Hell’s Hinges (1916)

Posted on January 31, 2010
Filed Under silent films

In his lurid sixth feature William S. Hart plays Blaze Tracey, a genial but deadly gunman in league with Silk Miller (Alfred Hollingsworth), the vice lord who runs Placer Center, a territorial town so wicked it’s known as “Hell’s Hinges.” Their boozy good times are threatened by the Reverend Robert Henley (Jack Standing), a young minister sent for by Placer Center’s beleaguered devout, who are intent upon raising a church amid the town’s iniquity. Silk and Blaze, agreed that “neither law nor religion” will ever be welcome in Hell’s Hinges, conspire to drive off the new minister—until Blaze lays eyes on the clergyman’s devout sister, Faith (Clara Williams). Read more

Gaumont Treasures: Alice Guy

Posted on January 15, 2010
Filed Under silent films

Léon Gaumont established the studio that bears his name in 1895 and shortly thereafter was petitioned by his secretary, who wanted to direct films. He consented, on the strict understanding that her filmmaking not interfere with her secretarial duties, whereupon Alice Guy launched one of the great careers in film. (And Gaumont had to find a new secretary after all.) Read more

Jean Harlow on a bearskin rug

Posted on January 13, 2010
Filed Under miscellany

Today’s Independent carries a story announcing that the Michael H. Epstein and Scott E. Schwimer collection of vintage Hollywood glamour photographs will go to auction in California in March. From the story:

The auction catalogue reads like a who’s who of old Hollywood with the photographic lots including stars such as Clark Gable, Veronica Lake, Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo captured in the evocative sepia tones of the day.

“It’s time for Scott and me to share the fruits of our 25-year collection with the rest of the world,” collector Epstein remarked.

“I am certain that Scott and I will be back collecting once the auction is over.”

Master prints of works by Man Ray, Cindy Sherman, Helmut Newton and Richard Avedon will also be available at the auction, hosted by California-based house Profiles in History.

A gallery of example photos is included with the story. Here’s Jean: Read more

Gumby creator Art Clokey dies at 88

Posted on January 9, 2010
Filed Under animation

The creator of Gumby is gone. From Associated Press via Yahoo News:

“Animator Art Clokey, whose bendable creation Gumby became a pop culture phenomenon through decades of toys, revivals and satires, died Friday. He was 88.”

Clokey’s career started at the University of Southern California with a student film called Gumbasia, produced in collaboration with his mentor, USC film dean Slavko Vorkapić, the Serbian-American animation pioneer who co-directed The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra, with Robert Florey. In addition to The Gumby Show, Clokey created Davey and Goliath, one of the most successful of all Christian TV programs.

I was pleased to learn from the obituary that Clokey enjoyed Eddie Murphy’s 1980s send-up of Gumby. His son, Joe Clokey, has carried Davey and Goliath into the new century.

Officer 444 (1926)

Posted on January 8, 2010
Filed Under serials, silent films

Officer 444 is a low-budget 10-episode chapterplay from 1926 written and directed by Francis Ford. Ben Wilson plays the titular heroic police officer, Neva Gerber a plucky, frequently abducted nurse; together they battle the Frog, a sinister, misshapen arch-villain who controls a vast gang of henchmen in striped sweaters and big cloth caps. The story is slight, confusing and badly told, and Ford is a shameless cheater when it comes to the conventions of the cliff-hanger, but these shortcomings, if indeed they are shortcomings, are trifles compared to Officer 444’s unexpected pleasures. Read more

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