Note: This may not be about a silent film, but it involves one of the greats of Silent film history
In 1950 one of the greats of cinema, would move to the small screen. This great was Buster Keaton, one of the most legendary names of the silent film comedy, and he would move to the small screen with a program called the Buster Keaton Show.
At this time Buster Keaton was not at the high point of his career, after giving up being an independent filmmaker who would take part in not only the acting but would often be a co-writer, and Co-director for his films, he would move to MGM. MGM viewed Buster as only an actor and took away much of his creative freedom. Even though his first film for MGM, The Cameraman, was a masterpiece, he would soon appear in films that were way below his talent. Unfortunately these films made for MGM would include almost all of his talkie films, though he would make some sub-par but better talkies for Educational Pictures. This affected his career badly, and by this time his film career was over.
Luckily this show made for CBS would give him more freedom than MGM, but not the same amount he had back making his classic silent films. He would not direct or write for the show but he would be able to improvise much more than he could at MGM. These improvisations were often the highlights of the show, and the writers would take advantage of this by making the stories not much more than excuses for him to improvise. While you may miss the brilliant story structure of Keaton's best work, these improvisations are really funny, and will definitely make Keaton fans quite happy. Most of these improvisations are completely in pantomime, and show that even at the age of 55 Buster Keaton was one of the greatest pantomimist of all time. These are simply masterpieces of pantomime.
One of the directors of the show would be Edward Cline, who co-directed most of Buster Keaton's short films, as well as his first feature The Three Ages, as well as directing The Bank Dick with W. C. Feilds One of the writers for this show was Clyde Bruckman who was a co-writer for some of Busters best films such as Sherlock Jr., The General, and The Navigator, as well as also writing for The Three Stooges, Harold Lloyd and Laurel and Hardy. Another writer Harold Goodwin was more prolific as an actor, and even appeared in The Cameraman and College with Keaton. Other writers would include Carl K. Hittleman (36 Hours, The Buckskin Lady), Ben Perry (The Boss, The Brothers Rico), Jay Sommers (Gordy, Green Acres, Beverly Hillbillies), and Edwood Ullman (many Three Stooges shorts). Other directors would include Arthur Hilton (Lassie (TV Series), The Return of Jessie James).
Like many TV shows of the 1950's this one was shot before a live audience. This would unfortunately mean we would get little of the technical mastery that enhanced his silent films, because everything had to also work perfectly for the stage, not just for the screen (small or big). Though this show may not be as well made as Keaton's silent films, it was a vast improvement over his MGM films.
What it lacked in both the story structure and the technical mastery of his silent films, this show made up for in humor. The show was simply quite funny. While if you expect the quality of Keaton's best work, you might be disappointed, this is a fun show that is well worth checking out.
-Michael J. Ruhland
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Keystone Time #1
It's time to take a look at one of the most successful studios of the silent era, The Keystone Studio, and it's films.
Our first film today is The Water Nymph. Released in 1912, this was the first film the studio released. Mack Sennett started his career at the Biograph Studio, a studio founded by D.W. Griffith himself. D.W. Griffith never understood comedy, and because of this Mack Sennett never fully got to be himself as a filmmaker. This is one of the main reasons Mack Sennett founded the Keystone Studio. Sennett directed this film himself, it was somewhat a remake of a film he had made at Biograph in 1911 called The Diving Girl. However The Water Nymph is much rowdier and more comedic than the previous short. This film stars Sennett, Mabel Normand (who was also in The Diving Girl), and Ford Sterling. The beautiful and talented Mabel Normand in her one piece bathing suit, would later give birth to Mack Sennett's bathing beauties, a later staple of Keystone films. It is hard to understand today, why this film was so revolutionary, but 1912 audiences had never seen such a mixture of slapstick and sex (tame compared to modern films) on the movie screen before. However this does not stop it from being quite entertaining still.
Many stars got their start in films at the Keystone studios, including W.C. Feilds, Fatty Arbuckle, Ben Trupin, Harry Langdon, Harold Lloyd, Marie Dressler and Charlie Chaplin. One of Chaplin's best films from his time at Keystone was our next short, Dough and Dynamite. Released in 1914, Chaplin's first year in films, it is obvious that his own style of comedy was already becoming evident. This film has no trouble taking it's time and slowing down the pace to make the slapstick even funnier, something that was not evident at all in his first few films at Keystone. This film was directed by Charlie Chaplin, and written by Mack Sennett. Chaplin did not start of directing his own films, but he became increasing unhappy with his directors to the point where he asked if he could direct his own films. After this he would very rarely star in any film that wasn't directed by himself.
