Silent Film of the Month: Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914)

 

Run Time: 82 minutes. Studio: Keystone. Director: Mack Sennett. Writer: Hampton Del Ruth. Based off of the stage play Tillie's Nightmare by Edgar Smith and A. Baldwin Sloane. Producer: Mack Sennett. Cast: Marie Dressler, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Mack Swain, Charles Bennett, Douglas Banks, Chester Conklin, Edgar Kennedy, Charles Parrott, Glen Cavender, Harry McCoy, Phyllis Allen, Gordon Griffith, Rube Miller, Billie Bennett, Frank Opperman, Nick Cogley, Fritz Shade, Morgan Wallace, Charlie Murray, Minta Durfee, Hampton Del Ruth, Hugh Saxon, Fred Fishback, Ted Edwards, Hank Mann, George "Slim" Summervillie, Al St. John, Edwin Frazee, Bill Hauber, Dan Albert, Billy Gilbert, Robert Kerr, Alice Howell, Eva Nelson, Dixie Chene, Wallace McDonald, Alice Davenport, Eddie Nolan, Grover Ligon, Josef Swickward, Frankie Dolan, Dick Smith, Meiklejohn and Hazel Allen, Helen Carruthers. 

Often referred to as the first feature length comedy, Tillie's Punctured Romance is far from an obscure film. Yet at the same time, I often feel that it gets too overlooked. Many tend to just view it as a footnote in film history. Even with Charlie Chaplin in it, dedicated Chaplin fans tend to not discuss this movie and instead prefer to look at Chaplin's later features that he directed and wrote. This may not be on the same level as such masterpieces as The Gold Rush (1925) or City Lights (1931). However, it is a comedy that is over a century old and is still quite entertaining. That definitely accounts for something.

In this film, a con man (Charlie Chaplin) from the city tricks a naïve country woman (Marie Dressler) to flee to the city with him. As soon as the con man gets her money, he leaves her flat. When he discovers that the woman is heir to a large fortune, he comes back to her having had "a change of heart."

The storyline for this film is pure melodramatic hokum. This is not by accident nor is this lazy writing. From its very start the Keystone studio made short films that were parodies of melodramas, using these familiar storylines that were often taken seriously and use them as an excuse for slapstick comedy. It is no wonder that the studio's first feature length movie would also parody melodramas. Adapting the stage play Tillie's Nightmare was a perfect idea for the studio's first feature length movie as the stage play didn't take these melodramatic conventions very serious either. 

For fans of silent comedy, this movie is a delight. Of course, one of the treats is to see so many silent comedy greats in one film. Cinephiles can have a great time seeing just how many silent comedy stars, they can catch and name. Another delight is to see Charlie Chaplin play against type. He is wonderful as the villainous conman here. His performance is a bit more over the top than he often is as his famous Tramp character. However, this is just what the movie calls for, and he does a great job. He commands the screen every time he appears. 

While most of the gags here may not be as laugh out loud funny as some later silent comedies, many of them do get some good chuckles and there is a great sense of comic momentum that lasts through the whole movie. Many of these gags may be simplistic and crude but they are delivered with such dedication, and zest that they actually work. There is such a lighthearted playful spirit here, that even when you don't laugh at a gag, you still enjoy it. The comedic highlight however is the whole climatic chase with the Keystone Kops getting involved. This chase is silent comedy making as its finest. There are so many slapstick gags in this finale and many of them are quite funny and creative. This climatic scene alone would make this movie essential watching for silent comedy fans. 

Another creative and charming scene involves Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand's characters sitting in a movie theater watching a film that greatly resembles what has been happening in their lives. This scene is not especially funny, but it is still delightful. I have always been a sucker for a well-used film in a film, and this is an early example of just that. Not only is the film in a film quite entertaining in its own right but it is a delightfully fun and creative way to express what is going on the characters' minds.  For cinephiles, it is also a delight to get a glimpse into what the movie going experience was like in the 1910's.

The play, Tillie's Nightmare, itself was very popular. At the Herald Square Theatre (1331 Broadway (29 W. 35th St.), New York, NY), it ran from May 05, 1910, to Jul 09, 1910. At the Manhattan Opera House (30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY) (now Manhattan Center), it ran from Dec 18, 1911, to Dec 23, 1911.  Director, producer and studio head, Mack Sennett stated in his autobiography, King of Comedy, that scenario editor Craig Hutchinson had suggested to make an adaption of the play. The play was a musical, well-known at the time for the song Heaven Help the Working Girl, and naturally a lot had to be changed from stage to screen. Sennett recalled that Hampton Del Ruth and a team of other writers used only the play's story as a loose guideline.     

The star of stage play was Marie Dressler. Dressler was a very popular stage actress, and Tillie's Nightmare had been her greatest stage success. Mack Sennett mostly planned to fill the movie's cast with Keystone regulars, but he did want Dressler to reprise her role on screen. This had not been Sennett's first interaction with Dressler. When Sennett was a young novice in the entertainment industry, Dressler had helped the young man. She wrote him a letter of introduction to David Belasco (a popular theatre producer and playwright). Later Sennett would claim that Dressler moved to California to make this movie. Dressler however denied such claims, stating that she moved to California because of her nerves after a recent failure in her stage career.  

Sennett would meet Marie Dressler outside a movie theater. They agreed to meet a hotel to discuss the film project. During the hotel meeting Marie Dressler agreed to work for $2,500 a week (for comparison Charlie Chaplin was being paid $200 a week). During this meeting there seemed to be a verbal agreement that Dressler would own half the film and her husband, James Dalton, would distribute it. This is not how things worked out. Though Sennett was in charge of the studio's production, the Keystone company was actually created and owned by Adam Kessel and Charles Bauman from the New York Film Company. Kessel and Bauman would sell the distribution rights to the Alco Film Corporation. Because of this, Dressler took legal action against the Keystone Studio, but this was ultimately unsuccessful. 

Filming began in late April 1914 and wrapped up late July of the same year. There would be some delays in filming. Of these delays Glenn Mitchell writes in The Chaplin Encyclopedia, "The main difficulty lay in Miss Dressler's memory of him [Sennett] as an unknown, rather than as the boss of a studio, and consequent unwillingness to take direction until baffled by the techniques of filmmaking." 

