Silent Film of the Month: Fear (1917)

 

Run Time: 72 minutes. Studio: Messter Film. Director: Robert Wiene. Writer: Robert Wiene.  Producer: Oskar Messter Main Cast: Bruno Decarli, Bernhard Goetzke, Hermann Picha, Mechthildis Thein, Conrad Veidt. Art Director: Ludwig Kainer.

Silent movie fans will associate the names Robert Wiene and Conrad Veidt with the classic horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). Caligari is one of the most famous movies of the silent era and a landmark in the history of horror films. Caligari did not mark the first time director Wiene and actor Veidt worked together. They had previously worked on the underrated silent movie Fear. 

In this film Count Greven steals an idol from the Indian temple of Djaba. After returning home, he lives racked in guilt and fear. One day the High Priest of the temple magical appears on his castle grounds and gives Greven seven years to live. 

This movie has often been referred to as a horror film. While I doubt this movie will scare anyone today or whether it even scared people back in 1917, it is a very well told ghost story. Robert Wiene is only known today for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and many historians and scholars dismiss the rest of his work. However, this movie shows that even outside of that one classic, Wiene was a very capable director. This movie is wonderfully atmospheric. While it may not scare us, the sense of atmosphere and dread haunts us in a different way. The main character is also very well handled and his descent into madness is quite effective. The movie may not have the memorable stylized look of Caligari, but it shares many of the same themes and these themes are explored with the same care and intelligence. 

This film is also boosted by the performances. Of course, Conrad Veidt is fantastic as always. He is an actor that all movie lovers should be familiar with being most famous not only for his role in Caligari but also his memorable turn as Major Strasser in Casablanca (1942). He is an actor who has the ability to elevate any film he is in. In his role as the High Priest, he brings a wonderfully otherworldly feel to this character. Bruno Decarli's (who also appeared in other Robert Wiene movies such as The Wandering Light (1916), The Man in the Mirror (1917) and Life Is a Dream (1917)) acting style can be a little over the top but for a character like Count Greven, this works quite well. This style of acting perfectly suits this character's descent into madness. 

I am not saying that this is a masterpiece of German cinema, but it definitely doesn't deserve its obscurity. 

This movie is sadly not available on DVD, Blu-Ray or streaming and to my knowledge has never played on TCM. It can however be watched on YouTube, which you can do below. 

-Michael J. Ruhland

Silent Films on TCM for May 2025

 Hello my friends, since plenty of you, like me, probably love both silent movies and TCM, here is a list of silent films playing on TCM this month. 

                                                                        Thursday May 1st

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) Director: Carl Theodore Dreyer. Starring Maria Falconetti and Euguene Silvain. 12am Pacific. 3pm Eastern

The Great Train Robbery (1903) Director: Edwin S. Porter. Starring Broncho Billy Anderson and Marie Murray. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.  

The Invaders (1912) Directors: Thomas Ince and Francis Ford. Starring Ethel Grandin and Ann Little. 5:15pm Pacific. 8:15pm Eastern. 

The Squaw Man (1914) Director: Cecil B. DeMille. Starring Dustin Farnum and Monroe Salisbury. 6pm Pacific. 9pm Eastern

The Iron Horse (1925) Director: John Ford. Starring George O'Brien and Madge Bellamy. 7pm Pacific. 10pm Eastern. 

Tumbleweeds (1925). Directors: William S. Hart and King Baggott. Starring William S. Hart and Barbara Bedford. 10:15pm Pacific. 1:15am Eastern.

The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) Director: Henry King. Starring Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky. 11:45pm Pacific. 2:45am Eastern. 

                                                                            Friday May 2nd

Sky High (1922) Director: Lynn Renyolds. Starring Tom Mix and J. Farrell MacDonald. 1:30am Pacific. 4:30am Eastern.

                                                                               Sunday May 4th

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) Director: Lotte Reiniger. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern. 

                                                                                  Sunday May 11th

Mary, Queen of Tots (1925) Director: Robert McGowan. Starring Our Gang. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

A Lady of Chance (1928) Director: Robert Z. Leonard. Starring Norma Shearer and Lowell Sherman. 10pm Eastern. 1am Eastern.

                                                                                    Wednesday May 14th

The Melies Mystery (2021) Director: Eric Lange. Documentary about silent film. 2am Pacific. 5am Eastern. 

Metropolis (1926) Director: Fritz Lang. Starring Alfred Abel and Bridgette Helm. 3:15am Pacific. 6:15am Eastern. 

                                                                        Sunday May 18th

Straightforward Boy (1929) Director: Yasujirô Ozu. Starring Tatsuo Saitô and Tomio Aoki. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

I Graduated But... (1929) Director:  Yasujirō Ozu. Starring Minoru Takada and Kinuyo Tanaka. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am Eastern.

                                                                        Sunday May 25th

Shoulder Arms (1918) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern. 

A Sailor-Made Man (1921). Director: Fred C. Newmeyer. Starring Harold Lloyd and Noah Young. 10pm Pacific. 1am Eastern. 

  

 

Silent Films on TCM for May 2024

 

Hello my friends. Since I know many of you like me love both silent movies and TCM, here is a list of all the silent films on TCM in May. 

Friday, May 3rd

The Circle (1925) Director: Frank Borzage. Starring Eleanor Boardman and Malcom McGregor. 2:15am Pacific. 5:15am Eastern. 

Sunday, May 5th

The First Auto (1927) Director: Roy Del Ruth. Starring Barney Oldfield and Patsy Ruth Miller. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern. 

Monday, May 6th 

The Cheat (1915) Director: Cecil B. DeMille. Starring Fannie Ward and Sessue Hayakawa. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern. 

The Dragon Painter (1919) Director: William Worthington. Starring Sessue Hayakawa and Toyo Fujita. 6:15pm Pacific. 9:15pm Eastern. 

The Tong Man (1919) Director: William Worthington. Starring Sessue Hayakawa and Helen Jorome Eddy. 7:15pm Pacific. 10:15pm Eastern. 

