Video Link: Hunchback of Notre Dame: The Silent Film that Built Universal's Monster Empire - Universally Me

Silent Films on TCM for July 2024

 

Hello my friends. I know many of you, like me are fans of both TCM and silent movies. As such here is a list of silent films that will air on TCM this July.

Sunday, July 7th

The Flag: A Story Inspired by the Tradition of Betsy Ross (1927) Director: Arthur Maude. Starring Johnny Walker and Alice Calhoun. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am Eastern. 

A Sailor-Made Man (1921) Director: Fred Newmeyer. Starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. 10:05pm Pacific. 1:05am Eastern.

Sunday, July 14th

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

Sunday, July 21st

West Point (1928) Director: Edward Sedgwick. Starring William Haines and Joan Crawford. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern. 

Sunday, July 28th

Across to Singapore (1928) Director: William Nigh. Starring Ramon Novarro and Joan Crawford. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.  

Silent Films on TCM for April 2024

 

Hello my friends. I know many of you are like me and love both silent movies and TCM. So here is a list of silent films on TCM for this April. 

Monday, April 1st 

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925). Director: Fred Niblo. Starring Ramon Novarro and Betty Bronson. 3am Pacific. 6am Eastern. 

The Big Parade (1925) Director: King Vidor. Starring John Gilbert and Renée Adorée. 5:30 am Pacific. 8:30am Eastern. 

The Unholy Three (1925) Director: Tod Browning. Starring Lon Chaney and Mae Busch. 8:15am Pacific. 11:15am Eastern. 

The Cameraman (1928) Director: Edward Sedgwick. Starring Buster Keaton and Marceline Day. 10am Pacific. 1pm Eastern. 

The Crowd (1928) Director: King Vidor. Starring James Murray and Eleanor Boardman. 11:30am Pacific. 2:30pm Eastern. 

The Flesh and the Devil (1926) Director: Clarence Brown. Starring John Gilbert and Greta Garbo. 3pm Pacific. 6pm Eastern. 

Sunday, April 7th

The Cricle (1925) Director: Frank Borzage. Starring Eleanor Boardman and Malcom Mcgregor. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Sunday, April 14th 

The Wind (1928). Director: Victor Seastrom. Starring Lillian Gish and Lars Hanson. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Friday April 19th

The Kid (1921) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan. 4pm Pacific. 7pm Eastern. 

Sunday April 21st 

La Boheme (1926). Director: King Vidor. Starring Lillian Gish and John Gilbert. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Sunday April 28th

Sunnyside (1919) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

A Dog's Life (1918) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern. 

The Knockout (1914). Director: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and Charlie Chaplin. 10:02pm Pacific. 1:02 am Eastern. 

 

Silent Films on TCM for December 2023

 

Hello my friends. I know that like me many of you love both silent movies and TCM. Because of this, here is a list of the silent films on TCM this December. 

Sunday, December 3rd

I Was Born But... (1932) Director: Yasujirô Ozu. Starring Tatsuo Saito and Tokkan-Kozou. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am Eastern.

Tuesday, December 5th

The Blackbird (1926) Director: Tod Browning. Starring Lon Chaney and Renée Adorée. 3am Pacific. 6am Eastern.

Sunday, December 10th

Passing Fancy (1933) Director: Yasujirō Ozu. Starring Takeshi Sakamoto and Nobuko Fushimi. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Tuesday, December 12th

Flesh and the Devil (1926). Director: Clerance Brown. Starring John Gilbert and Greta Garbo. 8:15pm Pacific. 11:15pm Eastern.

Sunday, December 17th 

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) Director: Fred Niblo. Starring Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman. 10:15pm Pacific. 1:15am Eastern.

Thursday, December 21st

Christmas Past (1901-1925) A compilation of Christmas themed silent short films. 2am Pacific. 5am Eastern. 

Monday, December 25th

Big Business (1929) Director: Leo Mccarey. Starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. 2:45am Pacific. 5:45am Eastern. 