Much of this movie was filmed on location in Hollywood. Anyone has been to Hollywood recently will find it unrecognizable watching this film. At the time, Hollywood was not the major city that it is today. However certain buildings can still be seen today. 

One of these is The C.E. Toberman Building (6410-6146, Hollywood Boulevard), which can be seen when two cops meet Tillie in the middle of the street after Tillie gets drunk as well as when Charlie falls in the middle of the street and Tillie picks him up. The same building can be seen in the classic Harold Lloyd feature, Why Worry (1923), when Harold announces to his giant friend that he is going to be a father. A shot of the back of this building can be seen in Buster Keaton's classic comedy short, The Goat (1921). 

When Tillie waves to a cop flirtatiously, she is standing on the porch of the Hollywood Hotel. This hotel was located on the northwest corner of Hollywood and Highland. At one time this hotel was a center for the social life in Hollywood. However, it would be demolished in 1956. There today is the Hollywood & Highland Retail and Entertainment Center. 

 When two cops are escorting a drunk Tillie into the police station, they are actually taking her to the entrance door for the Keystone Studio. This was also used as an entrance to a police station in the Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle short, Fatty's Plucky Pup (1915). It even appeared as the entrance to a dentist's office in the Charlie Chaplin short, Laughing Gas (1914). 

When Tillie flirts with a cop after being released from jail, she is on Duane Street by the back corner of the wall for the Selig studio (the first permeant movie studio in Los Angeles). You can also see two homes in these shots. The homes were 2212 and 2216 Duane Street, both of which are now apartment buildings. 

The entrance to Tillie's wealthy uncle's place is Castle Sans Souci, which had formerly been located at 1901 Argyle. It was torn down in 1928 and the Castle Argyle Apartments, which are still standing today. 

During the climax, you can see in the background the original Los Angeles Fire Engine Co. No. 20, which was located at 2144 Sunset. You can also see this in the background of the Charlie Chaplin short, Cruel, Cruel Love (1914). 

Comedian Milton Berle often times claimed to be a newsboy in a brief scene. This has been greatly disputed with many historians crediting the role to child actor Gordon Griffith. Later Griffith approached Charlie Chaplin and described the scene he claimed they made together, while Chaplin was filming A Countess from Hong Kong (1968). Chaplin just unenthusiastically stated, "oh I see ... exposition" and then went back to work. 

Moving Picture World, 1915

Moving Picture World, 1915

This film was reissued to theaters in 1920. The following is an article about this reissue from an issue of The Moving Picture World (dated January 17, 1920).

"From W.H. Productions comes information that 'Tillie's Punctured Romance' is being revived by Tower Film Corporation. This Mack Sennett favorite, featuring Charlie Chaplin, Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand, Mack Swain and Chester Conklin, has a great reputation to be revived with the showings. 

"It early accomplished what the 'glooms' argued couldn't be done - that the screen could make people laugh. Yet thousands laughed at 'Tillie's Punctured Romance.' This production mad history for screen comedy and records for exhibitors and exchange men.

"A special exploitation campaign, unique in character and destined to put the picture over in an even bigger way than heretofore is being planned. This will include new advertising material of every description, new posters, lobby photos and displays. 

"'Tillie's Punctured Romance' is one of the pictures which serves as sort of a high watermark in box office receipts by which others are measured. 'As big a winner as 'Tillie'' or 'as good as 'Tillie,'' are expressions of motion picture exchange men and exhibitors. Seldom does the independent market get unusual money makers, and when they do, they are not soon forgotten. 

"A special exploitation and press sheet is now being prepared for 'Tillie,' containing copies of newspaper cuts, special advertisements, press stories, catch phrases, exploitation ideas, suggestions and special 'stunts.' Every aid that can be given to the exhibitor to put this picture over as provided."

 

Moving Picture World, 1920

The movie was so popular that it spawned three sequels Tillie's Tomato Surprise (1915), Tillie Wakes Up (1917), and The Scrub Lady (1917), all of which featured Dressler reprising her role. The film would also be remade in 1928 with the same title. That remake would star Louise Fazenda, W.C. Feilds and Chester Conklin. Unfortunately, that remake is considered lost. 

You can watch this movie on YouTube below. 

Resources Used

The Chaplin Encyclopedia by Glenn Mitchell.  

A-Z of Silent Film Comedy by Glenn Mitchell

Chase! A Tribute to the Keystone Cops edited by Lon and Debra Davis

https://silentlocations.com/2012/12/27/front-and-back-cameos-100-years-of-a-hollywood-landmark/

IBDB | The Official Source For Broadway Information

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

Silent Film of the Month: What Women Did for Me (1927)

 

Run Time: 20 minutes. Studio: Hal Roach Studios. Director: James Parrott. Titles: Reed Heustis.  Producer: Hal Roach. Main Cast: Charley Chase, Lupe Velez, Eric Mayne, May Wallace, Gale Henry. Cinematographer: Len Powers. Editor: Richard C. Currier.

Though never achieving the same popularity as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd or Laurel and Hardy, Charley Chase is a fan favorite among many classic comedy lovers. Though his talkies are often delightful comedic treats, I often times find Charley's silent films to be his best work (I am also a fan of the Three Stooges shorts he would direct later). Some of his silent films are true comedy classics that deserve the same masterpiece status as the work of the best silent comedians. I have written about some of my favorite of his silent shorts on this blog before and this month I would like to call attention to another. What Women Did for Me is a classic that deserves to be better known. 

In this short film, a botany professor, who is terrified of women finds himself teaching at an all-girls college. This proves to be too much for him to handle and when he decides to take a little getaway, his female students follow him. 