Sunday, May 12th 

The Merry Widow (1925) Director: Erich Von Stroheim. Starring Mae Murray and John Gilbert. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern. 

Sunday, May 19th 

The Kiss (1929) Director: Jacques Feyder. Starring Greta Garbo and Conrad Nagel. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Love (1927) Director: Edmund Goulding. Starring Great Garbo and John Gilbert. 10pm Pacific. 1am Eastern. 

Sunday May 26th 

The Flying Fleet (1929) Director: George Roy Hill. Starring Ramon Novarro and Ralph Graves. 11pm Pacific. 2am Eastern. 

Tuesday May 28th 

Metropolis (1926) Director: Fritz Lang. Starring Brigitte Helm and Alfred Abel. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Modern Times (1936) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard. 11:45pm Pacific. 2:45am Eastern

 

My Top 10 Films of 2023

 Hello my friends with it being Oscar night, it feels appropriate to call attention to some of my favorite films of 2023. Maybe some of these movies will be favorites of yours as well. 


10. The Teacher's Lounge

This German movie is a perfect suspense film. Without much in the way of action, this film kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, always wondering what is going to happen next. This movie also perfectly melds in some incredible intelligent social commentary in its very smart script. Add a wonderful performance from Leonie Benesch and you have a truly incredible movie.

9. Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl

This documentary probably won't be on many people's top ten lists for this year, but it is a film that is tailor made for me. I'm someone who grew up with re-runs of Hee Haw and since that show began my love of country music, it holds a special place in my heart. This also means that Minnie Pearl is someone who is very near and dear to me. This in depth documentary perfectly captures this wonderful country-fied comedian in all her glory. While I may admit a personal bias here, I think even those who have never heard of Minnie Pearl will enjoy this film. 

8. Killers of the Flower Moon 

Any other year and this film would have been at the top of this list, but this year was simply an incredible year for movies. This film is a perfect reminder why Martian Scorsese is a master filmmaker. Despite its very long length, the film is gripping for that entire runtime. Robert De Niro and Lilly Gladstone gives simply incredible performances that are as good as acting gets.   

7. Past Lives

A masterful romantic comedy that is just as intelligent as it is charming. Director Celine Song's first feature film proves her to be a filmmaker to look out for. 

6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

Interestingly in a year, where "superhero fatigue" has become a common saying and many superhero films have not received the best reception from critics or audiences, comes out one of the best superhero movies or all time. This animated film is a masterpiece of the genre and perfectly combines great storytelling and incredibly visuals in a simply perfect way. As a comic book lover and this film feeling like a comic book come to life again gives me a personal bias for this being on the list but is it is truly a great movie. 

5. Anatomy of a Fall 

This French film can hold its own with some of the greatest courtroom dramas of all time. Justine Triet's direction and Sandra Huller's performance are pitch perfect. This is a gripping film that will simply leave you amazed. 

4. The Boy and the Heron

Hayao Miyazaki is one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. This might be his last film and if it is, I am perfectly fine with this. This is simply a wonderful animated movie and proves why Miyazaki is a master filmmaker. This is definitely a film in which you need to watch many times to get the full effect of. Fantastic and a great possible send-off to one of the all-time great filmmakers.

3. Fallen Leaves 

This film from Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki is one of his best films in decades. This movie takes his trademark style of filmmaking to its absolute best. In lesser hands this could have simply been another romantic comedy. Yet the expert filmmaking makes this something much more beautiful, moving and laugh out loud funny. 

2. The Taste of Things 

It is amazing that this simply beautiful French film did not receive the attention it so rightful deserves. While with its slow pace and long scenes simply of characters cooking may make it not appeal to a mainstream audience for those of us who love arthouse cinema, this is simply a masterpiece. It is also simply an incredibly moving romance that had me leaving the theater in near tears. This is one of the most emotional cinematic experiences in a long time. This deserves to take its place in the great arthouse movies of all time. Any other year this would be number one but... 

1. Zone of Interest

Possibly the best movie about the Holocaust ever made. This film is one of the most emotional draining films I have ever seen. Though the Holocaust is never directly shown, this movie leaves you absolutely horrified in a way that even the best horror films can't. Without a real story and simply focusing on a family living next door to a concentration camp leading perfectly normal lives makes this one of the most unique movies about the second world war ever created. I have never experienced anything like this before and I doubt I ever will again. This is the type of film that will be deeply studied in film classes many decades from now. While this film is very hard to watch, it is something that every true cinema fan must watch at least once in their lives. You will not leave the film quite the same as when you came in. 

My gosh looking at this list, it is so amazing what an incredible year for movies last year was. Every film I listed is a truly great and if you have not seen any of them you must watch them immediately. 

Movie Review: The Teachers' Lounge (Das Lehrerzimmer)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

An incredibly intelligent and captivating film from Germany. 

Though there are no big action sequences or deaths here, this is a movie that will truly keep you on the edge of your seat. Like most great suspense films, the storyline starts off quite small. In this school where a new teacher has just started, money from various facility members is being stolen. At the start of the film, this is something that is simply happening in the background, while we watch this teacher simply go through her day-to-day job. However as the film goes on this becomes more and more prevalent. I wish to not give away anything more than this because it is best you come into this movie with no prior knowledge of just where this story is going. I will say that you will be on the edge of your seat in a way you might not expect from a movie about a teacher at her job. Much of this is due to how well this film, puts you inside the mind of our main character. You completely feel her anxiety mounting as the film goes on. This is done very effectively in many ones. Marvin Miller's score is not only wonderful to listen to, but it also always perfectly reflects what is happening in the character's mind. In many of the most anxiety inducing scenes, the music is appropriately very intense. There are also a few wonderful moments in which we fully see things from her point of view, including one where we see the images her anxiety is creating in her mind. Our connection to this character also comes through Leonie Benesch's wonderful performance that truly captures even the smallest inflections of this character. 

