Silent film from First National Pictures, directed by Alfred Santell. The Patent Leather Kid is a boxing-war-romance that earned Richard Barthelmess and Academy Award nomination and features a breakout performance by Molly O’Day.
The Cat and the Canary (1927) – Old Dark House Classic Starring Laura La Plante
Settling in for silent old dark house classic The Cat and the Canary (1927) starring Laura La Plante. Same story as the 1939 movie with Bob Hope, though the earlier movie is more thriller than comedy.
First Impressions: King Vidor’s The Big Parade (1925)
Thoughts upon watching King Vidor’s 1925 epic of love and war, The Big Parade, for the first time. The MGM classic stars John Gilbert and Renee Adoree with Karl Dane and Tom O’Brien.
In Brief: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Does Impressions in Our Modern Maidens (1929)
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. makes Our Modern Maidens (1929) more memorable than it would have been otherwise through a series of impersonations of John Barrymore, John Gilbert and his own father, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
The Racket (1928) Starring Thomas Meighan, Louis Wolheim and Marie Prevost
Howard Hughes bought Bartlett Cormack’s play The Racket, which had made Edward G. Robinson a star on Broadway. Hughes made it into a film twice. This article focuses on the first film version, a 1928 silent movie, starring Thomas Meighan with Louis Wolheim as the gangster.
Down to the Sea in Ships (1922) – Whaling Action and Clara Bow
I agree, Clara Bow steals Down to the Sea in Ships, though the whaling and action sequences at sea stand out more while watching. Raymond McKee is strong.
Watching Wings (1927) for the First Time
A look at William Wellman’s Wings (1927) after watching it for the first time. Air battles and It Girl Clara Bow highlight this first Best Picture Oscar winner.
Ann Pennington and the Black Bottom Dance
Pennington hit Broadway in 1911 and first appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1913. Primarily a dancer who could sing some too, Pennington established herself …
Today in 1905 – Birth of Clara Bow
Happy birthday to Clara Bow (1905-1965), with some personal impressions of Bow’s work, several images of vintage movie cards and collectibles, and a link over to a Bow biography on sister-site things-and-other-stuff.com.
Louise Brooks stars in William Wellman’s Beggars of Life (1928)
Louise Brooks and Richard Arlen star in William Wellman’s Beggars of Life (1928) based on the novel by Jim Tully. Also starring Wallace Beery, a pre-Depression tale of hobo life.