Silent Films on TCM November 2023

 

Hello, my friends as I know many of you like me are fans of both TCM and silent movies. Because of this, here is a list of all the silent films on TCM, this November,

Wednesday, November 1st

Within Our Gates (1920) Director: Oscar Micheaux. Starring Evelyn Preer, Flo Clements. 11pm Pacific. 2am Eastern.

Sunday November 5th

The Golden Age of Comedy (1957) A Compilation film featuring clips from various silent comedies. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.

When Comedy Was King (1959) A Compilation film featuring clips from various silent comedies. 6:30pm Pacific. 9:30pm Eastern.

MGM's Big Parade of Comedy (1964) A Compilation film featuring clips from multiple silent comedies. 8pm Pacific. 11pm Eastern.

The Show (1927) Director: Tod Browning. Starring John Gilbert and Renée Adorée. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern. 

Sunday November 12th 

Souls for Sale (1923) Director: Rupert Hughes. Starring Eleanor Boardman and Mae Busch. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern. 

Wednesday November 15th

The Monster (1925) Director: Roland West. Starring Lon Chaney and Gertrude Olmsted. 6am Pacific. 9am Eastern. 

Sunday November 19th

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927) Director: Ernst Lubitsch. Starring Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Sunday November 26th 

Cleopatra (1912) Director: Charles L. Gaskill. Starring Helen Gardner and Harley Knoles. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern. 

 

Silent Films on TCM for June 2023

 

Hello again my friends. As a fan of both silent film and Turner Classic Movies, it is time to look at what silent films will be on TCM this June.

Sunday June 4

The Blackbird (1926) Director: Tod Browning. Starring Lon Chaney and Renée Adorée. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Wednesday June 7

Show People (1928) Director: King Vidor. Starring Marion Davies and William Haines. 2am Pacific. 5am Eastern

Souls For Sale (1923) Director: Rupert Hughes. Starring Eleanor Boardman and Mae Busch. 3:30am Pacific. 6:30am Eastern. 

Sunday June 11

The Cameraman (1928) Director: Edward Sedgwick. Starring Buster Keaton and Marceline Day. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern.

The Navigator (1923) Directors: Donald Crisp and Buster Keaton. Starring Buster Keaton and Kathryn McGuire. 10:30pm Pacific. 1:30am Eastern. 

Sunday June 18

The Divine Lady (1929) Director: Frank Lloyd. Starring Corinne Griffith and Victor Varconi. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Sunday June 25

Don Juan (1926) Director: Alan Crosland. Starring John Barrymore and Mary Astor. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

 

Silent Films on TCM for May 2023

 

Hello my friends. I am sure many of you reading this blog are like me fans of both TCM and silent films. Because of this here is a list of each silent film being shown on TCM this May. 

Monday May, 1st

Image Makers: The Adventures of America's Pioneer Cinematographers (2019) Director: Daniel Raim. (Documentary on silent film) 3:15pm Pacific. 6:15pm Eastern.

Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928) Director: Herbert Brenon. Cast: Lon Chaney and Lorretta Young. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern. 

Desert Nights (1929) Director: William Nigh. Starring John Gilbert and Ernest Torrance. 11:15pm Pacific. 2:15am Eastern. 

Wednesday May 3rd

When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922) Director: Robert G. Vignola. Starring Marion Davies and Forrest Stanley. 11pm Pacific. 2am Eastern.

Thursday May 4th

Too Many Kisses (1925) Director: Paul Salone. Starring Richard Dix and Frances Howard. 9:30am Pacific. 12:30pm Eastern. 

Sunday May 7th

Sky High (1922) Director: Lynn Reynolds. Starring Tom Mix and J. Farrell McDonald. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern. 

The Big Diamond Robbery (1929) Director: Eugene Forde. Starring Tom Mix and Kathryn McGuire. 10:15pm Pacific. 1:15am Eastern. 

Sunday May 14th

The First Degree (1923) Director: Edward Sedgwick. Starring Frank Mayo and Sylvia Breamer. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern. 

Too Many Kisses (1925) Director: Paul Salone. Starring Richard Dix and Frances Howard. 10:15pm Pacific. 1:15am Eastern.

