, the 1902 film version of Jack and the Beanstalk, Dream of a Rarebit Fiend and The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog.

As the title indicates the story involves a little girl who does not believe in Santa Claus. The little girl here does not believe in Santa, because her family is so poor. One day she meets a boy who is disheartened to hear about her lack of belief and even more that she has never got anything from Santa. The little boy decides he is going to help her get presents this year. I am not going to give away how he goes about this, but it is honestly quite shocking and unexpected.

This is an excellent film. The story and characters are very likable and charming and the filmmaking is quite sophisticated (especially considering the time it was made). This film was well ahead of it's time both story and visual wise. Fantasies were not the common type of film at this time period, despite the success of such films as A Trip to The Moon. Most films were documentaries when this short was made. Storytelling was not the main goal of cinema at this time. That is why it is so amazing how well this story is told. On top of that the special effects, such as the little girl's dream and seeing Santa travel, are very convincing in a way that would even be rare later in the silent era. In fact these special effects still hold up today, 109 years later. However all of this would be wasted if the story wasn't good, and luckily the story is very charming. This is a must see for all those interested in early cinema.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
Film Before Griffith by John L. Fell
imdb.com

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1928)

Runtime: 106 minutes. Studio: MGM. Director: Ernst Lubitsch. Writers: Hanns Kräly, Ruth Cummings, Marian Ainslee. Based on the book by Karl Heinrich and the play by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster.  Producers: Ernst Lubitsch, Irving Thalburg. Main Cast: Roman Novarro, Norma Shearer, Jean Hersholt. Cinematographer: John J. Mescall.





One thing (out of very many things) I love about movies is when you find a film that has been surprisingly overlooked, but is just as good as the ones that are considered classics. The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg is definitely one of these, as everything in this film is near perfect. This film isn't forgotten but it isn't talked about as one of the classic silent films. It really makes me wonder how a film directed by Ernst Lubitsch and featuring Norma Shearer (two names that should definitely resonate with many classic movie lovers) that is this good can possibly be so overlooked.  

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg was Ernst Lubitsch's first film for MGM. This was the studio for which he would later make such well loved films like The Merry Widow, Ninotchka, and The Shop Around the Corner. Lubitsch began his career in Germany. His first film Fräulein Seifenschaum, was a 1914 film that is unfortunately lost today. Rather than the sophisticated comedies that he would be known for in the 1930's, at this time Lubitsch was known for making costume dramas, and film with a fairytale like atomsphere. He would move to the U.S.A. to direct a 1923 costume drama staring Mary Pickford called Rosita. While there was definitely a lot of tension between Lubitsch and Pickford, the film was a success both with critics and audiences. He would naturally stay in America to make more of these films. However one senses while watching The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg that he still had deep nostalgia for growing up in Germany. On top of that this film in many ways feels like one of his German films. It seems to take elements of both his costume dramas and his fairytale-like films, and it combines them perfectly.

Interestingly Ernst Lubitsch was not originally going to be the director of this film. The director was originally going to be Erich von Stroheim. However Stroheim had a bad relationship with producer Irving Thalberg. This was because Thalberg had done massive edits to Greed and The Merry Widow (interestingly Lubitsch would later make another film version of this story for MGM), two films Stroheim had directed, before they reached theaters. Because of this Stroheim not only turned down this film, but he also left MGM.

Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer, the two main stars of this film, did not always agree with Lubitsch. One reason for this was that Lubitsch insisted on little time for rehearsal. Because of this various scenes would have many retakes before they turned out right. Though not proven true (or false for that matter), one rumor states that one scene for this film was shot 102 times. Lubitsch once ended up yelling at Norma Shearer, telling her that a studio waitress to play a barmaid better. Shearer was driven to tears by this remark. Another rumor that hasn't been proven true (or false) is that Norma Shearer told Irving Thalberg about this incident, and Thalberg responded “Everyone has a lot to learn from Mr. Lubitsch.” If this was true then it didn't hurt their relationship, because Shearer and Thalberg would marry a week after the movie was released.

Lubitsch was not overly happy with either star. However the studio said that he had to use Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer. Despite this both of them give amazing performances here. Lubitsch would still never be satisfied with eithers performance.

One love scene did not satisfy anyone working on the film. It has been stated that Irving Thalberg called in director John M. Stahl to re-shoot the scene. If this is true than it might have had to do Stahl directing Ramon Novarro in the 1927 movie Lovers?. However Andrew Marton, the editor for the film, stated that Lubitsch directed every scene of the film. However Marton also stated that Lubitsch never liked the scene.

In this film Crown Prince Karl Heinrich (Played by Ramon Novarro) is tired of his sheltered life and longs to live in the outside world. The prince and his tutor, Dr. Jtter (played by Jean Hersholt) are allowed to go to Heidelberg. Here the prince can live life as he always wanted to. He also falls in love with a young barmaid named Kathi (played by Norma Shearer). However when his father  (Played by Gustav von Seyffertitz) becomes sick Karl must travel back to his home to attend to royal duties.