This movie also benefits from incredibly smart script by director, Ilker Çatak and his co-writer Johannes Duncker (the two previously worked on I Was, I Am, I Will Be (2019)). The story masterfully builds its suspense. Everything here elevates in a completely believable way, that feels completely real to us. The elevating suspense also keeps the movie from ever getting boring and therefore keeping the audience truly on the edge of its seat. The story takes a view at not only school but at society as a whole. Yet it does this in an unpretentious way, that never preaches to its audience. Instead, this is simply a story that works on multiple levels. It can be taken at face value or as a look at society today and either way it works perfectly. The script also does a great job of letting us know even the most minor characters. While some characters are better fleshed out than others, each has at least a little bit of personality. This makes the whole movie feel much more real to us. This is a script that pays attention to even the smallest details. That is a major reason for the film's effectiveness as it makes the whole movie feel more real to us.

This is simply a must see, 

Silent Films on TCM for February 2024

 

Since I know many of you like me, love both silent movies and TCM, here is a list of silent films playing on TCM this February. Since 31 Days of Oscar begins on February 9th, all these films are early in the month and there is only one Silent Sunday Night. 

Thursday February 1st 

Metropolis (1926) Director: Fritz Lang. Starring Brigitte Helm and Gustav Fröhlich. 9:30 pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern. 

Saturday, February 3rd

Within Our Gates (1920) Director: Oscar Micheaux. Starring Evelyn Preer and Floy Clements. 5am Pacific. 8am Eastern. 

Sunday, February 4th

 Body and Soul (1925) Director: Oscar Micheaux. Starring Paul Robeson and Marshall Rodgers. 10:30pm Pacific. 1:30am Eastern. 

Tuesday, February 6th 

Modern Times (1936) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern,

Safety Last (1923) Director: Fred Newmeyer. Starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. 10:45pm Pacific. 1:45am Eastern. 



 

Video Link: An Introduction to the New Wave Movements - TCM

Silent Film of the Month: Student of Prague (1913)

 

Run Time: 85 minutes. Studio: Deutsche Bioscop GmbH. Director: Stellan Rye. Writer: Hanns Heinz Ewers. Producer: Paul Wegener.  Main Cast: Paul Wegener, Grete Berger, Lyda Salmonova, Johthen Gottowt. Cinematographer: Guido Seeber.

Previously on this blog, I have written about the 1926 film version of Student of Prague. However that film was not the first time this story has been made into a movie. Case in point is this month's silent film of the month, a 1913 version of this story. This film has sometimes been called the first feature length horror movie, but as is always the case with any firsts in film history, one shouldn't jump to conclusions because there is often something that came before. 

Though this movie is not an adaption of any one story it does combine elements of famous stories. These include Edgar Allan Poe's William Wilson, the legend of Faust and  Alfred de Musset's La Nuit de Décembre. Our main character is a young student named Balduin (Paul Wegener). Despite his incredible fencing skills, the character feels out of place due to the fact that he is not rich like so many others around him. However when a mysterious stranger (John Gottowt) appears he offers Balduin, great riches. There is of course one catch, the stranger may take anything he likes out of Balduin's room. This may sound too good to be true and it is. The possession the stranger takes is Balduin's reflection out of the mirror. Naturally things go downhill from here.  

Comparing this movie to the 1926 remake, it is easy to see the changes in filmmaking over only 13 years. This movie requires more attention on the part of the viewer and therefore will not be as easily accessible to those who are new to silent film (who may have trouble following the story). That is not to say this movie is in any ways primitive, because it is far from it and if you give this film the attention it needs you will find it holds up very well. One thing that will immediately strike you as you watch this film is how visually rich it is. Guido Seeber's cinematography is fantastic and makes this movie hard to look away from. Though silent movies are often thought of as black and white, many used color tinting, where a whole scene would be tinted a certain color. This is used to its full effect here and it not only looks beautiful but it enhances the story as well. The use of color tinting brings us further into the emotion and atmosphere of the film and therefore enhances one's emotional connection to the story. Though this movie is probably not going to keep any fans of modern horror films up at night, it is very effective. The whole movie gives off a creepy and unsettling vibe that will make even modern horror fans a little uneasy. The climax is especially creepy (even if the remake did this scene even better) and will stay in one's mind well after the movie is finished.

When a film buff thinks of any horror movies made in Germany during the silent era, their mind quickly goes to a movement that is known as German Expressionism. (This is mainly due to two very famous films, Noseratu (1922) and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). German Expressionism was a movement not only in film but in other art forms such as painting. It is defined by moving away from realism and towards something that visually represents the inner emotions of the characters and the story.  While it would be incorrect to call this German horror movie an example of German Expressionism, there is little doubt that it shares some distinct similarities with the later movement. This has lead this movie to often be labeled as a forerunner to German Expressionism. There are also some key differences. One of these is that the setting for the film is presented in a decidedly more realistic manner. We are supposed to easy accept this as a real place that could have easily existed and one which the supernatural and expressionistic elements are supposed to feel out of place in order to create a more uneasy feeling.     

This film's star and producer Paul Wegener would make a large impact on the world of horror movies. He would direct three monster movies known today as the Golem Trilogy (1915, 1917,1920), all of which would have a major impact on James Whale's Frankenstein (1930). He would also star in Rex Ingram's silent horror film, The Magician (1926). Later in his career he would appear in Nazi propaganda films while he secretly gave money to resistance movements and would harbor fugitives from the Nazis. His costar, John Gottowt was Jewish and when the Nazis got in power would be banned from the German entertainment industry and would be murdered by the party in 1942. The movie's director, Stellan Rye was just beginning his movie career at this time. Unfortunately it proved to be a very short career as he would die a year later. As war broke out, he would join and die in 1914 as a POW. The movie's screenwriter Hanns Heinz Ewers was a popular horror author at this time. He would later be initially attracted by the Nazi party's sense of nationalism and would join in 1931. However he became critical of the party's anti-Semitism and this and him having homosexual tendencies landed him on the wrong side of the party and his books were banned in Germany by 1934.  