This is a true comedy classic and one of my favorite Charley Chase shorts. The film moves at a fast pace and offers gag after gag. There is not a single gag that falls flat here and the comedic energy makes it a joy to watch. What also helps is that the gags build upon each other. There is a real structure to each gag that makes each one funnier than the last. This type of structure is one of the hardest things for filmmakers to do when making a comedy. However here it feels so natural and easy. Charley is great in the main role, perfectly getting over the sense of being terrified of women without making the reactions too over the top to be believable. His female co-stars however often steal the show, getting just as many laughs, if not more, than Charley himself. In most comedies these young women would just be pretty faces, while the comedy is left to the male star. Yet each of these young women were very talented comedians in their own right. However, what makes this film a must watch is the ending. True to the format of making each gag funnier than the last, this ending is laugh out loud funny and truly brilliant in how it subverts our expatiations. 

One reason this film will stand out to current movie buffs is that it features one of the earliest film appearances by Lupe Velez. Sadly, for many Velez's life and career have been overshadowed by her tragic death. She was found dead on the toilet after having an overdose with a suicide note nearby. Many believe that she killed herself because she was about to have a child out of wedlock. However, her movie career is well worth remembering. She appeared in such classic films as The Gaucho (1927), Where East Is East (1929), The Squaw Man (1931), Palooka (1934) and Stardust (1937). In the 1940's she starred in the very popular B-movie series of Mexican Spitfire films. These films work almost solely because of her larger-than-life personality and charisma. Comedy lovers may also know her for playing against Laurel and Hardy in a delightful scene in the movie Hollywood Party (1934).

Gale Henry, though forgotten today had quite a comedy career herself. She was the first woman to headline a series of short comedies. She spent much of the 1910's starring in comedies by independent producer Pat Powers and Universal's Joker comedies. In early 1915 she co-starred (with Max Asher) in a series of 11 one-reelers for Pat Powers entitled Lady Baffles and Detective Duck. By the mid-1920's she was mostly working in supporting roles for comedies starring other comedians. These films include the Charley Chase short, Mighty Like a Moose (1926) and the Laurel and Hardy comedy, Love 'em and Weep (1927).

Director James Parrott was the brother of Charley Chase. As well as his directing career he had starred in 75 silent short comedies (as well as supporting Harold Lloyd in some films) for Hal Roach Studios (for which this film was made). In some of these films he was credited as Paul Parrott and some of these shorts have been mistakenly identified as early credits for Charley Chase. However, he had success behind the camera. He began directing in 1924 and would direct 89 films from 1924 to 1935. He is probably best known today for the Laurel and Hardy shorts he directed. Those include some of the duo's best films including Two Tars (1928), Habeas Corpus (1928), Blotto (1930), Pardon Us (1931), Helpmates (1932) and the comedy team's most famous film, The Music Box (1932) (you know the one where they push the piano up the flight of stairs). Outside of Hal Roach Studios, he also worked as an uncredited writer on a true comedy classic, Duck Soup (1933) with the Marx Brothers. Born on August 2, 1897, in Baltimore, Maryland, James passed away at the age of 42 on May 10, 1939. His death was reported as a heart attack. 

Motion Picture News, 1927

 

Two more Hal Roach regulars who worked on this film were cinematographer Len Powers and editor Richard C. Currier.

 Len Powers was born on December 12, 1892, in Rodney Iowa. Before his time in the movies, Powers had been a professional boxer. He began his film career in 1914 at the Reliance studios. Two pre-Roach credits for Powers included Blue Blood and Red (1916) directed by Raoul Walsh and Headin' South (1918) starring Douglas Fairbanks and directed by Allan Dawn. The first film he worked on for the Hal Roach Studio was the Our Gang (AKA Little Rascals) short, Young Sherlocks (1922). As well as working as a cameraman, Powers also directed or co-directed 14 of Roach's Dippy Doo-Dad shorts. These live action shorts featured animals in human type roles. Because of this, he was assigned to film the rooster that crows in the Pathe logo. After his time with Roach, he would work at Universal in the early 1940's. By the end of the 1940's he would be a camera operator on Johnny Mack Brown B-westerns. His last known credit is for shooting stills for the Best Picture winner, Around the World in Eighty Days (1956). He passed away on January 25, 1965, from a heart attack.  

Richard Currier was born on August 26, 1892, in Denver, Colorado. He began editing films in 1911 for the Selig Company. He started working for Hal Roach around 1921 under Thomas J. Crizer, head of the studio's editorial department. Crizer left in 1925 and Currier was promoted to the new head of the editorial department. Currier received sole editorial credit for on every Hal Roach film from then until mid-1933. However, he was the first to acknowledge that his role was more as a supervisor than anything else. Later in the 1930's he would work at Paramount on films featuring W.C. Feilds as well as Burns and Allen. He would go on to work on such TV shows as The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok and The Whistler. He would run his own Hollywood editorial service until his retirement. He died on December 14, 1984 at the ripe old age of 92. 

Motion Picture News, 1925

You can watch this film below on YouTube in quite poor picture quality. To see it in better quality get the Blu-ray set Charley Chase at Hal Roach: The Late Silents: 1927. You won't regret it. 

Resources Used

Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies by Randy Skredvedt

A-Z of Silent Film Comedy by Glen Mitchell

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

Silent Film of the Month: The Sheriff's Baby (1913)

 

Run Time: 17 minutes. Studio: Biograph. Director: D.W. Grifith. Writer: Edward Bell. Cast: Alfred Paget, Herny B. Walthall, Harry Carey, Lionel Barrymore, John T. Dillion, Kate Bruce, Bobby Harron. Cinematographer: Billy Blitzer.

Though D.W. Griffith is often best known for his epics like Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), which were massive in both scale and length, I often think that the director's best work is the short films that he made for Biograph. 

In this short western film, three outlaws are escaping from a posse by heading into the desert. Here they run across a baby who is about to be eaten by a mountain lion. They rescue the baby and protect it as they continue to travel through the desert. 

