TANGO AND DEATH

My latest video. This is the famous tango scene from the 1921 blockbuster film The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, directed by Rex Ingram. This was Rudolph Valentino's first major film role, and it established him as a star.

 Valentino's partner in this tango scene was Beatrice Dominguez. At that time, Dominguez - known as La Bella Sevilla - was a popular dancer in Los Angeles, who also occasionally appeared in silent movies.

Tragically, Beatrice Dominguez died at the age of twenty-four of a ruptured appendix in February, 1921 - - shortly before the release of the film.

In her brief scene with Valentino, Dominguez was portrayed as somewhat of a tart and her bizarre makeup made her look like a floozy. In reality she was really quite lovely.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is one of the greatest silent films, and one of my personal favorites. The original length was three hours, but most of the versions seen today have been edited to 2 1/2 hours.

It's based on the 1916 Spanish novel (the same title) by Vicente Blasco Ibanez, and takes place during World War I. Valentino plays the part of Julio Desnoyers, the grandson of a wealthy Argentine landowner. Julio is a shiftless playboy whose main pursuit is pleasure. He eventually gets involved with a married woman and brings disgrace to his family.

When WWI errupts, Julio enlists in the army and is hurled into the horrors of war and the brutality of the real world - - which drastically curtails his former carefree attitude. Unfortunately he is killed before returning home.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a powerful film, infused with religious symbolism and an explosive gamut of human emotions. The raw  creativity in silent films is astounding.

The tango scene in the movie depicts Julio during his reckless youth. It served as an introduction to Valentino's on-screen appeal and also featured his dancing skills ( note the sharp spurs on his boots). The elderly man sitting with a younger woman is Julio's grandfather.

The Russian philosopher in the film has a saint-like (almost Christ-like) presence. He brings a sense of rationality during the chaotic onslaught of war, and reveals Biblical predictions to Julio and his friend.

The horseman of death

In my humble opinion, the final scene of this film is one of the most powerful in movie history. 

It depicts a massive cemetery, with thousands of graves of those soldiers killed in WWI. Julio's parents wander about, trying to find their son's grave. The Russian philosopher appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and leads them to Julio's grave. 

"Did you know him?" asks Julio's father.

The philosopher spreads his arms out and replies 

"I knew them all."

Video best viewed full screen

Music score by Carl Davis

Blogger messed this up -- I had to edit several times.     Jon

WANTON WOMAN

 

 My latest video - - which should enchant and enthrall you......and help you forget my previous post.

 

Theda Bara (1885 - 1955)

Hollywood's first official sex symbol. Vamp. Femme fatale. Seductress. Wanton woman.

The publicity department at Fox Studios went overboard to promote Theda's forbidden allure and devious intent. They claimed she was born in the Sahara - the daughter of an Arab Sheik and a French actress. She was raised in the shadow of a pyramid and her name was an anagram for Arab Death. She was known as the Serpent of the Nile.

There were unusual restrictions in her movie contract, intended to increase her aura of mystery: she could only go out after dark. Her face had to be veiled. She must perpetuate an interest in mysticism and the occult.  

The truth was much less intoxicating than the myth. Theda Bara was in fact Theodosia Goodman, a Jewish girl from Cincinnati, Ohio. Her parents were of Polish and Swiss descent. 

During her career, Theda Bara made over forty films. She became Fox Studio's biggest star and at the height of her popularity (between 1915 - 1919) earned over $4,000 a week.

Her first films, starting in 1914, were made on the east coast at Fox Studios in Ft. Lee, New Jersey. She moved to California in 1917, when Fox decided to feature her in the epic Hollywood film Cleopatra.

Unfortunately, Theda Bara's acting ability and on-screen allure can never be fully critiqued or appreciated, because almost all of her films are lost. They were destroyed in a 1937 fire at the Fox film archives in New Jersey. To date, only six of her films have survived (none of which were her most popular).