Next we are going to look at an early film for a group that Keystone is highly associated with
Keystone, and this was the Keystone Cops. The Keystone Cops first appearance had been in a 1912 film called Hoffmeyer's Legacy, but this film is still often called their first film, and it was the one that popularized the team. Despite popular belief the cops were hardly ever the stars of their films. Like Mighty Mouse would later they usually didn't even appear until near the end of the films. This film's real star is Mabel Normand instead. The lineup for the Keystone Cops would often change from film to film, here they are played by Fred Mace, Charles Avery, Rube Miller, Edgar Kennedy, Jack Leonard, and Fred Happ. This film is directed by Henry Lehrman who was one of the most prolific Keystone directors. So from 1913, here is Bangville Police.
Our last film tonight is one of the classic Mack Sennett produced shorts staring Harry Langdon. It is Soldier Man from 1926. Langdon was in his prime at this time, and he already had his trusty crew behind him. This crew included director, Harry Edwards, and writers Arthur Ripley and Frank Capra (yes the Frank Capra who later directed It's a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). Also playing a supporting role is someone who would be very familiar to my fellow Three Stooges watchers, actor Vernon Dent, who appeared in quite a few films with Langdon at this time. What is also very interesting about this film is that it's opening scenes are quite similar with those that opened the latter Laurel and Hardy feature Blockheads. What makes that interesting is that Harry Langdon would be a writer for that film. Anyway this is a very funny short that shows just how great the team of Langon, Edwards, Capra, and Ripley could be at their best.
-Michael J. Ruhland
Charlie Chaplin Carnival #2
We are going to start our second look at Chaplin's work with an early Keystone short from 1914. This film was directed by Mabel Normand (one of the forgotten greats of silent comedy). Chaplin and her did not see eye to eye on comedy. Mabel and Charlie's arguments got so heated that Mack Sennet (Boss at Keystone) considered firing Chaplin. However Sennet got messages asking for more Chaplin shorts, so he couldn't fire Charlie. He instead tried to patch thing up between director and actor. It worked and the film turned out to be a quite enjoyable one. However, in hindsight, you can see where this film differs for Chaplin's sense of comedy. The character he plays here makes it seem like Charlie is doing an imitation of Ford Sterling (leader of the Keystone Kops). The next film with Chaplin would be "Twenty Minutes of Love", which would mark the first time Charlie would direct himself. So from 1914, here is "Mabel At The Wheel".
Before his film career Charlie Chaplin was a part of the Karno Company (Along with Stan Laurel), an English comedy group that performed on stage. One of their most popular skits was called Mumming Birds. In 1915 Chaplin starred in, wrote and directed a film version of this skit, entitled "A Night in the Show", and here it is.
Last for this look at Chaplin is the film that he considered his best short. This is also his last short film (The Pilgrim is technically a feature). While it is hard to say whether or not this is his best short (Some of his other shorts are just too good to say that for sure). This is also a completely comedic film with no drama. While this may seem normal for comedy films, Chaplin was at this time excelling in combining comedy and drama, so it is a bit strange that he would make this film at this time. However funny is funny regardless of drama, and this is a really funny film. So from 1922, and directed by Chaplin himself, here is Pay Day.
-Michael J. Ruhland
Before his film career Charlie Chaplin was a part of the Karno Company (Along with Stan Laurel), an English comedy group that performed on stage. One of their most popular skits was called Mumming Birds. In 1915 Chaplin starred in, wrote and directed a film version of this skit, entitled "A Night in the Show", and here it is.
Last for this look at Chaplin is the film that he considered his best short. This is also his last short film (The Pilgrim is technically a feature). While it is hard to say whether or not this is his best short (Some of his other shorts are just too good to say that for sure). This is also a completely comedic film with no drama. While this may seem normal for comedy films, Chaplin was at this time excelling in combining comedy and drama, so it is a bit strange that he would make this film at this time. However funny is funny regardless of drama, and this is a really funny film. So from 1922, and directed by Chaplin himself, here is Pay Day.
-Michael J. Ruhland
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Happy Pi Day, "Battle of the Century" (1927)
Happy PI day everybody. Why not celebrate with a Pie Fight. In fact why not celebrate with film histories greatest Pie fight.
