Tom Barnes's Blog: Tom's 'RocktheTower' Blog, page 6
January 20, 2010
Hollywood Silents end with 'Broadway Melody'
This Week
Let's Go to the Movies
Wyatt Earp Testimony at Spicer Hearing
Writers Notebook:
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 14)
Following the Jazz Singer's great success, Hollywood was forced to rethink the movie business, and how to deal with sound. Of course tradition dies hard and some wanted to hang onto what they had, and they said as much. 'The true art in motion pictures comes from the silent screen. We don't need those tinny noises intruding on our work.' Of course that dream would soon be crushed by reality. Sound, or talkies as they were called at the time, needed a lot of work. Technology lagged far behind vision and the transition from silent film to sound was not going to be easy.
If you had to pick the most troublesome year of that era it would be 1928. That was the year when the dreamers and visionaries finally got on the same page. And while Hollywood's future was bright the present was bleak. The scramble to get a sound system in place and technicians that were capable of transferring sound to the silver screen was not going to be easy.
In the production of the Jazz Singer Warner's had used a system called Vitaphone, which was sound recorded onto a disc and then synchronized with the film image to produce the sound.
Several films made in 1928 used the Vitaphone system Disraeli, The Lights of New York and Noah's Ark were among them.
Technically it wasn't practical and the various interested companies Westinghouse, GE, RCA and Western Electric were all working on various ways to build a sound system that could be installed, at a reasonable cost, into thousands of theaters.
The first to use a more logical system was Disney in the production of a cartoon called Steamboat Willy, which had a fully synchronized sound track with music, voices and sound effects recorded optically onto the film.
Of course it took time and a coordinated effort to put it all together on the production end as well installing the equipment into individual theaters. The audience was patient though and bought tickets to whatever Hollywood sent them.
During the development period of 1928 it was a mixed bag with some films presenting a combination of sound and silence.
MGM was first to produce a full length motion picture using sound, not just in bits and pieces but the complete film. Broadway Melody was that picture and it was a hit with the critics as well as the public.
Variety gave Melody a good review and also pointed out that during one of the dance numbers they noted excellent workmanship on camera and mike following the principal dancers along the dance floor to pick up the conversation.
Broadway Melody won the Oscar for best picture for 1928/1929.
The Love Parade was a Paramount musical with Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Parade was one of the early musicals and it was a hit.
Variety said, 'In Jeanette MacDonald, ingenue prima donna from Broadway, Chevalier has an actress opposite him that all but steals the picture.'
Love Parade was nominated for best picture 1929/1930.
Fox Films explored the great outdoors with their offering in 1929 of In Old Arizona directed by Irving Cummings and Raoul Walsh starring Warner Baxter.
In Old Arizona was nominated for best picture of 1928/1929.
Alibi was a United Artist film that starred Chester Morris, one of the early gangster films that won applause from the public as well as the industry.
Alibi got a best picture nomination for 1928/1929
All Quiet on the Western Front was produced as a silent film by Universal Pictures was a big production film that ran 152 minutes. The main writers came from the New York Theater, Maxwell Anderson and George Abbott, the star was Lew Ayers.
Anderson and Abbott wrote great titles for the film, which goes to prove that good writing makes good motion pictures.
All Quiet on the Western Front, even as a silent film, won an Oscar for best picture in 1930.
(To be Continued)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone”
Excerpt from Spicer hearing: Wyatt Earp continues his testimony.
"When we told them to throw up their hands, Claiborne held up his left hand and then broke and ran and I never seen him afterwards until late in the afternoon. I never drew my pistol or made a motion to shoot until after Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry drew their pistols. If Tom McLowry was unarmed, I did not know it. I believe he was armed and fired two shots at our party before Holliday, who had the shotgun, fired and killed him.
I never fired at Ike Clanton, even after the shooting commenced, because I thought he was unarmed. I believed then and believe now from the acts I have stated and the threats I have related and other threats communicated to me by different persons as having been made by Tom McLowry, Frank McLowry and Ike Clanton that these men, last named, had formed a conspiracy to murder my brothers Morgan and Virgil, Doc Holliday and myself. I believe I would have been legally and morally justified in shooting any of them on sight, but I did not do so nor attempt to do so -- I sought no advantage when I went as Deputy Marshall to help to disarm them. I did not intend to fight unless it became necessary in self-defense. When Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry drew their pistols, I knew it was a fight for life and I drew and fired in defense of my own life and the lives of my brothers and Doc Holliday."
Wyatt looked up for a moment and glared toward the prosecution bench. Then in a biting tone said, "The testimony of Isaac Clanton that I ever said anything to him about robbery, or of money going on the stage, or any improper communication whatever with any criminal enterprise -- is a tissue of lies from beginning to end."
Wyatt took a sip of water. “In relation to the conversations that I had with Ike Clanton, Frank McLowry and Joe Hill, they were four or five different times and they were all held in the back yard of the Oriental Saloon. I told Ike Clanton, in one of the conversations, that there were some parties here in town that were saying to give Doc Holliday the worst of it. There seemed to be some suspicion that he knew something about the attempted robbery and the killing of Bud Philpot. I figured if I could catch Leonard, Head and Crane I could prove to the citizens that Doc knew nothing of it."
There was a din of whispers in the gallery, rehashing the rumor about Doc's involvement in the Philpot killing.
Judge Spicer banged his gavel. "Order in the court."
Wyatt said, "In following the trail of the robbers we struck it at the scene of the attempted robbery and never lost the trail and hardly a foot track from the time we started from Drew's ranch on the San Pedro until we got to Helm's ranch in the Dragoons. After following about eighty miles down the San Pedro River we captured one of the men that was supposed to be in with them -- a man by the name of King. Then we crossed the Catalina Mountains to within fifteen miles of Tucson, following their trail around the
foot of the mountains after they had crossed over and followed the trail to Tres Alamos and then to Helm's ranch. We then started out from there and got on their trail.
They had stolen fifteen or twenty head of stock to cover their tracks. Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, R.H. Paul, Deputy Sheriff Breckenridge, Sheriff John Behan and one or two others still followed the trail up into New Mexico. The trail never led south from Helm's ranch as Ike Clanton has stated. We used every effort that we could to capture those men. I was out ten days, Virgil and Morgan Earp were out sixteen days and we did all we could to catch those men. If it had not been for myself and Morgan Earp, they would not have got King, as he started to run when we rode up to his hiding place and was making for a big patch of brush on the river and would have gotten into it, if it had not been for us."
Wyatt looked up at the judge and then out at the gallery.
"That is the end of my testimony and the facts, as I know them." Then he reached inside his coat pocket and took out two legal size sheets of paper. "I would like to introduce these documents, one sent me from Dodge City since my arrest. I wish to attach to this statement and mark it Exhibit A. And the second one sent to me from Wichita County which I wish to be marked Exhibit B."
"Your Honor, prosecution objects to the addition of that exhibit to his statement, as it is not a statement of the defendant but a statement of other people made after the alleged commission of this crime." Price was livid and shaking his fist.
Judge Spicer calmly said, "Objection overruled."
The letters containing a score of character witnesses from Dodge City and Wichita was filed and officially entered into the record.
Judge Spicer was ready to adjourn for the day, but looked toward the prosecution table and questioned, "Do you folks want to cross-examine the witness?" When he got no immediate answer the judge rapped his gavel and announced, "Court is adjourned until nine o'clock tomorrow morning."
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
We’ve talked about how important the subconscious mind is to our writing experience. Shakespeare, Twain and Hemingway used that part of the brain in their creative writing. Here’s another example by William Faulkner. Now he doesn’t mention the subconscious, but he points us in that direction when he tells about his method of writing a novel. ‘It begins with a character, and once he stands on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Let's Go to the Movies
Wyatt Earp Testimony at Spicer Hearing
Writers Notebook:
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 14)
Following the Jazz Singer's great success, Hollywood was forced to rethink the movie business, and how to deal with sound. Of course tradition dies hard and some wanted to hang onto what they had, and they said as much. 'The true art in motion pictures comes from the silent screen. We don't need those tinny noises intruding on our work.' Of course that dream would soon be crushed by reality. Sound, or talkies as they were called at the time, needed a lot of work. Technology lagged far behind vision and the transition from silent film to sound was not going to be easy.
If you had to pick the most troublesome year of that era it would be 1928. That was the year when the dreamers and visionaries finally got on the same page. And while Hollywood's future was bright the present was bleak. The scramble to get a sound system in place and technicians that were capable of transferring sound to the silver screen was not going to be easy.
In the production of the Jazz Singer Warner's had used a system called Vitaphone, which was sound recorded onto a disc and then synchronized with the film image to produce the sound.
Several films made in 1928 used the Vitaphone system Disraeli, The Lights of New York and Noah's Ark were among them.
Technically it wasn't practical and the various interested companies Westinghouse, GE, RCA and Western Electric were all working on various ways to build a sound system that could be installed, at a reasonable cost, into thousands of theaters.
The first to use a more logical system was Disney in the production of a cartoon called Steamboat Willy, which had a fully synchronized sound track with music, voices and sound effects recorded optically onto the film.
Of course it took time and a coordinated effort to put it all together on the production end as well installing the equipment into individual theaters. The audience was patient though and bought tickets to whatever Hollywood sent them.
During the development period of 1928 it was a mixed bag with some films presenting a combination of sound and silence.
MGM was first to produce a full length motion picture using sound, not just in bits and pieces but the complete film. Broadway Melody was that picture and it was a hit with the critics as well as the public.
Variety gave Melody a good review and also pointed out that during one of the dance numbers they noted excellent workmanship on camera and mike following the principal dancers along the dance floor to pick up the conversation.
Broadway Melody won the Oscar for best picture for 1928/1929.
The Love Parade was a Paramount musical with Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Parade was one of the early musicals and it was a hit.
Variety said, 'In Jeanette MacDonald, ingenue prima donna from Broadway, Chevalier has an actress opposite him that all but steals the picture.'
Love Parade was nominated for best picture 1929/1930.
Fox Films explored the great outdoors with their offering in 1929 of In Old Arizona directed by Irving Cummings and Raoul Walsh starring Warner Baxter.
In Old Arizona was nominated for best picture of 1928/1929.
Alibi was a United Artist film that starred Chester Morris, one of the early gangster films that won applause from the public as well as the industry.
Alibi got a best picture nomination for 1928/1929
All Quiet on the Western Front was produced as a silent film by Universal Pictures was a big production film that ran 152 minutes. The main writers came from the New York Theater, Maxwell Anderson and George Abbott, the star was Lew Ayers.
Anderson and Abbott wrote great titles for the film, which goes to prove that good writing makes good motion pictures.
All Quiet on the Western Front, even as a silent film, won an Oscar for best picture in 1930.
(To be Continued)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone”
Excerpt from Spicer hearing: Wyatt Earp continues his testimony.
"When we told them to throw up their hands, Claiborne held up his left hand and then broke and ran and I never seen him afterwards until late in the afternoon. I never drew my pistol or made a motion to shoot until after Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry drew their pistols. If Tom McLowry was unarmed, I did not know it. I believe he was armed and fired two shots at our party before Holliday, who had the shotgun, fired and killed him.
I never fired at Ike Clanton, even after the shooting commenced, because I thought he was unarmed. I believed then and believe now from the acts I have stated and the threats I have related and other threats communicated to me by different persons as having been made by Tom McLowry, Frank McLowry and Ike Clanton that these men, last named, had formed a conspiracy to murder my brothers Morgan and Virgil, Doc Holliday and myself. I believe I would have been legally and morally justified in shooting any of them on sight, but I did not do so nor attempt to do so -- I sought no advantage when I went as Deputy Marshall to help to disarm them. I did not intend to fight unless it became necessary in self-defense. When Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry drew their pistols, I knew it was a fight for life and I drew and fired in defense of my own life and the lives of my brothers and Doc Holliday."
Wyatt looked up for a moment and glared toward the prosecution bench. Then in a biting tone said, "The testimony of Isaac Clanton that I ever said anything to him about robbery, or of money going on the stage, or any improper communication whatever with any criminal enterprise -- is a tissue of lies from beginning to end."
Wyatt took a sip of water. “In relation to the conversations that I had with Ike Clanton, Frank McLowry and Joe Hill, they were four or five different times and they were all held in the back yard of the Oriental Saloon. I told Ike Clanton, in one of the conversations, that there were some parties here in town that were saying to give Doc Holliday the worst of it. There seemed to be some suspicion that he knew something about the attempted robbery and the killing of Bud Philpot. I figured if I could catch Leonard, Head and Crane I could prove to the citizens that Doc knew nothing of it."
There was a din of whispers in the gallery, rehashing the rumor about Doc's involvement in the Philpot killing.
Judge Spicer banged his gavel. "Order in the court."
Wyatt said, "In following the trail of the robbers we struck it at the scene of the attempted robbery and never lost the trail and hardly a foot track from the time we started from Drew's ranch on the San Pedro until we got to Helm's ranch in the Dragoons. After following about eighty miles down the San Pedro River we captured one of the men that was supposed to be in with them -- a man by the name of King. Then we crossed the Catalina Mountains to within fifteen miles of Tucson, following their trail around the
foot of the mountains after they had crossed over and followed the trail to Tres Alamos and then to Helm's ranch. We then started out from there and got on their trail.
They had stolen fifteen or twenty head of stock to cover their tracks. Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, R.H. Paul, Deputy Sheriff Breckenridge, Sheriff John Behan and one or two others still followed the trail up into New Mexico. The trail never led south from Helm's ranch as Ike Clanton has stated. We used every effort that we could to capture those men. I was out ten days, Virgil and Morgan Earp were out sixteen days and we did all we could to catch those men. If it had not been for myself and Morgan Earp, they would not have got King, as he started to run when we rode up to his hiding place and was making for a big patch of brush on the river and would have gotten into it, if it had not been for us."
Wyatt looked up at the judge and then out at the gallery.
"That is the end of my testimony and the facts, as I know them." Then he reached inside his coat pocket and took out two legal size sheets of paper. "I would like to introduce these documents, one sent me from Dodge City since my arrest. I wish to attach to this statement and mark it Exhibit A. And the second one sent to me from Wichita County which I wish to be marked Exhibit B."
"Your Honor, prosecution objects to the addition of that exhibit to his statement, as it is not a statement of the defendant but a statement of other people made after the alleged commission of this crime." Price was livid and shaking his fist.
Judge Spicer calmly said, "Objection overruled."
The letters containing a score of character witnesses from Dodge City and Wichita was filed and officially entered into the record.
Judge Spicer was ready to adjourn for the day, but looked toward the prosecution table and questioned, "Do you folks want to cross-examine the witness?" When he got no immediate answer the judge rapped his gavel and announced, "Court is adjourned until nine o'clock tomorrow morning."
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
We’ve talked about how important the subconscious mind is to our writing experience. Shakespeare, Twain and Hemingway used that part of the brain in their creative writing. Here’s another example by William Faulkner. Now he doesn’t mention the subconscious, but he points us in that direction when he tells about his method of writing a novel. ‘It begins with a character, and once he stands on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
January 13, 2010
Lucky Lindy, The Jazz Singer and Oscar
This Week
Let's Go to the Movies
Wyatt Earp Testimony at Spicer hearing
Writers Notebook: A word from Stephen King
Hollywood Silent 1914-1929 (Part 13)
The Year was 1927
Charles Lindbergh flew his spirit of St Louis from New York to Paris nonstop making aviation history.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was formed in Hollywood.
Warner Brothers produced the Jazz Singer, which became a big hit when Al Jolson broke into song belting out Mammy, then as he finished the last note he turned to the audience and said, 'You ain't heard nothin' yet, folks.'
That last line said it all – audience's cried, cheered and made the picture a run away success.
At that point even the most stubborn silent film stars and their producers had to admit defeat and accept the fact that talkies were the way of the future.
But that wasn't all that happened in Hollywood that year. The 'It Girl' Clara Bow replaced 'The Vamp' Theda Bara as Hollywood's female icon.
The star system was taking hold and films were becoming more sophisticated. That isn't to say that slap-stick comedy was being tossed aside, it wasn't, it was just that drama was replacing melodrama as the storytelling staple.
These trends in movies were reflected in the pages of the show business paper 'Daily Variety' including its review section.