The titles of some of her best films are an indication of the delectably devious  characters she portrayed:
Destruction (1915), Sin (1915), The Devil's Daughter (1915), The Serpent (1916), The Rose of Blood (1917), The She-Devil (1918).

Tired of being typecast as a vamp, and never really comfortable with her sexually-charged fabricated image, Theda left Fox in 1919. She only made a few more films before retiring in 1926. 

Perhaps the biggest secret about Theda Bara is that, in her personal life, she was a virtuous woman - a genuine Miss Goody Two Shoes. There were never any scandals connected with her, and she was never a part of the seedy Hollywood scene.

She married film director Charles Brabin in 1921 and, after her retirement, they moved out of California and lived a quiet life. Theda Bara never had any children. She died of cancer at age 69 in 1955. 

 

video best viewed full-screen 

Note:
I wanted the music to be hauntingly bizarre,  so I chose a composition by Erik Satie.

GOLDEN SILENCE

 

I have an abiding love for silent movies. It undoubtedly has to do with being raised in Southern California and having a lifelong passion for Hollywood history. At an early age I began reading everything available about the stars of the silent screen and the fledgling motion picture industry.

After I moved to Hollywood in my early 20's, I began publishing articles about the silent era. My knowledge was vast, but there was one problem: at the time I hadn't seen many silent movies. I could only rely on what I'd read or heard. This was before the advent of VHS or DVD. Silent films were considered  passe, dead and buried.

My main goal was to revive interest in stars of the silent screen. I published articles about Ramon Novarro, Mary Miles Minter, Theda Bara, Rudolph Valentino, Barbara LaMarr, Pola Negri - -  to name only a few. Surprisingly, I received favorable responses, even some fan mail. It was rewarding.

Some of the first silent films I ever saw were aired on PBS. I also found a few obscure L.A. theaters that screened them - most notably the aptly named Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax (the theater closed in 1996 after the owner was murdered, but it reopened in 2007 as the Cinefamily Cinematheque).

The Silent Movie Theater

on Fairfax in L.A.
(which I haunted regularly)

 

Nowadays, with DVDs, Netflix, TV movie channels (like TCM), and other options, silent movies have been resurrected and are readily available to new audiences.

If you tend to shy away from the concept of silent films, I'd encourage you to watch one. You might be pleasantly surprised. It is an art form unto itself. The sheer magnitude of creativity - without the aid of computerization and modern technology - will astound you.
 
Many silent films have now been restored to their former cinematic glory, with appropriate musical soundtracks. Some films that were presumably lost have been found (like The Unknown).

I've compiled a list of fifteen of my favorite silent films.
 I initially made some notes to make sure my information is accurate, but I lost them just before writing this. Hence, I'm relying solely on my memory, which - -  despite all the alcohol and hard living - - is remarkably good.

I've listed these in the order of the year they were made, rather than by personal preference. Also, this list is drastically condensed. I could easily provide a list of 50.
 

Gish and Barthelmess in "Broken Blossoms"

 

Broken Blossoms (1919), starring Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess. A genuine classic, directed by D.W. Griffith. Tender, poetic, and beautifully filmed but  also heartbreakingly brutal and depressing.
 Spoiler Alert: everyone dies at the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_tFnRbzjcA


The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) An innovative German classic starring Conrad Veidt (who later portrayed Major Strasser in Casablanca).  Although not exactly a horror film, it is indeed horrifying. Haunting, surrealistic and atmospheric.

 

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) Rudolph Valentino and Alice Terry. This features Valentino in his first starring role and arguably his best film. A sprawling, breathtaking  epic of World War I. If at all possible, watch the restored version with the Carl Davis music score.

Valentino in the famous tango scene

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
 

 

Ben Hur (1925)  A true masterpiece, which catapulted Ramon Novarro to stardom. In my humble opinion, this film is far superior to the 1959 Charlton Heston remake.
It is now available in a superbly restored version with yet another great Carl Davis score.

