The Cat and the Canary (Paul Leni, 1927)

Silent Film

silent film

Scott Lord Silent Film: The Village Blacksmith (John Ford, 1922)

Once thought to be lost, without any surviving copies of the film, not all eight reels of the film "The Village Blacksmith" have been recovered, the print that now exists being incomplete. Within the world of Lost Films, Found Magazines, the film "The Courtship of poem titles and Miles Standish (Frederick M. Sullivan, 1923) is lost, but there are pages of full page advertisemens of Charles Ray and Enid Bennett in the periodical The Film Daily from the year of its first run. Seven reels in length, "The Wreck of the Hesperus", from 1927, is also a lost film. Directed Elmer Clifton, it was produced by Cecil B. de Mille and starred Virginia Bradford. The two silent film bersion of "The Village Blacksmith" have been mention as being among more than ten adaptations derived from the work of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Jan Christopher Hoak, in his paper American Literature and Silent Film, "All of these films capitalized on the well known poem titles and on certain plot elements from Longfellow. without however intending a faithful adaptation. The same could be said for John Greenleaf Whittier, whose civil war ballad 'Barbara Frietche' was filmed in 1908, 1915 and 1924."

It is of no consequence, but we drove past the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow house in Massachusetts this morning, in a taxi on the way to lunch. There is a nearby house that has a plaque that reads "Longfellow Beach"-if, straining, I read it correctly- that is still a complete mystery to me when driving by, but it is mere curiousity.

SILENT FILM SILENT FILM

Scott Lord Silent Film: Sunbeam (Griffith, Biograph, 1913)

Directed by D.W.Griffith and photograped by G.W. Bitzer in 1912, "Sunbeam" featured the talents of actress Kate Bruce.

Silent Film D.W. Griffith Biograph Film Company

Scott Lord Silent Film: The Forbidden City (Sidney Franklin, 1918)

In 1918, the first feature films directed by Sidney Franklin appeared in theaters, among them those that were to star actress Norma Talmadge, "The Safety Curtain" (five reels), "Her Only Way" (six reels) and "The Forbidden City" (five reels). Previsously Franklin had directed childrens film for the Triangle Film Corporation at the behest of D.W. Griffith. "Her Only Way", made for the Norma Talmadge Film Corporation is presumed to be a lost film, with no surviving copies.

Sidney Franklin during 1919 directed Nornma Talmadge in the film "The Heart of Wetona" (six reels).

During 1918, Norma Talmadge had starred in the film "The Ghosts of Yesterday" directed by Charles Miller for the Norma Talmadge Film Corporation, a corporation active between 1917-1926. The film is presumed lost with no complete copies that have survivied. There is an account that the first four reels are housed in the Library of Congress as an incomplete film.

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Scott Lord Silent Film: The Duchess of Buffalo (Sidney Franklin, 1926)

Silent Film




Directed by Sidney Franklin and photographed by Oliver T. Marsh, "The Duchess of Buffalo" (seven reels, 1926) starred actress Constance Taalmadge with Rose Dione.

Sidney Franklin had directed Costance Talmadge in 1923 in the seven reel lost film "Dulcy". There are no surviving cooies of the film exisiting.
Constance Talmadge Constance Talmadge

Scott Lord Silent Film: Rudolph Valentino in The Eagle (Brown,1925)

Director Clarence Brown paired Rudolph Valentino with actress Vilma Banky for the 1925 film "The Eagle".

DUring 1925 actress Vilma Banky also costarred with Ronald Colman in the film "Dark Angel", directed by George Fitzmaurice. The film is presumed lost, with no surviving copies that exist.

Silent Film
Rudolph Valentino
Scott Lord

Scott Lord

Scott Lord Silent Film: Anna Christie (John Griffith Wray, 1923)

Actresses Blanche Sweet and Eugenie Besserer starred in the 1923 version of "Anna Christie", adapted for the screen by Bradley King and directed by John Griffith Gray under the supervision of Thomas Ince. The periodical "Screen Opinions" of 1923 noted the photography of Henry Sharp as being "very good", the type of picture as being "sensational" with a "moral standard" of "average",

Greta Garbo Silent Film