Thursday May 18th

The Gold Rush (1925). Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Mack Swain. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.

Sunday May 21st

High and Dizzy (1920) Director: Hal Roach. Starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Billy Blazes Esq. (1919) Director: Hal Roach. Starring Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard. 9:25pm Pacific. 12:25am Eastern. 

Ask Father (1919) Director: Hal Roach. Starring Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard. 9:37pm Pacific. 12:37am Eastern.

An Eastern Westerner (1920) Director: Hal Roach. Starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. 9:50pm Pacific. 12:50am Eastern. 

Monday May 22nd


Image Makers: The Adventures of America's Pioneer Cinematographers (2019) Director: Daniel Raim. (Documentary on silent film) 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern.

Sunday May 28th

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) Director: Rex Ingram. Starring Rudolph Valentino and Alice Terry. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 


 

Silent Films on TCM this November

 Hello my friends as a new month once again apporachs us, here is another list of silent films that will be playing on TCM that month. 

Sunday, November 1st

Behind the Door (1919) Director: Ivan V. Willat. Starring Hobart Bosworth and Wallace Beery. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern.

Wednesday, November 4th

Shoes (1916) Director: Lois Webber. Starring Mary Maclaren and Harry Griffith. 3am Pacific. 6am Eastern.

Friday, November 6th

The Circus (1928) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Merna Kennedy. 7:45pm Pacific. 10:45pm Eastern. 

Sunday, November 8th

The Circle (1925) Director: Frank Borzage. Starring Eleanor Boardman and Malcom McGregor. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Friday, November 13th

He Who Gets Slapped (1924) Director: Victor Seastrom. Starring Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am Eastern. 

Sunday November 15th 

Across to Singapore (1928) Director: William Nigh. Starring Ramon Novarro and Joan Crawford. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Monday, November 16th

Weary River (1929, part-talkie) Director: Frank Lloyd. Starring Richard Barthelmess and Betty Compson. 9:30 am Pacific. 12:30pm Eastern. 

Sunday November 22nd

Downhill (1927) Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Ivor Novello and Ben Webster. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern.  

Sunday, November 29th

Too Many Kisses (1925) Director: Paul Salone. Starring Richard Dix and Frances Howard. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Silent Films on TCM This July

Hello my fellow Silent film lovers and TCM fans. To make sure you don't miss anything here is a list of silent films that will be on TCM this July.

Sunday, July 5th

Black Oxfords (1924) Director: Del Lord. Starring Vernon Dent and Sydney Smith. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

 Super-Hooper-Dyne Lizzies (1925) Director: Del Lord. Starring Billy Bevan and James Donelly. 9:20pm Pacific. 12:20am Eastern

Ten Dollars or Ten Days (1924) Director: Del Lord. Starring Grover Ligon and Harry Gribbon. 9:38pm Pacific. 12:38am Eastern.

The Dare-Devil (1923) Director: Del Lord. Starring Gordon Lewis and Andy Clyde. 9:58pm Pacific. 12:58am Eastern.

Lizzes of the Field (1924) Director: Del Lord. Starring Billy Bevan and Barbara Pierce. 10:18pm Pacific. 1:18am Eastern.

Sunday, July 12th
The Idle Class (1921) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin  and Enda Purviance. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

The Kid (1921) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan. 9:33pm Pacific. 12:33am Eastern.

Pay Day (1922) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance. 10:31pm Pacific. 1:31am Eastern.

Friday, July 17th
West of Zanzibar (1928) Director: Tod Browning. Starring Lon Chaney and Lionel Barrymore. 4am Pacific. 7am Eastern.

Sunday, July 19th 
The Red Kimona (1925) Director: Walter Lang. Starring Priscilla Bonner and Theodore von Eltz. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Wednesday, July 22nd
Spring Fever (1927) Director: Edward Sedgwick. Starring William Haines and Joan Crawford. 6am Pacific. 9am Eastern.

Sunday July 26th
Sadie Thompson (1928) Director: Raoul Walsh. Starring Gloria Swanson and Lionel Barrymore. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

-Michael J. Ruhland



 

Silent Films on TCM this May

Hello again my friends and fellow silent film lovers. Once again here is a list of the silent films on TCM this coming month.