The film lost money at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics.

Despite this the film is incredible. Nearly everything works perfectly. The story, the characters, the cinematography, and the all around atmosphere are all amazingly well done. This film is also profoundly moving, and one that definitely can bring tears to my eyes, and I assume it would do the same for many of you. This is a must watch.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/835/The-Student-Prince-in-Old-Heidelberg/articles.html
http://www.silentfilm.org/the-student-prince-in-old-heidelberg-1927

Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pride (1925)

Runtime: 21 minutes. Studio: Joe Rock Comedies. Directors: Joe Rock, Scott Prembroke. Writer: Tay Garnett . Producer: Joe Rock. Main Cast: Stan Laurel, Julie Leonard, Pete the Dog. Cinematographer: Edgar Lyons.

It is October and that means it is time for scary creepy movies. However the silent film of the month this month is neither scary nor creepy, but it is funny. We are instead going to look at Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pride, a comedic variation on the famous horror story of Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde starring Stan Laurel.

Stan Laurel of course would later go on to be half of possibly the movies' greatest comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. However both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy had fairly good film careers before teaming up. Stan had been the star of quite a few short films, and even worked briefly as a director of short subjects (he would even direct Yes Yes Nanette which would feature Oliver Hardy in a supporting role, before the two would become a team). Oliver Hardy worked mainly as a villain in many short comedies playing against such silent stars as Larry Seamon and Billy West.

Some of Stan Laurel's best films before teaming with Oliver Hardy were a series of movie parodies. These films were made for the Metro studio (MGM had not been fully formed yet) under the supervision of former cowboy star G.M. Anderson (who also help produce some of Charlie Chaplin's films in 1915).  Probably the most famous of these would be Mud and Sand (made for the Quality Film Studio), a parody of Blood and Sand. Blood and Sand stared Rudolf Valentino, and Stan Laurel spent much of that short parodying Valentino's mannerisms. This film was made later for independent producer Joe Rock (who also directed some of the films Stan made for him, including my Silent Film of the Month), but was obviously a callback to these earlier films.  However in Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pride there is little to no kidding of John Barrymore. Rather this film is a parody of the Dr. Jeckell and Mr. Hyde story rather than a direct parody of a star who had played in a previous film version.

The story of this film centers around the prim and proper English gentleman Dr. Pyckle (played by Stan Laurel). When Dr. Pyckle takes a potion he created he becomes the childish prankster Mr, Pride, who annoys the whole town with his practical jokes.


This is an excellent film and my favorite film Stan Laurel made before teaming with Oliver Hardy. It is very funny and Stan Laurel is perfect at playing these characters that are quite different from the Stan character we usually see him play. I think the reason these parody films are some of Stan's best films of this era are because they give Stan a ready set character. While many of other earlier films of him feel like they are searching for a character for him to play and they haven't quite figured the character out yet.

This film looks very good. One reason for this is that it was shot on already existing sets on the Universal Studios Lot.

Despite how this film ranks among one of Stan Laurel's best solo films it was not seen as such at the time by critics. Critics saw it as good, but not as good as Stan Laurel's previous work.

This film was considered lost for years but it wasn't. It was owned by archivist Raymond Rohauer, who for some reason didn't allow the public to see the film. Strangely though clips from the film did appear in Jay Ward's (of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame) TV show Fractured Flickers, which used silent movie clips with new humorous narration. However today we can luckily see the film.

During the period where Stan Laurel was working for Joe Rock (which includes this film), he was in-between time periods of working at Hal Roach studios, where the best Laurel and Hardy films were made. He had left working for Metro in 1923, because of problems with Louis B. Mayer, and went to work for Hal Roach. In 1924 Stan left Hal Roach for Joe Rock. However in 1926 he would come back to Roach as a writer and director. By 1927 he was appearing in front of the camera again, where he would be paired with Oliver Hardy and make movie history.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
The Life and Times of Laurel and Hardy by Amy Dempsey.
Stan Without Ollie: The Stan Laurel Solo Films 1917-1927 by Ted Okuda and James L. Neibaur
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015763/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_130

Felix Saves the Day (1922)

Run Time: 7 minutes. Studio: Pat Sullivan Cartoons. Director: Otto Messmer. Producer: Pat Sullivan. Animator: Otto Messmer

During much of the 1920's Felix the cat was the world's biggest cartoon star. Those who only know the cat for his sound work might be a bit surprised at this, but during the silent era he appeared in some of the cleverest and most inventive cartoons. Beyond this Felix showed a great strive towards personality animation. This is when the animation not only shows the character doing something, but thinking as well. Though this had been done by Winsor McCay in the fantastic Gertie The Dinosaur, before Felix it had not been done with a regularly occurring character.