This film shows Griffith and his team at the height of their filmmaking powers. For a short film, there is a lot of story fit into the runtime. However, The Sheriff's Baby never feels rushed and is never difficult to follow. Rather it is gripping for start to finish. The ending is actually quite moving as the buildup to it is perfect. The technical aspects are top notch here. The use of cutting between scenes is quite impressive for its time and holds up perfectly today. Griffith's films are course greatly remembered today for their pioneering use of cross-cutting and this is a great example of why. The cutting between the posse and the outlaws early on, creates some action scenes that still exciting today. Yet this excellent technical filmmaking is never there simply to show off. Rather every aspect of the technical filmmaking is in compete service to the story. Causal viewers may not notice or think about the great use of crosscutting here, but they will definitely feel it. A cast of Griffith regulars are also at the top of their game here. There is very little of the type of overacting that one might associate with films of the early 1910's. This is a too often overlooked gem in Griffith's filmography.       

Movie lovers will easily recognize similarities between this film and the story Three Godfathers. Three Godfathers had five official movie adaptions (the most famous being the John Ford/John Wayne 1948 adaption). This story was written by prolific author Peter B. Kyne had first appeared as a short story in The Saturday Evening Post in November of 1912. In 1913 the story would be turned into a novel. Though records from Biograph report that The Sheriff's Baby has an original story by Edward Bell (he received payment for his story on December 16, 1912), the similarities are too clear to ignore. It is definitely plausible that The Saturday Evening Post version was at least an inspiration for this film. 

For anyone who wishes to watch this delightful film, it is available as a bonus feature on the Film Preservation Society's Blu-ray set for the William S. Hart feature film, Wolf Lowry (1917). 

Resources Used

Wolf Lowry Blu-ray liner notes by Tracey Goessel

https://www.jbkaufman.com/movie-of-the-month/sheriffs-baby-1913

Silent Film of the Month: Sugar Daddies (1927)

 

Run Time: 20 minutes. Studio: Hal Roach Studios. Director: Fred Guiol. Supervising Director: Leo McCarey. Titles: H.M. Walker.  Producer: Hal Roach. Main Cast: James Finlayson, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Noah Young, Charlotte Mineau, Edna Marion. Cinematographer: George Stevens. Editor: Richard C. Currier.

For the current Laurel and Hardy fan, it can be strange to rewatch some of the duo's first year as a pair. There are films where the characters and their relationship with each other is nearly what it would become later. Then these films would be followed by a film like Sugar Daddies, where the two are in the same picture but don't really function as a team. In fact, in this short Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy play supporting roles to the film's true star James Finlayson. Historian Randy Skretvedt would write in his essential book, Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies, "...Sugar Daddies doesn't build upon the teamwork which Stan and Babe [Oliver Hardy's nickname] showed in Do Detectives Think? While this is a pleasant film, there's little 'Laurel and Hardy' comedy in it. If other people at the Roach lot [they were working for Hal Roach Studios] noticed their potential as a team by now, Stan and Babe themselves seemed blissfully unaware of it. Stan portrays roughly the same character he played in his films of 1918, and he's no funnier here. And he's aggressively stupid which isn't nearly as endearing as being placidly dumb." 

In this film, a wealthy oil magnet (James Finlayson) wakes up after a wild night to discover that he is now married. His new wife (Charlotte Mineau) is the least of his troubles. His wife's greedy daughter (Edna Marion) and son (Noah Young) are planning to blackmail the rich man for all he has got. The magnet turns to his lawyer (Stan Laurel) and butler (Oliver Hardy) for help. This all leads to a slapstick chase through an amusement park.  

This is a very fun comedy. There are plenty of great little sight gags here. I love the opening gag with the fake pulsating top on James Finlayson's head. The gag with Stan's typewriter also always cracks me up. Though Stan and Ollie don't really function as a team here, they have a good bit of business together as Ollie tries to take Stan's hat. The highlight of the film though is the chase through the amusement park. This chase is incredibly well shot and a delight to look at. It is also full of wonderfully creative slapstick gags. For those who watch silent movies to catch glimpse of a time they weren't alive during these scenes give a delightful look into what amusement parks were like nearly 100 years ago. H.M. Walker's intertitles are delightfully clever and often as funny as the action itself. Besides just Stan and Babe, the whole cast is perfect in their roles, and each member adds to the fun. Though this may not be typical Laurel and Hardy, if you get a chance to watch this in a theater setting with a full audience, you will find that it is still able to make audiences laugh out loud today.  

While this was not the first Laurel and Hardy film for Hal Roach Studios, it was the first to be distributed by MGM. Though the distribution agreement began in January 1926 and was paid off that March, Hal Roach was still making films to be distributed by Pathe Exchange. This short was released on September 10, 1927, making it one of the first films from the studio to be distributed by MGM. Newspaper articles quoted Hal as stating, "In affiliating with MGM, I am undertaking a policy of expansion that will thrust all precedent aside, creating a short subject product that will in every way be worthy of the high standard set by this organization and providing a feather to make the famous MGM lion a laughing animal." 

Motion Picture News, 1929

The script for this film only amounted to two pages. Many of the slapstick bits of business receive little to no detail. The intention probably being to have the comedians or others on the set to improvise bits of business themselves. Some scenes like the scene in Stan's office or Stan arriving at the doorstep aren't even mentioned in the script. If this is the case, writers at the Hal Roach Studio caught on quickly to how gifted the two comedians were at improvising as this was very early in the pair's teaming and earlier scripts were much longer. For instance, Duck Soup (1927) had a 19-page script, Slipping Wives (1927) had a script that lasted 17 pages. Besides the very vague descriptions of comedic bits, the biggest difference from script to screen is that Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's roles would be switched. In the script Stan has a line of dialogue that would greatly resemble one of the main catchphrases for the comedy team. Stan would tell Ollie, "A fine mess you've made of things." The reversal of roles for the comedy team was not the only casting change between script and screen. The script suggests that the wife would played by actress Key Deslys, but in the film the character is played by Charolette Mineau. The script also suggested that the brother would be played by a "type like David Butler." David Butler was an actor at this time but would go on to a greater career as a director. He directed Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in Road to Morrocco (1942) and many episodes of the beloved TV series Leave it to Beaver with many other film and TV credits to his name. However, in the actual film the role would be played by Noah Young, a character actor best known for playing bullies in various comedies. Harold Lloyd fans will certainly be familiar with Noah Young.  