Sunday May 3rd

Body and Soul (1925) Director: Oscar Micheaux. Staring Paul Robeson and Marshall Rodgers. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern.

Wednesday May 6th

The Dragon Painter (1919) Director: William Worthington. Staring Sessue Hayakawa and Toyo Fujita. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.

Piccadilly (1929) Director: D.A. Dupont. Staring Gilda Grey and Anna May Wong. 6pm Pacific. 9pm Eastern.

Sunday May 10th

Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) Director: Charles F. Riesner. Starring Buster Keaton and Ernest Torrence. 9:30pm Pacific, 12:30am Eastern.

The Great Buster: A Celebration (2018, documentary about silent film star Buster Keaton) Director: Peter Bogdonavich. 6:45pm Pacific. 9:45 Eastern.

Sunday, May 17th 
Shoes (1916) Director: Lois Webber. Starring Mary MacLaren and Harry Griffith. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

 Sunday, May 24th

Wings (1927) Director: William A. Wellman Starring Clara Bow and Charles "Buddy" Rogers. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

Sunday, May 31st

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

He Who Gets Slapped (1924) Director: Victor Seastrom. Starring Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Lon Chaney Changes his Mind About Talkies

Hello my friends like many of you love Lon Chaney. There are few actors who define what the silent screen was more than him. His acting style is perfectly suited to silent movies. His movies show us that silent film acting was a true artform and he was a master. It is not like Kathy Selden said in Singin' in the Rain (1952), " I mean they don't talk, they don't act, they just make a lot of dumb show." Lon obviously expressed himself visually in a way that transcends words.

All this does bring up a question though, what were Lon's thoughts on talkies. Luckily there is the following 1930 article from Talking Screen Magazine. This article mentions that Lon Chaney's first talkie would be The Unholy Three (1930). It would also be his last, as he would die seven weeks after its release. If you have trouble reading the following pages, click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in.

-Michael J. Ruhland

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

Silent Films on TCM this September

Hello again my friends. Since me and many of you are fans of both silent film and TCM, today I am going to give you a list of all the silent films that will play on TCM this September. This is a fantastic lineup, that includes some regular silent films for the channel and some that are a bit different.

Sunday, September 1st

The Mating Call (1928) Director: James Cruze. Starring Thomas Meighan and Evelyn Brent. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Wednesday, September 4th

Broken Blossoms (1919) Director: D W Griffith. Starring Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.

Little Annie Rooney (1925) Director: William Beaudine. Starring Mary Pickford and William Haines. 6:45pm Pacific. 9:45 Eastern.

The Three Musketeers (1921) Director: Fred Niblo. Starring Douglas Fairbanks and Leon Barry. 8:30pm Pacific. 11:30pm Eastern.

The Gold Rush (1925) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Mack Swain. 10:45pm Pacific. 1:45am Eastern.

Thursday, September 5th

The General (1927) Directors: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman. Starring Buster Keaton and Marion Mack. 12:30am Pacific. 3:30am Eastern.

Sadie Thompson (1928) Director: Raoul Walsh. Starring Gloria Swanson and Lionel Barrymore. 2am Pacific. 5am Eastern.

Friday, September 6th

The Cartoons of Winsor McCay (2014) A compilation of classic silent cartoon shorts directed by Winsor McCay.

The Freshman (1925) Directors: Sam Taylor and Fred Newmeyer. Starring Harold Lloyd and Joyba Ralston. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.

Sunday September 8th

The Circus (1928). Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Merna Kennedy. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Shoulder Arms (1918) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance. 10:12pm Pacific. 1:12am Eastern.

A Dog's Life (1918) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Enda Purviance. 10:50pm Pacific. 1:50am Eastern.

Tuesday September 10th

Greed (1924) Director: Erich Von Stroheim. Starring Gibson Gowland and Zasu Pitts. 12:15am Pacific. 3:15am Eastern.