This movie can be found on YouTube for anyone interested. 

Resources Used

https://therevenantreview.com/2015/10/01/movie-review-the-student-of-prague-1913/

Silent Films on TCM For April

Hello my friends, fellow silent film lovers and TCM fans. To make sure you don't miss anything important, here is a list of the silent films playing on TCM this April.

Sunday, April 5th

Scar of Shame (1927) Director: Frank Perugini. Starring: Harry Henderson and Norman Johnstone. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Thursday, April 9th

Haunted Spooks (1920) Director: Alf Goulding. Starring: Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. 2:30am Pacific. 5:30am Eastern.

Sunday, April 12th

The Jazz Singer (part-talkie, mostly silent) Director: Alan Crosland. Starring: Al Jolson, May McAvoy. 10pm Pacific. 1am Eastern.

Thursday April, 16th

Metropolis (1926) Director: Fritz Lang. Starring: Brigitte Helm and Alfred Abel. 8pm Pacific. 11pm Eastern.

Saturday, April 18th

Safety Last (1923) Director: Fred Newmeyer. Starring: Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis.

Sunday, April 19th

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) Director: Carl Theodore Dryer. Starring Maria Falconetti and Eugene Sylvain. 1:15am Pacific. 4:15am Eastern.

Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) Director: King Vidor. Starring: John Gilbert and Eleanor Boardman. 10:45pm Pacific. 1:45am Eastern.

Monday, April 20th

Flesh and the Devil (1926) Director: Clarence Brown. Starring Greta Garbo and John Gilbert. 4am Pacific. 7am Eastern.

Sunday April 26th

The Great Buster: A Celebration (Documentary on silent film star Buster Keaton) (2018) Director: Peter Bogdanovich. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Sherlock Jr. (1924) Director: Buster Keaton. Starring: Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire. 11pm Pacific. 2am Eastern.

Wednesday April, 29th

The Unknown (1927) Director: Tod Browning. Starring: Lon Chaney and Joan Crawford. 7:15am Pacific. 10:15am Eastern.

He Who Gets Slapped (1924) Director: Victor Seastrom. Starring: Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer. 8:15am Pacific. 11:15am Eastern.

When a Man Loves (1927) Director: Alan Crosland. Starring: John Barrymore and Dolores Costello. 8pm Pacific 11pm Eastern.

Old San Francisco (1927) Director: Alan Crosland. Starring Dolores Costello and Warner Oland. 11:15pm Pacific. 2:15am Eastern.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Carl Mayer in His Own Words

I am sure many of you like me are huge fans of the classic German Expressionist films of the silent era. Some of the best of these movies featured Carl Mayer as a writer. His credits include The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), The Last Laugh (1924) and Tartuffe (1925). He was also a writer on what is considered by many to be one of the best films of the silent era, Sunrise (1927). I was immediately intrigued when I passed by his name (admittedly spelled "Karl")  in an old movie magazine. Here is that article which features words from the man himself. This article is from a 1938 issue of World Film News. If you have trouble reading these pages click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in.

 



-Michael J. Ruhland 

Silent Films on TCM this November

Hello again my friends. As again I know that many of you like me are fans of both silent films and TCM. So for those like us here is a list of all the silent films playing on TCM this November.

Sunday, November 3rd

Master of the House (1925) Director: Carl Theodore Dryer. Starring Johannes Mayer and Astrid Holm. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

 Wednesday, November 6

Sunrise (1927) Director: FW Murnau. Starring George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor. 10:45pm Pacific. 1:45am Eastern.

Thursday, November 7th

Metropolis (1926) Director: Fritz Lang. Starring Bridgette Helm and Alfred Abel. 12:30am Pacific. 3
3:30am Eastern.

Sunday, November 10th

The Pagan (1929) Director: W. S. Van Dyke. Starring Roman Novarro, Renee Adoree. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Monday, November 11th

The Big Parade (1925) Director: King Vidor. Starring John Gilbert and Renee Adoree. 3am Pacific. 6am Eastern.

Sunday, November 17th

Tokyo Chorus (1931) Director: Yoshiro Ozu. Starring Tokihiko Okada and Emiko Yagumo. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Sunday, November 24th

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) Director: Carl Theodore Dryer. Starring Maria Falconetti and Eugene Silvan. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Monday, November 25th

Sherlock Jr. (1924) Directed by Buster Keaton. Starring Buster Keaton and Kathryn McGuire.

  -Michael J. Ruhland

Silent Film of the Month: Student of Prague (1926)

Run Time: 91 minutes. Studio:  Sokal-Film GmbH. Director: Henrik Galeen. Writer: Henrik Galeen. Producer: H.R. Sokal.  Main Cast: Conrad Veidt, Elizza La Porta, Fritz Alberti, Ágnes Eszterházy. Cinematographer: Gunther Krampf.

Happy October everybody. Of course with October comes Halloween and with Halloween comes spooky movies. Like I am sure many of my old movie fans would agree, some of my favorite horror movies are those made in Germany during the silent era. We all love and cherish Nosfertau and The Cabinet of Dr. Calligari however I also have a strong fondness for a lesser appericated movie, The Student of Prague.
Henrik Galeen, the director and writer of this film was no stranger to silent German horror. Before this he had directed the 1915 version of The Golem and served as a writer for the 1920 version of The Golem,  as well as the infamous Nosferatu. There is no doubt he had a special talent for this type of film and that is completely on display in this movie.

In this film Bauldin (Conrad Veidt) is the greatest fencer in Prague. This gives him a certain notoriety. Despite this he is unhappy. He is very poor, which makes him think much less of himself. Despite his attraction to the beautiful Liduschka (Elizza La Porta), he feels being penniless, he is unworthy of her love. One day Bauldin meets a strange man named Scapinelli (Werner Krauss) who offers Bauldin riches in exchange for his choice of any of the poor student's possessions. Bauldin falls for this and agrees. However Scapinelli surprises Bauldin by taking the student's reflection in the mirror. At first Bauldin enjoys his wealth, until he learns the full horrors of the exchange.