The film was written in early to mid-May 1927. Filming began on Thursday May 26 and Friday May 27. The 28th through the 30th (the 30th was Memorial Day) were taken off from filming. Shoot resumed on Tuesday May 31 and finished on Friday June 3. The movie was copyrighted on Aug. 17, 1927. The production number was S-1. 

Like many Hal Roach comedies this film features some great location shooting. This location shooting was done heavily at the Long Beach Pike amusement park. This park was first built in 1902 and kept running through 1979. A good portion was shot at the park's Main Street. The dancing scenes were shot at the park's Majestic Ballroom (Randy Skredvedt pointed out in his essential book that a note attached to the script states, "Dance Hall: Use lobby as is, with more bunting and rail and turnstile. Make platform at foot of stairs, for orchestra.") The movie ends with shots that allow you to view the station for the Pacific Electric Red Car line. This line ran from Long Beach to Los Angeles. 

The cameraman for this film was George Stevens. At this time working as a cameraman for Hal Roach studios, Stevens would go on to become one of the greatest directors of Hollywood's golden age. His filmography includes such movies as Swing Time (1936), Gunga Din (1939), Penny Serenade (1941), Woman of the Year (1942), The More the Merrier (1943), Shane (1953), Giant (1956) and The Diary of Anne Frank (1959). For the Hal Roach studio, Stevens would later direct many entries in a series of short films known as The Boyfriends. Fans of old Hollywood comedy teams (which is probably anyone reading a blog post about a Laurel and Hardy film) might know that Stevens directed the team Wheeler and Woolsey in multiple movies. During WWII, he went overseas and headed a unit that filmed much real war footage. This included the liberation of Paris and the liberation of the Nazi extermination camp Dachau. What he saw had a massive effect on him.

This film's director Fred Guiol was a very prolific director for the Hal Roach Studio, directing many classic comedy shorts for the studio during the silent and early talkie era. After his time with Hal Roach, Guiol would direct Wheeler and Woolsey in the movies Silly Billies (1936) and Mummies Boys (1936). He would become a writer on some prestige movies. As a writer he would work on the George Stevens films The Nitwits (1935), Gunga Din, Vigil in the Night (1940) and Giant. 

To promote that the beloved studio was making its entrance into short subjects, MGM had a showing of these shorts for 60 writers for the motion picture trade press. This showing took place at the Embassy Theatre in New York City on August 4, 1927. Sugar Daddies was the first film shown on the program. That was followed by the travelogue An African Adventure made by the German Ufa studio. Then came another Hal Roach studios short The Sting of Stings starring Charley Chase. Another Ufa short Soaring Wings followed. Then came a Technicolor short starring Francis X. Bushman called The Flag. The showing ended with the Our Gang (or Little Rascals) short Yale Vs. Harvard. 

The following is from a 1927 issue of Movie Age Magazine. 

"Metro Goldwyn Mayer's short subject program sweeps into full swing with the release of one late August and six September short subjects.

"The late August release is that of 'An African Adventure,' the first of the series of twenty-five Oddities produced for MGM by UFA

"On September 3 the first Hal Roach - Charley Chase Comedy, 'The Sting of Stings' is released. 

"'Jewels of Venice' the second UFA Oddities release is scheduled for release September 10. 

"The first of the ten Hal Roach All-Star series, 'Sugar Daddies' is scheduled for September 10. The featured players in 'Sugar Daddies' are Stan Laurel, James Finlayson, Edna Marion and Oliver Hardy.

"'What Every Ice Man Knows' is the first of the series of ten dialect comedies starring Max Davidson which are also being produced by Hal Roach. Release date of this subject is September 17. 

"The third release of the twenty-five UFA Oddities, 'Soaring Wings,' will be released on September 24. 

"A second release, and the last of the month, is also scheduled for September 24. The title is 'Yale vs. Harvard,' the first of ten Hal Roach 'Our Gang' comedies for MGM."

The following is a review from The Film Daily (dated August 14, 1927). 

"This is Hal Roach's second two-reeler to be released under the MGM program. It is an average release. Too much rough and tumble business and not enough laughs is as good a way to sum it up as any. Stan Laurel is featured but his work calls for no special accommodation. Settings quite elaborate. The story ends with the efforts of a gold-digging wife to shake down Laurel for money The attempt to hold him long enough to extract the money provide the excuse for the chase and the picture." 

The following is a review from Moving Picture World (dated August 13, 1927).

"'Sugar Daddies' is a two-reel slapstick featuring Stan Laurel with Oliver Hardy, Jimmy Finlayson, and Edna Marion. An oil magnate marries an adventuress between cocktails and the next morning her tough brother seeks to enforce a $5000 blackmail. In endeavoring to escape there are developed a number of situations not too familiar. It is rough work but generally amusing."       

You can watch this film below. 

Resources Used

Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies by Randy Skretvedt

The Laurel and Hardy Movie Scripts: 20 Original Short Subject Screenplays (1926-1934) by Randy Skretvedt

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

 

    

Silent Film of the Month: White Fawn's Devotion (1910)

 

Run Time: 11 minutes. Studio: Pathé Frères. Director: James Young Deer. Writers: James Young Deer.  Main Cast: Lucille Young

Despite being little remembered today, White Fawn's Devotion has a significant historical importance as the first known film directed and written by a Native American and starring a mostly Native American cast.   

This short borrows much of its story elements from the 1905 stage melodrama, The Squaw Man (which would be adapted for the screen multiple times by Cecil B. DeMille). In this film a young girl is the child of a white man and a Native American Woman. When her father inherits a fortune out East, the mother believes that he is going to leave her. She then attempts suicide. The daughter walks in and thinks that her father has killed her mother. She tells the tribe about this, and they come after the father to kill him. 

This is more than a simply historic curio. It is a solid melodrama that still holds up pretty well today. Though it may not have the advanced technical filmmaking you might see in a D.W. Griffith Biograph short, it manages to tell a concise and easy to follow story in only 10 minutes with very few intertitles. A lot happens in this short little movie, but it never once loses its audience. More than this the story is quite engaging and the action scenes (while simple and straightforward) are pretty exciting.   