Though the Felix cartoons were only credited to Pat Sullivian. However Otto Messmer was extremely important to these. films. Otto Messmer didn't really get much attention for his contributions until much later thanks to such historians as Leonard Maltin and John Canemaker. There has been some argument to just how much Messmer contributed to these cartoons. Some say he did almost everything for these films, but others say while he was important to the cartoons Pat Sullivan was a much bigger contributor. Before Felix, Messmer and Sullivan did a short series of cartoons with Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character. Otto Mesmer as the main animator on these cartoons studied Charlie Chaplin closely to get his mannerisms down. Messmer would later claim this as his main inspiration for his animation for Felix. Indeed this was picked up by many film critics, who often favorably compared Felix and Chaplin. Felix made his debut in a 1919 cartoon called Feline Follies. In that film Felix was called Master Tom. In the cat's second cartoon Musical Mews, he received the name Felix. These cartoons were so successful, that Pat Sullivan decided to make a series out of the cat, where shorts would be released on a monthly schedule. Felix Saves the Day was the first cartoon made for this new schedule. Messmer considered this film to be his favorite Felix cartoon. Film Historian Leonard Maltin believes this is because he made this film virtually by himself.

In this film Felix is a huge fan of the Tar-Heels baseball team. Felix practing with the team accidentilly hits a ball that knocks off a policeman's hat. Willie Brown, the star of the team is blamed for it and winds up in prison. Felix tries to get Willie out but his efforts don't work. Felix muxt then take the place for Willie in the game.

This cartoon is very entertaining. It has some good humor (a joke about a Fly Cop is esspicially funny), the film looks great and most importantly Felix is very likable. This film features some blending of animation and live action. This is expertly done. It not only looks very cool, but the prencese of both animation and live action somehow adds to the reality of the character of Felix. Most of all though this film is very creative. Things like Felix climbing question marks that appear above his head, and him getting into a live action taxi, are just so imaginative that they are a joy to watch.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resourses Used
Of Mice and Magic: The History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Felix: The Twisted Tale of the World's Most Famous Cat by John Canemaker

Finances of the Grand Duke (1924)

Run Time: 80 minutes. Studio: UFA. Director: F.W. Murnau. Writer: Thea Van Harbou. Adapted from a novel by Frank Heller. Producer: Erich Pommer. Main Cast: Mady Christians, Harry Liedtke, Robert Scholtz, Alfred Abel.

F.W. Murnau has become probably the most popular German film maker of the silent era, and with good reason. His films such as Nosfertu, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, Faust and The Last Laugh have been praised as some of the greatest masterpieces of the German cinema. Fans of these great films though might be surprised to see The Finances of the Grand Duke. The reason for this is that it is a film that is very different from what Murnau is usually associated with. Unlike the horrifying Nosfertu or the unmatched beauty of Sunrise, this film is a rather unassuming little lighthearted comedy, and it successes very well at being just that. This is in fact F.W. Marnau's only comedy.

Besides F.W. Murnau, another name that might be familier to fans of classic German cinema is this films writer Thea Van Harbou. Thea Van Harbou was the wife of the great German director Fritz Lang, and wrote many of Lang's German films, including his two most popular Metropolis and M. Finances of the Grand Duke is one of the only two films Harbou wrote for Murnau, the other was the 1922 film Phantom. The two cinematographers on this film also have a very impressive body of work. Karl Freund would later be the cinematographer for Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Tod Browning's Dracula, John Huston's Key Largo and every episode of I Love Lucy. He also worked with Murnau on The Last Laugh and Tartuffe. The other cinematographer for this film was Franz Planner. Franz Planner would later work on such films as The Cain Mutiny, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Disney's version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  

The story begins with the grand duke (played by Harry Liedtke), a benevolent dictator (?) being in great debt. Because of this he plans to marry Princess Olga (played by Mady Christians), who offers to marry him through a letter, despite having never meet him. A letter about this engagement has been stolen. On top of this many greedy men opposed to the Grand Duke conspire against him. Both the grand duke and Princess Olga have to save the country Abacco from greedy men who want to exploit the country for their own gain.

Overall while Finances of the Grand Duke isn't the masterpiece Nosfertu or Sunrise are, it is a very entertaining movie. It has very likable characters, the humor while not constantly hilarious can quite funny at times, the story is fun, and the film looks great visually. Interestingly this film was made the same year as The Last Laugh. The Last Laugh would be a film completely without intertitles. However in Finances of the Grand Duke too many intertitles is the film's biggest fault. This film seems very much in the style of a classic movie serial and is just as fun. In a visual sense this film is very much a Murnau film. The cinematography and sets are as beautiful as you would expect from a Murnau film It is sad this film is so overlooked because it remains a very enjoyable movie, and should get more attention from silent film fans.

This film has gained a following in recent years for a few reasons one that it is so different from a regular F.W. Murnau film, making it very fascinating peek into a different side of one of Germany's greatest filmmakers. It also shows Max Shreck out of his Count Orlok makeup from Nosfertu. This is also the reason that it is a darn good film.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Recourses Used
Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide by Leonard Maltin
connormartinsmith.blogspot.com/2010/01/finances-of-grand-duke.html
seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-finances-of-grand-duke.html
imdb.com/title/tt0014900/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
DVD Audio Commentary by David Kalat

100% American (1918)

Run Time: 14 minutes. Studio: Paramount.  Director:Arthur Rosson. Cinematographers: Hugh McClung, Glen MacWilliams. Main Cast: Mary Pickford, Loretta Blake, Monte Blue, Henry Bergman, Ted Reed.