John Gilbert had been around since 1915 when he showed up at Inceville in Santa Monica and started work as an extra. Gilbert eventually worked some as an actor, but he also wrote stories and sold them to the production company.
His climb up the ladder to stardom got a good boost when he played opposite Mary Pickford in 'Heart of the Hills' in 1919. He later got good press from the picture 'He Who Gets Slapped' when he got co star billing along with Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer.
'The Big Parade' was a war picture done on a grand scale and in Variety's review they said, '...John Gilbert's performance is a superb thing...'
Gilbert's leading man and star status were secured when he was co starred with Greta Garbo in 'Flesh and the Devil.' That was followed by 'Love,' an MGM picture directed by Edmund Goulding from a Tolstoy novel, screenplay by Frances Marion, and starring John Gilbert and Greta Garbo.
Ernst Lubitsch was just beginning his Hollywood career that would eventually lead him to be known as a director's director. His 1927 film was the Student Prince at MGM starring Raymond Navarro and Norma Shearer.
Janet Gaynor did Sunrise for Fox where she got good press coverage and name recognition in her rise to stardom.
Wings was a Paramount film directed by William Wellman with Clara Bow, Charles (Buddy) Rogers and Richard Arlen with Gary Cooper playing a small role.
Wings was an aviation film about World War I, and Wellman used a photographic style that even holds up today. Wings was the first film to receive the coveted Oscar presented by the Academy of Motion Pictures for best film of 1927.
(To be continued)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone'
Excerpt from Spicer hearing: Wyatt Earp continues his testimony.
As the court settled in for the afternoon session, Doc looked at the prosecution side and smiled at what he saw. The cocky arrogance that had been present on the day Spicer opened the hearings seemed to be missing.
Wyatt continued his testimony. "I got up next day, October 26th, afore noon. Ned Boyle came and told me that he had met Ike Clanton on Allen Street near the telegraph office and that Ike was "on it" and he said, 'As soon as those damned Earps make their appearance on the street today, the ball will open. We are here to make a fight and we are looking for the sons-a-bitches.’
Wyatt said that by the time he got dressed and went down town, Virgil and Morgan had arrested Ike Clanton and taken him to Judge Wallace's court. He followed on to the courtroom and sat down.
"Ike Clanton looked over at me and said, 'I will get even with all of you for this, if I had a six-shooter now I would make a fight with all of you. Morgan Earp then said to him, 'If you want to make a fight right bad, I'll give you this,' at the same time offering Ike Clanton his own, Ike's six-shooter. Ike Clanton started up to take it and Campbell, the deputy sheriff pushed him back in his seat, said he would not allow any fuss.
Virgil Earp was not in the courtroom any of this time. Virgil came there later and told me he had been out looking for Judge Wallace. I was tired of being threatened by Ike Clanton and his gang. I believed from what they had said to me and others and from their movements, that they intended to assassinate me the first chance they had and I thought that if I had to fight for my life with them I had better make them face me in an open fight.
So I said to Ike Clanton who was then sitting about eight feet from me, you damned dirty cow thief, you have been threatening our lives and I know it and I think I would be justified in shooting you down in any place I would meet you. But if you are anxious to fight, I will go anywhere on earth to fight you. He replied, 'All right, I will see you after I get through here, I only want four feet of ground to fight."'
Wyatt looked disgustedly toward Ike before he continued.
"I walked out and then just outside of the courtroom and near the justice's office I met Tom McLowry. He came up to me and said to me, 'If you want to fight, I will fight with you anywhere.' I supposed at the time that he had heard what had just happened between Ike Clanton and myself. I knew he had threatened me and I felt just as I did about Ike Clanton. That if the fight had to come I had better have it come when I had an-even show to defend myself. So I said to him, all right make your stand right here and at the same time slapped him on the face with my left hand and drew my pistol with my right. He had a pistol in plain sight on his right hip, in his pants, but made no move to draw it. I said to him, jerk your gun and use it. He made no reply. I hit him on the head with my six-shooter and walked away down to Haffords Corner. I went into Haffords and got a cigar and came out and stood by the door."
Wyatt took a deep breath and said deliberately. "Pretty soon after, I saw Tom and Frank McLowry and William Clanton.
They passed me and went down Fourth Street to the gunsmith shop. I followed down to the shop. When I got there, Frank McLowry’s horse was standing on the sidewalk with his head in the door of the gunsmith shop. I took the horse by the bit, as I was Deputy City Marshall and commenced to back him off the sidewalk. Tom and Frank McLowry and Billy Clanton came to the door; Billy laid his hand on his six-shooter,
Frank McLowry took a hold of the horses bridle. I said you will have to get this horse off the sidewalk. Frank McLowry backed him off on the street. Ike Clanton came up about that time and they all walked into the gunsmith shop. I saw them loading cartridges into their belts. They came out of the shop and walked along Fourth Street to the corner of Allen. I followed them and then they went down Allen to Dunbar's corral."
Doc followed every step and paid close attention as Wyatt narrated a full account of the lawmen’s assembly at the corner of Fourth and Allen. Wyatt related the posses march up to the post office and then west on Fremont Street. There was a brief encounter with Sheriff Behan near Bauer's Butcher Shop and then the short walk to confront the cowboys at the vacant lot.”
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
Inside the front flap of my writer’s notebook are several notes; among them is one that always makes me stop and think.
‘What is the single most important piece of advice you’ve ever gotten about writing?’
I’m not quite sure, but this note contained in that same flap is high on the list. Stephen King once said, ‘I write about four hours a day – first draft – just write. Let it all hang out – don’t stop for misspelled words – punctuation – nothing. Let the passion and heat of the moment take charge. And don’t rewrite that same day. Write in am and rewrite in pm – no, no, no. Leave it alone, at least overnight.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Let's Go to the Movies
Wyatt Earp Testimony at Spicer hearing
Writers Notebook: A word from Stephen King
Hollywood Silent 1914-1929 (Part 13)
The Year was 1927
Charles Lindbergh flew his spirit of St Louis from New York to Paris nonstop making aviation history.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was formed in Hollywood.
Warner Brothers produced the Jazz Singer, which became a big hit when Al Jolson broke into song belting out Mammy, then as he finished the last note he turned to the audience and said, 'You ain't heard nothin' yet, folks.'
That last line said it all – audience's cried, cheered and made the picture a run away success.
At that point even the most stubborn silent film stars and their producers had to admit defeat and accept the fact that talkies were the way of the future.
But that wasn't all that happened in Hollywood that year. The 'It Girl' Clara Bow replaced 'The Vamp' Theda Bara as Hollywood's female icon.
The star system was taking hold and films were becoming more sophisticated. That isn't to say that slap-stick comedy was being tossed aside, it wasn't, it was just that drama was replacing melodrama as the storytelling staple.
These trends in movies were reflected in the pages of the show business paper 'Daily Variety' including its review section.
John Gilbert had been around since 1915 when he showed up at Inceville in Santa Monica and started work as an extra. Gilbert eventually worked some as an actor, but he also wrote stories and sold them to the production company.
His climb up the ladder to stardom got a good boost when he played opposite Mary Pickford in 'Heart of the Hills' in 1919. He later got good press from the picture 'He Who Gets Slapped' when he got co star billing along with Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer.
'The Big Parade' was a war picture done on a grand scale and in Variety's review they said, '...John Gilbert's performance is a superb thing...'
Gilbert's leading man and star status were secured when he was co starred with Greta Garbo in 'Flesh and the Devil.' That was followed by 'Love,' an MGM picture directed by Edmund Goulding from a Tolstoy novel, screenplay by Frances Marion, and starring John Gilbert and Greta Garbo.
Ernst Lubitsch was just beginning his Hollywood career that would eventually lead him to be known as a director's director. His 1927 film was the Student Prince at MGM starring Raymond Navarro and Norma Shearer.
Janet Gaynor did Sunrise for Fox where she got good press coverage and name recognition in her rise to stardom.
Wings was a Paramount film directed by William Wellman with Clara Bow, Charles (Buddy) Rogers and Richard Arlen with Gary Cooper playing a small role.
Wings was an aviation film about World War I, and Wellman used a photographic style that even holds up today. Wings was the first film to receive the coveted Oscar presented by the Academy of Motion Pictures for best film of 1927.
(To be continued)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone'
Excerpt from Spicer hearing: Wyatt Earp continues his testimony.
As the court settled in for the afternoon session, Doc looked at the prosecution side and smiled at what he saw. The cocky arrogance that had been present on the day Spicer opened the hearings seemed to be missing.
Wyatt continued his testimony. "I got up next day, October 26th, afore noon. Ned Boyle came and told me that he had met Ike Clanton on Allen Street near the telegraph office and that Ike was "on it" and he said, 'As soon as those damned Earps make their appearance on the street today, the ball will open. We are here to make a fight and we are looking for the sons-a-bitches.’
Wyatt said that by the time he got dressed and went down town, Virgil and Morgan had arrested Ike Clanton and taken him to Judge Wallace's court. He followed on to the courtroom and sat down.
"Ike Clanton looked over at me and said, 'I will get even with all of you for this, if I had a six-shooter now I would make a fight with all of you. Morgan Earp then said to him, 'If you want to make a fight right bad, I'll give you this,' at the same time offering Ike Clanton his own, Ike's six-shooter. Ike Clanton started up to take it and Campbell, the deputy sheriff pushed him back in his seat, said he would not allow any fuss.
Virgil Earp was not in the courtroom any of this time. Virgil came there later and told me he had been out looking for Judge Wallace. I was tired of being threatened by Ike Clanton and his gang. I believed from what they had said to me and others and from their movements, that they intended to assassinate me the first chance they had and I thought that if I had to fight for my life with them I had better make them face me in an open fight.
So I said to Ike Clanton who was then sitting about eight feet from me, you damned dirty cow thief, you have been threatening our lives and I know it and I think I would be justified in shooting you down in any place I would meet you. But if you are anxious to fight, I will go anywhere on earth to fight you. He replied, 'All right, I will see you after I get through here, I only want four feet of ground to fight."'
Wyatt looked disgustedly toward Ike before he continued.
"I walked out and then just outside of the courtroom and near the justice's office I met Tom McLowry. He came up to me and said to me, 'If you want to fight, I will fight with you anywhere.' I supposed at the time that he had heard what had just happened between Ike Clanton and myself. I knew he had threatened me and I felt just as I did about Ike Clanton. That if the fight had to come I had better have it come when I had an-even show to defend myself. So I said to him, all right make your stand right here and at the same time slapped him on the face with my left hand and drew my pistol with my right. He had a pistol in plain sight on his right hip, in his pants, but made no move to draw it. I said to him, jerk your gun and use it. He made no reply. I hit him on the head with my six-shooter and walked away down to Haffords Corner. I went into Haffords and got a cigar and came out and stood by the door."
Wyatt took a deep breath and said deliberately. "Pretty soon after, I saw Tom and Frank McLowry and William Clanton.
They passed me and went down Fourth Street to the gunsmith shop. I followed down to the shop. When I got there, Frank McLowry’s horse was standing on the sidewalk with his head in the door of the gunsmith shop. I took the horse by the bit, as I was Deputy City Marshall and commenced to back him off the sidewalk. Tom and Frank McLowry and Billy Clanton came to the door; Billy laid his hand on his six-shooter,
Frank McLowry took a hold of the horses bridle. I said you will have to get this horse off the sidewalk. Frank McLowry backed him off on the street. Ike Clanton came up about that time and they all walked into the gunsmith shop. I saw them loading cartridges into their belts. They came out of the shop and walked along Fourth Street to the corner of Allen. I followed them and then they went down Allen to Dunbar's corral."
Doc followed every step and paid close attention as Wyatt narrated a full account of the lawmen’s assembly at the corner of Fourth and Allen. Wyatt related the posses march up to the post office and then west on Fremont Street. There was a brief encounter with Sheriff Behan near Bauer's Butcher Shop and then the short walk to confront the cowboys at the vacant lot.”
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
Inside the front flap of my writer’s notebook are several notes; among them is one that always makes me stop and think.
‘What is the single most important piece of advice you’ve ever gotten about writing?’
I’m not quite sure, but this note contained in that same flap is high on the list. Stephen King once said, ‘I write about four hours a day – first draft – just write. Let it all hang out – don’t stop for misspelled words – punctuation – nothing. Let the passion and heat of the moment take charge. And don’t rewrite that same day. Write in am and rewrite in pm – no, no, no. Leave it alone, at least overnight.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
January 6, 2010
Rudolph Valentino, Wyatt Earp and Neil Simon
This Week
Let's Go to the Movies
Wyatt Earp Testimony at Spicer hearing
Writers Notebook: Conflict
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 12)
Rudolph Valentino had come a long way since his extra jobs in the late teens. He worked hard at becoming a movie actor and was making some progress when on several films he was singled out and given bit parts as a dancer. But his big break came in 1921 when Metro executive and screenwriter June Mathis pushed for and was allowed to use the director of her choice Rex Ingram and actor Rudolph Valentino in a screenplay she'd written, 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.'
Among the supporting cast in Four Horsemen was Alice Terry and Wallace Beery. Valentino's performance in the picture catapulted him to stardom and he followed up with four more films that year with all of them getting good reviews. Another film that added to his career was his portrayal of Armand to Nazimova's Camille.
Variety gave the film a good review with special attention on Armand.
Valentino had become an overnight sensation because he appealed to ladies sexual fantasies, something they hadn't seen in other male stars. Some of the male journalist made snide remarks about his masculinity, but the ladies ignored those cheap shots and lined up in droves to buy tickets for the next Valentino film.
Screenwriter Frances Marion and her husband, silent cowboy star, Fred Thompson lived near Valentino's residence, Falcons Lair, and were very close friends with the star. They all rode horses in the morning and during those rides they had long rambling conversations.
Frances Marion said, 'We talked freely about his latent dreams and hopes for the future. He was intelligent enough to realize the short span of an actors popularity on the screen, especially in such feverish roles as he was playing, and Rudy was gravely concerned. When he discussed buying land in California so he could turn to farming in later life, we recommended the grape-growing valleys in Napa or Sonoma counties where the soil was fertile and the wooded hills would remind him of Italy.'
“Now I'll have something to look forward to in my old age,” said Rudy with a sigh of contentment.'
Unfortunately Rudolph Valentino didn't reach his old age.
'The Son of the Sheik,' screenplay by Frances Marion, directed by George Fitzmaurice and co starring Vilma Blanky was his last.
'The Son of the Sheik' was just opening and Valentino was in New York to promote the film.
He had been suffering from stomach pain but ignored suggestions to see a doctor. However, he was eventually hospitalized but by that time it was too late – Valentino died August 24, 1926.
Doctor Meeker, the surgeon that operated on Valentino, and his two assisting physicians, A.A. Jaller and Golden Rhind Battey issued statements to the press: 'Rudolph Valentino died from a perforated gastric ulcer and inflamed appendix with resultant peritonitis.'
When the news got out that Valentino was dead thousands of fans crowded the streets of mid Manhattan. Mass hysteria and mob violence was avoided by the quick response of the New York Police Department's mounted police. But in spite of their quick action there was some damage done to the Campbell Funeral Home.
Over night the crowd settled down and when directed they lined up four abreast and the line extended for four blocks. Then in an orderly fashion the mourners were allowed to come into the funeral parlor and walk past Valentino's casket.
Due to the star's huge following in the New York area a funeral mass was arranged to be held at Saint Malachy's Catholic Church located on West 49th Street in the theater district.
However the funeral mass was delayed for a week waiting for the arrival of Valentino's brother, Alberto Guglielme from Italy and his great friend and one time lover Pola Negri from California.
Once they arrived the funeral mass took place on September 1st after which his casket was put on the train for Los Angeles.
A second funeral was held at the Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. And on September 7th Rudolph Valentino was interred at the Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery in a crypt furnished by his good friend June Mathis.
(To be continued.
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone'
Excerpt from Spicer hearing, Wyatt Earp continues his testimony.
"Ike Clanton was all for them being captured,” Wyatt, declared, “he said Leonard claimed a ranch that he’d claimed. And if he could get him out of the way then he would be able to take the ranch. Clanton said the three outlaws would never be taken alive. He wanted me to find out if the reward would be paid for the capture of the robbers -- dead or alive. I then went to the agent of Wells Fargo in this town and at my request he telegraphed his superintendent at San Francisco about the reward conditions. In June, Marshall Williams received a telegram confirming the fact that the reward would be paid -- Dead or Alive!