Ramon Novarro

in "Ben Hur"

Phantom of the Opera (1925)  Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin. A chilling tale which is still breathtaking after all these years. Beware of the many drastically cut and shoddy copies that still exist. Original running time is 107 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXUGswmnpWk

Chaney as the Phantom

The Torrent (1926)  Greta Garbo and Ricardo Cortez.
This romantic drama is gorgeous Garbo's first American film and she doesn't disappoint. The most recent release of this film is enhanced with an exquisite music score composed by Arthur Barrow (former bass guitar player for Frank Zappa). One of the finest scores for a silent film that I've ever heard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuzAYTbqrXY

Greta Garbo

Flesh and the Devil (1926) Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lars Hansen. Two former friends fall in love with the same woman, with disastrous results. A superb film, greatly enhanced by Garbo's mesmerizing presence.



Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor. A strange combination of love, deception, and intended murder that is eventually lightened by curious comedic undertones. This entire film has a spellbinding dream-like quality. The direction (by German director F.W. Murnau)  and cinematography are nothing short of stunning, and the acting is superb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnLVMREVA6M

George O'Brien "Sunrise"
 

Barbed Wire (1927) Pola Negri and Clive Brook. A sorely-neglected film that is one of my personal all-time favorites. Set in France during WWI, Negri is a simple farm girl living with her father. After their farm becomes a makeshift site for German prisoners of war, Negri falls in love with one of the prisoners. Consequently, trouble ensues and she is vilified by the people in her village.

Barbed Wire isn't available on YouTube, but I did find this great clip from the film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbWyoGik--Q

Pola Negri, "Barbed Wire"

 

 

Metropolis (1927) Alfred Abel and Brigitte Helm. A German expressionistic epic filmed in an innovative futuristic style. After its German premiere the film was drastically cut, and later large parts were lost. After a long restoration process it is now 95% restored.

Wings (1927) Clara Bow and Charles ("Buddy") Rogers. This was the very first film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture and it's a must-see for silent film enthusiasts. An exciting romantic drama which takes place during WWI. The film packs a potent punch and hasn't lost any of its original impact.

Buddy Rogers, Clara Bow, Richard Arlen
"Wings"

 

The Unknown (1927) Lon Chaney and Joan Crawford. Daringly different and bizarre beyond belief. This film was recently revived after being lost for many years. Circus conman Chaney goes through horrifyingly desperate measures to prove his love for young (and almost unrecognizable) Joan Crawford. Directed by Tod Browning - who later directed the original Dracula (1931).

Joan Crawford in "The Unknown"

West of Zanzibar (1928) Lon Chaney and Lionel Barrymore. Another wickedly weird film directed by Tod Browning. A story of insanity and revenge, all culminating on an exotic tropical island. Unfortunately, a few bizarre scenes have been cut, but this doesn't detract from the fiendish allure.

The Crowd (1928) James Murray and Eleanor Boardman. This simple story of an ordinary family is so beautifully filmed and becomes so absorbing that it blossoms into an  unforgettable masterpiece.

Trivia:
actress Eleanor Boardman was married to director King Vidor

The Wind (1928) Lillian Gish and Lars Hanson. A moody and extremely effective psychological drama about a woman from the east who goes to Texas and is driven to the brink of insanity  by the relentless wind (having lived there, I can strongly relate). This is the last silent film Gish ever made and unquestionably one of her finest.

Lillian Gish

"The Wind"

 

This list contains only a small fraction of my favorites. I failed to mention such classics as Intolerance (1916), The Thief of Bagdad (1924), The Big Parade (1925), It (1927),The Pagan (1929), Pandora's Box (1929).

Want comedy? For a refreshing change from Charlie Chaplin, watch any film starring Harold Lloyd or Buster Keaton.

Colleen Moore

Ella Cinders (1926) featuring Colleen Moore is a gem and a real hoot. A spoof on the Cinderella theme. I watched it the other night and couldn't stop laughing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WlowTI6Arc

A surprising number of silent films can now be found on YouTube, but proceed with caution. Some of them are great, but others are extremely poor quality copies.

I think I've said too much.
Silence...... is indeed golden.