I feel that for July since we celebrate America's birth this month, it feels natural for the silent film of the month to be a patriotic film. So today we are going to look at a short film made to help sell Liberty Loan bonds for World War 1, called 100% American. 

This is not the only film made to sell these bonds. Hollywood supported the war effort strongly, and made many short films to help sell bonds. It was very common for these shorts to star some of Hollywood's biggest names. This film stars America's Sweetheart, Mary Pickford, who was declared the country's favorite star in 1918 the year this film was made. Pickford was especially strongly in support of the war effort, and was glad to be in this film.

This film was directed by Arthur Rosson. He is best known today for be the co-director of Red River (Howard Hawks was the other director). He was also a unit director on Cecil B. Demille's The Ten Commandments (the 1956 version). Most of his career was spent directing westerns such as Boots of Destiny, Trailin' Trouble,  The Burning Trail and Taming The West.

In this film Mayme (played by Mary Pickford) tries to contribute to the war effort in any way she can. She gives up more expensive things to save money for bonds. There is a ball held for Patriotic Americans. Mayme friend (played by Loretta Blake) is sad she can't go because she doesn't have any bonds. Mayme gives her friend her own bonds. This film ends with a more surreal scene, similar to one in Charlie Chaplin's The Bond against a stark black background. In this scene Mayme defeats the Kaiser with a baseball (representing Liberty Bonds).

With the simplicity of the plot this films hangs heavily on Mary Pickford, and luckily it succeeds  fantastically on that account. Mary Pickford is extremely likable as always. She exerts a greatly addicting energy. Her character can even talk directly to the audience (through intertitles) without losing a sense of her reality. Mary brings great energy, likability, humor and just plain fun to this film. It is certain that without Mary Pickford's performance this would be a well made film, but one with not much interest outside of the most dedicated film buffs and history buffs. However thanks to her this film is not only well made but remains a great piece of entertainment today. 

At this time Mary Pickford also was performing live for many bond rallies, and for U.S. troops overseas. She would tour with such big stars as Charlie Chaplin, Marie Dressler, and her future husband Douglas Fairbanks. Mary became quite popular in her appearances for the U.S. military. She became known as the Navy's little sister. The 143rd California Field Artillery would make her an honorary colonel. There exists newsreel footage of Colonel Mary Pickford leading her troops. She would also provide many soldiers with tobacco and candy, two luxuries they did not have much of over there. 100% American is a great example of Mary Pickford's patriotism on full display, and a must watch for fans of America's Sweetheart.

Recourses Used

 http://www.jbkaufman.com/movie-of-the-month/100-american-1918

http://www.silentsaregolden.com/articles/pickfordandww1.html

-Michael J. Ruhland

A Woman of Paris (1923)

Run Time: 78 minutes. Studio: Untied Artists.  Director: Charlie Chaplin. Writer: Charlie Chaplin. Producer: Charlie Chaplin Cinematographers: Roland Totheroh, Jack Wilson. Main Cast: Edna Purviance, Clarence Geldart, Carl Miller, Lydia Knott.

In 1919 the United Artists studio was formed. It was created by four of the most important names working in film at that time. These were Mary Pickford, D.W. Griffith, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin. Despite Charlie Chaplin being one of the founders of the studio, he couldn't make films there right away. This was because he was still under contract with First National. Because of this his first film for United Artists was not released until 1923. The other owners of the studio were however disappointed by Chaplin's choice for a first film for the studio. Rather than doing a film with his world famous Tramp character, he decided instead to do a drama, that he would barely appear in. This film would be my Silent Film of the Month, A Woman of Paris.

Rather than staring Chaplin himself this film stared Edna Purviance. Purviance was Chaplin's leading lady from 1915 to 1923. However she would remain on Chaplin's payroll for the rest of her life. Charlie felt Edna had a future as a dramatic actress. Because of this he wanted to make this film to promote her as such. Despite her talent her career as a dramatic actress would not take off. She would star in another film called The Sea Gull which would be produced by Charlie Chaplin, and directed by famed director Josef von Sternberg. That film was never released because Chaplin was not happy with it. It is unfortunately a lost film today.

Because of this the film opens with a letter to the audience written by Charlie Chaplin to make sure they know that this film is not a comedy and that Charlie will not be appearing in this film (though he does make a short cameo in which he is barely recognizable). This film's story was loosely based off of the romances of actress Peggy Hopkins Joyce, who Chaplin had recently had an affair with. The film stars Marie (played by Edna Purvince) who wants to leave her country home and run off with her finance Jean (played by Carl Miller). Marie and Jean plan to take a train to Paris. However after Jean's father dies, he is unable to make the train, and Marie leaves by herself. In Paris Marie becomes a high society lady and the mistress of the well respected Pierre Revel (played by Adolphe Menjou). Jean comes to Paris and is shocked to find what Marie has become. I will not give away what happens after this but it leads to a very shocking and effective ending that Chaplin spent a long time tring to work out.