I passed that information on to Ike Clanton and Joe Hill. It was agreed that Joe Hill would go over to where Leonard, Head and Crane were hid over near Eureka in New Mexico and lure them in near Frank and Tom McLowry's ranch. I said I would be on hand with a posse and capture them. Before starting, Joe Hill took off his watch and chain and between two and three hundred dollars in money and gave it to Virgil Earp to keep for him until he got back."
"Joe Hill was gone about ten days and returned with the word that he had got there one day too late.” Wyatt paused and then lamented, “Billy Leonard and Harry Head had been killed the day before he got there. After that, Ike Clanton and Frank McLowry claimed that I had given them away to Marshall Williams and Doc Holliday. Soon we began to hear of their threats against us ”
Then he nodded toward Doc and said, "I am a friend of Doc Holliday’s. When I was Marshall of Dodge City he came, to my rescue and saved my life.”
A wry grin crossed Doc’s face as he recalled that afternoon in Dodge City when Wyatt got himself cornered by a bunch of hardened cowboy’s led by Ed Morrison and Tobe Driskill.
Wyatt straightened his papers and took a sip of water. "On the 25th of October, Doc met Ike Clanton in the Alhambra lunch room and ask him about it. They argued and later on Ike Clanton told me that when Holliday approached him in the lunchroom that he was not fixed just right. He said that in the morning he would have man for man and that this fighting talk had been going on for a long time and he guessed, it was about time to fetch it to a close. I told him I would fight no one if I could get away from it because there was no money in it.”
There was a light din of chatter and subdued chuckles heard throughout the courtroom. The somber Wyatt Earp had pulled off a joke without realizing it.
"Ike walked off saying, 'I will be ready for all of you in the morning.’ I walked over to the Oriental, he followed me in and took a drink, having his six-shooter on and saying, 'You must not think I won't be after you all in the morning.' He said he would like to make a fight with Holliday now. I told him Holliday did not want to fight, but only to satisfy him that this talk had not been made.
Shortly after that I met Holliday on the street between the Oriental and Alhambra. Myself and Holliday walked down Allen Street, he going to his hotel and I to my house to bed.”
Judge Spice banged his gavel and said, "Court is in recess until one o'clock."
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
Coming on the heels of the Keystone Cops is a timely observation made by one of Broadway’s most prolific comedy writers. Neil Simon develops character first, and then plot. But he has said on a number of occasions that the main force that drives his comedy is conflict.
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Let's Go to the Movies
Wyatt Earp Testimony at Spicer hearing
Writers Notebook: Conflict
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 12)
Rudolph Valentino had come a long way since his extra jobs in the late teens. He worked hard at becoming a movie actor and was making some progress when on several films he was singled out and given bit parts as a dancer. But his big break came in 1921 when Metro executive and screenwriter June Mathis pushed for and was allowed to use the director of her choice Rex Ingram and actor Rudolph Valentino in a screenplay she'd written, 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.'
Among the supporting cast in Four Horsemen was Alice Terry and Wallace Beery. Valentino's performance in the picture catapulted him to stardom and he followed up with four more films that year with all of them getting good reviews. Another film that added to his career was his portrayal of Armand to Nazimova's Camille.
Variety gave the film a good review with special attention on Armand.
Valentino had become an overnight sensation because he appealed to ladies sexual fantasies, something they hadn't seen in other male stars. Some of the male journalist made snide remarks about his masculinity, but the ladies ignored those cheap shots and lined up in droves to buy tickets for the next Valentino film.
Screenwriter Frances Marion and her husband, silent cowboy star, Fred Thompson lived near Valentino's residence, Falcons Lair, and were very close friends with the star. They all rode horses in the morning and during those rides they had long rambling conversations.
Frances Marion said, 'We talked freely about his latent dreams and hopes for the future. He was intelligent enough to realize the short span of an actors popularity on the screen, especially in such feverish roles as he was playing, and Rudy was gravely concerned. When he discussed buying land in California so he could turn to farming in later life, we recommended the grape-growing valleys in Napa or Sonoma counties where the soil was fertile and the wooded hills would remind him of Italy.'
“Now I'll have something to look forward to in my old age,” said Rudy with a sigh of contentment.'
Unfortunately Rudolph Valentino didn't reach his old age.
'The Son of the Sheik,' screenplay by Frances Marion, directed by George Fitzmaurice and co starring Vilma Blanky was his last.
'The Son of the Sheik' was just opening and Valentino was in New York to promote the film.
He had been suffering from stomach pain but ignored suggestions to see a doctor. However, he was eventually hospitalized but by that time it was too late – Valentino died August 24, 1926.
Doctor Meeker, the surgeon that operated on Valentino, and his two assisting physicians, A.A. Jaller and Golden Rhind Battey issued statements to the press: 'Rudolph Valentino died from a perforated gastric ulcer and inflamed appendix with resultant peritonitis.'
When the news got out that Valentino was dead thousands of fans crowded the streets of mid Manhattan. Mass hysteria and mob violence was avoided by the quick response of the New York Police Department's mounted police. But in spite of their quick action there was some damage done to the Campbell Funeral Home.
Over night the crowd settled down and when directed they lined up four abreast and the line extended for four blocks. Then in an orderly fashion the mourners were allowed to come into the funeral parlor and walk past Valentino's casket.
Due to the star's huge following in the New York area a funeral mass was arranged to be held at Saint Malachy's Catholic Church located on West 49th Street in the theater district.
However the funeral mass was delayed for a week waiting for the arrival of Valentino's brother, Alberto Guglielme from Italy and his great friend and one time lover Pola Negri from California.
Once they arrived the funeral mass took place on September 1st after which his casket was put on the train for Los Angeles.
A second funeral was held at the Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. And on September 7th Rudolph Valentino was interred at the Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery in a crypt furnished by his good friend June Mathis.
(To be continued.
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone'
Excerpt from Spicer hearing, Wyatt Earp continues his testimony.
"Ike Clanton was all for them being captured,” Wyatt, declared, “he said Leonard claimed a ranch that he’d claimed. And if he could get him out of the way then he would be able to take the ranch. Clanton said the three outlaws would never be taken alive. He wanted me to find out if the reward would be paid for the capture of the robbers -- dead or alive. I then went to the agent of Wells Fargo in this town and at my request he telegraphed his superintendent at San Francisco about the reward conditions. In June, Marshall Williams received a telegram confirming the fact that the reward would be paid -- Dead or Alive!
I passed that information on to Ike Clanton and Joe Hill. It was agreed that Joe Hill would go over to where Leonard, Head and Crane were hid over near Eureka in New Mexico and lure them in near Frank and Tom McLowry's ranch. I said I would be on hand with a posse and capture them. Before starting, Joe Hill took off his watch and chain and between two and three hundred dollars in money and gave it to Virgil Earp to keep for him until he got back."
"Joe Hill was gone about ten days and returned with the word that he had got there one day too late.” Wyatt paused and then lamented, “Billy Leonard and Harry Head had been killed the day before he got there. After that, Ike Clanton and Frank McLowry claimed that I had given them away to Marshall Williams and Doc Holliday. Soon we began to hear of their threats against us ”
Then he nodded toward Doc and said, "I am a friend of Doc Holliday’s. When I was Marshall of Dodge City he came, to my rescue and saved my life.”
A wry grin crossed Doc’s face as he recalled that afternoon in Dodge City when Wyatt got himself cornered by a bunch of hardened cowboy’s led by Ed Morrison and Tobe Driskill.
Wyatt straightened his papers and took a sip of water. "On the 25th of October, Doc met Ike Clanton in the Alhambra lunch room and ask him about it. They argued and later on Ike Clanton told me that when Holliday approached him in the lunchroom that he was not fixed just right. He said that in the morning he would have man for man and that this fighting talk had been going on for a long time and he guessed, it was about time to fetch it to a close. I told him I would fight no one if I could get away from it because there was no money in it.”
There was a light din of chatter and subdued chuckles heard throughout the courtroom. The somber Wyatt Earp had pulled off a joke without realizing it.
"Ike walked off saying, 'I will be ready for all of you in the morning.’ I walked over to the Oriental, he followed me in and took a drink, having his six-shooter on and saying, 'You must not think I won't be after you all in the morning.' He said he would like to make a fight with Holliday now. I told him Holliday did not want to fight, but only to satisfy him that this talk had not been made.
Shortly after that I met Holliday on the street between the Oriental and Alhambra. Myself and Holliday walked down Allen Street, he going to his hotel and I to my house to bed.”
Judge Spice banged his gavel and said, "Court is in recess until one o'clock."
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
Coming on the heels of the Keystone Cops is a timely observation made by one of Broadway’s most prolific comedy writers. Neil Simon develops character first, and then plot. But he has said on a number of occasions that the main force that drives his comedy is conflict.
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
December 30, 2009
Warner Brothers, MGM and Sam Goldwyn
This Week
Let's go to the Movies and Rin Tin Tin
Wyatt Earp testifies at Spicer hearing
Writers Notebook: Somerset Maugham
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 11)
During the mid 20's there was a lot of sorting out of studios, production companies, and producers. Warner Brothers, Sam Goldwyn and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer were the main players.
Warner Brothers, one of Hollywood's most famous studios, was founded in 1923 by four brothers: Jack, Sam, Harry And Albert Warner. Although the brothers never seemed to get along with each other Warner Brothers Studio managed to produce some of the most memorable movies in the history of Hollywood.
Warner Brothers Studio was originally located at 5800 Sunset Blvd. Right in the heart of Hollywood just a few blocks east of DeMille's Yellow Barn where the Squaw Man was made and not far from Gower Gulch and Paramount Studios.
Warner's first true success was a short 'Where the North Begins' starring the the famous dog, that came out of World War I, Rin Tin Tin.
But Rin Tin Tin wasn't the only success to come out of those early days. Darryl F. Zanuck, later to become one of Hollywood's top producers, came out of that early Warner Brothers experience. (There was another more profound event that happened at that studio in 1927, which we talk about next week.)
Sam Goldwyn was never a part of the famous MGM Studio that used his name and original logo. Leo the lion and the Goldwyn name were left over from the old Goldwyn Pictures when he sold his interest in the company to Metro Films. Sam Goldwyn was a corner stone of MGM, but Sam was long gone before Marcus Loew and Louis B. Mayer formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer out in Culver City.
MGM headed by Louis B. Mayer moved into its headquarters in 1924 and over the next several years the studio grew faster and signed more stars than any other Los Angeles area production company.
Sam Goldwyn had been a part of several production companies Lasky Famous Players, Paramount, the Goldwyn Company, which was acquired by Marcus Loew to be part of his Metro Pictures.
Sam apparently marched to a different drummer and eventually set up his own company Samuel Goldwyn Studios on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. Sam Goldwyn did it his way and produced quality and successful films for the next 35 years.
Using Variety's reviews as a benchmark some of the notable films of 1924 and 1925.
Beau Brummell 1924 Warner Brothers: Variety panned the film, the cast John Barrymore and Mary Astor and director Harry Beaumont.
The Big Parade 1925 MGM: Variety gives high marks to director King Vidor, and said, 'John Gilbert's performance is a superb thing...' 'Teamwork has made this picture. It makes 'em, laugh, cry, and it thrills – plenty. Besides which the captions are an example and a lesson for how it should be done.'
The Eagle 1925 UA: Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Blanky and Louise Dresser. The cast and film win approval from Variety with special high marks for Louise Dresser.
The Gold Rush 1925 UA: Charlie Chaplin carries this rags to riches story off with ease and gives his audience a long look at the Chaplin genius.
The Navigator 1924 Metro-Goldwyn: Buster Keaton's stoic face and physical comedy make up for the lack of a story line. Keaton scores in spite of a bad script.
The Phantom of the Opera 1925 Universal: According to Variety's review the film is dull along with Lon Chaney's performance. Not one of Chaney's best.
The Sea Hawk 1924 First National: Milton Sills, Enid Bennett and Wallace Beery bring the story to life from the first reel according to Variety and they keep the action at a high level throughout the film.
Sherlock, Jr. 1924 Keaton/Metro: Variety pans. 'This Buster Keaton feature length comedy is about as unfunny as a hospital operating room.' The reviewer seems to think that it did have one clever moment toward the end of the film, but he concludes 'The rest is bunk.'
Stella Dallas 1925 Goldwyn/UA: Bella Bennett, Ronald Coleman, Alice Joyce, Jean Hersholt and Lois Moran are the players that Henry King directs in Frances Marion's scenario. King tells the story simply and directly. The two outstanding performances are turned in by Bella Bennett and Lois Moran.
Thief of Bagdad 1924 Fairbanks/UA: Director Raoul Walsh takes his audience on a fantasy, fairytale and keeps them suspended in aw for a 155 minutes with his picture version of the Arabian Nights. Douglas Fairbanks and Anna May Wong win honors for their acting roles.
Ben-Hur 1925 MGM: Director Fred Niblo, producer Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg. Scenario; Bess Meredyth, Casey Wilson, June Mathis, Katherine Hilliker, H.H. Caldwell.
Cast; Ramon Navarro, Francis X. Bushman, May McAvoy, Betty Bronson, Carmel Myers.
Excerpts from Variety review. 'Ben Hur is a picture that rises above spectacle, even though it is spectacle. On the screen it isn't the chariot race or the great battle scenes between the fleet of Rome and the pirate galley's of Golthar. It is the tremendous heart throbs that one experiences leading to those scenes that make them great...'
'As to individual performances: First the Mary of Betty Bronson. It is without doubt the most tremendous individual score that any actress has ever made, with but a single scene, a couple of close ups. And in the color scenes she appears simply superb...'.
'Then as to Ramon Navarro: anyone that sees him in this picture will have to admit that he is without doubt a man's man and one hundred percent of that. Francis X. Bushman does a comeback in the role of the heavy, Messala that makes him stand alone...'
Also the rest of the cast received their individual plaudits for jobs well done.
(To be continued)
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone'
Excerpt from Spicer hearing. Wyatt Earp continues his testimony.
"Overruled," Judge Spicer snapped, "Continue Mr. Earp.”
Wyatt said, "About one month after that I met Frank and Tom McLowry in Charleston. They tried to pick a fuss out of me down there and told me that if I ever followed them up again as close as I did before, they would kill me. The first incident that had to do with the Clanton’s was back when myself and Doc Holliday happened to go to Charleston. We went there for the purpose of getting a horse that had been stolen from me.”
Wyatt then directed a stare at Ike Clanton before saying, "I had heard that the Clanton's had him. I was told by a friend that the man who carried the dispatch from Charleston to Ike Clanton's ranch had rode my horse. I filed papers about the
stolen horse and some days later heard the animal was in a Charleston corral. I proceeded from Tombstone to Charleston, went to said corral and found my horse. Billy Clanton was there and tried to intercede by taking the horse away, but I stopped him. After seeing the papers, Billy backed off and gave up the horse. Following this he made the comment, asking me, ‘If I had anymore horses to lose."
Wyatt frowned. "Bud Philpot was killed by those men who tried to rob the Benson stage. And as a detective I helped to trace the matter up, and I was satisfied that
three men, named Billy Leonard, Harry Head and Jim Crane were in on that robbery. I knew that Leonard, Head and Crane were friends and associates of the Clanton’s and McLowry’s. It was generally understood among officers and those who know about criminals that Ike Clanton was a chief amongst the cowboys. That the Clanton’s and McLowry’s were cattle thieves and generally in the secrets of the stage robbers and that
the Clanton and McLowry ranches were meeting places for the gang.”
Wyatt stopped talking for a few moments, looked out at the gallery and said earnestly, "I wanted to run for sheriff of this county. And I thought it would be of great help to me, with the people and business community if I could capture the men who killed Philpot. There were rewards of almost twelve hundred dollars each for the capture of the robbers Leonard, Head and Crane."
"I would like to point out that the name Holliday was not mentioned in that group. Doc Holliday had nothing to do with that tragedy”
Then in a sober business-like tone Wyatt said, "I went to Ike Clanton, Frank McLowry and Joe Hill when they came in town. I talked to them in the back yard of the Oriental Saloon. I told them what I wanted. I said I wanted the glory of capturing Leonard, Head and Crane and if I could do that, it would help me make the race for sheriff. I said if they would put me in a position to capture those three -- they would get all the reward.”
