Broken Blossoms(1919).

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl is a 1919 silent film directed by D.W. Griffith. Cast: Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess and Donald Crisp. It is based on Thomas Burke's short story "The Chink and the Child" from the 1916 collection Limehouse Nights.

With high hopes in changing Westerners' violent ways Chang, with his Buddhist believes moves to England. Many years later, working as a shopkeeper in London's Lime-house district, Chang watches Lucy Burrows, out his window. Even though he sees that she is underfed and wearing ragged clothes. Chang, thinks that she is beautiful and falls in love with her from afar. Then one day he comes to her aide when another Oriental attacks her.

After Burrows whips Lucy, almost to death after she spills soup on his hand, she walks the streets and falls unconscious in front of Chang's shop, he then takes her in and dresses her as a princess in beautiful silks. They become fast friends. Lucy gives Chang the respect he needs and he gives Lucy the only gentleness she has ever known.

After a friend of Burrows, finds Lucy staying with Chang,  he then goes to inform her father. More than angry, Burrows finds her and drags her home. Will Chang get there in time to save Lucy from another beating?

Video:
Full length movie.

Fun Facts:

Lillian Gish did not want to make the picture and D.W. Griffith had to work hard to persuade her to do it. She later said she was glad she consented.

Filming took 18 days and nights. Donald Crisp's scenes were filmed at night because he was directing another film during the day.

D.W. Griffith saw Lillian Gish using her smile gesture with her fingers and decided to incorporate it into the filming.

The only makeup Richard Barthelmess used in order to appear Oriental was a very tight rubber band stretched around his forehead, pulling his facial features slightly upward. The rubber band was cleverly concealed beneath his cap.

The film was produced by D.W. Griffith for Adolph Zukor's Artcraft company, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. But when Griffith delivered the final print of the film to Zukor, the producer was outraged. "How dare you deliver such a terrible film to me!" Zukor raged. "Everybody in the picture dies!" Infuriated, Griffith left Zukor's office and returned the next day with $250,000 in cash, which he threw on Zukor's desk. "Here," Griffith shouted, "If you don't want the picture, I'll buy it back from you." Zukor accepted the offer, thus making this the first film released by United Artists, the production company formed in 1919 by Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Griffith. It was a remarkably successful film, both critically and at the box office.

The film's premiere engagement included a live prologue featuring a dance routine performed by actress Carol Dempster. During Dempster's dance the stage was illuminated by blue and gold footlights. Later, during the screening of the film, a stagehand accidentally switched on those footlights and the movie screen tinted the film in an unusual way. D.W. Griffith, standing in the rear of the auditorium, was so surprised and delighted at the blue and gold-tinted effect that he ordered all copies of the film to be tinted in those colors during certain key sequences.

One of the films listed in "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Jay Schneider.

"Broken Blossoms" is the story about two abused people who find comfort and strength in one another. This is one of the most heartbreaking silent movies ever filmed.

A Tribute to Conrad Nagel

A Tribute to Conrad Nagel

Born in Keokuk, Iowa, on March 16, 1897, into an upper middle class family, Conrad Nagel was stage-struck when he played Scrooge at the age of 15, and after experiences in a Midwestern stock company, his dignity and good looks won him roles on Broadway. World Film Company cast him in “Little Women” (1919) and this took him to Hollywood, where he worked for both Cecil and William DeMille.

Conrad Nagel was never a big star, and he did not appear in one production which leaves a memorable impression. However, he was the perfect leading man for strong female stars such as Pola Negri in “Bella Donna” (1923), Blanche Sweet in “Tess of the D’Urbevilles” (1924), Marion Davies in “Quality Street” (1927) and Greta Garbo in “The Mysterious Lady” (1928) and “The Kiss” (1929).

The coming of sound helped Conrad thanks to his stage background. Conrad’s diction was superb and he could play both light comedy and drama. He was perfect as one of the on-screen hosts for MGM’s  Hollywood Review of 1929

Conrad’s characterizations in later years were those of gentlemen husbands and lovers. He was never the virile leading man and it would be unthinkable to see him in a fistfight. I remember identifying an older Conrad Nagel in a bit part as Jane Wyman’s lover in “All That Heaven Allows” (1955) His last appearance in a feature was “Stranger in My Arms”(1959). Conrad probably deserves more praise for being the founder and president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and as a spokesman for Actor’s Equity than as an actor. In 1940, Conrad was given an Honorary Academy Award for his work.

Just as he had made the transtion to sound, Conrad also made an easy crossover to television, appearing as a regular on Broadway to Hollywood: Headline Clues (DuMont, 1953-1954) and hosting The Silver Theater (CBS, 1949-1950) and Celebrity Time (CBS and ABC, 1949-1952).

For his contributions to film, radio and television, Conrad was given three stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

It’s surprising that after appearing in over one hundred features in a career that spanned forty years, Conrad Nagel did not appear in one film that might be regarded as a classic.

Some film critics consider Conrad to be a bland performer, but he was the wholesome and handsome matinee idol whose all American charm appealed to the film goers.