Sunday September 15th

Two Arabian Knights (1927) Director: Lewis Milestone. Starring William Boyd and Louis Wolheim. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern.

Sunday, September 22nd

The Racket (1928) Director: Lewis Milestone. Starring Thomas Meighan and Marie Prevost.

Tuesday, September 24th

The Unknown (1927) Director: Tod Browning. Starring Lon Chaney and Norman Kerry. 1:45am Pacific. 4:45am Eastern.

Sunday, September 29th

Cleopatra (1912) Director: Charles L. Gaskill. Starring Helen Gardner and Harley Knoles. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am 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

Silent Film of the Month: The Monster (1925)

Run Time: 86 minutes. Studio: MGM. Director: Roland West. Writer: Roland West. Based on a play by Crane Wilbur. Main Cast: Lon Chaney, Gerutrde Olmstead, Hallum Cooley, Johnny Arthur. Cinematographer: Hal Mohr.


It is October again and of course with Halloween, this is the perfect month to watch a scary movie. To me (and I am sure many other film enthusiasts) that means it is the perfect time to watch a Lon Chaney movie. While I like many of you love Phantom of the Opera (1925), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), The Unknown and many more of the most popular films he starred in, this month we are going to look at an often very overlooked movie starring The Man of a Thousand Faces. This is a horror-comedy called The Monster.

This movie was directed by Roland West. If some of you are not familiar with this name it may be because during his brief movie career (1916-1931). He only directed 12 films and over half of them are unfortunately currently lost films. Two of his movies however may be known by comic book buffs. These are The Bat and its sequel The Bat Whispers. Both of which played a part in inspiring the character of Batman. The Monster is the oldest of West's currently surviving films.


This movie was based off a stage play by Crane Wilbur. Crane Wilbur is quite a name himself in film history. My fellow short subject fans might know him for directing some 1930's Technicolor short subjects for Warner Brothers about the history of the USA. On the other hand horror movie buffs might know him for writing 1953's The House of Wax. My fellow country music fans on the other hand might be interested to know Crane Wilbur directed a 1951 film called Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison, which inspired Johnny Cash to write his song Folsom Prison Blues.

As mentioned before this film stars Lon Chaney himself. One of the things that Chaney is best remembered for now is his understated and often subtle way of acting. This is often attributed to his parents being both deaf and mute and because of this he needed to learn to communicate through pantomime. However in this film he is anything but subtle. He is over the top and very exaggerated in his movements. Since the character he plays is anything but subtle it works very well here. Still this holds an interest to film enthusiasts to see such a beloved actor use such a different acting style.

As this film starts Johnny Goodlittle (played Johnny Arthur) fights over a beautiful girl named Betty (played by Gertrude Olmstead) with his rival Amos (played by Hallam Cooley). Johnny being an amateur detective decides to investigate a disappearance at an asylum. When he gets there however he learns that the evil Dr. Ziska (played by Lon Chaney) has taken over the place. Dr. Ziska kidnaps Amos and Betty. Johnny, Amos and Betty struggle to find a way out of the asylum alive as they learn just how sinister Dr. Ziska really is.

Though I would be lying if I said this movie ranks among one of Chaney's best films, this movie is still a sheer delight, especially for my fellow film buffs. The comedy while not consistently laugh out loud hilarious is often pretty funny. Scenes like the dance hall scene or Johnny being drunk certainty make me laugh. The characters are very likable and always fun to watch, and the acting is fantastic. However the best thing about this movie in my mind is its sense of atmosphere. As soon as you enter the asylum, there is a feeling of dread. You just know things are going to get worse. The lighting and cinematography are perfect here and really accentuate the idea of something not being quite right.

At time critics were not very fond of the movie's combination of comedy and horror. However this is what this movie's current fans loves about the film.


-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/3040/The-Monster/

Silent Film of the Month: He Who Gets Slapped (1924)

Run Time: 95 minutes. Studio: MGM. Director: Victor Sjöström. Writer: Victor Sjöström, Carey Wilson, Marian Ainslee. Based on a play by Leonid Andreyev. Main Cast: Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, John Gilbert, Ford Sterling, Marc McDermott, Ruth King. Cinematographer: Milton Moore.



