Scott Lord Swedish Silent Film: Thomas Graal's Best Film (Mauritz Stille...

Bengt Forslund, in his article "Through a Glass Darkly, the silent era of Swedish Film", reminds us that Victor Sjostrom and Mauritz Stiller "made farces, comedies and melodramas, as well as medieval legends and romantic sagas, social films and realistic dramas." Interestingly enough Forslund tries to relate their affinity as having arisen not from a singleness of desire, or from a solidarity, but it having come rather from their disparity, from their having "little in common as individuals". This led to each learning the others technique of filmmaking. Peter Cowie, in his volume Scandinavian Cinema, sees the film as self-reflexive, writing "'Thomas Graal's Best Film' works primarily as a comedy of manners, but it also functions effectively as a satire on filmmaking, evene at this early stage of the industry's development. The implication is that cinema stands beyond reality, and as a medium attracts only the 'hammy' situation and the exagerrated personality." Peter Cowie notes that onscreen Victor Sjostrom and Karen Molander are the "ideal screen couple" and that Gustaf Molander, although only inevitably married to Karin Molander for eight years, wrote "scintillating" dialougue intertiles for her. Cowie points out that the film distinguishes Mauritz Stiller as one of the first directors to use a "film-within-a-film-format". Mauritz Stilleris particularly noted for having has directed Victor Sjostrom in two comedies for A.B Svenska, “Wanted A Film Actress” (“Thomas Graal’s Basta Film”, 1917) with actress Karin Molander and Jenny Tschernichin-Larsson and “Marriage ala mode” [“Thomas Graal’s First Child/ Thomas Graal’s Basta Barn”, 1918) also starring Karin Molander and Jenny Tschernichin-Larsson. The running time to the former, a film noted by Forsyth Hardy as one of the first comedies about filmmaking, was ninety minutes, the latter eighty nine minutes. Rune Carlsten and Henrik Jaenzon both appeared on screen in the film Thomas Graal’s Best Film, which was written under a pseudonym by Gustaf Molander. Molander continued as writer and director of “Thomas Graal’s Ward/ Thomas Graal’s mindling”, photographed by Adrian Bjurnman.

Louise Wallenberg, in her article Woman on Screen I, 1910's-1960's, feautured in the volume Now About All Those Women in the Swedish Film Industry, alludes to the director as spectator while evaluating Mauritz Stiller's view of his characters with his estimation of the while an invisible observer, his early comedies to "depict modern women who try to put an end to their as ribed position as wife and mother only to end up going ack to being docile and loving partners, they clearly express a desire to break free from conventional marital relations and gender roles. In this manner Stiller's comedies are indeed profeminist as they engage with public discourses and notions about women's societal positioning and personal subjecthood, and freedom in a society that is (still) strongly formed by patriarchal values." Wallenberg adds to this her estimation of Karin Molander as a protagonist in the later full feature comedies of Mauritz Stiller writing that they were "also worthy of mention since he gave his female actors agency and lots of space to maneuver next to his male leads."

Silent Film

Victor Sjostrom

Victor Sjostrom

Mauritz Stiller

Scott Lord Silent Film: Tale of Two Cities (Frank Lloyd, 1917)

Already a remake of a 1911 Tale of Two Cities directed by Charles Kent, the seven reel 1917 film adaptation directed by Frank Lloyd for the Fox Film Corporation starred William Farnum in a dual role. Photoplay Magazine jubilantly claimed that the the "Won't You Hold My Hand" scene had made Florence Vidor famous as an overnight sensation. "Miss Vidor is a splendid example of the writer's theories on the chances of breaking into pictures." In the film there is a cut-in insert shot of the two joining hands.

During 1917 Frank Lloyd again directed William Farnum and Florence Vidor in the five reel lost silent film "American Methods". The following year Frank Lloyd directed William Farnum in the World War I drama "For Freedom". Made for the Fox Film Corporation the film too is a lost silent film, of which no copies exist. It is uncertain whether there exists a copy of the 1918 silent film "Riders of Of the Purple Sage", in which Frank Lloyd again directed William Farnum, although lobby cards and magazine articles can be found.

silent film

Silent Film

Scott Lord Silent Film:The Vicar of Wakefield (Ernest C. Warde, 1917)

The sixth silent film version of "The Vicar of Wakefield" (eight reels) in about that many years was filmed by Ernest C. Warde for the Tanhouser Film Corporation. That year Warde had also filmed an adaptation of the Wilkie Collins novel "A Woman in White" starring Florence LaBadie.

The periodical Motion Picture News when reviewing the film adaptation was laudatory of the novel by Oliver Goldsmith, claiming that it was widely read and accoladed by the authors Irving, Scott and Goethe. "So the picture 'Vicar of Wakefield' is stripped of its fine English and narrowed down to bare plot....His plot, if it may be called such, is grossly episodic and wanders," The magazine then appraised the film as a costume drama, Ernst Warde in the production of "The Vicar of Wakefield" has achieved a wonderful atmosphere, realistic to the period, the mid-eighteenth century."