A Woman of Paris is a fantastically well made film. Charlie Chaplin was still a great director even when he is not appearing in the film. Chaplin shows here that he was not just a great comedy filmmaker but a great filmmaker no matter what type of film he was making. However Chaplin's direction isn't the only great thing about this film. The acting is great. Enda Purviance and Adolphe Menjou are pitcually fantastic in this movie. Also this film has beautiful cinematography by Roland Totheroh and Jack Wilson, both of whom were regular cinematographers for Charlie Chaplin (in fact they worked on very few films that weren't Charlie Chaplin films). The story of this film is not anything ground breakingly original, but it is told very well, and it is still a good story. 

A Woman of Paris faired very well with critics. Critics especially praised it's direction and cinematography. However it did not do well at the box office, most audiences were unhappy to see a Charlie Chaplin film with so little Charlie Chaplin. They simply wanted something very different from what they got. However that does not make this film any less great. The next Charlie Chaplin film would be The Gold Rush which would more than satisfy those wanting another Little Tramp picture (and with good reason The Gold Rush is a masterpiece).

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
My Autobiography by Charlie Chaplin
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/442072/A-Woman-of-Paris/

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)

Run Time: 71 minutes. Studio: Comenius-Film  GmbH.  Directors: Lotte Reiniger, Carl Koch. Writer: Lotte Reiniger. Cinematographer: Carl Koch. Animators: Berthod Bartosch, Walther Ruttmann, Alexander Karadan.

The Adventures of Prince Achmed  is the earliest existing animated feature film (released 11 years before Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). It is also the only silent animated feature that still exists. There were at least two animated features made before this 1917's El Apostol and 1918's Without a Trace both of these were directed by Argentinian film maker Quirino Cristiani and both are unfortunately lost films.

The main director of this film was Lotte Reiniger. She was one of the leading pioneers in silhouette animation. This was a rare feature for her, since most of her work was in short films. Much of her career was spent making animated shorts based on fairy tales. These shorts would include The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Puss in Boots, Snow White and the Rose Bed and quite a few more. Her co-director on this film was her husband Carl Koch (who is also the film's cinematographer). Carl Koch might also be known by film buffs for his work with the great French director Jean Renoir. He would work as a technical adviser on Renoir's The Grand Illusion and a writer on The Rules of the Game and Le Marselillaise, After Koch died in 1963, his wife would give up film making.

One of the animators on this film was Walter Ruttmann, who film buffs might now as the director of Berlin: A Symphony of a Great City, one of the Cinematographers for Fritz Lang's Metropolis and a writer on Leni Riefenstahl's Thruimph of the Will.  Also animating on this film was Alexander Kardan, whose on two other credits were as an animator on two other animated films by Lotte Reiniger, Cinderella, and Snow white and the Rose Bed, as well as Berthod Bartosch, who had a very short career as a director of animated short films (however it included The Idea which was a great work of art). This film was done in silhouette animation, which uses paper cut outs moved piece by piece.

The story which is inspired by 1001 Arabian Nights, begins as an evil magician with his eyes on the beautiful Princess, shows off some of his new tricks to the kingdom. After performing his tricks he is told he can have anything in the Kingdom, and he chooses the princess. The Prince obejects so the magician tricks him into flying away on his flying horse, without letting him know how to land.  Prince Achmed most find his way back home.Along the way he meets Aladdin, a witch, and the beautiful Pari Banu, who all help him on his journey.

This film is fantastic. The visuals are absolutely stunning. The film is amazing to look at from beginning to the end. However like many great films these visuals help tell the story, instead of just being there looking pretty. The add a scope and a sense of amazement which is needed for a fairy tale movie. The story itself while nothing that original is very charming.

This film is also a part of the German Expressionist movie that was popular in Germany during the silent era with such films as The Cabinet of DR. Caligari and Nosfertu. This movement was a moving away from realism in art. The abstract backgrounds and great designs make this film as a much a part of that movement as the live action films of F.W. Marnau, Fritz Lang, Robert Weine or G.W. Pabst. 

The original negative of this film was destroyed during the Battle of Berlin during 1945. Fortunately however the film was persevered in another way.The British Film Institute had a copy that used to show British audiences. This film has been restored as much as possible, and today we can see it on TCM, DVD and other places.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Recourses Used
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/438055/The-Adventures-of-Prince-Achmed/articles.html
http://www.silentfilm.org/archive/the-adventures-of-prince-achmed
The Animated Movie Guide by Jerry Beck

Duck Soup (1927)

Run Time: 17 minutes. Studio: Hal Roach Studios Director: Fred Guiol. Supervising Director: Leo McCarey. Writer: H.M. Walker . Adapted from a skit written by  Arthur Jefferson. Producer: Hal Roach. Main Cast: Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy, Madeline Hurlock,William Austin. Cinematographer: Floyd Jackman


Since I always post these on the first of the month and this month that is April Fools Day, I feel my only option of this installment of Silent Film of the Month is to do a Laurel and Hardy film. This month's film is the first time the boys worked as a team, Duck Soup. This is not the famous Marx Brothers film of the same name, but this film's supervising director, Leo McCarey, directed that Marx Brothers movie. Leo McCarey also directed such film classics as The Awful Truth, and Going My Way. He is also the one often given credit for coming up with the idea to team Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It is interesting to note that this film was originally going to star Stan Laurel and Syd Crossley. It is unknown why Syd Crossley would be replaced by Oliver Hardy in this film. Syd Crossley's first screen appearance had been in the short film Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde which starred Stan Laurel.