(To Be Continued)
Writers Notebook:
Somerset Maugham:
‘Truth is not only stranger than fiction it is more telling. To know that a thing actually happened gives it poignancy, touches a chord, which a piece of acknowledged fiction misses. It is to touch this chord that some authors have done everything they could to give you the impression that they are telling the plain truth.’
Truman Capote would probably agree and point to his nonfiction ‘In Cold Blood.’
Hemingway might disagree and go back to his general stand that in fiction you’ll find more real truth than in nonfiction.
As a bystander, I’d just like to see the debate.
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://hurricanehunter.blogspot.com
.
Let's go to the Movies and Rin Tin Tin
Wyatt Earp testifies at Spicer hearing
Writers Notebook: Somerset Maugham
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 11)
During the mid 20's there was a lot of sorting out of studios, production companies, and producers. Warner Brothers, Sam Goldwyn and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer were the main players.
Warner Brothers, one of Hollywood's most famous studios, was founded in 1923 by four brothers: Jack, Sam, Harry And Albert Warner. Although the brothers never seemed to get along with each other Warner Brothers Studio managed to produce some of the most memorable movies in the history of Hollywood.
Warner Brothers Studio was originally located at 5800 Sunset Blvd. Right in the heart of Hollywood just a few blocks east of DeMille's Yellow Barn where the Squaw Man was made and not far from Gower Gulch and Paramount Studios.
Warner's first true success was a short 'Where the North Begins' starring the the famous dog, that came out of World War I, Rin Tin Tin.
But Rin Tin Tin wasn't the only success to come out of those early days. Darryl F. Zanuck, later to become one of Hollywood's top producers, came out of that early Warner Brothers experience. (There was another more profound event that happened at that studio in 1927, which we talk about next week.)
Sam Goldwyn was never a part of the famous MGM Studio that used his name and original logo. Leo the lion and the Goldwyn name were left over from the old Goldwyn Pictures when he sold his interest in the company to Metro Films. Sam Goldwyn was a corner stone of MGM, but Sam was long gone before Marcus Loew and Louis B. Mayer formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer out in Culver City.
MGM headed by Louis B. Mayer moved into its headquarters in 1924 and over the next several years the studio grew faster and signed more stars than any other Los Angeles area production company.
Sam Goldwyn had been a part of several production companies Lasky Famous Players, Paramount, the Goldwyn Company, which was acquired by Marcus Loew to be part of his Metro Pictures.
Sam apparently marched to a different drummer and eventually set up his own company Samuel Goldwyn Studios on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. Sam Goldwyn did it his way and produced quality and successful films for the next 35 years.
Using Variety's reviews as a benchmark some of the notable films of 1924 and 1925.
Beau Brummell 1924 Warner Brothers: Variety panned the film, the cast John Barrymore and Mary Astor and director Harry Beaumont.
The Big Parade 1925 MGM: Variety gives high marks to director King Vidor, and said, 'John Gilbert's performance is a superb thing...' 'Teamwork has made this picture. It makes 'em, laugh, cry, and it thrills – plenty. Besides which the captions are an example and a lesson for how it should be done.'
The Eagle 1925 UA: Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Blanky and Louise Dresser. The cast and film win approval from Variety with special high marks for Louise Dresser.
The Gold Rush 1925 UA: Charlie Chaplin carries this rags to riches story off with ease and gives his audience a long look at the Chaplin genius.
The Navigator 1924 Metro-Goldwyn: Buster Keaton's stoic face and physical comedy make up for the lack of a story line. Keaton scores in spite of a bad script.
The Phantom of the Opera 1925 Universal: According to Variety's review the film is dull along with Lon Chaney's performance. Not one of Chaney's best.
The Sea Hawk 1924 First National: Milton Sills, Enid Bennett and Wallace Beery bring the story to life from the first reel according to Variety and they keep the action at a high level throughout the film.
Sherlock, Jr. 1924 Keaton/Metro: Variety pans. 'This Buster Keaton feature length comedy is about as unfunny as a hospital operating room.' The reviewer seems to think that it did have one clever moment toward the end of the film, but he concludes 'The rest is bunk.'
Stella Dallas 1925 Goldwyn/UA: Bella Bennett, Ronald Coleman, Alice Joyce, Jean Hersholt and Lois Moran are the players that Henry King directs in Frances Marion's scenario. King tells the story simply and directly. The two outstanding performances are turned in by Bella Bennett and Lois Moran.
Thief of Bagdad 1924 Fairbanks/UA: Director Raoul Walsh takes his audience on a fantasy, fairytale and keeps them suspended in aw for a 155 minutes with his picture version of the Arabian Nights. Douglas Fairbanks and Anna May Wong win honors for their acting roles.
Ben-Hur 1925 MGM: Director Fred Niblo, producer Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg. Scenario; Bess Meredyth, Casey Wilson, June Mathis, Katherine Hilliker, H.H. Caldwell.
Cast; Ramon Navarro, Francis X. Bushman, May McAvoy, Betty Bronson, Carmel Myers.
Excerpts from Variety review. 'Ben Hur is a picture that rises above spectacle, even though it is spectacle. On the screen it isn't the chariot race or the great battle scenes between the fleet of Rome and the pirate galley's of Golthar. It is the tremendous heart throbs that one experiences leading to those scenes that make them great...'
'As to individual performances: First the Mary of Betty Bronson. It is without doubt the most tremendous individual score that any actress has ever made, with but a single scene, a couple of close ups. And in the color scenes she appears simply superb...'.
'Then as to Ramon Navarro: anyone that sees him in this picture will have to admit that he is without doubt a man's man and one hundred percent of that. Francis X. Bushman does a comeback in the role of the heavy, Messala that makes him stand alone...'
Also the rest of the cast received their individual plaudits for jobs well done.
(To be continued)
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone'
Excerpt from Spicer hearing. Wyatt Earp continues his testimony.
"Overruled," Judge Spicer snapped, "Continue Mr. Earp.”
Wyatt said, "About one month after that I met Frank and Tom McLowry in Charleston. They tried to pick a fuss out of me down there and told me that if I ever followed them up again as close as I did before, they would kill me. The first incident that had to do with the Clanton’s was back when myself and Doc Holliday happened to go to Charleston. We went there for the purpose of getting a horse that had been stolen from me.”
Wyatt then directed a stare at Ike Clanton before saying, "I had heard that the Clanton's had him. I was told by a friend that the man who carried the dispatch from Charleston to Ike Clanton's ranch had rode my horse. I filed papers about the
stolen horse and some days later heard the animal was in a Charleston corral. I proceeded from Tombstone to Charleston, went to said corral and found my horse. Billy Clanton was there and tried to intercede by taking the horse away, but I stopped him. After seeing the papers, Billy backed off and gave up the horse. Following this he made the comment, asking me, ‘If I had anymore horses to lose."
Wyatt frowned. "Bud Philpot was killed by those men who tried to rob the Benson stage. And as a detective I helped to trace the matter up, and I was satisfied that
three men, named Billy Leonard, Harry Head and Jim Crane were in on that robbery. I knew that Leonard, Head and Crane were friends and associates of the Clanton’s and McLowry’s. It was generally understood among officers and those who know about criminals that Ike Clanton was a chief amongst the cowboys. That the Clanton’s and McLowry’s were cattle thieves and generally in the secrets of the stage robbers and that
the Clanton and McLowry ranches were meeting places for the gang.”
Wyatt stopped talking for a few moments, looked out at the gallery and said earnestly, "I wanted to run for sheriff of this county. And I thought it would be of great help to me, with the people and business community if I could capture the men who killed Philpot. There were rewards of almost twelve hundred dollars each for the capture of the robbers Leonard, Head and Crane."
"I would like to point out that the name Holliday was not mentioned in that group. Doc Holliday had nothing to do with that tragedy”
Then in a sober business-like tone Wyatt said, "I went to Ike Clanton, Frank McLowry and Joe Hill when they came in town. I talked to them in the back yard of the Oriental Saloon. I told them what I wanted. I said I wanted the glory of capturing Leonard, Head and Crane and if I could do that, it would help me make the race for sheriff. I said if they would put me in a position to capture those three -- they would get all the reward.”
(To Be Continued)
Writers Notebook:
Somerset Maugham:
‘Truth is not only stranger than fiction it is more telling. To know that a thing actually happened gives it poignancy, touches a chord, which a piece of acknowledged fiction misses. It is to touch this chord that some authors have done everything they could to give you the impression that they are telling the plain truth.’
Truman Capote would probably agree and point to his nonfiction ‘In Cold Blood.’
Hemingway might disagree and go back to his general stand that in fiction you’ll find more real truth than in nonfiction.
As a bystander, I’d just like to see the debate.
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://hurricanehunter.blogspot.com
.
December 23, 2009
20's Scandals, Ten Commandments and Christmas Time
This Week
Let's go to the Movies: Hollywod Scandals
Writers Notebook: Christmas Time
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 10)
During the early 20's two headline grabbing scandals hit the Hollywood film community and they were both major and tragic. In September of 1921 Fatty Arbuckle was accused of rape and in February 1922 popular film director William Desmond Taylor was murdered in his apartment.
The Arbuckle case was a tragedy on two levels, a young actress Virginia Rappe died several day after attending an Arbuckle party. The second tragedy was the lie that doomed Fatty Arbuckle's film career.
Arbuckle and two of his pals, actor Lowell Sherman and cameraman Fred Fischbach threw a party for some of their friends at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. One of the guests, an aspiring actress, Virginia Rappe drank too much during the evening and became seriously ill. The hotel doctor was called and he concluded her symptoms were mostly caused by intoxication and gave her morphine to calm her.
Ms. Rappe was not hospitalized until two days after the incident. The morning following the party a rumor was started, by Maude Delmont, that Arbuckle had raped her friend. And even after Ms. Rappe's own physician found no evidence of rape Maud Delmont continued the lie by telling the police and others that Fatty Arbuckle had raped her friend.
One day after Virginia Rappe was admitted to the hospital she died of peritonitis caused by a ruptured bladder.
Following her death bold headlines continued the lie that misled the whole country into believing that Fatty Arbuckle was a rapist and a monster.
Gossip columns printed stories that he had used ice to evoke sex while others indicated that a coke or champagne bottle had been used on the victim. There were no facts, but the gossip and rumors made titillating stories for their readers.
Arbuckle endured three manslaughter trials and was eventually acquitted by a jury and given a written apology. But the big lie had done so much damage that even when the truth came out – Arbuckle's career was finished. The scandal had taken its tole and he never got back to his work or won the praise for what he had done as a pioneer comedian in Hollywood motion pictures.
William Desmond Taylor directed more than fifty films and was at one time the president of The Motion Picture Directors Association. He directed some of the great stars of the era including Mary Pickford, Wallace Reid, Dustin Farnum and Mary Miles Minter.
At 7:30 am on the morning of February 2, 1922 the body of William Desmond Taylor was found inside his bungalow at the Alvarado Court Apartments in the Westlake Park area of Los Angeles. The forty nine year old film director had been shot in the back. An exact motive for the killing was never established although there was a sizable amount of cash known to be missing from his apartment.
During the course of the investigation sex became part of the story and more than a dozen individuals were eventually named as suspects. Newspaper reports at the time were sensational, speculative and sometimes fabricated in order to add intrigue to the murder.
Since the case was never solved, many of the stories in true crime fiction through the years have managed to keep the William Desmond Taylor murder case and the Hollywood scandal alive.
But even during those high profile scandals Hollywood managed to produce some memorable films.
Blood and Sand a Paramount Film with Rudolph Valentino.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a Universal Film, with Lon Chaney. That was one of the most memorable films of the silent era because "The Man of a Thousand Faces," Lon Chaney gave one of the most powerful performances of his career.
The Prisoner of Zenda a Metro Film with Lewis Stone and Alice Terry.
And Cecil B. DeMille's first really big film, The Ten Commandments, for Paramount Pictures with Theodore Roberts, Estelle Taylor and Richard Dix.
The film won high approval from Variety.
'The opening Biblical scenes of the Ten Commandments are irresistible in their assembly, breadth, color and direction; they are enormous and just as attractive. Cecil B. DeMille puts in a thrill with the opening of the Red Sea for Moses to pass through with the children of Israel...' And the review continues to praise the film.
(To Be Continued)
Writers Notebook:
Christmas Time:
Twas the Night Before Christmas, and I’m Dreaming of, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Sleigh Bells Ring, Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Do You Hear What I Hear, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Joy To The World, A Child is Born, and it’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, and Jolly Old Saint Nick, more rapid than eagles his coursers they came; and he whistled and shouted and called them by name; ‘Now, Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!’ and I heard him exclaim er he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight.”
How Did the Wise Men Know?
By
Lenora Smalley
I pondered the manger on the mantle
porcelain figures poured in flowing lines,
Mary, face encased in a blue draped shawl
reaches out to the baby in the crèche,
shepherd, cape turned back in haste
holds a lamb across his chest,
Joseph lifting a lamp leans forward
to get a closer peek , surrounded
by cattle- oxen, donkey and sheep,
--and three wise men, so reverent
in purple, ermine-trimmed traveling robes
bring gifts of myrrh, frankincense and gold.
How did the wise men know?
How did they know which star to follow?
How did they know which road to take?
In those days gold was the gift given to a King,
frankincense was meant for One called divine.
And myrrh? Myrrh was used for wounds and pain.
How did they know which gifts to bring?
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Let's go to the Movies: Hollywod Scandals
Writers Notebook: Christmas Time
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 10)
During the early 20's two headline grabbing scandals hit the Hollywood film community and they were both major and tragic. In September of 1921 Fatty Arbuckle was accused of rape and in February 1922 popular film director William Desmond Taylor was murdered in his apartment.
The Arbuckle case was a tragedy on two levels, a young actress Virginia Rappe died several day after attending an Arbuckle party. The second tragedy was the lie that doomed Fatty Arbuckle's film career.
Arbuckle and two of his pals, actor Lowell Sherman and cameraman Fred Fischbach threw a party for some of their friends at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. One of the guests, an aspiring actress, Virginia Rappe drank too much during the evening and became seriously ill. The hotel doctor was called and he concluded her symptoms were mostly caused by intoxication and gave her morphine to calm her.
Ms. Rappe was not hospitalized until two days after the incident. The morning following the party a rumor was started, by Maude Delmont, that Arbuckle had raped her friend. And even after Ms. Rappe's own physician found no evidence of rape Maud Delmont continued the lie by telling the police and others that Fatty Arbuckle had raped her friend.
One day after Virginia Rappe was admitted to the hospital she died of peritonitis caused by a ruptured bladder.
Following her death bold headlines continued the lie that misled the whole country into believing that Fatty Arbuckle was a rapist and a monster.
Gossip columns printed stories that he had used ice to evoke sex while others indicated that a coke or champagne bottle had been used on the victim. There were no facts, but the gossip and rumors made titillating stories for their readers.
Arbuckle endured three manslaughter trials and was eventually acquitted by a jury and given a written apology. But the big lie had done so much damage that even when the truth came out – Arbuckle's career was finished. The scandal had taken its tole and he never got back to his work or won the praise for what he had done as a pioneer comedian in Hollywood motion pictures.
William Desmond Taylor directed more than fifty films and was at one time the president of The Motion Picture Directors Association. He directed some of the great stars of the era including Mary Pickford, Wallace Reid, Dustin Farnum and Mary Miles Minter.
At 7:30 am on the morning of February 2, 1922 the body of William Desmond Taylor was found inside his bungalow at the Alvarado Court Apartments in the Westlake Park area of Los Angeles. The forty nine year old film director had been shot in the back. An exact motive for the killing was never established although there was a sizable amount of cash known to be missing from his apartment.
During the course of the investigation sex became part of the story and more than a dozen individuals were eventually named as suspects. Newspaper reports at the time were sensational, speculative and sometimes fabricated in order to add intrigue to the murder.
Since the case was never solved, many of the stories in true crime fiction through the years have managed to keep the William Desmond Taylor murder case and the Hollywood scandal alive.
But even during those high profile scandals Hollywood managed to produce some memorable films.
Blood and Sand a Paramount Film with Rudolph Valentino.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a Universal Film, with Lon Chaney. That was one of the most memorable films of the silent era because "The Man of a Thousand Faces," Lon Chaney gave one of the most powerful performances of his career.