This is a masterfully made movie. Of course being part of the German expressionist movement this is a stunning film. Though this movie mostly exists in cheap public domain prints, even this can't hide how great this film looks. Some moments are completely jaw dropping. The scene with Scapinelli on top of the mountain is breathtaking and an image that will stick in your mind long after the movie is done. If there are any complaints to make about this film they are that it can be slow paced and can focus too much on the romance instead of the horror. Neither of these are in any way true about the climax of this film. This is one of the most exciting climaxes in the whole German expressionist movement. While many old horror films are simply not scary to modern audiences, this sequence is still extremely creepy and tense. I would dare to call this the scariest moment in silent cinema. The last image of this scene is incredible and will stay in your mind long after the film is finished. Though parts of this movie can be slow, even these scenes work extremely well due to great cinematography and lighting as well as an incredible performance from Conard Veidt. He gives this film such a sense of human frailty that the film achieves a sense of uneasiness even when not much is happening.

I don't know why this film never gets the recognition from silent film fans that it so rightful deserves. It is a fantastic film.

This film can be found on YouTube.

It is a remake of a 1913 film with the same title that is also quite good. You can watch that movie below.

-Michael J. Ruhland
    

Silent Films on TCM This July

Metropolis (1927)

Hello my friends. Again for my final silent film and TCM fans, here is a list of the silent films that will air on Turner Classic Movies this July. This month TCM all the silent films TCM are showing are foreign. Of course this means little as a great movie is a great movie regardless of what country it comes from.

Tuesday, July 2nd

A Trip to the Moon (1902) Director: Georges Melies. Starring Georges Melies and Bluette Bernon. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.

Metropolis (1927) Director: Fritz Lang. Starring Brigitte Helm and Alfred Abel. 5:30 pm Pacific. 8:30pm Eastern.

Woman in the Moon (1929) Director: Fritz Lang. Starring Klaus Pohl and Gerda Maurus. 8pm Pacific. 11pm Eastern.

Sunday July 7th

A Page of Madness (1926) Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa. Starring Masao Inoue and Ayao Iijima. 9:15pm Pacific and 12:15am Eastern.

Monday, July 8th

Nosferatu (1922) Director: FW Murnau. Starring Max Schreck and Alexander Granach. 4:15am Pacific. 7:15am Eastern.

Sunday, July 14th

Diary of a Lost Girl (1929) Director: G.W. Pabst. Starring Louise Brooks and Fritz Rasp. 9pm Pacific and 12am Eastern.

Wednesday, July 17th

A Trip to the Moon (1902) Director: Georges Melies. Starring Georges Melies and Bluette Bernon. 2:30am Pacific. 5:30am Eastern.

Sunday, July 21st

I Was Born But... (1932) Director: Yasujiro Ozu. Starring Tomio Aoki and Tatsuo Saito. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern.

Sunday, July 28th

Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922). Director: Benjamin Christensen. Starring Oscar Stribolt and Clara Pontoppidan. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.
-Michael J. Ruhland  

Silent Films on TCM for This June

Hello once again my friends. As many of you are like me lovers of silent films and of TCM, I will once again provide you with a list of the silent films that will play on TCM this June. There are less silent films this month than there have been the last few months, but the selection of films is very good.

Sunday, June 2nd

The Better 'Ole (1926) Director: Charles Reisner. Starring Sydney Chaplin and Doris Hill. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Monday, June 3rd

Pandora's Box (1929) Director: G.W. Pabst. Starring Louise Brooks and Fritz Kortner. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.

Sunday, June 16th

Tell it to the Marines (1927) Director: George Hill. Starring Lon Chaney and William Haines. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Sunday, June 23rd

An Eastern Westerner (1920) Director: Hal Roach. Starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. 8:45pm Pacific. 11:45pm Eastern.

The Rag Man (1925) Director: Edward F. Cline. Starring Lydia Yeamans Titus and Ethel Wales. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

Monday, June 24th

The Kid (1921) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.

Sunday, June 30th

The Thief of Bagdad (1924) Director: Raoul Walsh. Starring Douglas Fairbanks and Anna May Wong. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

-Michael J. Ruhland

1959 Americans and Foreign Movies

The following pages are from a 1959 issue of Boxoffice Barometer. How times have changed. Hopefully someday great foreign films will again receive the love and attention they deserve here in the US.


-Michael J. Ruhland

So You Want to be a Silent Film Fan

Hi my name is Michael (but you can call me Mikey if you like) and I am a silent film addict. While there are tons of people to talk about this subject online with, I rarely come in to contact with anyone who loves silent movies as much as I do away from the computer screen. After all we live in a society where a movie from the 1980's is considered impossibly old. 

If we live in a society that doesn't really talk about silent movies, how does someone who wants to watch one know where to start. If you wanted to get into black and white movies, you would know to check out Casablanca, Citizen Kane, It's a Wonderful Life or Psycho. However what would you start with if you wanted to get into silent movies. You may know Charlie Chaplin's name, but do you know what his best films are, do you know where to start? This is the goal of this post to help those interested in silent movies know good places to start and how simply to get into silent movies. Before we get into any exact movie recommendations, let me go over some things you should know before watching silent films.