Unlike other comedy teams like The Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, and The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy first worked together on films. They also both had fairly good solo careers before teaming up. Stan Laurel had worked as both an actor and a director. Oliver Hardy had often times played villains opposite such comic actors as Larry Seamon and Billy West (not the voice actor but a Charlie Chaplin imitator). Though this is the first time they worked as a team, this was not the first time the two had worked together. Both had appeared in the 1921 comedy short The Lucky Dog, but here Stan played the hero, while Ollie played the bad guy. Stan also directed a short called Yes, Yes, Nanette which featured Ollie as an actor.

The story line of this film was based off of a skit written by a British Music Hall comedian named Arthur Jefferson, who was also Stan Laurel's father. In this short Stan and Ollie (played by Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, of course) are being pursued by a forest ranger (played by Bob Kortman) . They hide in a house that belongs to a big game hunter. After the boys find that the big game hunter and his servants are out of town, Ollie pretends to be the owner and Stan pretends to be the servant, when some tenants (played by Madeline Hurlock and William Austin) are looking to rent the place. This plot would later be used in a talkie Laurel and Hardy short called Another Fine Mess.

While there would be some better Laurel and Hardy films in the future, this film is still very funny and enjoyable. The intertitles by H.M. Walker are hilarious, and the chemistry between Stan and Ollie is excellent. However I do wish Jimmy Finlayson would have played Colonel Buckshot like he did in the remake as he was very funny there, but James A. Marcus does do a good if not as memorable job. After watching this film it was no wonder the boys went on to as great of careers as they did.

After this film the boys didn't immediately become a full time team. For instance Stan Laurel would appear in the short film Eve's Love Letters without Oliver Hardy and Ollie would appear in short films such as The Honorable Mr. Buggs, No Man's Law, Baby Brother, and Crazy to Act without Stan. They would also appear together in the short Sugar Daddies, where they would not work as a team.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy by William K. Everson
Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies by Randy Skretvedt

The Blue Bird (1918)

Run Time: 70 minutes. Studio:  Paramount. Director: Maurice Tourneur. Writer: Charles Maigne. Adapted from a play written by  Maurice Maeterlinck. Producer: Adolph Zukor. Main Cast: Tula Belle, Robin Macdougall, Lillian Cook, Gertrude McCoy, Charles Ascot,Tom Corless, Mary Kennedy, Charles Craig, Sammy Blum, S.E. Potapovitch  Cinematographer: John van den Broek            


The silent film of this month is a fantastic fantasy from 1918 called The Blue Bird. The Blue Bird was directed by Maurice Tourneur. Maurice Tourneur began his career in France in 1911. There he worked first as an assistant director and eventually moved up to be a director himself with films like Jean la Poudre. In 1914 he moved to America where he would direct many great films including the one I'm writing about today, The Poor Little Rich Girl, and The Last of the Mohicans . After some trouble with MGM in 1928, he would move back to France and direct more films over there and in Germany such as The Crew, The Ship of Lost Men, and Dilemma of Two Angels. Despite the many types of films Maurice Tourneur directed, he always had a taste for the fantastic, which of course works perfectly in this fairy tale film. Maurice Tourneur's son,  Jacques Touneur would later become a Hollywood director and direct such films as Cat People, Out of the Past, and I Walked with a Zombie.

 Tula Belle the main child actress in this picture, had a very short career as a child actress appearing in films from 1915 to 1920. Some of these films inculde George Foster Platt's Deliverance, and Charles Miller's At the Mercy of Men. Later in 1918, the same year The Blue Bird was released. she would appear in A Doll's House, which is another film directed by Maurice Tourner. She was also the sister of another child actress named Ebba Mona, who appeared in Henry Otto's The Temple of Venus and Edmund Mortimer's The Wolf Man, those are the only 2 films Ebba Mona was in. The main child actor of the film was Robin Macdougall, and this appears to be the only film he was in. The Blue Bird was also the last film appearance of Lillian Cook. Though she was talented actress Lillian Cook's career never really took off. Her first film appearance was actually in a 1914 short film directed by Maurice Tourneur, entitled Mother. For much of her filmography she played supporting and minor roles, though occasionally she would get the lead such as in Robert Thornby's A Woman's Power.

 This film was made in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Before Hollywood Fort Lee was the movie making capital of the United States,  Though around this time period studios were already moving to Hollywood, there were still quite a few films being made in Fort Lee including this one.