The Prisoner of Zenda a Metro Film with Lewis Stone and Alice Terry.
And Cecil B. DeMille's first really big film, The Ten Commandments, for Paramount Pictures with Theodore Roberts, Estelle Taylor and Richard Dix.
The film won high approval from Variety.
'The opening Biblical scenes of the Ten Commandments are irresistible in their assembly, breadth, color and direction; they are enormous and just as attractive. Cecil B. DeMille puts in a thrill with the opening of the Red Sea for Moses to pass through with the children of Israel...' And the review continues to praise the film.
(To Be Continued)
Writers Notebook:
Christmas Time:
Twas the Night Before Christmas, and I’m Dreaming of, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Sleigh Bells Ring, Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Do You Hear What I Hear, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Joy To The World, A Child is Born, and it’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, and Jolly Old Saint Nick, more rapid than eagles his coursers they came; and he whistled and shouted and called them by name; ‘Now, Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!’ and I heard him exclaim er he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight.”
How Did the Wise Men Know?
By
Lenora Smalley
I pondered the manger on the mantle
porcelain figures poured in flowing lines,
Mary, face encased in a blue draped shawl
reaches out to the baby in the crèche,
shepherd, cape turned back in haste
holds a lamb across his chest,
Joseph lifting a lamp leans forward
to get a closer peek , surrounded
by cattle- oxen, donkey and sheep,
--and three wise men, so reverent
in purple, ermine-trimmed traveling robes
bring gifts of myrrh, frankincense and gold.
How did the wise men know?
How did they know which star to follow?
How did they know which road to take?
In those days gold was the gift given to a King,
frankincense was meant for One called divine.
And myrrh? Myrrh was used for wounds and pain.
How did they know which gifts to bring?
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
December 16, 2009
Silent Movies, Wyatt Earp and Shakespeare
This Week
Let's Go to the Movies: The age of the flapper.
Wyatt Earp: First defence witness..
Writers Notebook: Tips from great artist's.
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 9)
America and Hollywood are on the cusp of something big.
The Prohibition Amendment is ratified.
Dial telephones are introduced.
Influenza epidemic takes between 20 and 40 million lives.
Einstein's Theory of Relativity confirmed.
Chicago White Sox throw World Series.
National Negro Baseball League is formed.
The 19th Amendment, giving the vote to women, is ratified.
First radio broadcasts are heard.
Sinclair Lewis publishes Main Street.
First organized professional football league is formed.
Speakeasies open around the country and the flapper age is born.
Eight Chicago White Sox are indicted for fixing the Series.
In the early Hollywood years the major show business magazine was Variety. And during the first five years Variety's Movie Section reviewed a total of four Hollywood films Birth of a Nation, Intolerance and Judith of Bethulia all D.W. Griffith films, along with a John Ford film called Hell Bent.
Variety apparently took notice of Hollywood's growing importance to the entertainment industry and during the next three years doubled their total review output to eight. Camille, Broken Blossoms, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Kid, Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Sheik, The Three Musketeers, and Way Down East.
That group of films not only indicates the quality of work coming out of Hollywood, but it also gives more recognition to the actors performing in the films.
Then as if to emphasize the point three of the major stars and one pioneer producer formed United Artist Films in order to maintain some control over their work. Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith were members of that group and the top films of that time gives immediate credibility to their newly formed United Artist Film Company.
Broken Blossoms, a D.W. Griffith film cast included Lillian Gish, Donald Crisp, and Richard Barthelmess.
Camille, a Metro Film; scenario by June Mathis; heading the cast were Nazimova and Rudolph Valentino.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a Metro Film; scenario by June Mathis; cast members included Rudolph Valentino, Alice Terry, Alan Hale, and Wallace Beery.
The Kid, a Charles Chaplin/United Artist Film; cast Charles Chaplin and child actor Jackie Coogan.
Little Lord Fauntleroy a Pickford/United Artist Film starring Mary Pickford.
The Sheik, a Paramount Picture; cast members include Agnes Ayers, Rudolph Valentino, Adolph Menjou and Walter Long.
The Three Musketeers a Fairbanks/United Artist Film; cast included Douglas Fairbanks and Adolph Menjou.
Way Down East, a Griffith/United Artist Film; cast members included Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess and Lowell Sherman.
Hollywood did not thrive on just a few screen stars there were others hard working actors that were gaining, almost stealthily, public recognition and support. Among that group of actors were Mable Normand, Frank Lloyd and Buster Keaton.
Mable Normand was the daughter of a vaudeville musician and grew up around show business.
She worked at Biograph with Mack Sennett and later moved to California with Sennett and became a big part of his Keystone organization. Normand became very popular with the public and worked both in front of and behind the camera. Normand worked with and directed several of the Keystone stars including Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle.
Frank Lloyd was born in Burchard, Nebraska and grew up working in the local theater. When he later moved to California he first worked with the old Edison Motion Picture Company alongside fellow struggling actor and director Hal Roach.
Lloyd eventually earned recognition and worked in scores of silent films. In most of his films Lloyd had some kind of thrill sequence written into the story and he did many of the dangerous stunts himself. Harold Lloyd was not flashy but you can judge his success by comparing his box office figures to those of Charlie Chaplin. Over the years Lloyd's films made $15.7 million to $10.5 million for Chaplin.
Buster Keaton was born into a vaudeville family. His Father owned a traveling show that featured Harry Houdini.
Keaton began working early in silent films and his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname 'The Great Stone Face.'
Keaton was also a director and his work in front of and behind the camera won applause not only from the public but from the film community as well.
While Hollywood gins up for a new decade -- scandal looms on the horizon.
(To be continued.)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone' Excerpt
Spicer Hearing: 'Defense call your first witness.'
Wednesday, November 16th...
There was a dull quiet in the courtroom as the first defense witness was sworn and took the stand.
"My name is Wyatt S. Earp. I was thirty-two years old the nineteenth of last March. Born at Monmouth, Warren County, Illinois...I reside in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona and have resided here since December 1st, 1879 and at present am a saloon keeper, also have been deputy sheriff and detective."
The gawky Price unlimbered. "I object to the witness reading from a prepared statement, Your Honor."
"You're overruled, Mr. Price. The statute is very broad and court feels the accused can make any statement he pleases, whether previously prepared or not." Judge Spicer then turned to Wyatt. "Go ahead with your testimony."
Wyatt sat for a moment glaring at Ike Clanton. "First thing I'd like to do is contest Ike Clanton's big lie stating that this whole tragedy stemmed from a scheme on the part of the Earps to assassinate him and thereby bury the, confessions we were supposed to have made about, 'Piping away coin from Wells Fargo shipments.' There's not a shred of truth in that story.
Price objected. Spicer overruled.
Wyatt then calmly said, "A little over a year ago I followed Frank and Tom McLowry and two other parties who had stolen six government mules from Camp Rucker. Myself, Virge and Morgan Earp and Marshall Williams, Captain Hurst and four soldiers. We traced those mules to McLowry's ranch--.”
"Your Honor," the district attorney said, "I must respectfully move to strike the above as irrelevant. It has absolutely nothing to do with the case."
"Overruled," Judge Spicer snapped, "Continue Mr. Earp.”
(To be continued.)
Writers Notebook:
Great artist’s and writer’s plumb experience from their subconscious. Mark Twain confided to the world on many occasions that he never worked a day in his life. All his humor and writings were due to the fact that he tapped the inexhaustible reservoir of his subconscious mind.
Shakespeare might not have been aware of the subconscious, but he put it this way. ‘Your thoughts write on the inside, which performs experience on the outside.’
Hemingway goes a step farther in his little book ‘A Moveable Feast’ as he writes about his life in Paris during the 1920’s. ‘… It was in that room that I learned not to think about anything that I was writing from the time I stopped writing until I started again the next day. That way my subconscious mind would be working on it.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Let's Go to the Movies: The age of the flapper.
Wyatt Earp: First defence witness..
Writers Notebook: Tips from great artist's.
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 (Part 9)
America and Hollywood are on the cusp of something big.
The Prohibition Amendment is ratified.
Dial telephones are introduced.
Influenza epidemic takes between 20 and 40 million lives.
Einstein's Theory of Relativity confirmed.
Chicago White Sox throw World Series.
National Negro Baseball League is formed.
The 19th Amendment, giving the vote to women, is ratified.
First radio broadcasts are heard.
Sinclair Lewis publishes Main Street.
First organized professional football league is formed.
Speakeasies open around the country and the flapper age is born.
Eight Chicago White Sox are indicted for fixing the Series.
In the early Hollywood years the major show business magazine was Variety. And during the first five years Variety's Movie Section reviewed a total of four Hollywood films Birth of a Nation, Intolerance and Judith of Bethulia all D.W. Griffith films, along with a John Ford film called Hell Bent.
Variety apparently took notice of Hollywood's growing importance to the entertainment industry and during the next three years doubled their total review output to eight. Camille, Broken Blossoms, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Kid, Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Sheik, The Three Musketeers, and Way Down East.
That group of films not only indicates the quality of work coming out of Hollywood, but it also gives more recognition to the actors performing in the films.
Then as if to emphasize the point three of the major stars and one pioneer producer formed United Artist Films in order to maintain some control over their work. Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith were members of that group and the top films of that time gives immediate credibility to their newly formed United Artist Film Company.
Broken Blossoms, a D.W. Griffith film cast included Lillian Gish, Donald Crisp, and Richard Barthelmess.
Camille, a Metro Film; scenario by June Mathis; heading the cast were Nazimova and Rudolph Valentino.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a Metro Film; scenario by June Mathis; cast members included Rudolph Valentino, Alice Terry, Alan Hale, and Wallace Beery.
The Kid, a Charles Chaplin/United Artist Film; cast Charles Chaplin and child actor Jackie Coogan.
Little Lord Fauntleroy a Pickford/United Artist Film starring Mary Pickford.
The Sheik, a Paramount Picture; cast members include Agnes Ayers, Rudolph Valentino, Adolph Menjou and Walter Long.
The Three Musketeers a Fairbanks/United Artist Film; cast included Douglas Fairbanks and Adolph Menjou.
Way Down East, a Griffith/United Artist Film; cast members included Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess and Lowell Sherman.
Hollywood did not thrive on just a few screen stars there were others hard working actors that were gaining, almost stealthily, public recognition and support. Among that group of actors were Mable Normand, Frank Lloyd and Buster Keaton.
Mable Normand was the daughter of a vaudeville musician and grew up around show business.
She worked at Biograph with Mack Sennett and later moved to California with Sennett and became a big part of his Keystone organization. Normand became very popular with the public and worked both in front of and behind the camera. Normand worked with and directed several of the Keystone stars including Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle.
Frank Lloyd was born in Burchard, Nebraska and grew up working in the local theater. When he later moved to California he first worked with the old Edison Motion Picture Company alongside fellow struggling actor and director Hal Roach.
Lloyd eventually earned recognition and worked in scores of silent films. In most of his films Lloyd had some kind of thrill sequence written into the story and he did many of the dangerous stunts himself. Harold Lloyd was not flashy but you can judge his success by comparing his box office figures to those of Charlie Chaplin. Over the years Lloyd's films made $15.7 million to $10.5 million for Chaplin.
Buster Keaton was born into a vaudeville family. His Father owned a traveling show that featured Harry Houdini.
Keaton began working early in silent films and his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname 'The Great Stone Face.'
Keaton was also a director and his work in front of and behind the camera won applause not only from the public but from the film community as well.
While Hollywood gins up for a new decade -- scandal looms on the horizon.
(To be continued.)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone' Excerpt
Spicer Hearing: 'Defense call your first witness.'
Wednesday, November 16th...
There was a dull quiet in the courtroom as the first defense witness was sworn and took the stand.
"My name is Wyatt S. Earp. I was thirty-two years old the nineteenth of last March. Born at Monmouth, Warren County, Illinois...I reside in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona and have resided here since December 1st, 1879 and at present am a saloon keeper, also have been deputy sheriff and detective."
The gawky Price unlimbered. "I object to the witness reading from a prepared statement, Your Honor."
"You're overruled, Mr. Price. The statute is very broad and court feels the accused can make any statement he pleases, whether previously prepared or not." Judge Spicer then turned to Wyatt. "Go ahead with your testimony."
Wyatt sat for a moment glaring at Ike Clanton. "First thing I'd like to do is contest Ike Clanton's big lie stating that this whole tragedy stemmed from a scheme on the part of the Earps to assassinate him and thereby bury the, confessions we were supposed to have made about, 'Piping away coin from Wells Fargo shipments.' There's not a shred of truth in that story.
Price objected. Spicer overruled.
Wyatt then calmly said, "A little over a year ago I followed Frank and Tom McLowry and two other parties who had stolen six government mules from Camp Rucker. Myself, Virge and Morgan Earp and Marshall Williams, Captain Hurst and four soldiers. We traced those mules to McLowry's ranch--.”
"Your Honor," the district attorney said, "I must respectfully move to strike the above as irrelevant. It has absolutely nothing to do with the case."
"Overruled," Judge Spicer snapped, "Continue Mr. Earp.”
(To be continued.)
Writers Notebook:
Great artist’s and writer’s plumb experience from their subconscious. Mark Twain confided to the world on many occasions that he never worked a day in his life. All his humor and writings were due to the fact that he tapped the inexhaustible reservoir of his subconscious mind.
Shakespeare might not have been aware of the subconscious, but he put it this way. ‘Your thoughts write on the inside, which performs experience on the outside.’
Hemingway goes a step farther in his little book ‘A Moveable Feast’ as he writes about his life in Paris during the 1920’s. ‘… It was in that room that I learned not to think about anything that I was writing from the time I stopped writing until I started again the next day. That way my subconscious mind would be working on it.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
December 9, 2009
Hollywood Studios, Top Film Writers and Doc Holliday
This Week
Let's Go to the Movies: Universal and John Ford
Spicer Hearing Excerpt: Ike Clanton lies
Writers Notebook: William Faulkner
Let's go to the Movies
Hollywood Silents 1914 to 1929 (Part 8)
Universal Pictures got its start in 1913 when a small group of movie producers headed by Carl Leammle purchased 235 acres of land in the southeast corner of the San Fernando Valley. Leammle had missed the chance of landing a big star, Mary Pickford, for his company back in New York. But Carl Leammle had a touch of P.T. Barnham in his makeup and decided to open Universal Studios with a big show. He advertised the studio opening as The Worlds Only Movie City, and thousands of people attended the outdoor ceremony if only to see some of the legends of the time that included Buffalo Bill Cody and Thomas Edison. And following that grand opening Carl Leammle announced to the movie industry that Universal City was open for business.
A good number of independents joined Universal in order to use their facilities, but their main client on the lot was John Ford. Ford became a permanent resident and turned out dozens of films with his partner Harry Carey, generally using a western theme.
A snippet from Variety's review of a Ford film called 'Hell Bent' tells the story. '...Hell Bent was Ford's 14th film and his ninth feature. Its leading player was Harry Cary and Ford's most frequent star and collaborator. Here Carey again plays his laconic Cheyenne Harry protagonist.'
In the early years of Hollywood movie making scores of motion picture companies launched a business only to fold after making a few films or in some cases without making a single picture. The important film studios during those early teen years were Selig Polyscope, William Fox Films, Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios, William Ince Studios, Lasky Feature Play Company, D.W. Griffith's Fine Arts Studio and Carl Laemmle's Universal Studios.
The only production companies to survive with their names intact were Fox Films and Universal Studios. The Lasky Feature Play Company and D.W. Griffith's Fine Arts Studio became part of Paramount Studios the largest production company at the time.
Adolph Zukor headed Paramount, which included Jesse Lasky, Arthur Friend, C.B. DeMille, Sam Goldwyn and a bit later D.W. Griffith.
Even as the Hollywood movie industry moved away from the independent single picture company operation toward a studio system they were still, in a broad sense nothing more than storytellers. You could have the best directors, actors, cameramen, technicians and producers, but without a screenwriter to shape a story for the screen, you can't make a picture. Of course some of the producers and directors like D.W. Griffith and C.B. DeMille were also good writers. But for the most part you needed a good screenwriter to bring a story to life. And during those early days the top screenwriters were Frances Marion, June Mathis and Anita Loos, all female and over the years they compiled some fascinating resumes.