1. Silent Films Are Entertainment For Everybody

When you are reading about silent films it is easy to feel intimidated. There are many articles and commenters online saying things like "Those dumb millennials today with their iPhones, and their CGI driven crap who need constant explosions and loud noises to enjoy a movie are too stupid to enjoy a silent film, let alone actually pay attention to one." Well what if you are in your teens, 20's or 30's and what if you enjoy that "CGI driven crap" and once more what if you spend a lot of time on your iPhone. Does this mean you can't appreciate silent films or that silent movies are only for self-proclaimed intellectuals who view themselves as smarter than people who love current mainstream cinema because they read intertitles? No, of course not. I for one am in my 20's, I go see many modern mainstream movies and often love them and I am grateful that I can use my iPhone and social media to stay in good touch with friends who lead busy lives and I can't see as often as I like. Once more I have seen silent films in college film classes and at the Old Town Music Hall. What was easy to notice there was that the millennials that were also at these places, enjoyed these silent films a lot. I remember seeing Sherlock Jr. in a class with mostly millennials and they were cracking up at it. Why is this? The answer is simple. Most silent films were intended first as entertainment and secondly as art. As always the only requirement for entertainment is that you are entertained. Entertainment is inclusive not exclusive. In other words entertainment is for everybody who is entertained by it, regardless of age, intellect or knowledge. You don't need to know the names of those who worked on a film to have fun watching it. You don't need to be able to explain how Charlie Chaplin changed the face of screen comedy to find him kicking a lady in her rear end funny. All you have to do is have fun. Likewise there is no reason why you can't enjoy what films are currently popular and still enjoy silent film. You can find the Deadpool movies funny and also find Harold Lloyd funny. You can love the sci-fi world of the current batch of Star Wars films and also the sci-fi world of Metropolis. You can enjoy the fast paced action of Marvel movies (or even *gasp* Michael Bay) and still like the action scenes in a Tom Mix western. You don't have to be a person "that was born in the wrong generation" or "never quite fit in with people your own age" to enjoy silent movies, you can simply be a regular young person who simply enjoys watching silent movies. Silent films do not belong exclusively to film snobs or cranky old people, so there is no need to feel intimidated. Just enjoy watching a movie.

2. Silent Films Were Not Intended to be Silent
Though there was no recorded audio for most silent movies, audiences of the day did not watch them in complete silence. There was always music provided by live musicians. As such these films were intended to be watched with music. Because you can't always have silent film composers in your home when watching one of these films, silent movies often have accompanying music recorded elsewhere. This is so you can view the films as close to what was intended as possible. However if you look for silent films on YouTube, you will find many videos that have just the films with no audio. Don't watch these, especially as a newbie to silent films. They are harder to pay attention to in many ways and you may without realizing it have your mind drift off and be completely lost as to what is happening. Also if you manage to keep your attention throughout the whole film, you will notice something was missing. The film was good, but it didn't have the effect you feel it should have had on you. Often times if you watch it again with music, you'll notice how great of a film it truly is.


3. Don't Start With Films That Use Long Intertitles

If you are a silent film newbie, you may be asking what an intertitle is. The answer is very simple they are when words appear on the screen to show dialogue or exposition. An example below is from the wonderful film, Show People.

As you can imagine this is often the hardest part to get used to for many silent film newbies. Some of you who are new to reading while watching movies, may find it hard to keep up when there are quite a few words on the screen at once. For instance you may not finish reading the following intertitle from The Black Pirate before it is gone.





However reading the following intertitle from The Penalty should cause no trouble.

This is why a lot of silent film fans start with slapstick comedies, because often dialogue is not as important in those movies and so there are not only fewer intertitles but shorter ones as well. If the story for a silent movie sounds complex chances are it will have longer intertitles than one with a simpler story. Often if you keep that in mind it is usually easy to avoid longer intertitles until you become used to reading them quickly.

Now that we have gotten those out of the way what do you say I recommend a few films? Now keep in mind that this is not a list of the best silent films, but simply a list of films that would be easy for a silent film newbie to enjoy. Not a complete list and I am sure I left off some obvious suggestions, but it is a place to start and that is what matters.



Show People (1928) I love this movie! It has everything laughs, heart, romance, great comedy, relatable characters, and most of all it is just a lot of fun. While there are some great cameos that a silent film newbie might not catch, the film is extremely accessible to anyone. That is because the humor will always be funny, and the theme of staying true to one's roots is timeless.




Peter Pan (1924)

Do you like fantasy movies? Do you love watching Disney's fairy tales? If so this is the perfect place to start. I have written about this film before on my blog (to read click here), so I will just say this is a charming fantasy movie that is as charming today as it was in 1924, so watch it and if you have kids in your life show it to them.







       That's My Wife (1929)
I love Laurel and Hardy, in fact we all love Laurel and Hardy.  If we are to measure movie comedians by the sheer amount of laughs they have gotten, few even come close to Laurel and Hardy. Before the sound films we all know the duo started out in silent pictures. One of the best is That's My Wife. I don't want to give too much away about this film, but just know it is full of laughs from start to finish.

 



Metropolis (1927)

The movie that influenced every sci-fi film we know today is still an incredible feat. The look of the movie is still amazing and makes one feel they were transported to another world. The story is still just as universal. None of the impact has been lost and everybody should see this film.




Where Are My Children (1916)

It is hard to believe a movie from over 100 years ago could still be so topical. This is a movie about abortion (that is right abortion), something most Hollywood studios wouldn't even touch today. Lois Webber as a director though was never against talking about controversial subjects in her films and this is maybe her most controversial. This not all there is to recommend this film though. It is an extremely touching and beautiful experience with filmmaking that was well ahead of its time. The ending of this movie is one of the most emotional scenes in all silent film history.





Fatty and Mabel Adrift (1916)

Sadly Mabel Normand and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle hardly receive the praise that Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy or Harold Lloyd get, but they are great comedians. This movie perfectly shows why. The humor is very funny and a joy to watch. However what is also great here is the perfect chemistry between its two stars and Arbuckle's fantastic directorial skills.

 

Sherlock Jr. (1924)
While The General is often considered Buster Keaton's best film, Sherlock Jr. is probably the one that will appeal to the largest audience. This is because it is the fastest paced and the most filled with gags. These gags are timeless and funny as anything you will ever see. This film is also a perfect showcase for Buster's brilliant directorial talent and amazing stunt work. There are plenty of times watching this film in which your jaw will drop and you will ask "How did he do that?" Most of all though this is a swiftly moving and just plain fun movie.