This film is "Battle of the Century" (1927) staring Laurel and Hardy and directed by Clyde Bruckman (Who did much writing for Harold Lloyd and The Three Stooges), and Leo McCarey (Who directed "Duck Soup" with The Marx Brothers as well as "The Awful Truth" with Irene Dunn and Cary Grant). The pie fight scene in this film used some 3,000 pies. Lou Costello is an extra in the boxing scene. While sadly incomplete this film is a hilarious example of Laurel and Hardy during the silent era.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlIXByXcUHw
-Michael J. Ruhland
This film is "Battle of the Century" (1927) staring Laurel and Hardy and directed by Clyde Bruckman (Who did much writing for Harold Lloyd and The Three Stooges), and Leo McCarey (Who directed "Duck Soup" with The Marx Brothers as well as "The Awful Truth" with Irene Dunn and Cary Grant). The pie fight scene in this film used some 3,000 pies. Lou Costello is an extra in the boxing scene. While sadly incomplete this film is a hilarious example of Laurel and Hardy during the silent era.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlIXByXcUHw
-Michael J. Ruhland
Sunday, March 1, 2015
The Animatied World of Winsor McCay
Winsor McCay is easily one of the most important, and most talented pioneers of animation. Contrary to some stories you might hear though he is not the first filmmaker to use animation (Emil Cohl, J. Stuart Blackton, Charles-Émile Reynaud, and Segundo de Chomón beat him to it). However his importance to the history of animation can not be underestimated.
Winsor McCay had already enjoyed much success before entering the field of animation, as creator and writer of the newspaper comic strips, Little Nemo in Slumberland, and Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend. These comic strips were the highlight of the comics page back then. They transcended what comic strips had been know for through their abundance of imagination, and expert drawing style. It is only natural for a man who created this to be attracted to the art form of animation.
His first film was "Little Nemo" (Also called Winsor McCay, the Famous Cartoonist of the N.Y. Herald and His Moving Comics) based off his own comic strip. Released in 1911, animation was still a novelty, and McCay took full advantage of that. This film in fact starts out in live action with McCay betting he can make drawings move (although he incorrectly credits himself as the first to do this), and his friends respond with laughter and disbelief. The live action segment of this film is very clever, and humorous. The highlight of the live action portion though is seeing McCay draw his characters before the animation starts. This is when you know you are watching a great talent at work. The animation segment itself is very well done and entertaining, but it is a little dated. It is obvious he had not yet figured out what to do with animation, and that leads to alack of understanding our characters, and therefore a lack of personal involvement. However this animation is expertly done. It is very appealing and still looks very good by today's standards. This entire segment was hand-drawn by one man, Winsor McCay himself. He drew four-thousand drawings all by himself for this one short segment of the film. The early color was achieved by hand painting the 35mm film itself after it was complete. this was also done only by McCay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f8tfSHIU_g
The most famous film Winsor McCay made is easily "Gertie the Dinosaur" (1914). This film was actually a vaudeville act before it was in theaters. The act consisted of Winsor McCay talking to his animated dinosaur Gertie. He would tell her what to do and Gertie would do it (most of the time). This was translated to theaters by having an off screen narrator, who speaks through intertitles (since this was a silent film). This film has often times wrongly been called the first cartoon ever made. While this is not true (It isn't even McCay's first cartoon, it is his third), it's place in animation history is still extremely important. The reason for this is Gertie, Herself. She is one of the first animated characters that the audience was allowed to see think. Unlike the characters in "Little Nemo", Gertie does not seem like she is just moving drawings projected on a screen, but instead like a real character that we know and relate to over the course of the film. This was the beginning of character animation, and probably the first successful attempt at it. Like "Little Nemo" this film begins in live action. Winsor McCay bets his fellow cartoonists that he can make a dinosaur come to life and boy does he.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJuD4AlLINU
Despite the great success of "Gertie", McCay decided to do something complete different with his next adventure into the world of animation. His next film was "The Sinking of the Lusitania"(1918). This was not only the first completely serious cartoon that Winsor McCay made, but also the first animated documentary. For a cartoon to approach such a serious event as the sinking of the Lusitania was unheard of at this time. For the animation McCay knew he needed to achieve much more realism in his animation. The amount of detail in the animation still remains an unbelievable feet. Due to this different style it took much more work and time than anything that had been before. Yet still the entire film was animated solely by Winsor McCay. This film remains a masterful and moving piece of patriotism and probably one of the greatest propaganda films ever made.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CPbmCYxPmA
-Michael J. Ruhland
Winsor McCay had already enjoyed much success before entering the field of animation, as creator and writer of the newspaper comic strips, Little Nemo in Slumberland, and Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend. These comic strips were the highlight of the comics page back then. They transcended what comic strips had been know for through their abundance of imagination, and expert drawing style. It is only natural for a man who created this to be attracted to the art form of animation.