Frances Marion was born in San Francisco, and the talented youngster grew up writing, painting and acting. Frances became interested in Hollywood at an early age and through a family friend, Adela Rogers St. Johns, was introduced to Lois Weber who took her to Bosworth Studios and gave her a chance to put some of her skills to work. Frances did everything from acting, writing and editing to working in the publicity department. While at the studio she met actor Owen Moore who introduced her to his wife Mary Pickford. Frances Marion and Mary Pickford hit it off from the beginning, became great friends and through the years they worked on a number of film projects together.
June Mathis came from Leadville, Colorado and got her stage experience in San Francisco. At some point in her life she was drawn to and influenced by the movies to become a screen writer. She went to New York and studied screenwriting and entered a competition, and even though she didn't win her submission impressed some of the right people and she got job offers from it. Her first assignment was 'House of Tears,' directed by Edwin Carewe, and that led to a job at Metro Films, the company that would later become MGM.
Anita Loos was born in Sissions, California. Her father was a theater producer and Anita grew up on the stage. She was a good actress but didn't aspire to an acting career. She was interested in movies and saw a lot of silent films. Eventually Anita realized that she wanted to become a film writer. Anita Loos was a natural born writer and on a whim she wrote a story, 'The New York Hat' and sent it along to Thomas Daugherty at the American Biograph Company. They accepted the story and it was adapted for the screen by D.W. Griffith for Mary Pickford to play the lead role. D.W. Griffith recognized Anita's talent and later on she wrote several scripts for the famous director.
(To be continued)
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
Excerpt from Spicer Hearing.
Ike Clanton had been on the witness stand for several sessions and Doc and Wyatt were boiling at some of his outrageous lies.
Tom Fitch’s cross-examination of Ike Clanton continued through Monday and late into Tuesday. The questions covered Ike’s activities on the morning of the shoot out and his testimony regarding the cowboy’s visit to the gun-shop was absurd. And before the cross-examination was over, the defense attorney had made it clear to the court that the Clanton's and McLowry's had purchased weapons and ammunition in George Spangenberg's Gun Shop just prior to the shoot-out.
Ike’s testimony leading up to the shoot-out and the shoot-out itself was time consuming and tedious. And in the end all of his words were rendered meaningless for the simple reason that Ike ran away from the scene before the first shot was fired.
Tom Fitch changed the subject and asked Ike, "About what time did you hear of the killing of Philpot and Holliday's participation in it?"
"I heard of it the night it was done, but I did not hear of Doc Holliday's being implicated in it until several days afterwards."
"Did you rely upon the information which you received, in reference to Doc Holliday's participation in the said killing?"
"Well, I believed it."
Tom Fitch turned toward Judge Spicer and said, "I have no further questions for this witness at this time."
Price stood and said, "Prosecution rests, Your Honor."
Judge Spicer squinted over his spectacles. "I expect you on the defense side to have your people ready to testify. Defendants are remanded to custody and court is adjourned until tomorrow morning at nine o'clock.”
The established routine was followed; bailiff escorted Doc and Wyatt to the conference room. Doc was fit to be tied and Tom Fitch said, “Doc, I know that you and Wyatt have every right to be mad as hell. Ike ‘s blatant lies about Wyatt’s piping off coin and you, Doc personally shooting Philpot were outrageous.” Then Tom smiled. “I’m sure Judge Spicer is aware that you were not involved in the robbery or killing, all that came out at the hearing back in the summer.”
"Well, that may or may not be true," Doc said darkly, "but that won't buy you a nickels worth of public support. And in my way of thinking public opinion on Allen Street is where we’re going to win or lose our case -- not in the courtroom.”
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
We’ve talked about how important the subconscious mind is to our writing experience. Shakespeare, Twain and Hemingway used that part of the brain in their creative writing. Here’s another example by William Faulkner. Now he doesn’t mention the subconscious, but he points us in that direction when he tells about his method of writing a novel. ‘It begins with a character, and once he stands on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://TheHurricaneHunter.blogspot.com
Let's Go to the Movies: Universal and John Ford
Spicer Hearing Excerpt: Ike Clanton lies
Writers Notebook: William Faulkner
Let's go to the Movies
Hollywood Silents 1914 to 1929 (Part 8)
Universal Pictures got its start in 1913 when a small group of movie producers headed by Carl Leammle purchased 235 acres of land in the southeast corner of the San Fernando Valley. Leammle had missed the chance of landing a big star, Mary Pickford, for his company back in New York. But Carl Leammle had a touch of P.T. Barnham in his makeup and decided to open Universal Studios with a big show. He advertised the studio opening as The Worlds Only Movie City, and thousands of people attended the outdoor ceremony if only to see some of the legends of the time that included Buffalo Bill Cody and Thomas Edison. And following that grand opening Carl Leammle announced to the movie industry that Universal City was open for business.
A good number of independents joined Universal in order to use their facilities, but their main client on the lot was John Ford. Ford became a permanent resident and turned out dozens of films with his partner Harry Carey, generally using a western theme.
A snippet from Variety's review of a Ford film called 'Hell Bent' tells the story. '...Hell Bent was Ford's 14th film and his ninth feature. Its leading player was Harry Cary and Ford's most frequent star and collaborator. Here Carey again plays his laconic Cheyenne Harry protagonist.'
In the early years of Hollywood movie making scores of motion picture companies launched a business only to fold after making a few films or in some cases without making a single picture. The important film studios during those early teen years were Selig Polyscope, William Fox Films, Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios, William Ince Studios, Lasky Feature Play Company, D.W. Griffith's Fine Arts Studio and Carl Laemmle's Universal Studios.
The only production companies to survive with their names intact were Fox Films and Universal Studios. The Lasky Feature Play Company and D.W. Griffith's Fine Arts Studio became part of Paramount Studios the largest production company at the time.
Adolph Zukor headed Paramount, which included Jesse Lasky, Arthur Friend, C.B. DeMille, Sam Goldwyn and a bit later D.W. Griffith.
Even as the Hollywood movie industry moved away from the independent single picture company operation toward a studio system they were still, in a broad sense nothing more than storytellers. You could have the best directors, actors, cameramen, technicians and producers, but without a screenwriter to shape a story for the screen, you can't make a picture. Of course some of the producers and directors like D.W. Griffith and C.B. DeMille were also good writers. But for the most part you needed a good screenwriter to bring a story to life. And during those early days the top screenwriters were Frances Marion, June Mathis and Anita Loos, all female and over the years they compiled some fascinating resumes.
Frances Marion was born in San Francisco, and the talented youngster grew up writing, painting and acting. Frances became interested in Hollywood at an early age and through a family friend, Adela Rogers St. Johns, was introduced to Lois Weber who took her to Bosworth Studios and gave her a chance to put some of her skills to work. Frances did everything from acting, writing and editing to working in the publicity department. While at the studio she met actor Owen Moore who introduced her to his wife Mary Pickford. Frances Marion and Mary Pickford hit it off from the beginning, became great friends and through the years they worked on a number of film projects together.
June Mathis came from Leadville, Colorado and got her stage experience in San Francisco. At some point in her life she was drawn to and influenced by the movies to become a screen writer. She went to New York and studied screenwriting and entered a competition, and even though she didn't win her submission impressed some of the right people and she got job offers from it. Her first assignment was 'House of Tears,' directed by Edwin Carewe, and that led to a job at Metro Films, the company that would later become MGM.
Anita Loos was born in Sissions, California. Her father was a theater producer and Anita grew up on the stage. She was a good actress but didn't aspire to an acting career. She was interested in movies and saw a lot of silent films. Eventually Anita realized that she wanted to become a film writer. Anita Loos was a natural born writer and on a whim she wrote a story, 'The New York Hat' and sent it along to Thomas Daugherty at the American Biograph Company. They accepted the story and it was adapted for the screen by D.W. Griffith for Mary Pickford to play the lead role. D.W. Griffith recognized Anita's talent and later on she wrote several scripts for the famous director.
(To be continued)
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
Excerpt from Spicer Hearing.
Ike Clanton had been on the witness stand for several sessions and Doc and Wyatt were boiling at some of his outrageous lies.
Tom Fitch’s cross-examination of Ike Clanton continued through Monday and late into Tuesday. The questions covered Ike’s activities on the morning of the shoot out and his testimony regarding the cowboy’s visit to the gun-shop was absurd. And before the cross-examination was over, the defense attorney had made it clear to the court that the Clanton's and McLowry's had purchased weapons and ammunition in George Spangenberg's Gun Shop just prior to the shoot-out.
Ike’s testimony leading up to the shoot-out and the shoot-out itself was time consuming and tedious. And in the end all of his words were rendered meaningless for the simple reason that Ike ran away from the scene before the first shot was fired.
Tom Fitch changed the subject and asked Ike, "About what time did you hear of the killing of Philpot and Holliday's participation in it?"
"I heard of it the night it was done, but I did not hear of Doc Holliday's being implicated in it until several days afterwards."
"Did you rely upon the information which you received, in reference to Doc Holliday's participation in the said killing?"
"Well, I believed it."
Tom Fitch turned toward Judge Spicer and said, "I have no further questions for this witness at this time."
Price stood and said, "Prosecution rests, Your Honor."
Judge Spicer squinted over his spectacles. "I expect you on the defense side to have your people ready to testify. Defendants are remanded to custody and court is adjourned until tomorrow morning at nine o'clock.”
The established routine was followed; bailiff escorted Doc and Wyatt to the conference room. Doc was fit to be tied and Tom Fitch said, “Doc, I know that you and Wyatt have every right to be mad as hell. Ike ‘s blatant lies about Wyatt’s piping off coin and you, Doc personally shooting Philpot were outrageous.” Then Tom smiled. “I’m sure Judge Spicer is aware that you were not involved in the robbery or killing, all that came out at the hearing back in the summer.”
"Well, that may or may not be true," Doc said darkly, "but that won't buy you a nickels worth of public support. And in my way of thinking public opinion on Allen Street is where we’re going to win or lose our case -- not in the courtroom.”
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
We’ve talked about how important the subconscious mind is to our writing experience. Shakespeare, Twain and Hemingway used that part of the brain in their creative writing. Here’s another example by William Faulkner. Now he doesn’t mention the subconscious, but he points us in that direction when he tells about his method of writing a novel. ‘It begins with a character, and once he stands on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://TheHurricaneHunter.blogspot.com
December 2, 2009
Silent Movies and The Making of a Masterpiece
This Week:
Spicer Hearing Excerpt: Doc and Wyatt to the cooler.
Let's Go to the Movies: Rush to California and 'The Vamp.'
Writers Notebook: The Making of a Masterpiece
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone Excerp
Monday, November 7, 1881
Judge Spicer opened the afternoon session and immediately confirmed the rumor. “A motion filed by the prosecution requests the court to revoke bail previously granted the defendants. My own search of precedent cases suggests that I must go along with the prosecutions point ...That the proof so far is conclusive of murder and under that proof the defendants ought not to be admitted to bail in any sum.”
T.J. Drum offered a jurisdictional argument, but was overruled. Spicer made his position clear by citing case law and precedent. Then he added, “The court is bound where the proof is positive and presumption great to remand the prisoners to the sheriff until the presumption is overcome by the evidence for the defense.” Judge Spicer hesitated for a long moment before saying, “The defendants, J.H. Holliday and Wyatt Earp are ordered to spend their out of court time in the city jail on Sixth Street.”
Tom Fitch immediately stood and said, “Your Honor, counsel for the defense requests that we be provided a private conference room here in the courthouse as there are no facilities for consultation at the jail.”
“That sounds reasonable, Mr. Counselor. I’ll try and arrange something.”
Doc had remained silent during the debate and stayed calm on the surface, but boiled underneath. The judge had essentially validated his argument put to TJ Drum, that the defense had missed a dozen opportunities to show prosecution witnesses up as liars.
(Spicer Hearing Excerpts to be continued.)
Let's Go to the Movies
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 Part 7
The Hollywood movie industry was attracting artistic and technical talent and a host of want-to-bees at a rate not seen since the Oklahoma land rush of 1889.
With the advent of the feature film and larger motion picture theaters being constructed all over America and Europe the public was hungry for more films. And with the inviting climate and sunshine of Southern California, the industry was poised to fill the public's appetite.
Louis B. Mayer, former film distributor from Boston, joined the rush to the west and landed on Mission Road in east Los Angeles. Mayer rented office space in a loft at the Selig Studios in order to be near the center of production.
Mayer had amassed quite a lot of money from his business dealings back east and could have rented a large office for show, but that wasn't what he needed at the time. All he wanted was a place to work out of and a secretary to handle his correspondence. Mayer wanted to produce quality motion pictures, but first he needed to educate himself about film production from the ground up. He spent very little time in the office as he was out and about in his little Ford visiting lots and movie sets. He asked questions of electricians, carpenters, wardrobe and lighting people making notes during the process. Mayer stayed back and out of everyone's way as he studied and made notes in his little book detailing the director's movements and instructions to actors, stage hands and camera crews. Then when he got back to the office Mayer would dictate letters to business associates asking more questions about the business end of film production.
During that same time period D.W. Griffith produced and released another big picture, Intolerance. It was a 209 minute film photographed by Billy Bitzer and Karl Brown. The cast included Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Miriam Cooper and Walter Long.
Variety review excerpt. 'Intolerance reflects much credit to the wizard director, for it required no small amount of genuine art to consistently blend actors, horses, monkeys, geese, dogs, acrobats, and ballets into a composite presentation of a film classic.'
And while Variety's review was positive the overall acceptance of the film was not. The critics didn't like it and as a consequence the public turned away from it.
None the less Intolerance was cheered by by many in the film industry and seen as another part of Hollywood's growth.
Another pioneer of the industry, William Fox, arrived in Los Angeles and passed through the gates of the Selig Studios before proceeding to Hollywood. Fox's background was in chain theaters and film rentals before building his first film studio at Fort Lee, New Jersey. Fox and his company endured a couple of cold winters producing films on the west bank of the Hudson River before the decision was made to join the crowd moving to relocate in the sunshine state.
Theda Bara was part of the William Fox company that traveled west to California. Bara was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and was drawn to the theater as a teenager. She went to New York in 1908 and made the acting job seeking rounds and did some work in the theater before getting her first job as an extra in The Stain. She was spotted on the set, by the director, for her ability to take directions and execute them. That well done extra job eventually led to her being cast as the 'Vampire' in 'A Fool There Was.'
Later that year she became known as The Vamp.
William Fox wound up with a star quite by accident and her first Hollywood film 'Cleopatra' proved her worth when the film was acclaimed the best film of 1917.
Motion picture directors are an integral part of the artistic and physical making of a motion picture. And Marshall “Mickey” Neilan was a good example of that part of film making . A California native, born in San Berardino, California. Neilan's film career got its start in Western pictures in 1912 when Kalem Studios hired him and assigned him to their Western film facility in Santa Monica.
Mickey Neilan was bright, talented and energetic. After working in some seventy silent film shorts for Kalem as an actor he was given his chance at directing. He made the move count and after directing thirty films for Kalem he was hired under better terms by the Selig Polyscope Company.
Mary Pickford was showing her versatility in 'The Little American' directed by C.B. DeMille and 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm' and The Little Princess under Marshall Neilan's direction.
Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle were kept busy at Keystone Productions writing and acting in their own short comedies.
Near the close of 1917 a young professional ballroom dancer that dreamed of becoming a movie actor got his first job as an extra in a film called 'Alimony' – Rudolph Valentino was that actor.
Writers Notebook::
Here's a great example of a writer following her passion and finding answers to questions she wanted to know. (Writers write about what they know; at least that's what they say. But maybe it should read – what they would like to know.)
The Making of a Masterpiece: The True Story of Margaret Mitchell’s Classic Novel, Gone With The Wind
By Sally Tippett Rains
2009 is the 70th Anniversary of the movie premiere of Gone With The Wind and a new book offers fresh never-before-released information on Margaret Mitchell and her novel. The Making of a Masterpiece, The True Story of Margaret Mitchell's Classic Novel, Gone With The Wind, provides insights from over 70 people she interviewed, three years of research, and a recently discovered scrapbook from Mitchell's family.
Margaret Mitchell’s own life provided inspiration for Gone With The Wind and with the help of the scrapbook written by her cousin, this new book tells about the people and events that may have provided characters and storylines. Five of the actors from the movie were interviewed as well.as relatives of some of those who were involved in the Hollywood production, historians and Mitchell family members.