  Pathé had made a series of westerns in Europe, however they were often criticized for their European, especially in the clothing. The response to this was to create something more authentic by hiring a Native American director and shooting in the U.S. (though it was still filmed in the East). The director and writer would be James Young Deer. Born in Nebraska of Winnebago ancestry, Deer had quite a career. He started had toured with Wild West shows and circuses. He would eventually land a career appearing in movie westerns, sometimes alongside his wife Lillian St. Cyr (who sometimes used the stage name Princess Redwing). As well as starring in films, Deer would also write for them. Despite how little known he is even among cinephiles, he is believed to have directed approximately 120 films between 1910 and 1913. Sadly, he was never credited for any of these films. 

   The interracial marriage was quite daring for its time. What is more incredible is the ending. I usually wouldn't discuss spoilers on this blog but since the last few feet of film are missing, I feel that it is important to do here. Still if any of you haven't seen the film, I recommend watching it before reading further. The girl's mother has attempted suicide but only wounded herself. Luckily it is found out that she is actually alive just before the tribe can kill the father. This is where the film now ends. Luckily Pathé publicity tells us what happens after this. "The Combs take their departure and return to their home, for he feels he will be happier with his family on than if he goes out East to claim his legacy." This type of happily ever after ending for an interracial couple was unheard of in fiction at this time, making this quite remarkable. 

When in a later film (which is unfortunately lost today) called Red Deer's Devotion (1911), Deer switched the sexes of the interracial couple, this was met with much criticism. Moving Picture World wrote, "Another feature of this film would not please a good many. It represents a white girl and an Indian falling in love with each other. While such a thing is possible, and undoubtedly has been done many times, there is still a feeling of disgust which cannot be overcome when this sort of thing is depicted as plainly as it is here." 

James Young Deer was not the only American filmmaker making films about Native Americans. In fact, from 1908 to 1912 there were a slew of pictures about Native Americans. Unfortunately, by 1913 Moving Picture World stated, "Indian dramas ... are played out." They were not alone in this sentiment. Film Companies were now hanging signs stating, "No Indians Wanted." Sadly, this meant that James Young Deer's movie career was coming to an end.    

For anyone interested in watching this film, you can do so below. 

Resources Used

Liner notes for the DVD box set, Treasures from American Film Archives by Scott Simmon

   

Silent Film of the Month: A Roman Scandal (1919)

 

Run Time: 24 minutes. Studio: Christie Film Company. Director: Al Christie. Writers: Scott Darling, Frank Roland Conklin. Producer: Al Christie. Main Cast: Colleen Moore, Earle Rodney, Eddie Barry,

Billy Bletcher, Ward Caulfield. Cinematographer: Anton Nagy. 

Most silent comedy fans know the work of the Keystone (or Mack Sennett) and Hal Roach comedy studios very well. However other comedy studios of the era tend to go quite overlooked. One such studio is the Christie Film Company. This is a shame as many of their comedies are still delightful today. Case in point is our Silent Film of the Month, A Roman Scandal.  

In this film Mary (Colleen Moore) refuses to get married until she makes it in show business, which upsets her fiancée Jack (Earle Rodney). When a nearby stage company goes on strike, Mary volunteers herself and her fiancée to fill in for some of the roles. However, the two end up causing more trouble than help.

This is a truly delightful comedy. Certain story points may have dated. For instance, if this were made today, there is no reason why Mary couldn't have both gotten married and pursued a stage career. Despite this the humor has not dated at all. This is still a very funny movie. The play, even before Mary and Jack get ahold of it is hilarious in its cheapness and ineptitude. It is even more funny thanks to Mary's reaction to the play. Her being as enamored of this play as if it was a great masterpiece is very funny. When Mary and Jack get ahold of the play, it becomes even more hilariously inept. The scene with the fake bull will never cease to crack me up. With delightful gag after delightful gag, a fast pace and the charms of its stars, this is a winner in every area.   

Al Christie (this film's director and producer) was born on November 23, 1886, in London, Ontario, Canada (legendary comedy producer Mack Sennett was also born in Canada). Al Christie had worked as a stage manager and director for Liebler and Company. During a summer lay-off he began his movie career in 1909 as a director for the Nestor Film Company. It wouldn't be long until his career was tied to comedy. In 1911, he went to direct a series of comedies based off Bud Duncan's Mutt and Jeff comic strip that starred, Bud Duncan. In 1912 he moved to the studio's new California facility to direct a series of shorts known as Wild West Weekly. On this series he worked with such comedy stars as Eddie Lyons, Lee Moran, Victoria Forde, Betty Compson, Stella Adams, Billie Rhodes and Neal Burns. By January 1916 along with his brother Charles Christie, he began to produce his own comedies under the Nestor name. Later that same year he established his own studio. This studio would become one the three most popular comedy studios at the time along with Mack Sennett (or Keystone) and Hal Roach. Unlike those other studios the Christie Film Company would often rely more on situational humor than outright slapstick. The films also tended to focus more on younger stars. A 1917 trade ad stated, "Christie Comedies are Comedies of Youth!" In this ad "Youth" was spelled all in capital letters and had images of the studio's stars appearing within the word. The films also tended to have a greater focus on female characters having them play a direct part in the comedic action. This brings us to the star of this film, Colleen Moore. 

Colleen Moore was born as Kathleen Morrison on August 19, 1899, in Port Huron, Michigan. Her first screen test was made at Essanay and came about because the famous film director D.W. Griffith owed her uncle, Walter Howey (managing editor of the Chicago American) a favor. However, the test went well, and she made her film debut in the feature length crime drama The Bad Boy (1917). Though some false publicity claimed she was an extra in D.W. Griffit and h's movie Intolerance (1916), this statement has been proven to be erroneous. With her gift for comedy, it was decided that she would benefit from working with a studio that specialized in comedy. Colleen would state in her 1968 memoir, Silent Star, that her grandmother disapproved of the rowdy Sennett comedies and that is why she signed up with Christie. For Christie she would make two short comedies (this one and Her Bridal Night-Mare (1920)) and two features (So Long Letty (1920) and His Nibs (1921)). Both the short comedies are still available to watch, while the two features are considered lost. 