He Who Gets Slapped was a very important film in the history of movies. It was both the first movie to be released under the company name of Metro Goldwyn Mayer (or MGM for short). It is also the first movie for the studio headed by Irving Thalberg. Thalberg had received two titles at this time, first vice president and supervisor of production. Thalberg had previously worked at Universal which had made a lot of movies staring Lon Chaney. Because of this Thalberg brought Chaney over to star in this movie. Chaney would later remember his character in this film as one of his favorite characters he ever played.

Paul Beaumont (played by Lon Chaney) was once a very dedicated and brilliant scientist. However one day his assistant (played by Marc McDermott) claims Beaumont's ideas as his own and becomes the toast of the scientific community. To make matters worse he has also stolen the affections of Beaumont's wife. This causes the poor scientist to have a complete mental breakdown. He now sees life as nothing but a cruel joke. Because of this he joins a circus as a clown under the rather self-deprecating name "He Who Gets Slapped".  In this act no matter what he states it is swiftly answered with a slap to the face. At this circus he falls in love with a woman named Consuelo (played by Norma Shearer), who is love with Beazno (played by John Gilbert) a daredevil horseback rider at the circus.

This is a fantastic movie. The setting is hugely absorbing, the characters very well defined, the story engaging, and the performances fantastic. While the cruelty the world keeps dealing our main character could easily have come off as forced and mean spirited, it feels completely real here. This is because the characters and the setting are completely believable. While the main character is often an object of pity here, we feel much more for him as well. We admire who he was and what he had done before subjecting himself to the torture that became his life throughout this movie. This makes us feel all the more for him, and understand the tragedy of the story to a much greater extant. It is also worth noting that the fact that he is simply a pawn to the cruel hand of fate, is shown cinematically as a laughing clown spinning a globe. Not only is fate pilled up against him, but it is laughing at him as well. It is a clown with a cruel sense of humor that simply tortures our hero because it can. This is a brilliant image that sums up this film perfectly, without any dialogue but rather just the power of the cinematic medium. Overall this is just a fantastic movie that ever silent film fan needs to see.

The movie had a budget of $172,000 (and was shot in 37 days) and earned back $349,000. The film did very well with critics with a review in the New York Times even saying "For dramatic value and a faultless adaptation of a play, this is the finest production we have yet seen."

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Usedhttp://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/196/He-Who-Gets-Slapped/articles.html

Michael's Christmas Movie Guide: The Unholy Three (1925)

 

Note: Okay this may not really be a Christmas movie, but some very important story points take place during the Christmas season,  particularly Christmas Eve.


Fantastic silent film.

Though this was far from director Tod Browning's first film, it was the one that truly defined who he was a director. Though his early films had some strange stuff, this film was very weird as you would expect from this director. Browning would go on to direct such films as Freaks, The Unknown and Dracula (1931). All of these films reveled in the bizarre and strange. In this film Browning also worked with actor Lon Chaney, who he had great collaborations with such as The Unknown, London After Midnight, Where East is East and West of Zanzibar.

The story involves three former sideshow performers a ventriloquist named Echo (played by Lon Chaney), a midget (played by Harry Earles), and a strongman (played by Victor McLaglen), who work with a pickpocket named  Rosie O'Grady (played by Mae Busch (who my fellow Laurel and Hardy lovers should recognize)), whom Echo is in love with. The work at a pet shop as a cover for a man named Hector (played by Matt Moore), who loves Rosie. After a robbery on Christmas Eve  ends with murder, the whole gang turns against each other and Hector is blamed for the robbery.

This is a great film. The weirdness works perfectly and just adds a great atmosphere (especially a very strange scene involving an ape). The actors are perfectly cast. The story is quite a good one as well.

This film would be remade in 1930 as a talkie. Though that film would also star Lon Chaney, it would be directed by Jack Conway, instead of Tod Browning. The remake would be Lon Chaney's only appearance in a talkie (and his last film) as he would die shortly after.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/14037/The-Unholy-Three/articles.html
imdb.com