In this film two kids, Mytyl (played by Tulla Belle), and Tyltyl (played by Robin Macdougall) are sent on a mission by the magical fairy Berylune (played by Lillian Cook)  to find the blue bird of happiness. Berylune gives them a magic hat that allows them to see the spirits that live inside their house.  They are joined by the spirits of Light (played by Gertrude McCoy), Fire (played by S.E. Potapovitch), Water (played by Mary Kennedy), Milk (played by Eleanor Masters), Sugar (played by Charles Craig) and their own cat (played by Tom Corless) and dog (played by Charles Ascot). On their journey the kids visit various places including, the land of the dead, the land of the unborn, the palace of night, and the palace of happiness.

The Blue Bird is one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. It is very beautiful, absorbing, and charming. The whole film has a strong sense of magic and wonder from beginning to end.

Very important to the artistic success of this film is the work of production designer Ben Carré. Ben Carré has worked as a production designer and/or art director on many other great films such as Rupert Julian's The Phantom of the Opera, Rex Ingram's Mare Nostrum, Alan Crosland's Old San Francisco, and A Night at the Opera (with the Marx Brothers). He also worked with Maurice Tourneur on such films as The Poor Little Rich Girl, The Last of the Mohicans, and A Doll's House. The worlds he helps create here are amazingly detailed and downright breathtaking.

This film received great reviews from critics. However it was not a hit at the box office. Some film historians and critics believe that this film had a big influence on German Expressionist films.

This wasn't the only time this story was adapted for the screen. In 1940 another film version would be released under the same name, directed by Walter Lang and starring Shirley Temple. However this 1918 film is considered the best film adaption of the source material.

-Michael J. Ruhland    

Resourses Used
http://www.jbkaufman.com/movie-of-the-month/blue-bird-1918
http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/453452%7C453523/The-Blue-Bird.html
http://www.silentfilm.org/archive/the-blue-bird

Her Night of Romance (1924)

Run Time: 70 minutes. Studio:  First National Pictures. Director: Sidney Franklin. Writer: Hans Kraly. Producers: Constance Talmadge, Joseph M. Schenck. Main Cast: Constance Talmadge,  Ronald Colman, Jean Hersholt, Albert Gran, Robert Rendel. Cinematographers:  Ray Binger, Victor Milner.

For February I feel it is only right that the silent movie of the month would be a romantic comedy, so I selected this charming film from 1924 entitled Her Night of Romance. Director, Sidney Franklin is more well known for films like The Good Earth and The Dark Angel. Readers of my Feature Films of Walt Disney blogs might know him as the director who originally wanted to make Bambi, but when he discovered that the film would work better as an animated movie, sold the rights to Walt Disney (however he still worked on the film as a consultant). Sidney Franklin would also go on to have a great career as a producer, producing such films as Mrs. Miniver,  Ninotchka, and The Yearling.

Actress Constance Talmadge, while not as well remembered as she should be, was a big star at this time. Though her acting years started in 1914, she did not receive a major role until she appeared in D.W. Griffith's Intolerance in 1916, where she appeared as both the mountain girl and as Princess Marguerite of Valois. Along with her sisters Natalie and Norma Talmadge she was part of the infamous Talmadge sisters. Her sister Norma was known for being in tragedies, while Constance was known for being in comedies like this one. Natalie's career didn't take off, but many may know her for marring silent screen legend Buster Keaton. However Natalie did appear in some films like Yes or No, The Love Expert, and Our Hospitality (last one alongside her husband). Constance is unfortunately one of the stars of the silent screen who didn't make the transition to talkies. Her co-star Ronald Colman's Career was just beginning. His first role as leading man had been just a year before this film, with Henry King's The White Sister, where he stared along side one of the biggest stars of that era, Lillian Gish. Ronald Colman would go on to a great career with such films as The Prisoner of Zenda, A Tale of Two Cities, and Lost Horizon. 

The plot of the film begins when ex-wealthy socialite Paul Menford (Played by Ronald Colman) meets current wealthy socialite Dorthy Adams (Played by Constance Talmadge) and falls for her. Paul's business partner Joe Diamond (Played by Jean Hersolt) thinks Paul should marry a wealthy person and in exchange Joe will get 10% of the money earned from the marriage. Paul is against this until he discovers that the woman Joe is talking about is Dorthy. The plan involves Paul pretending to be Dorthy's doctor. This leads to one misunderstanding after another, including a surprise meeting in Paul's old home, which Dorthy and her father (Played by Albert Gran) are planning to buy, and a fantastic ending sequence that you have to see.

While the story might seem a bit unoriginal and predictable, it is done very well, and often leads to some very funny humor. Much of this movie is laugh out loud hilarious, and every plot point that might be predictable leads to enough good humor, that you don't mind at all. However even with the focus being on the comedy, the romance is still quite charming and Ronald Colman and Constance Talmadge are excellent in their roles.