City Lights (1931)

One of the most perfect movies ever made. The humor is as funny as can be, and the boxing scene has to be one of the funniest things ever filmed. However behind all this is humanity that is real and striking. Though this movie mostly serves as a comedy, it can also be very heart breaking. Yet the drama and comedy are so well put together that both complement the other and make the other perfect.





The Freshman (1925)

This is one of the most human and likable Harold Lloyd films. It may not have the constant gags that other Lloyd films do, but his character has rarely been this likable. You can't help but root for this guy. You feel sorry for Harold being treated so cruelly and want to see him show the others what he is capable of and more than that we believe he is capable of it even when he doesn't. This does not mean that the comedy is not amazing though. The scene with his clothes falling apart is as funny as anything he has ever done, and the football game is just as funny as it is exciting.



Oh What a Knight (1928)
Are you a Disney fan? Then why not watch one of Walt Disney's silent cartoons. A perfect one to start with would be the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon, Oh What a Knight. This is a fast paced and funny cartoon, filled with imagination and gags. Also notice how great the animation is here, especially the use of shadows.

These of course are just suggestions and you can start anywhere you want. I hope you found this useful and that you will soon come to love and appreciate silent film as well. So, enjoy silent film fandom.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Great Movies For Halloween Watching

Halloween is a holiday best celebrated by watching movies, in fact I believe it was created with that purpose in mind. So today I wish to share with you some movies, I think are perfect for watching this October. Some of these are very well known while others are overlooked gems, but I love each one of them and I hope you will check them out.


Valerie and Her Week Of Wonders (1970) This movie is pure art house cinema at its best and one of the best film of the Czechoslovakian New Wave. Each image is beautifully and lovingly put together creating a sense of pictorial beauty only movies can achieve. The story is shockingly different from anything you would see in mainstream cinema. It is never explained what exactly is happening or why it is happening. The story is instead completely fueled by emotion. What unfolds happens because of the emotions of the characters and not because of any form of logic. This movie at times can be peaceful, erotic, disturbing or terrifying. One thing is certain though this film is always fascinating. When I see this movie it has an almost hypnotizing effect on me making it hard to look away from. I recommend this movie for Halloween not only because of the terrifying scenes involving vampires, but also because it creates an uncomfortably uneasy feeling that is perfect for this time of year.

Nosferatu (1922) One of the films that helped above all to define the horror movie. This silent German classic, is still terrifying today. Images such as the Count Orlock appearing in the doorway, and the scene aboard the ship remain in one's mind long after the movie is finished. Max Shreck's performance as the horrible vampire is still amazing, and gives life to this horrifying character. Like all of director F.W. Murnau's films, one of the delights of this movie is the stunning look of the movie. The film has the qualities of a beautiful painting, while still remaining perfectly cinematic. This still remains a classic and one of the greatest Vampire movies ever made.


Pinocchio (1940) This may seem like an odd choice to some, but this movie is easily the darkest and most creepy of Disney's animated features. I think the reason for this is actually very simple. That is that Pinocchio might be the most powerless Disney hero. He has neither the brawn nor wit to fight the truly horrifying villains. He run or he can avoid them, but a showdown between good and evil is impossible in this movie. Think of the scene in Pleasure Island when the puppet's friend Lampwick is turning into a donkey. This has often been called the most horrifying scene in Disney animation. However I will argue that the reason for this is not the transformation itself, but rather that we are seeing what is happing for the perceptive of Pinocchio. Our hero can't do a thing to help his friend and he knows it. All he can do is watch in horror at what is happening in front of him. Watching in this scene we are in the same powerless position. We know it is too late for Lampwick and the best we can do is praying it doesn't happen to Pinocchio. This scene creates a sense of suspense and unease in a way no other scene in Disney animation does, because in almost any other animated Disney film we know things are going to turn out right, but here that certainty is taken away from us and we come the horrible realization that maybe the traditional Disney happy ending isn't going to happen. Beyond just this uncomfortableness, this is a great movie to watch at anytime and one of Disney's finest achievements. The artistry, humor, animation, characters, music and yes even horror all come together to create a cinematic masterpiece that is not only unique by Disney standards but by movie standards in general. There will never be another movie quite like this, but thank goodness we have this one.

Vampyr (1932) Carl Theodore Dryer's first sound feature is still a brilliant work of art. The images in this German film are ones that stay in the audience's mind and haunt their nightmare's all these years later. Story-wise this may be a typical Vampire-themed horror movie, but the way the story is told is unlike any other film I can think of. This film draws one into a creepy dreamlike world, that makes the movie have an unreal feeling that makes the movie even scarier. Though this is a talkie, the use of title cards and some scenes of complete silence make this feel like a silent film in all the best ways. This is a horror movie you will never forget.

The Orphanage (2007) A highly intelligent and spooky Spanish horror film. This movie is constantly suspenseful, and none of the plot twists did I see coming. However they made perfect sense when they happened. However this film isn't just scary. This is also a very touching movie. Our main character has to deal with the disappearance of her child and these scenes are downright sad. This uneasy and suspenseful movie is a modern day classic of horror.

Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (1988) This was the last of the Looney Tunes compilation feature films that began with The Bugs Bunny/ Roadrunner Movie (1979). These films combined classic Looney Tunes cartoons of the 1940's, 50's and 60's, with brand new animation made specifically for these new movies. This is probably the second best of these films (after The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie) and just an excellent movie all around. This movie incorporates many really great short films and often times these are cartoons that don't receive as much constant praise as the ones used in the previous movies. That does not mean they are lesser, but rather that they aren't the ones you see mentioned everywhere. These classic cartoons are just as hilarious as they were in their day and are beautifully put together in this compilation. The new animated scenes, while you can argue aren't as great as the classic shorts (whatever will be?) are very well done and highly entertaining in their own right. To add to these new scenes is the great musical soundtrack. If the music in these new scenes reminds one of what is heard in various classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, that is because the music used here was actually the Carl Stalling and Milt Franklin scores for various classic Looney Tunes. This makes these new scenes feel much more like the classic cartoons. This is a spooky themed story using spooky themed cartoons making it a perfect treat for this time of year.


