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. 

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #95

 Hello my friends Happy Saturday Morning and Happy Halloween. Yep that means it is time for some spooky themed cartoons. 

Let's start today's cartoon watching by attending Betty Boop's Halloween Party (1933). This is pure pre-code Betty at her best with fast paced action, bizarre cartoony gags, an energetic music score and a heck of a lot of charm. The following are two exhibitors' reviews from the Motion Picture Herald. "BETTY BOOP'S HALLOWEEN PARTY: Betty Boop Cartoons—Good cartocn and sound. It's just a toss-up which is the best cartoon, "Mickey Mouse," "Betty Boop" or "Popeye the Sailor," with "Popeye" slightly in the lead.—S. H. Rich, Rich Theatre, Montpelier, Idaho, Town and Rural Patronage." "BETTY BOOP'S HALLOWEEN PARTY: Talkar- toons—Better than the average Betty Boop. Good short for any program. - H. E. Newberry, Y.M.C.A. Theatre, Ware Shores, S.C. Small Town Patronage."

Next comes a Halloween adventure with Popeye the Sailor with the very enjoyable later Famous Studio outing, Fright to the Finish (1954). Many cartoons fans understandably dismiss the 1950's Popeye cartoons. I can't argue that they aren't as good as the sailor's 1930's and 40's output, but despite this I enjoy them on their own merits and this is one I especially like. 

Next comes the delightful TV special, Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985). Unlike the Garfield and Friends TV series, these specials featured Jim Davis (creator and writer of the comic strip) as the credited writer. One thing these specials and the TV series did so extremely well was the voices. These voices have become as much a part of these characters as anything else and I find it hard to read the comic strip without hearing the dialogue in the voices of Lorenzo Music (Garfield) and Thom Huge (Jon). I love that this special has a very well handled creepy vibe that gives it just the right amount of atmosphere, while not making it actually scary. Even as a kid I noticed that the Garfield TV specials had an edge to them that was absent from most other versions of Garfield and that made me love them all the more. 

Of course a Halloween tradition for cartoon fans is the Treehouse of Horror episodes of The Simpsons. Here is a delightful segment from the very first Treehouse of Horror.

Next comes a Halloween masterpiece with Disney's Trick or Treat (1952). If you are interested in the history of this short, Film Historian (and huge influnce on me) J.B. Kaufman wrote this great article.

As promised here is the next episode of Ruff and Reddy, to find out what happens to our heroes next come back next week for more animated goodness. 

-Michael J. Ruhland 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: The Headless Horseman of Halloween (1976)

 

One of the most memorable and best episode's of The Scooby-Doo! Show.

Scooby-Doo! and Halloween are a natural match and so having an episode taking place at a Halloween party itself is a great idea. Setting this party in a big mansion is also perfect as this not only is a huge environment for the story and a place where gag ideas flow freely, but there is also something inherently creepy about a mansion. The scenes outside the mansion are also perfectly designed for spooky fun with the excellent use of fog and the emptiness of the outside contrasted with the crowded party inside step up the spookiness perfectly. The Headless Horseman is one of the series' most memorable villains. With a great design a creepy voice and a threatening presence this baddie stays in one's mind the same way that the Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? villains do. This to me should be as iconic of a Scooby villain as any of those from the first series are. 

This may be strange to state but honestly if we are to judge by the comedy alone, I think The Scooby-Doo! Show is funnier than Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? Only The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo! and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo! compete with this series in terms of how funny it is. This episode has quite a few good laughs. Shaggy is at his best here and him showing the Headless Horseman how his head is made from bad material is one of his funniest moments. Scooby-Dum is my favorite of Scooby's family members and this episode shows why. His naiveté mixed with his eagerness to please make for a lot of funny moments. This episode has an espically good moment, when Scooby-Dum sees his brother and Shaggy faint and even though Scooby-Dum isn't scared, he decides if his companions are fainting he probably should too. Scooby-Dum is the simply dumb comedy character he could have been and instead of coming from stupidity comes from the fact that he is as eager so eager to help and his eagerness makes him act before he thinks about or understands the situation. He like Gracie Allen simply understands things he hears in a way that is completely different from how anyone else would and what he does always makes perfect sense in his own warped logic. This is funnier and more enduring than a character who is simply stupid. 

This episode is Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. game at their best and perfect to watch on Halloween night. 

  

Video: Brand New Animated Music Video - Bing Crosby's White Christmas.

 

Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who: One Minute Mysteries (2020)

 

Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who has so far been a very hit and miss show with some episodes being fantastic and others coming off as bland and uninspired. One Minute Mysteries is by far my favorite episode of the series so far. 

The Flash is one of my favorite superheroes and this episode perfectly shows why. I often like my super-heroics on the lighthearted fun side and so I love the fact that the Flash has always been a fun loving character (who is the first to crack a joke and openly enjoys being a superhero) and one to never be dark and brooding. This also makes him the perfect character to team with Scooby-Doo! The idea of his secret identity being best eating buddies with Scooby and Shaggy is a fantastic one that is completely in character. The fact that he simply enjoys solving mysteries with the gang is also fantastic and I love that so many of the mysteries he solves are ones from the original Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? series. I also love the fact that he can solve these mysteries so quickly, when it took the Mystery Inc. Gang a whole half hour special to solve this before. This allows the episode to both parody and pay an affectionate homage to the franchise's past at the same time. Appropriate for an episode with The Flash, the jokes come fast and furious here with nearly every one hitting the bullseyes. 

This is all the lighthearted silly cartoony fun, one could want from this series. While not every episode of this new show works, if we can sometimes get an episode like this, I am very happy this series exists.

-Michael J. Ruhland  

Video: Karen O & Willie Nelson - "Under Pressure" (Official Audio)

 

Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness (2015)

 

A typically fun Scooby mystery that is elevated by its unusual environment. 

Though the Mystery Inc. Gang has met alien's before (both fake and real aliens), the gang space traveling here puts a delightful spin on it that gives this film a fresh feel. Sure them all getting to go on this adventure is far fetched, but this is a franchise with both humanized talking dogs and regular real life dogs co-existing, so I don't have a single problem with far fetched. The space resort is a fantastic environment for a Scooby movie. In a way it feels wonderful and magical but there is something dark and creepy about it that adds to the suspense and mystery. The mystery is definitely an above average one as there are enough suspects and clues for you to figure out the mystery yourself, but not enough to make it too easy. I was worried when I discovered that a rift between Daphne and Velma was going to be a part of this story. I thought that this could easily go wrong and give the movie a mean spirited feel. I was happily surprised to find that this was handled well. Part of this is that both of their reasons for being angry at the other make sense and are relatable. Velma feels insecure and Daphne just wants to be taken seriously. While the arguments get heated, the worst things they say are treated as character flaws and as something the two need to overcome. This lets the argument play out while still giving the film a lighthearted good nature feel. The side characters are very enjoyable. True some of them are mainly there for comedic purposes, but the jokes are funny. In fact there is quite a bit of good humor in this movie. There are even quite a few delightful movie references here.  The monster is perfect being creepy enough to cause real suspense without ever being actually scary.    

If I have a big problem with this movie that would be Fred. His intelligence and usefulness seem to fluctuate throughout the franchise. However this time they fluctuate throughout the movie with him either being stupid or smart depending on what the movie wants from him. Part of the plot is that he annoys the famous astronauts. Yet this is the weakest humor in the film and he annoyed me as well. 

While this may not be the best Scooby movie, it is highly enjoyable and recommended to fans of the franchise. 

-Michael J. Ruhland