Also helping with the film's success is art director William Cameron Menzies. Menzies earlier that same year had done some of his best work for Raoul Walsh's The Thief of Baghdad, starring Douglas Fairbanks. Menzies would go on to do work on such films as Gone With the Wind, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. William Cameron Menzies does a great job of bringing a sense of sophistication to Her Night of Romance. His version of how high society  London looks is a delight to see. Menzies helped make this film more than just another romantic comedy.

Her Night of Romance was a success both critically and financially. In fact in 1925 it received a sequel called Her Sister from Paris. The sequel would also be directed by Sidney Franklin, written by Hans Kraly and star Constance Talmadge and Ronald Colman.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Recourses Used
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/495565/Her-Night-of-Romance/articles.html

The Ring (1927)

Run Time: 89 Minutes. Studio: British International Pictures. Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Writer: Alfred Hitchcock. Producer: John Maxwell. Main Cast: Carl Brisson, Lillian Hall-Davis, Ian Hunter, Forrester Harvey. Cinematographer: Jack Cox



Welcome to my silent film of the month. Each month I will pick a different silent film to write about. The film can be a feature or a short, live action or animated, and from any genre or country. The film has to be silent, and I will not include any of the most popular silent films. So I will not write about films like The General, Metropolis, City Lights, The Gold Rush, Safety Last, A Trip to the Moon, Un Chien Andalou, Gertie The Dinosaur, Nosfuratu, Sunrise, Greed or any very well known silent films, no matter how great these films are. I will instead focus on some of the more forgotten films of the silent era. They don't have to be completely obscure to where few silent film fans would have even heard of them, but they just can't be films that are that are very widely  regarded as classics by silent film buffs and scholars. However the films chosen for this honor are ones I really enjoy, not one of the films picked as the silent film of the month will be one I don't really like. They will all be well recommended by me.

Alfred Hitchcock has often times been rightfully referred to as the master of suspense. He is often the first name that comes into peoples minds when they think of thriller films. However many of these people would be surprised to see my silent film of the month. It is not a thriller, horror, or any similar type of movie. It is rather a romantic melodrama about a boxer fighting for his girl. However with films like this Hitchcock proved he was one of the greatest filmmakers that ever lived, no matter what genre he was working in.

When The Ring was made Hitchcock had not yet moved to Hollywood. He was still making films in Britain. In fact The Ring was his forth feature film. He had only made one suspense movie at this time and that was the film right before this, The Lodger. Producer John Maxwell had seen this film and since The Lodger was a huge hit was very surprised by Hitchcock's decision not to follow it with another thriller. What is interesting about Hitchcock's British period is that the films he made there did not always fit into what people associate him with today. At this time he was not known as the master of suspense, but rather as a director who did a wide variety of different genres.

This film is written by Hitchcock himself. Hitchcock is not known as a writer. In fact he would stop being his own writer in the 1940's. Most other films Hitchcock wrote on were based off of books, and plays. So this is a very rare completely original screen play by him. It is also the only film Hitchcock wrote by himself without any co-writers.One reason Hitchcock would later stop writing his own screenplays was that he thought in mainly visual terms, and dialog did not come naturally. However this works just great when he was handling a silent film like this.

In this film two boxers, "One Eyed" Jack Sander (played by Carl Brisson) and Bob Croby (played by Ian Hunter), fight over a woman (played by Lillian Hall-Davis), both in and out of the boxing ring. The title refers to the boxing ring, a wedding ring, and a symbolic snake bracelet. Jack is a carnival attraction, and people pay to see and to fight him. Members of the audience try and see if they can last more than one round in a boxing match with Jack. In comes Bob, who not only stays more than one round with Jack, but also wins the match. Jack's girlfriend develops an interest in Bob, and Bob an interest in her. At the same time, Bob's manger is impressed with Jack and has him join the same boxing torment as Bob. Jack upon hearing this news figures he has finally made it big, and marries his girlfriend. However Jack suspects that Bob is interested in his new wife, and vows to fight for his girl in the boxing ring. However when he finds that his wife might be interested in Bob, the fight for his girl, becomes a fight for revenge.

Hitchcock, even though he wrote the film, interest laid not in the plot, but rather in how he could use the camera to tell the story. This was not always easy considering he fired his original camera man due to a contract dispute. This new camera man, Jack Cox, was so liked by Hitchcock that he would be the cameraman on Hitch's next nine films.

The camera work rather than showing off, adds layers of depth to the film. It gives you an insight to how the characters perceive what is happening in the story. This is particularly true in a fantastic scene at a party, when Jack becomes jealous of Bob's relationship with his wife. This is all shown visually through the camera, and it tells what is happening better than any intertitle could.

The Ring while not a box office success was a huge critical success. Some critics even referred to it as the greatest British film ever made.

The Ring is a delightful film, and should be much better remembered. There is no doubt after you watch this film that Hitchcock is not only a the master of suspense, but also a great filmmaker no matter what type of film he was making, and one of the greatest directors who ever lived.

-Michael J. Ruhland


Recourses Used
http://www.silentfilm.org/archive/the-ring
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/449788/The-Ring/articles.html
Hitchcock's British Films by Maurice Yacowar