The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) Considered by many film critics to be the greatest Spanish movie of all time, this movie is truly a masterpiece. Though this movie may have a subtle political message about dictator Francisco Franco Bahamonde, it still holds so much more for those who can't understand this commentary. The children's reaction to seeing Frankenstein (1931) speaks to us about the power of cinema. This is especially true of one little girl named Ana (Ana Torrent) who begins to feel a strong kinship with the creature after seeing the movie. Not being able to understand why the creature drowned the little girl in the movie, she asks her big sister to explain. Her sister tells him that what she saw was fake, besides the sister had seen the creature and he is now a spirit. This explanation causes Ana to show kindness to a wounded solider she finds. Though I won't talk about what this leads to, this part of the story shows how beautifully simple many children view the world and how it is sad we have to lose that. All in all this is a beautiful movie that never fails to move me.

  Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963) Despite how disturbing and intense Alfred Hitchcock's movies get, he only directed two real horror movies. Not shockingly these two movies show the master at his best. What makes them work so well is that neither really starts as a horror movie. In fact The Birds begins as a romantic comedy and Psycho begins as a character study of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh). This helps create much more of a shock when the horror happens. These two movies are legitimately creepy and I still feel a little uneasy when seeing a group of birds outside a window. These movies have been dissected so many times, that there is not much I can say that hasn't already been said. However if you for any reason haven't seen them see them as soon as possible, they are brilliantly made movies by a master filmmaker and still retain all their power today.


This is not a list of my favorite Halloween movies, nor is it a list of the best. These are just simply some movies, I really like and hope you will too. I plan to recommend more Halloween movies in one of these posts each year so if one you really like doesn't show up here maybe it will next year.


-Michael J. Ruhland  

   

  
   

Silent Film of the Month: Woman in the Moon (1929)

Run Time: 156 minutes. Studio: UFA. Director: Fritz Lang. Writers: Thea Von Harbou, Fritz Lang. Main Cast: Klaus Pohl, Willy Fritsch, Gustav Von Wangenheim, Gerda Maurus. Producer: Fritz Lang.

The film that infamous German director Fritz Lang is best remembered for is the great sci-fi epic Metropolis. Less known however is another classic sci-fi film from Lang called Woman in the Moon, while Metropolis is still a better movie that doesn't change that this less talked about film is still a delight to watch. I am not saying its as great as Metropolis, but it is still a good movie. Woman in the Moon was Lang's last silent and I feel a worthy one.

Fritz Lang co-wrote this movie with Thea von Harbou. She worked with Lang on many of the films Lang made in Germany before moving to the U.S. Part of the reason for this may have been that she was his wife at this time. However both their personal and professional relationship ended due to politics. This however was no ordinary political dispute. In 1932 von Harbou would join the Nazi party. With Lang being of Jewish descent, and this being 1930's Germany, the marriage simply had to end, and Lang couldn't stay in Germany. Despite all this though the cinematic work these two did together is extremely impressive. As well as this film they also worked together on Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler, Destiny, Die Nibelungen, Metropolis, Spies, M, and The Last Testament of Dr. Mabuse. Von Harbou would also work with another of Germany's best filmmakers, F.W. Murnau, as she would write Phantom and Finances of the Grand Duke.

One invention of Woman in the Moon was not even cinematic. In this film a countdown appears before the rocket launches. This was not only the first time this was done in a movie but the first time this was ever done. As the idea of going to the moon was in fact science fiction when this movie was made, standard procedure for such a launching was not yet created. The idea of using a countdown was created specifically for this movie to help increase the drama.

Professor Mannfeldt (Klaus Pohl) is a famous scientist who becomes ridiculed when he states there might be gold on the moon. A young man named Helius (Willy Fritsch) becomes interested in Mannfeldt's theories for all the right reasons, while evil business men lead by a man named Walter Turner (Fritz Rasp) are interested for all the wrong reasons. A plan for an exhibition to the moon soon gets under way.

This movie starts out a little slowly, while the characters are on the earth, but really picks up when they reach the moon. Here the movie does just what every fantasy movie should do. It makes you feel like you are transported to another world. The look of these scenes is absolutely incredible. On top of this the story gets very tense and exciting, leaving you constantly wondering what will happen next. This is not a perfect movie by any means, and it would have easily benefited from a shorter running time. However what is good is far too good to resist and this makes the movie a must see for fans of silent cinema.      

A song about this film came out simultaneously. This song was mentioned in the following short article in Variety (dated November 13, 1929)

"Ufa in conjunction with two well known Viennese music publishing houses, has formed a music publishing firm of its own. Purpose of course is to exploit songs composed from its pictures. First to be issued by the new company will be 'Woman in the Moon' composed by Schmidt-Gentner, words by Fritz Rotter, brought out with the new Fritz Lang film of that name. Other numbers in preparation are 'Soldier Songs' by Ralph Benatzky and Karl Zuckmayer, and Werner Richard Heymann's melodies from 'The Love Waltz.'"

This film lead to a parting of the ways between its studio and its director. This is outlined by an article in Variety (dated April 2, 1930).

"Ufa has issued a cautious statement which is worded as follows: Between Fritz Lang and the UFA, neogotions are underway to amicably dissolve the agreement between them.

"The flop of Lang's latest picture 'Woman in the Moon' seems cause of this. This silent which took almost a year to complete and is said to have cost over a million marks, is not likely to get back more than a small percentage of the sum expended on it.

"Lang's gigantic 'Metropolis' lost a pile and UFA was evidently only encouraged to sign him up again because the detective picture 'Spies', which followed turned in a nice profit.

"Lang is the vonStroheim of Germany and just as in the states a time comes when the business end kicks at the idea of re-engaging such a money-swallower."

-Michael J. Ruhland