Book is available on Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com or order at your local bookstore.
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://TheHurricaneHunter.blogspot.com
Spicer Hearing Excerpt: Doc and Wyatt to the cooler.
Let's Go to the Movies: Rush to California and 'The Vamp.'
Writers Notebook: The Making of a Masterpiece
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone Excerp
Monday, November 7, 1881
Judge Spicer opened the afternoon session and immediately confirmed the rumor. “A motion filed by the prosecution requests the court to revoke bail previously granted the defendants. My own search of precedent cases suggests that I must go along with the prosecutions point ...That the proof so far is conclusive of murder and under that proof the defendants ought not to be admitted to bail in any sum.”
T.J. Drum offered a jurisdictional argument, but was overruled. Spicer made his position clear by citing case law and precedent. Then he added, “The court is bound where the proof is positive and presumption great to remand the prisoners to the sheriff until the presumption is overcome by the evidence for the defense.” Judge Spicer hesitated for a long moment before saying, “The defendants, J.H. Holliday and Wyatt Earp are ordered to spend their out of court time in the city jail on Sixth Street.”
Tom Fitch immediately stood and said, “Your Honor, counsel for the defense requests that we be provided a private conference room here in the courthouse as there are no facilities for consultation at the jail.”
“That sounds reasonable, Mr. Counselor. I’ll try and arrange something.”
Doc had remained silent during the debate and stayed calm on the surface, but boiled underneath. The judge had essentially validated his argument put to TJ Drum, that the defense had missed a dozen opportunities to show prosecution witnesses up as liars.
(Spicer Hearing Excerpts to be continued.)
Let's Go to the Movies
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 Part 7
The Hollywood movie industry was attracting artistic and technical talent and a host of want-to-bees at a rate not seen since the Oklahoma land rush of 1889.
With the advent of the feature film and larger motion picture theaters being constructed all over America and Europe the public was hungry for more films. And with the inviting climate and sunshine of Southern California, the industry was poised to fill the public's appetite.
Louis B. Mayer, former film distributor from Boston, joined the rush to the west and landed on Mission Road in east Los Angeles. Mayer rented office space in a loft at the Selig Studios in order to be near the center of production.
Mayer had amassed quite a lot of money from his business dealings back east and could have rented a large office for show, but that wasn't what he needed at the time. All he wanted was a place to work out of and a secretary to handle his correspondence. Mayer wanted to produce quality motion pictures, but first he needed to educate himself about film production from the ground up. He spent very little time in the office as he was out and about in his little Ford visiting lots and movie sets. He asked questions of electricians, carpenters, wardrobe and lighting people making notes during the process. Mayer stayed back and out of everyone's way as he studied and made notes in his little book detailing the director's movements and instructions to actors, stage hands and camera crews. Then when he got back to the office Mayer would dictate letters to business associates asking more questions about the business end of film production.
During that same time period D.W. Griffith produced and released another big picture, Intolerance. It was a 209 minute film photographed by Billy Bitzer and Karl Brown. The cast included Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Miriam Cooper and Walter Long.
Variety review excerpt. 'Intolerance reflects much credit to the wizard director, for it required no small amount of genuine art to consistently blend actors, horses, monkeys, geese, dogs, acrobats, and ballets into a composite presentation of a film classic.'
And while Variety's review was positive the overall acceptance of the film was not. The critics didn't like it and as a consequence the public turned away from it.
None the less Intolerance was cheered by by many in the film industry and seen as another part of Hollywood's growth.
Another pioneer of the industry, William Fox, arrived in Los Angeles and passed through the gates of the Selig Studios before proceeding to Hollywood. Fox's background was in chain theaters and film rentals before building his first film studio at Fort Lee, New Jersey. Fox and his company endured a couple of cold winters producing films on the west bank of the Hudson River before the decision was made to join the crowd moving to relocate in the sunshine state.
Theda Bara was part of the William Fox company that traveled west to California. Bara was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and was drawn to the theater as a teenager. She went to New York in 1908 and made the acting job seeking rounds and did some work in the theater before getting her first job as an extra in The Stain. She was spotted on the set, by the director, for her ability to take directions and execute them. That well done extra job eventually led to her being cast as the 'Vampire' in 'A Fool There Was.'
Later that year she became known as The Vamp.
William Fox wound up with a star quite by accident and her first Hollywood film 'Cleopatra' proved her worth when the film was acclaimed the best film of 1917.
Motion picture directors are an integral part of the artistic and physical making of a motion picture. And Marshall “Mickey” Neilan was a good example of that part of film making . A California native, born in San Berardino, California. Neilan's film career got its start in Western pictures in 1912 when Kalem Studios hired him and assigned him to their Western film facility in Santa Monica.
Mickey Neilan was bright, talented and energetic. After working in some seventy silent film shorts for Kalem as an actor he was given his chance at directing. He made the move count and after directing thirty films for Kalem he was hired under better terms by the Selig Polyscope Company.
Mary Pickford was showing her versatility in 'The Little American' directed by C.B. DeMille and 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm' and The Little Princess under Marshall Neilan's direction.
Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle were kept busy at Keystone Productions writing and acting in their own short comedies.
Near the close of 1917 a young professional ballroom dancer that dreamed of becoming a movie actor got his first job as an extra in a film called 'Alimony' – Rudolph Valentino was that actor.
Writers Notebook::
Here's a great example of a writer following her passion and finding answers to questions she wanted to know. (Writers write about what they know; at least that's what they say. But maybe it should read – what they would like to know.)
The Making of a Masterpiece: The True Story of Margaret Mitchell’s Classic Novel, Gone With The Wind
By Sally Tippett Rains
2009 is the 70th Anniversary of the movie premiere of Gone With The Wind and a new book offers fresh never-before-released information on Margaret Mitchell and her novel. The Making of a Masterpiece, The True Story of Margaret Mitchell's Classic Novel, Gone With The Wind, provides insights from over 70 people she interviewed, three years of research, and a recently discovered scrapbook from Mitchell's family.
Margaret Mitchell’s own life provided inspiration for Gone With The Wind and with the help of the scrapbook written by her cousin, this new book tells about the people and events that may have provided characters and storylines. Five of the actors from the movie were interviewed as well.as relatives of some of those who were involved in the Hollywood production, historians and Mitchell family members.
Book is available on Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com or order at your local bookstore.
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://TheHurricaneHunter.blogspot.com
November 25, 2009
Hollywood 1915 and a Little Boy's Thanksgiving Story
This Week:
Let's Go to the Movies
My 'Little Boy' Thanksgiving story
Writers Notebook: Thomas Jefferson slogan
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 Part 6
The Birth of a Nation's distribution problem was resolved through the success of the picture. The Epoch companies road-show presentations earned an enormous amount of money and as a consequence every area film distributor made a bid to show the film in their theaters.
Producers Griffith and Aitkens were awash in money and because of their huge success probably became overly generous in the bid process. Their basic contract demanded an up front fee plus ten percent of the net box office receipts. They had no solid accounting rules and the ten percent net figure was an open door for abuse, which has plagued the industry over the years.
One of the bidders was Louis B. Mayer front man for a film distribution agency in Boston. The contract called for $50.000.00 for exclusive rights to show Birth of a Nation in the New England area. Mayer and his group got the contract and did a good job marketing the film – and made a very nice profit for their efforts.
Louis B. Mayer was a Russian emmigrant who became an American citizen and entrepreneur. With his success in Boston Mayer opened an agency in New York, all the while thinking about motion picture production. Within two years Louis B. Mayer landed on Mission Road in east Los Angeles, California with his mind set on producing films.
While Los Angeles and Hollywood enjoyed the growth of the motion picture industry Santa Monica already had Inceville Studios, a production company that dwarfed, at least in acreage, all the other film companies combined.
Thomas Ince owned the land and the film company. Ince grew up in the theater working in vaudville, and made his Broadway debut at the age of 15.
IHe got his start in pictures with Biograph Films as a director, and after making just one film Carl Laemmle's Independent Motion Picture Company hired him as a director and sent him to Cuba to make films. That move was made by Laemmle in order to be out of the reach of the Picture Patent Company, the same trust company that most other film companies were fleeing New York to avoid.
Ince made a few films in Cuba, but soon returned to New York and joined the New York Motion Picture Company and headed off to California to make Westerns. By the end of 1912 Ince purchased several thousand acres of land in the Santa Monica mountains overlooking the Pacific and formed his own independant company.
During the year of 1913 Inceville Studios would make more than 150 films, mostly Westerns and Civil War dramas.
Thomas Ince hired the best directors he could find and through the years his selection process worked out well. Among those directors hired by Ince were Francis Ford, brother of John Ford, Frank Borzage, Fred Niblo, Jack Conway, Henry King and William S. Hart the actor who directed his own films.
Hundreds of actors worked at Inceville Studios but none of them became a household name faster than John Gilbert. Gilbert came from a dysfunctional family that worked in the theater, and owned a stock company in Spokane, Washington. John grew up in the theater and got his training as an actor there, but he wanted out.
Gilbert dreamed of becoming a movie star, but didn't know how to make it happen. At the time he wanted to get away from his immediate family he also needed a job. John talked the situation over with his Uncle George, a theater director, and while his uncle couldn't hire him at that time he did had an idea that might help. The uncle knew Thomas Ince and wrote a letter to his studio in Santa Monica and gave his nephew a reccomendation and introduction. Ince replied almost immediately and said to send the boy down and he'd pay him $15.00 a week. The young Gilbert jumped at the chance, took the offer and traveled to Santa Monica.
And it was at Inceville where Gilbert got his early training in the movie business working as an extra and bit player.
Blanche Sweet was born in Chicago, grew up in the theater and made her first film at Edison Studios in New York in 1909 at the age of fourteen.
In the years to follow she would go on to work for Famous Players-Lasky, Majestic and others. At Biograph Blanche Sweet worked in several D.W. Griffith films including 'Home Sweet Home' and 'The Avenging Consciounce' before starring in Griffith's 'Judith of Bethulia' in 1914.
Photoplay Magazine picked up on her popularity and used her on the cover of their April 1915 issue. She went to Hollywood In 1915 where she worked in several films including two for C.B. DeMille 'The Warrens of Virginia' and 'The Captive.'
In 1915 Hollywood was buzzing with motion picture production and keeping its known stars busy doing at least a dozen films each. Mary Pickford's films included 'The Girl of Yesterday' and 'Madame Butterfly.'
A couple of Fatty Arbuckle's popular films were Fatty and 'The Broadway Stars' and 'Mabel and Fatty.'
Among Charlie Chaplin's films that year were 'Burlesque on Carmen' and 'Shanghaied' where he played the Little Tramp.
(To be continued)
From The Little Boy Series:
A Thanksgiving Story from my childhood.
I was three of four years old and we were living in Bonita Springs, Florida at the time of this incident. It was only a short walk from our house into the Everglades. Dad walked with a purpose that day, a rifle slung over his left shoulder, and I followed along only a few steps behind. I didn’t know exactly where we were going, and it didn’t matter because Dad knew. He didn’t always tell me the purpose of our outing when we were going fishing or digging for oysters or just going for a walk, and maybe I didn’t need to know all the time.
In any event, we must have walked a mile or two at a slow pace; Dad seemed to be listening for something. Then all of a sudden he stopped beside a big palmetto tree, kneeled down and whispered for me to stay quiet and not to move away form the tree.
I nodded and without a sound he moved into the brush. It was so quiet I don’t even remember a birdsong to break the silence.
My wait didn’t seem too long, just long enough for me to start worrying about being lost in the Everglades. But about the time I was sure Dad would never find me again I heard the crack of his rifle.
Then I bet it wasn’t more than a couple of minutes when I heard the brush rustle and my Daddy came into the clear with a broad smile on his face, the rifle in one hand and a turkey slung over his shoulder.
‘Lets go home, Son. We’ve got Thanksgiving dinner.’
Writers Notebook:
The next time you prepare to write a query or even an email use the mindset you put in place when writing a log line.
Use the three T’s as an anchor. Tight, Terse, Telling.
You might also think of a slogan Thomas Jefferson used in his everyday writing.
‘The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.'
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://TheHurricaneHunter.blogspot.com
Let's Go to the Movies
My 'Little Boy' Thanksgiving story
Writers Notebook: Thomas Jefferson slogan
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 Part 6
The Birth of a Nation's distribution problem was resolved through the success of the picture. The Epoch companies road-show presentations earned an enormous amount of money and as a consequence every area film distributor made a bid to show the film in their theaters.
Producers Griffith and Aitkens were awash in money and because of their huge success probably became overly generous in the bid process. Their basic contract demanded an up front fee plus ten percent of the net box office receipts. They had no solid accounting rules and the ten percent net figure was an open door for abuse, which has plagued the industry over the years.
One of the bidders was Louis B. Mayer front man for a film distribution agency in Boston. The contract called for $50.000.00 for exclusive rights to show Birth of a Nation in the New England area. Mayer and his group got the contract and did a good job marketing the film – and made a very nice profit for their efforts.
Louis B. Mayer was a Russian emmigrant who became an American citizen and entrepreneur. With his success in Boston Mayer opened an agency in New York, all the while thinking about motion picture production. Within two years Louis B. Mayer landed on Mission Road in east Los Angeles, California with his mind set on producing films.
While Los Angeles and Hollywood enjoyed the growth of the motion picture industry Santa Monica already had Inceville Studios, a production company that dwarfed, at least in acreage, all the other film companies combined.
Thomas Ince owned the land and the film company. Ince grew up in the theater working in vaudville, and made his Broadway debut at the age of 15.
IHe got his start in pictures with Biograph Films as a director, and after making just one film Carl Laemmle's Independent Motion Picture Company hired him as a director and sent him to Cuba to make films. That move was made by Laemmle in order to be out of the reach of the Picture Patent Company, the same trust company that most other film companies were fleeing New York to avoid.
Ince made a few films in Cuba, but soon returned to New York and joined the New York Motion Picture Company and headed off to California to make Westerns. By the end of 1912 Ince purchased several thousand acres of land in the Santa Monica mountains overlooking the Pacific and formed his own independant company.
During the year of 1913 Inceville Studios would make more than 150 films, mostly Westerns and Civil War dramas.
Thomas Ince hired the best directors he could find and through the years his selection process worked out well. Among those directors hired by Ince were Francis Ford, brother of John Ford, Frank Borzage, Fred Niblo, Jack Conway, Henry King and William S. Hart the actor who directed his own films.
Hundreds of actors worked at Inceville Studios but none of them became a household name faster than John Gilbert. Gilbert came from a dysfunctional family that worked in the theater, and owned a stock company in Spokane, Washington. John grew up in the theater and got his training as an actor there, but he wanted out.
Gilbert dreamed of becoming a movie star, but didn't know how to make it happen. At the time he wanted to get away from his immediate family he also needed a job. John talked the situation over with his Uncle George, a theater director, and while his uncle couldn't hire him at that time he did had an idea that might help. The uncle knew Thomas Ince and wrote a letter to his studio in Santa Monica and gave his nephew a reccomendation and introduction. Ince replied almost immediately and said to send the boy down and he'd pay him $15.00 a week. The young Gilbert jumped at the chance, took the offer and traveled to Santa Monica.
And it was at Inceville where Gilbert got his early training in the movie business working as an extra and bit player.
Blanche Sweet was born in Chicago, grew up in the theater and made her first film at Edison Studios in New York in 1909 at the age of fourteen.
In the years to follow she would go on to work for Famous Players-Lasky, Majestic and others. At Biograph Blanche Sweet worked in several D.W. Griffith films including 'Home Sweet Home' and 'The Avenging Consciounce' before starring in Griffith's 'Judith of Bethulia' in 1914.
Photoplay Magazine picked up on her popularity and used her on the cover of their April 1915 issue. She went to Hollywood In 1915 where she worked in several films including two for C.B. DeMille 'The Warrens of Virginia' and 'The Captive.'
In 1915 Hollywood was buzzing with motion picture production and keeping its known stars busy doing at least a dozen films each. Mary Pickford's films included 'The Girl of Yesterday' and 'Madame Butterfly.'
A couple of Fatty Arbuckle's popular films were Fatty and 'The Broadway Stars' and 'Mabel and Fatty.'
Among Charlie Chaplin's films that year were 'Burlesque on Carmen' and 'Shanghaied' where he played the Little Tramp.