His first film was "Little Nemo" (Also called Winsor McCay, the Famous Cartoonist of the N.Y. Herald and His Moving Comics) based off his own comic strip. Released in 1911, animation was still a novelty, and McCay took full advantage of that. This film in fact starts out in live action with McCay betting he can make drawings move (although he incorrectly credits himself as the first to do this), and his friends respond with laughter and disbelief. The live action segment of this film is very clever, and humorous. The highlight of the live action portion though is seeing McCay draw his characters before the animation starts. This is when you know you are watching a great talent at work. The animation segment itself is very well done and entertaining, but it is a little dated. It is obvious he had not yet figured out what to do with animation, and that leads to alack of understanding our characters, and therefore a lack of personal involvement. However this animation is expertly done. It is very appealing and still looks very good by today's standards. This entire segment was hand-drawn by one man, Winsor McCay himself. He drew four-thousand drawings all by himself for this one short segment of the film. The early color was achieved by hand painting the 35mm film itself after it was complete. this was also done only by McCay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f8tfSHIU_g
The most famous film Winsor McCay made is easily "Gertie the Dinosaur" (1914). This film was actually a vaudeville act before it was in theaters. The act consisted of Winsor McCay talking to his animated dinosaur Gertie. He would tell her what to do and Gertie would do it (most of the time). This was translated to theaters by having an off screen narrator, who speaks through intertitles (since this was a silent film). This film has often times wrongly been called the first cartoon ever made. While this is not true (It isn't even McCay's first cartoon, it is his third), it's place in animation history is still extremely important. The reason for this is Gertie, Herself. She is one of the first animated characters that the audience was allowed to see think. Unlike the characters in "Little Nemo", Gertie does not seem like she is just moving drawings projected on a screen, but instead like a real character that we know and relate to over the course of the film. This was the beginning of character animation, and probably the first successful attempt at it. Like "Little Nemo" this film begins in live action. Winsor McCay bets his fellow cartoonists that he can make a dinosaur come to life and boy does he.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJuD4AlLINU
Despite the great success of "Gertie", McCay decided to do something complete different with his next adventure into the world of animation. His next film was "The Sinking of the Lusitania"(1918). This was not only the first completely serious cartoon that Winsor McCay made, but also the first animated documentary. For a cartoon to approach such a serious event as the sinking of the Lusitania was unheard of at this time. For the animation McCay knew he needed to achieve much more realism in his animation. The amount of detail in the animation still remains an unbelievable feet. Due to this different style it took much more work and time than anything that had been before. Yet still the entire film was animated solely by Winsor McCay. This film remains a masterful and moving piece of patriotism and probably one of the greatest propaganda films ever made.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CPbmCYxPmA
-Michael J. Ruhland
Charlie Chaplin Carnivial #1
We are going to start our look at Charlie Chaplin today with the 2nd film staring him, Kid Auto Races at Venice. When Keystone Film Company got a hold of Chaplin, they didn't quite know what to do with him. The first film with him, Making A Living(1914), was artistically a huge failure. The film simply wasn't funny. So what Keystone decided to do was to visit a soapbox racing event for children, and let Chaplin purposely interrupt the filming, letting Charlie improvise how he interrupts it, and hoping something funny would happen. This film was also the first in which Chaplin wore his immortal costume, that would soon be recognized as his Little Tramp character. While this film unsurprisingly does not have the polish later Charlie Chaplin films would , it still remains quite entertaining today. From 1914 and directed by Henry Lehrman, here is Kid Auto Races at Venice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyVu8fx36j4
Twenty Minutes of Love marked the first time Mack Sennet, head of Keystone Film Company, allowed Charlie Chaplin to direct his own films. While Chaplin would later try to get away from, the slapstick for the sake of slapstick, style of humor of Keystone by creating more motivation for the slapstick, here he plays by the rules of the Keystone style of comedy. This is a fast, fun, and purely slapstick short. From 1914, directed by Charlie Chaplin, and also staring Minta Durfee, Edgar Kennedy, Gordon Griffith, Chester Conklin, Josef Swickard and Hank Mann, here is Twenty Minutes of Love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ5sShqrJcQ