Conrad Nagel married and divorced three times. He had a daughter with his first wife and a son with his third wife. In 1970, Conrad died in New York City. He was seventy-two years old.

Our Modern Maidens(1929).

Our Modern Maidens(1929). A silent film directed by Jack Conway. Cast: Joan Crawford in her last silent film role, the film also stars Rod La Rocque, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Anita Page. Our Modern Maidens is the second of three film where Crawford and Page appear together. Fun Fact: Joan Crawford married co-star Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in a well orchestrated publicity event for the film.




 This story begins during the "Jazz Age", where, Billie Brown and Gil Jordan, who decide secretly to get married. To find Gil a diplomatic job in Paris, Billie, decides to trick Glenn Abbott, who falls in love with her, saying Gil is only a boy.

While this is all going on Gil and Kentucky have an affair, which he deeply regrets, telling her of his engagement to Billie. Kentucky, says she will never tell Billie, her best friend.

Soon After, Glenn gets Gil the job and their engagement is announced, enraging Glenn to the point he almost rapes Crawford. Billie and Gil, go ahead with their plans and get married in an elaborate wedding.

All is well.. until Billie discovers Gil's affair with Kentucky. Giving them good wishes, she leaves her husband.

Sometime later.. in France, she and Abbott meet again. Will, they find themselves back in each other arms?

This silent film has it all... Fast cars, jazz parties, a love quadrangle, great art deco sets.. a wonderful glimpse back in time..

Modern Maidens(1929)  Please check out Silents movie review..

Joan Crawford

Anita Page.

Silent Film Star: Dorothy Devore.

Video is from: No Vacancies 1923. Cast: Earl Rodney, Dorothy Devore, Eddie Baker, Blanche Payson, Jack Akroyd and Duffy and Billy Armstrong.

 

Silent Film Star Photos: Marie Prevost, most famous for being the subject of a Nick Lowe song, "Marie Provost" .

Marie Prevost (November 8, 1898 – January 21, 1937) .During her twenty year career, she made 121 silent and talking pictures.

While working as a secretary, she landed a acting job at the Hollywood studio owned by Mack Sennett. Sennett, nicked named her the "French girl", adding Dunn to his collection of bathing beauties. In 1919, Prevost secretly married socialite, Sonny Gerke. Gerke's mother had forbidden him to associate with Prevost because she was an actress, so to avoid scandle they stayed secretly married until 1923.

One of her first film roles was in the romantic classic, Love, Honor, and Behave(1920). In 1921 she signed with Universal. There Irving Thalberg, selected two films for Prevost to star in, The Moonlight Follies (1921) and Kissed (1922), Thalberg sent Prevost to Coney Island where she publicly burned her bathing suit to symbolize the end of her bathing beauty days.

After her contract expired, Jack Warner signed her to a two year contract at $1500 a week at Warner Bros. in 1922. During this time, Prevost was dating actor Kenneth Harlan. Jack Warner had also signed Harlan to a contract and cast the couple in the lead roles in, The Beautiful and Damned. To publicize the film, Warner announced that the couple would marry on the film's set and thousands of fans sent gifts and letters to the couple.

The Los Angeles Mirror, wrote an article stating Prevost was still married to Sonny Gerke and ran a story with the headline "Marie Prevost Will be a Bigamist if She Marries Kenneth Harlan". Warner was livid over Prevost's failure to tell him about her first marriage. Warner, quickly arranged an annullment and Prevost and Harlan were then married.

In spite of the bad publicity, Prevost's performance in, The Beautiful and Damned brought good reviews. Director Ernst Lubitsch chose her for a major role opposite Adolphe Menjou in, The Marriage Circle(1924). Ernst Lubitsch, said that she was one of the few actresses in Hollywood who knew how to underplay comedy.

Lubitsch, was then cast in, Three Women (1924) and in Kiss Me Again(1923) the following year. Just as her career was blossoming, Prevost's mother was killed in an automobile accident while traveling in Florida with actress Vera Steadman and Hollywood studio owner, Al Christie.

A year later, her marriage to Harlan ended in divorce. Prevost tried to get past her personal problems by burying herself in her work. After seeing Prevost in The Beautiful and Damned, Howard Hughes cast her as the lead in, The Racket (1928). During filming, Hughes and Prevost had a brief affair. Hughes quickly broke off the affair leaving Prevost heartbroken and her days as a leading lady were over.

She did land a secondary role in the film, Paid (1930), which stared Joan Crawford. By 1934, her acting career had ended.

Video: First of 5.

 

Directed by	Frank Capra
Produced by	Frank Capra Harry Cohn
Written by	Jo Swerling (screenplay) Milton Herbert Gropper (play)
Starring	Barbara Stanwyck Ralph Graves
Music by	Mischa Bakaleinikoff
Cinematography	Joseph Walker
Editing by	Maurice Wright
Studio	Columbia Pictures
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	April 5, 1930 (US)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Blanche Sweet: The Massacre (1914)

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The Massacre is a 1914 silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and released by Biograph Studios. The film stars Blanche Sweet and Wilfred Lucas. The film was shot in 1912 and released in Europe that year, but not released in the United States until 1914.