Scott Darling, a writer on this film was born on May 28, 1898. During the silent era he had written many short comedies for both the Kalem studio and Christie Film Co. as well as having directed 27 movies for Universal. However, he is best remembered today for his work in talkies. During the talkie era he wrote scripts for such movies as The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1943) and Laurel and Hardy's films for the Fox Studio. 

Exhibitor's Herald, 1919

Motion Picture News, 1920

The following is from an issue of The Moving Picture World dated, February 20, 1920.

"Starting the New Year right, the Plaza, San Fransico, Calif., comes out with a page for its New Year attractions and gives rather more than half a space to a Christie comedy, 'A Roman Scandal.' This is going to be a great year for comedy and live managers realizing this, are starting in to make the most of their comedy material.

"There has never been a time when comedies could not sell some tickets the feature could not reach, but the demand now is for more and more for comedy and the wise manager caters to this demand by giving more space to his small stuff. More than once the comedy has topped the five reel feature on the general proposition that the feature can take care of itself, and in every instance the additional space has paid. This full page is exceptional, but it is by no means an isolated instance."    


If you wish to watch this delightful film, you can do so below.




    

Resources Used

A-Z of Silent Film Comedy by Glen Mitchell

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Silent Film of the Month: Sally of the Sawdust (1925)

 

Run Time:  104 minutes. Studio: D.W. Griffith Productions. Director: D.W. Griffith. Writer: Forrest Halsey. Based on a play by Dorothy Donnelly. Producer: D.W. Griffith. Main Cast: Carol Dempster, W.C. Fields, Alfred Lunt, Erville Alderson. Cinematographers: Harry Fischbeck, Harold S. Sintzenich. Editor: James Smith. Art Director: Charles M. Kirk. 

Two names you may not except to see on the same movie are D.W. Griffith and W.C. Feilds. D.W. Griffith is best known for such dramatic epics as Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916). However, most of his films are smaller intimate dramas. Those who have read or heard stories about Griffith's relationship with legendary comedy filmmaker Mack Sennett are aware that Griffith is not exactly known for his sense of humor or his understanding of film comedy. W.C. Feilds on the other hand is one of the most popular and beloved comedians of Hollywood's golden age. He would star in some of the most outrageous and wildest comedies of the 1930's and 40's. However, Griffith directed Feilds in two feature length silent movies, Sally of the Sawdust and That Royle Girl (1925). That Royle Girl is unfortunately a lost film, but Sally of the Sawdust is a delightful collaboration between two film giants. 

In this film, Judge Foster (Erville Alderson) casts his daughter out of the family because she married a circus. Much later before the daughter's death, she leaves her own small daughter, Sally (Carol Dempster), with her juggler friend McGargle (W. C. Fields). McGargle gets a job at a carnival company playing at Great Medows, where the Fosters live. As she grows up Peyton (Alfred Lunt), a friend of Foster falls in love with Sally. 

This is a great movie that deserves much more attention than it gets. What really makes this film work is how well it balances melodrama and comedy. The story itself is quite melodramatic, yet it does often work in some bits of Feilds-ian humor. Yet every bit of comedy here is perfectly worked into the story and plays a role in moving the story forward. There is never once simply comedy for the sake of comedy, and it never interrupts the flow of the more dramatic storyline. More than this, it is often times quite funny.

  The storyline may be melodramatic, but it works quite well. The relationship between Sally and her adoptive father is quite touching. This makes us care deeply about what happens to these characters. Because of this no matter how melodramatic the store gets; it feels real to us and can even tug on our heartstrings.  

Professor McGargle is a perfect role for W.C. Fields. This type of lovable conman is the kind of character that Feilds would play later in his career. There is a Dickensian quality to this character with his unsophisticated and unpretentious charm along with his loving heart. It is hard not to love this character, yet at the same time, the character perfectly allows for the type of comedy Feilds is best known for. Feilds is not the only standout from the cast though. Carol Dempster is fantastic here. She is simply magnetic, especially when she shares a performing stage with her adoptive father.  

The climax is a perfect mixture of Griffith and Feilds' styles. It is in many ways a typical Griffith chase to the rescue climax with all the suspense and excitement that one might expect. At the same time some great bits of slapstick humor are worked into it. Both the suspense and the comedy work together perfectly. 

When making this film, Griffith was going through a change of pace with his career. Who had once been one of the most prestigious film directors had now found himself working as a contract director. On Tuesday June 10, 1924, Griffith (due to financial difficulties) began a contract with Famous Players-Lasky (the producing arm of Paramount Pictures). This contract required Griffith to make three films for the studio, while the studio would give a $250,000 loan for Griffith's company. 

On the other hand, W. C. Feild's career was on the upswing. On Monday, September 3, 1923, Dorthy Donnelly's musical comedy play, Poppy premiered on Broadway. It opened at the Apollo Theatre with Madge Kennedy as Poppy and W.C. Feilds as McGargle. Also in the cast was Robert Woosley, later of the comedy team Wheeler and Woosley. The play was a massive hit providing Feilds with the biggest hit of his career at the time. The play would have a very long run with Feilds as the main character. 

In early 1925, Famous Players-Lasky brought the screen rights for Poppy for $15,000. The studio soon decided to make the film version of the popular play, one of the three that Griffith would make for the studio. Griffith would later claim that this was the only of the three films he made for the studio (the others being That Royle Girl and The Sorrows of Satan (1926)), that he actually wanted to make. 