(To be continued)
From The Little Boy Series:
A Thanksgiving Story from my childhood.
I was three of four years old and we were living in Bonita Springs, Florida at the time of this incident. It was only a short walk from our house into the Everglades. Dad walked with a purpose that day, a rifle slung over his left shoulder, and I followed along only a few steps behind. I didn’t know exactly where we were going, and it didn’t matter because Dad knew. He didn’t always tell me the purpose of our outing when we were going fishing or digging for oysters or just going for a walk, and maybe I didn’t need to know all the time.
In any event, we must have walked a mile or two at a slow pace; Dad seemed to be listening for something. Then all of a sudden he stopped beside a big palmetto tree, kneeled down and whispered for me to stay quiet and not to move away form the tree.
I nodded and without a sound he moved into the brush. It was so quiet I don’t even remember a birdsong to break the silence.
My wait didn’t seem too long, just long enough for me to start worrying about being lost in the Everglades. But about the time I was sure Dad would never find me again I heard the crack of his rifle.
Then I bet it wasn’t more than a couple of minutes when I heard the brush rustle and my Daddy came into the clear with a broad smile on his face, the rifle in one hand and a turkey slung over his shoulder.
‘Lets go home, Son. We’ve got Thanksgiving dinner.’
Writers Notebook:
The next time you prepare to write a query or even an email use the mindset you put in place when writing a log line.
Use the three T’s as an anchor. Tight, Terse, Telling.
You might also think of a slogan Thomas Jefferson used in his everyday writing.
‘The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.'
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://TheHurricaneHunter.blogspot.com
November 18, 2009
D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation
This Week:
Let's Go to the Movies
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone – Excerpt Doc confronts his lawyer.
Writers Notebook: John Steinbeck – Anxious moments.
Let's Go to the Movies
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 Part 5
D.W. Griffith's broad story concept for Birth of a Nation was not the only new innovation he had planned for the film. Working with his long time cameraman Billy Bitzer they started from day one of the production to implement film making concepts never used before. Camera angles, jump cuts, closeups, fades, lighting effects, and many other technical effects that were unheard of then, but common place today.
Griffith had hired a large cast that was about as talented and versatile as any cast you'll ever find in motion picture history.
The names given star billing in Variety's review were Henry B. Walthall, Miriam Cooper, Mae Marsh, Lillian Gish, Donald Crisp and Raoul Walsh. The cast list is long and here are a few more names that would become familiar to the public in the next few years, some in front of the camera, others back of the camera. Wallace Reid, Monte Blue, Josephine Crowell, John Ford, William Freeman, Howard Gaye, Joseph Henaberry, Jennifer Lee, Elmo Lincoln, Walter Long, Bessie Love and Erich Von Stroheim among them.
The shooting schedule took up the last half of 1914 and the costs mounted to more than $112,000.00 – Variety reported it to be $300,000.00.
Any producer today will tell you that the pockets never run deep enough to satisfy everyone and so it was with Birth of a Nation.
The original financing was put up by the Mutual Company, but as weeks ran into months without an end in sight and costs continuing to rise the Mutual directors instructed their president Harry Aitken to cancel the companies participation or assume the investment himself. Aitken did the latter, and he along with Griffith and the Reverend Dixon, the writer of the book, formed the Epoch Producing Company to handle this one exceptional film. It was no easy task and the group had to scramble to round up money in order to make payroll.
But they did complete the picture and once the editing was finished and titles set in place they had a print made and began showing the film to selected audiences in order to get feedback. There was some grumbling about the length, and others had political questions about some of the scenes depicting the post Civil War Reconstruction period. However, that being said, there was an overwhelming majority of positive feedback and enthusiasm for the film.
Griffith had an unprecedented film in size and scope and that alone set up a problem. The picture took up twelve reels and that begged the question for distribution, who could they get to distribute the film? The picture wouldn't fit into any of the regular channels of distribution. How could anyone put up front money at risk to pay the kind of rent they would have to charge?
To solve the short term problem their company Epoch would have to take charge. They rented Clune's Auditorium a 2,600 seat house in Los Angeles. And on the night of February 3, 1915 D.W. Griffith's film Birth of a Nation had its World Premiere.
The audience went crazy over the film and from that opening night Birth of A Nation took on a life of its own.
The show business magazine Variety reviewed the film after its New York opening at the Liberty Theater on March 3, 1915 and their reviewer pronounced Birth of a Nation as the last word in picture making.
'...The story involves: The Camerons of the south and the Stonemans of the north and Silas Lynch, the mulatto Lieutenant-Governor; the opening and finish of the Civil War; the scenes attendant upon the assassination of Abraham Lincoln; the period of carpet-bagging days and Union reconstruction following Lee's surrender; and the terrorizing of the Southern whites by the newly freed blacks and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan . All these including some wonderfully well staged battle scenes taken at night are realistically; graphically and most superbly depicted by the camera.'
'...The battle scenes are wonderfully conceived, the departure of the soldiers splendidly arranged, and the death of the famous martyred president deftly and ably handled. Henry Walthall makes a manly, straightforward character of the 'Little Colonel' and handles his big scenes most effectively. Mae Marsh as the pet sister does some remarkable work as the little girl who loves the South and loves her brother. Ralph Lewis is splendid as the leader of the House who helps Silas Lynch rise to power. George Siegmann gets all there can be gotten out of the despicable character of Lynch. Walter Long makes Gus, the renegade negro, a hated much despised type, his acting and makeup being complete.'
'The Birth of a Nation is said to have cost $300.000.00.'
(To be continued)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone' Excerpt:
'Doc was alert to everything that was going on in the courtroom and after one week of testimony he was not pleased with what he had seen. Some of the facts were coming out, but they were being shaped by the prosecution. He felt that the defense team needed to take a more aggressive stance. And as they were leaving the courthouse Doc collared T. J. Drum and said, "I need to talk to you, T. J."
The chubby lawyer gave Doc a questioning look. "Why not stop someplace and have a cup of coffee."
Doc rolled a cigarette, lit it and said, "No, I can say what's on my mind while we walk to the hotel."
"All right," T. J. shook his head. "Sounds ominous."
"No, but it is important. At least it is to Wyatt and his brothers and me," Doc drawled. "It's something that I believe is missing in our defense."
T.J. Drum scratched his head. "I don't understand."
"That's exactly what I'm getting at." Doc grinned at his own thought; maybe T.J’s word "ominous" was a fair assessment. Then he said anxiously, "They are about to hang us -- and from what I can see in the courtroom, you and Tom Fitch are either sleepwalking or you are just not taking this hearing seriously.”
"Now, Doc, that isn't fair," T. J., sputtered.
"I didn't say it to be fair. The prosecution is not being fair. They have a lineup of witnesses that are not only obscuring the facts, but about half of their testimony has been outright lies. And it seems to me, that you and Tom are willing to let those lies stand as truth." Doc hesitated, and then lashed out, "When, in God's name, do you plan to challenge them?"
T. J. was visibly shaken, but took some time thinking over his position before saying, "Well, our strategy is to round up strong witnesses and mount our main defense based on their testimony." They walked some distance in silence before T. J. continued, "You know something, Doc. You have given me an idea. Maybe we should be treating this hearing like a trial and be more aggressive.”
Doc took a deep breath. "Sounds good to me, T. J."
"Doc, if your plan was to stoke up the fire," the lawyer said jovially, "then by golly you might have just succeeded."
They smiled, shook hands and walked into the hotel where they joined Wyatt and his older brother James, Tom Fitch and Colonel Herring in Virgil Earp's room. The defense strategy meeting was already in progress.
Virgil, propped himself up on one elbow and said with some anxiety, "We just found out a brother of the McLowry's got into town last night and it sounds like he's gonna cause some trouble."
Wyatt asked, "What kind of trouble, Virg?"
"Will McLowry is a lawyer. Came all the way out from Ft. Worth and he's done huddled with Ike Clanton's attorneys." Virg looked at Wyatt with a pained expression. "From what we know, he's slick. First thing he wants to do is revoke the bail on you and Doc."
"Can he do that?" Doc asked.
Col. Herring scratched his head. "Don't make any bets either way."
During that meeting the decision was also made that Virgil and Wyatt would testify, Doc and Morg would not. Doc was sure that he would make a good witness. But on the other hand he was aware that the prosecution could make mincemeat out of the gossip and rumors that his reputation was built on.'
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
You have committed to a project, finished the basic research and character prep work and you’re all set to begin writing. Suddenly you’re overcome with anxiety – you’ve got a knot the size of a baseball in your stomach. Stop!
You are not alone. It might give you some comfort to know that John Steinbeck experienced some of those same anxious moments. In one of his letters written in February 1936, which was included in his ‘A Life in Letters’ Steinbeck said, ‘I have to start [writing:] and am scared to death as usual – miserable sick feeling of inadequacy.’ Then in the very next sentence he said, ‘I’ll love it once I get down to work.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://TheHurricaneHunter.blogspot.com
Let's Go to the Movies
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone – Excerpt Doc confronts his lawyer.
Writers Notebook: John Steinbeck – Anxious moments.
Let's Go to the Movies
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 Part 5
D.W. Griffith's broad story concept for Birth of a Nation was not the only new innovation he had planned for the film. Working with his long time cameraman Billy Bitzer they started from day one of the production to implement film making concepts never used before. Camera angles, jump cuts, closeups, fades, lighting effects, and many other technical effects that were unheard of then, but common place today.
Griffith had hired a large cast that was about as talented and versatile as any cast you'll ever find in motion picture history.
The names given star billing in Variety's review were Henry B. Walthall, Miriam Cooper, Mae Marsh, Lillian Gish, Donald Crisp and Raoul Walsh. The cast list is long and here are a few more names that would become familiar to the public in the next few years, some in front of the camera, others back of the camera. Wallace Reid, Monte Blue, Josephine Crowell, John Ford, William Freeman, Howard Gaye, Joseph Henaberry, Jennifer Lee, Elmo Lincoln, Walter Long, Bessie Love and Erich Von Stroheim among them.
The shooting schedule took up the last half of 1914 and the costs mounted to more than $112,000.00 – Variety reported it to be $300,000.00.
Any producer today will tell you that the pockets never run deep enough to satisfy everyone and so it was with Birth of a Nation.
The original financing was put up by the Mutual Company, but as weeks ran into months without an end in sight and costs continuing to rise the Mutual directors instructed their president Harry Aitken to cancel the companies participation or assume the investment himself. Aitken did the latter, and he along with Griffith and the Reverend Dixon, the writer of the book, formed the Epoch Producing Company to handle this one exceptional film. It was no easy task and the group had to scramble to round up money in order to make payroll.
But they did complete the picture and once the editing was finished and titles set in place they had a print made and began showing the film to selected audiences in order to get feedback. There was some grumbling about the length, and others had political questions about some of the scenes depicting the post Civil War Reconstruction period. However, that being said, there was an overwhelming majority of positive feedback and enthusiasm for the film.
Griffith had an unprecedented film in size and scope and that alone set up a problem. The picture took up twelve reels and that begged the question for distribution, who could they get to distribute the film? The picture wouldn't fit into any of the regular channels of distribution. How could anyone put up front money at risk to pay the kind of rent they would have to charge?
To solve the short term problem their company Epoch would have to take charge. They rented Clune's Auditorium a 2,600 seat house in Los Angeles. And on the night of February 3, 1915 D.W. Griffith's film Birth of a Nation had its World Premiere.
The audience went crazy over the film and from that opening night Birth of A Nation took on a life of its own.
The show business magazine Variety reviewed the film after its New York opening at the Liberty Theater on March 3, 1915 and their reviewer pronounced Birth of a Nation as the last word in picture making.
'...The story involves: The Camerons of the south and the Stonemans of the north and Silas Lynch, the mulatto Lieutenant-Governor; the opening and finish of the Civil War; the scenes attendant upon the assassination of Abraham Lincoln; the period of carpet-bagging days and Union reconstruction following Lee's surrender; and the terrorizing of the Southern whites by the newly freed blacks and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan . All these including some wonderfully well staged battle scenes taken at night are realistically; graphically and most superbly depicted by the camera.'
'...The battle scenes are wonderfully conceived, the departure of the soldiers splendidly arranged, and the death of the famous martyred president deftly and ably handled. Henry Walthall makes a manly, straightforward character of the 'Little Colonel' and handles his big scenes most effectively. Mae Marsh as the pet sister does some remarkable work as the little girl who loves the South and loves her brother. Ralph Lewis is splendid as the leader of the House who helps Silas Lynch rise to power. George Siegmann gets all there can be gotten out of the despicable character of Lynch. Walter Long makes Gus, the renegade negro, a hated much despised type, his acting and makeup being complete.'
'The Birth of a Nation is said to have cost $300.000.00.'
(To be continued)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone' Excerpt:
'Doc was alert to everything that was going on in the courtroom and after one week of testimony he was not pleased with what he had seen. Some of the facts were coming out, but they were being shaped by the prosecution. He felt that the defense team needed to take a more aggressive stance. And as they were leaving the courthouse Doc collared T. J. Drum and said, "I need to talk to you, T. J."
The chubby lawyer gave Doc a questioning look. "Why not stop someplace and have a cup of coffee."
Doc rolled a cigarette, lit it and said, "No, I can say what's on my mind while we walk to the hotel."
"All right," T. J. shook his head. "Sounds ominous."
"No, but it is important. At least it is to Wyatt and his brothers and me," Doc drawled. "It's something that I believe is missing in our defense."
T.J. Drum scratched his head. "I don't understand."
"That's exactly what I'm getting at." Doc grinned at his own thought; maybe T.J’s word "ominous" was a fair assessment. Then he said anxiously, "They are about to hang us -- and from what I can see in the courtroom, you and Tom Fitch are either sleepwalking or you are just not taking this hearing seriously.”
"Now, Doc, that isn't fair," T. J., sputtered.
"I didn't say it to be fair. The prosecution is not being fair. They have a lineup of witnesses that are not only obscuring the facts, but about half of their testimony has been outright lies. And it seems to me, that you and Tom are willing to let those lies stand as truth." Doc hesitated, and then lashed out, "When, in God's name, do you plan to challenge them?"
T. J. was visibly shaken, but took some time thinking over his position before saying, "Well, our strategy is to round up strong witnesses and mount our main defense based on their testimony." They walked some distance in silence before T. J. continued, "You know something, Doc. You have given me an idea. Maybe we should be treating this hearing like a trial and be more aggressive.”
Doc took a deep breath. "Sounds good to me, T. J."
"Doc, if your plan was to stoke up the fire," the lawyer said jovially, "then by golly you might have just succeeded."
They smiled, shook hands and walked into the hotel where they joined Wyatt and his older brother James, Tom Fitch and Colonel Herring in Virgil Earp's room. The defense strategy meeting was already in progress.
Virgil, propped himself up on one elbow and said with some anxiety, "We just found out a brother of the McLowry's got into town last night and it sounds like he's gonna cause some trouble."
Wyatt asked, "What kind of trouble, Virg?"
"Will McLowry is a lawyer. Came all the way out from Ft. Worth and he's done huddled with Ike Clanton's attorneys." Virg looked at Wyatt with a pained expression. "From what we know, he's slick. First thing he wants to do is revoke the bail on you and Doc."
"Can he do that?" Doc asked.
Col. Herring scratched his head. "Don't make any bets either way."
During that meeting the decision was also made that Virgil and Wyatt would testify, Doc and Morg would not. Doc was sure that he would make a good witness. But on the other hand he was aware that the prosecution could make mincemeat out of the gossip and rumors that his reputation was built on.'
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
You have committed to a project, finished the basic research and character prep work and you’re all set to begin writing. Suddenly you’re overcome with anxiety – you’ve got a knot the size of a baseball in your stomach. Stop!
You are not alone. It might give you some comfort to know that John Steinbeck experienced some of those same anxious moments. In one of his letters written in February 1936, which was included in his ‘A Life in Letters’ Steinbeck said, ‘I have to start [writing:] and am scared to death as usual – miserable sick feeling of inadequacy.’ Then in the very next sentence he said, ‘I’ll love it once I get down to work.’
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://TheHurricaneHunter.blogspot.com
Tom's 'RocktheTower' Blog
I do a variety blog and post every Wednesday. I am an actor, writer and hurricane hunter and my subjects are generally written about those fields. During Hurricane Season I do at least one story every
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