I thought it would be fun to explore Chaplin’s fascinating love/hate relationship with a little thing called … sound. Chaplin may have been the one filmmaker to hold out the longest against sound, but he also happened to be one of the earliest filmmakers to embrace it. A fitting contradiction given Chaplin was … Continue reading Charlie Chaplin and the Sound of Silence
This post is in conjunction with today’s Fashion in Film Blogathon behing hosted by the lovely Angela at The Hollywood Revue! Scene: Main Street, USA. 1937. Boy and girl at the local theatre watching the new Carole Lombard comedy Nothing Sacred. Lots of laughter, lots of coddling. The sight of Lombard in a voluminous yet … Continue reading Film Fashion Frenzy: Cinema Fashion Shops of the 1930s
Legs. Gams. A whole lotta tomato. Pick your hyperbole, the fact is that 1930s cinema were full of that most suggestive of appendages in a way never quite paralleled since. Sure, they’re still everywhere because they’re still sexy. They’ve always been sexy– ever since skirts first hiked heavenward in the late 20s straight through to … Continue reading Pre-Code Gams and Dams(els).
“Hollywood at Home provides a unique behind-the-scenes look at the crossroads between the last real glamour years and the TV decade. It is a remarkable portrait of mid-century America.” So reads the back cover of Hollywood at Home: A Family Album (1950 – 1965), a slight yet strong volume from Sid Avery‘s lens and Richard … Continue reading Hollywood at Home: 1950 to 1965
Wow. So the best cinematic experiences I’ve had in recent memory tend to have the same thing in common: silence. First with the TCM Festival’s triumphant screening of Buster Keaton‘s The Cameraman in April. And now two months later, with the Los Angeles Conservancy’s closing night film of their 25th Annual “Last Remaining Seats” series, … Continue reading Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last and the Triumph of Silent Film
Wow. So the best cinematic experiences I’ve had in recent memory tend to have the same thing in common: silence. First with the TCM Festival’s triumphant screening of Buster Keaton‘s The Cameraman in April. And now two months later, with the Los Angeles Conservancy’s closing night film of their 25th Annual “Last Remaining Seats” series, … Continue reading Harold Lloyd's Safety Last and the Triumph of Silent Film
The art of cartography is about as extinct as the art of the written letter. What need is there for a hand-drawn community renderings in the age of instant information, when most people have GPS maps on their cellphones? No need at all. But Los Angeles based writer Eric Brightwell doesn’t care. Hence this blog … Continue reading Pendersleigh and Sons… and the Lost Art of Cartography
Do you Remember WENN? Oh, I so Remember WENN. In the pre-TCM days when American Movie Classics was still American Movie Classics, Remember WENN was the refreshingly original bit of programming that consistently hit the “Ahhh, that’s nice” spot. The show was a complete anomaly from day one. Premiering in 1996, the same year that … Continue reading Remembering Remember WENN
Growing up with an amateur photographer for a father, my love for photography has its roots in his makeshift, homemade dark room. Deep red lights and sour solution are as much a part of my childhood memories as oreos and milk. My father was (and still is) quite gifted and he certainly instilled love of … Continue reading Walking in LA: Photo Blogging by Foot
Last night, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was aglow with Beethoven and Bach and elegance, and tonight … it’s Thor. See what happens when you leave town, TCM? Last year’s was fun… this year’s festival was special. Building on last year’s framework, what was noticeable this year was a close-knit sense of community. This shared, communal experience … Continue reading Kitty Packard Pictorial of the Month: The TCM Classic Film Festival
The Kitty Packard Pictorial 