Next comes one of Charlie Chaplin's great masterpieces, A Dogs Life. This film was Chaplin's first film for Frist National. You will notice in here a strong break from the type of humor at Keystone. The pace is slower, and all the jokes come from the story and characters, and have clear motivations. You will also notice the story line is more defined and there is drama present. Chaplin wanted to show that comedy and drama could be combined, and he proved his point masterfully. Here we can see Chaplin as a fully formed artist in this true cinematic masterpiece. From 1918, directed by Charlie Chaplin, and also staring Chaplin's long time costar Edna Purviance, and Charlie's brother Sydney Chaplin, here is A Dog's Life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9oqCepIkqc
Charlie Chaplin's films were rightfully sensations world wide, and he was one of the first filmmakers to be hailed as a great artist. Therefore the image of the Little Tramp appeared everywhere. His image could be seen in a comic strip in the newspaper, toys, animated cartoons (done by Otto Messmer and Pat Sullivian, two artist who would bring us the silent Felix the Cat cartoons) and anywhere else you can think. Actors such as Billy West (not to be confused with the cartoon voice actor) made a career imitating Chaplin in films. One of my favorite uses of the Little Tramp outside of Chaplin's own films is the appearance of an cubist animated tramp appearing in the classic French Avant-Garde film, Ballet Mecanique. Besides the animated appearance of Chaplin's Little Tramp there is much more this film offers. It is also a brilliant representation of the struggle of humanity against the attack of mechanization. In fact this film is such an artistic success that co-director Fernand Leger, considered giving up his highly successful painting job to become a film maker. Sadly for the world of film this never happened, but at least we have this artistic masterpiece. So from 1924, and directed by Fernand Leger, and Dudley Murphy, here is Ballet Mecanique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QV9-l-rXOE
-Michael J. Ruhland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyVu8fx36j4
Twenty Minutes of Love marked the first time Mack Sennet, head of Keystone Film Company, allowed Charlie Chaplin to direct his own films. While Chaplin would later try to get away from, the slapstick for the sake of slapstick, style of humor of Keystone by creating more motivation for the slapstick, here he plays by the rules of the Keystone style of comedy. This is a fast, fun, and purely slapstick short. From 1914, directed by Charlie Chaplin, and also staring Minta Durfee, Edgar Kennedy, Gordon Griffith, Chester Conklin, Josef Swickard and Hank Mann, here is Twenty Minutes of Love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ5sShqrJcQ
Next comes one of Charlie Chaplin's great masterpieces, A Dogs Life. This film was Chaplin's first film for Frist National. You will notice in here a strong break from the type of humor at Keystone. The pace is slower, and all the jokes come from the story and characters, and have clear motivations. You will also notice the story line is more defined and there is drama present. Chaplin wanted to show that comedy and drama could be combined, and he proved his point masterfully. Here we can see Chaplin as a fully formed artist in this true cinematic masterpiece. From 1918, directed by Charlie Chaplin, and also staring Chaplin's long time costar Edna Purviance, and Charlie's brother Sydney Chaplin, here is A Dog's Life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9oqCepIkqc
Charlie Chaplin's films were rightfully sensations world wide, and he was one of the first filmmakers to be hailed as a great artist. Therefore the image of the Little Tramp appeared everywhere. His image could be seen in a comic strip in the newspaper, toys, animated cartoons (done by Otto Messmer and Pat Sullivian, two artist who would bring us the silent Felix the Cat cartoons) and anywhere else you can think. Actors such as Billy West (not to be confused with the cartoon voice actor) made a career imitating Chaplin in films. One of my favorite uses of the Little Tramp outside of Chaplin's own films is the appearance of an cubist animated tramp appearing in the classic French Avant-Garde film, Ballet Mecanique. Besides the animated appearance of Chaplin's Little Tramp there is much more this film offers. It is also a brilliant representation of the struggle of humanity against the attack of mechanization. In fact this film is such an artistic success that co-director Fernand Leger, considered giving up his highly successful painting job to become a film maker. Sadly for the world of film this never happened, but at least we have this artistic masterpiece. So from 1924, and directed by Fernand Leger, and Dudley Murphy, here is Ballet Mecanique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QV9-l-rXOE
-Michael J. Ruhland
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