The film began shooting on Monday March 9. That morning was spent with lighting test and rehearsals and that after the prologue with Poppy's mother being turned out of her home for marrying a circus man were shot. On Tuesday March 10, these scenes were finished and a scene in a bedroom set involving actress Elfie Shannon were filmed. On Wednesday March 11, Feilds films his first scene, where his character adopts Sally, was filmed in the morning. The scene was wrapped up in time for Feilds to appear in a matinee performance of the Ziegfield Follies at the New Amsterdam Theatre. That night a giant circus tent is put up. On Thursday March 12, crowd scenes were shot around that circus tent. 200 extras were signed for that day. On Friday March 13 scenes involving a lion tamer, Carol Dempster (on her first day of shooting) and Feilds performing his famous juggling act (for the first time in front of a camera). Saturday March 14 including shooting close-ups of Carol Dempster and her act with Feilds (again Feilds' scenes needed to be shot early enough that he could appear on stage the same day), close-ups of Glenn Anders (the acrobat) and the scenes with Carol Dempster and the elephant. On Sunday March 15 W.C. Feilds shot a fight scene and his shell game (another famous Feilds sketch). On Monday March 16 and Tuesday March 17, scenes were shot in Carol Dempster's tent. On Wednesday March 18, Thursday March 19 and Friday March 20, the bootleggers scene was shot. On Saturday March 21 and Sunday March 22 the bakery scenes were shot. On Monday March 23 scenes in the judge's home were shot. On Wednesday March 25 and Thursday March 26 the ball scenes were shot. From Friday March 27 to Sunday March 29 scenes were shot in the Foster home. From Monday March 30 through Thursday April 9, carnival scenes were shot. From Friday April 10 to Monday April 13 the courtroom scenes were shot. Tuesday April 14 through Friday April 17 retakes and location shots were filmed.  

Exhibitor's Trade Review, 1925

Exhibitors Hearld, 1925

Moving Picture World, 1925

A review in The Moving Picture World stated, "In a word, Mr. Griffith has produced in 'Sally of the Sawdust' a picture that is filled with sure-fire stuff that will thoroughly entertain the majority. It has an abundance of rattling good comedy, pathos, drama, sympathy and suspense and should prove a big box office attraction." 

The following review comes from an issue of The Moving Picture World dated June 27, 1925. 

"Through the kindness of one of our dependable scouts, we are privileged to hand you a tip that will silence somewhat, the cry that our tips are not up to date enough. Needn't say anymore just read it!

"'Dear Van, 

"'Just finished preview showing of D.W. Griffith's newest production of 'Sally of the Sawdust'; despite terrific heat, we played to capacity, which alone is great tribute to Mr. Griffith and his splendid production. 

"'The featured roles are played by Carol Dempster and W.C. Feilds, the Ziegfield Follies comic.

"'In other reports I have claimed Miss Dempster as a comer; in 'Sally of the Sawdust' I claim she has arrived. Her portrayal as Sally will go down in screen history as one of the finest bits of acting ever done upon the screen. In W.C. Feilds, Mr. Griffith has brought to the screen a new star, who, in the role of McGargle is a 'wow.' The juvenile lead is played by Arthur Lunt; other fine character bits were played by Glen Anders, Elfie Shannon and Ervillie Alderson. 

"'In this production Mr. Griffith has placed some of the most delightful scenes ever shown upon the screen. The scenes get hold of the audience, and it cries and laughs just as Mr. Griffith has willed. [Spoiler Alert] When the girl is reunited with her grandmother one reaches for a handkerchief with the same rapidity as in the old days of 'East Lynn.' [End Spoiler Alert] When Feilds as McGargle begins his idiosyncrasies, roars of laughter greet his antics, and when [Spoiler Alert] he walks off lonesome at the end, you feel a cheerful friend has gone out of your life. [End Spoiler Alert]

"'I predict 'Sally of the Sawdust' will be one of the coming season's outstanding hits.' - Al Hamiliton, Rialto Theatre, So. Norwalk, Connecticut."
  
If you are interested in watching this great movie, you can watch a YouTube version below.

Resources Used

Kaufman at the Movies: Articles & Essays 1987–2021, Volume 2 by J.B. Kaufman

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

https://www.imdb.com/

Silent Film of the Month: The Christmas Dream (1900)

Run Time:  4 minutes. Studio: Star-Film. Director: Georges Méliès. Main Cast: Georges Méliès. Original Title: Rêve de Noël. 

It should not come as a surprise that French filmmaker, Georges Méliès should have directed one of the earliest Christmas films. Georges Méliès was one of the early masters of fantasy films and magic played a major role in most of his films. With how fantasy and magic fit perfectly with the Christmas season, this a match made in heaven.

In this film, on Christmas Eve a woman tucks two little kids into bed and reads to them. A couple set pieces of Christmas go through the children's heads. The first involves a land of toys that come to life and dance. The second involves a church at wintertime. After these wonderful dreams, the kids awake on Christmas morning and rush downstairs to see a big Christmas tree with presents underneath. 

With a runtime of 4 minutes, naturally the storyline is very simple. Yet this is the real charm of this movie. In this short runtime, the film perfectly captures what it is like to be a kid at Christmas time. As a child there is nothing like going to bed on Christmas Eve and waking up Christmas morning. Like many of you, my mind would run wild as I went to bed on Christmas Eve night. I was excitingly thinking about the magic that Christmas brings. Then waking up Christmas morning was simply the greatest feeling in the world. To frame these imaginative set pieces with going to sleep on Christmas Eve and waking up on Christmas morning makes it feel all the more magical as it brings us back to our own childhoods. 

The set pieces themselves are fantastic. The set and backdrop for the Toyland scene is fantastic. It looks like a world that would come straight from a child's imagination. The church at wintertime gives a very peaceful and serene feel.

The visual filmmaking is very sophisticated for its time and even for today it looks great. This movie has many perfect uses of cross-dissolves, a filmmaking technique that would have felt new and fresh to audiences at the time. Such an effect was not easy to achieve at the turn of the century. Historian J.B. Kaufman (on his wonderful website) described how this was done. "This means that all of this picture would have been photographed on one continuous strip of film and must have called for meticulous preplanning. Once the first scenes had been photographed and the first dissolves were in place, there was no turning back. Méliès and company would have exactly one chance to film each scene in this little pageant, and if any mistakes occurred, retakes were not an option. That shoe at center stage, far from indicating a careless or slipshod filmmaker, is actually a testament to the pains Méliès took in crafting this and his other films."

If you want to watch this delightful film, you can do so below. 

This is a very underrated Christmas time treat. 


Resources Used

https://www.jbkaufman.com/movie-of-the-month/r%C3%AAve-de-no%C3%ABl-1900