Silent Film Silent Film

Scott Lord Silent Film: Mary Pickford in A Little Princess (Neilan, 1917)

Silent Film Scott Lord

Marshall Neilan during 1917 directed actress Mary Pickford with actresses Kathleen Griffith, Zazu Pitts, and Ann Schraeder in "The Little Princess" (five reels) with a photplay written by Frances Marion. The film was photographed by Charles Rosner and Walter Strandling.

The periodical Picture Play magazine during 1917 came in with a very straitforward announcement, "Mary Pickford, after a short rest following the completion of 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'is now hard at work in 'The Little Princess' under the direction of Marshall Neilan."

Silent Film Mary Pickford

Scott Lord Silent Film: Lon Chaney in The Scarlet Car (DeGrasse, 1917)

Directed by Joseph de Grasse during 1917, "The Scarlet Claw" starred Lon Chaney, Franklin Farnum and Edith Johnson.

During 1917, Joseph de Grasse also directed Franklin Farnum and Lon Chaney in the film "Anything Once", with actress Marjorie Lawrence. Although the film is not yet presumed to be lost, it is unknown if any copies now survive. Both films were produced by Bluebird Photoplays Incorporated.

There is an account of Lon Chaney having directed six lost silent films during 1915 for The Victor Film Company, beginning with the two reel 'The Stool Pigeon" with actress Vera Sisson. He is not known to appear on screen during the film. That year Lon Chaney appeared in the three reel Joseph de Grasse film "The Grind" with Oauline Bush.

Silent Film

Lon Chaney

Lon Chaney

Scott Lord Silent Film: Reaching for the Moon (Emerson, Loos, 1917)

Anita Loos coscripted the 1917 film "Reaching for the Moon" (five reels) with its director John Emerson. John Emerson also that year directed Douglas Fairbanks in the film "Down to Earth", which Fairbanks co-wrote with Emerson and Anita Loos. Douglas Fairbanks is paired in the both films with actress Eileen Percy.

Doulgas Fairbanks appeared in several films during 1918, among those having been directed by Alan Dwan having been the lost five reel films "He Comes Up Smiling", with Marjorie Daw, scenarioized by Frances Marion, "Mr. Fix It" with "four talented and pretty leading ladies" (Motion Picture News) Marjorie Daw Catherine McDonald, Margaret Landis and Wanda Hawley, and "Bound in Morrocco" with Pauline Curley. Fairbanks also that year starred in the five reel films "Arizona" (Alan Parker) and "Heading South" (Arthur Rosen).

Like the Lost Silent Film "Knickerbocker Buckaroo", in which Douglas Fairbanks stars, the film "He Comes Up Smiling" does not exist, there being no surving copies at present, but its Exhibitor's Press Book does, offering a glimpse of what the film was like with extratextural duscourse from the first run of the film, explaing the theme of Lost Films, Found Magazines I try to connect films with on the internet. The Press Book read,"Douglas Fairbanks a Tramp in 'He Comes Up Smiling', his new photocomedy of The Road. Story filled with unusual action even for this Athletic Artcraft star is one of exceptional interest." The press book mentions Fairbanks driving an automobile down the side of a mountain with "Fairbanks Does Thrilling Feats, Dangerous Automobile Drive".

Untill film detectives find a copy of Douglas Fairbanks directed by Alan Dwan during 1918 in "Bound in Morrocco" , to "Lost Films, Found Magazines" it also remains another film that doesn't exist and another Exhibitor's Press Book that does.

Lost Silent Film Silent Film Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Fairbanks Lost Silent Film

Scott Lord Swedish Silent Film: Revelj (George af Klercker, 1917)

Directed for Hasselblads Fotografiska by Swedish Silent Film director Georg af Klercker in 1917, the film "Revelj" starred actresses Mary Johnson, Lily Croswin and both Gertie Lowestrom and Gerda Bjorne in the first film in which either were to appear onscreen. The film was photographed by Carl Gustaf Florin and the screenplay was written by Carl Svensson-Graner. That year Swedish Silent Film director George af Klerker also directed actress Mary Johnson in the film "The Suburban Vicar" (Forstadprasten), in which she starred with Concordia Selander and Lilly Graber. During 1917 George af Klercker also directed the film "I Morkets Bojor" one of the only two films in which actress Sybil Smolova had appeared. "Vagen Utter", in which George af Klercker had a year earlier during 1916 had directed Sybil Smolova, is presumed to be lost, there being no surviving copies of the film. Scandinavian Silent Film Silent Film Silent Film

Scott Lord Swedish Silent Film: Everything Takes Revenge (Allt hämnar sig, Konrad Tallroth, 1917)

Scott Lord Silent Film: A Girl's Folly (Tourneur, 1917)

The caption to the review of "A Girl's Folly" (five reels) in the periodical Wid's Films and Film Folk during March 1917 read "Bad Moral and Tells Secrets, But Will Get Money." It elaborated further with "Very interesting, but tells studio secrets, which is dangerous," if that too can be deciphered by a modern audience sauntering through the cannon of silent films left remaining that have not yet deteriorated over time. The periodical then went so far as to, half-heartedly or not, suggest that "exhibitors", theater owners, should "protest" the film's having divulged what were "backstage secrets". The periodical admittedly was looking for the exploitation of silent films but it takes a historian's glance to decided if there was a sensationalism on which the reviewer may have counted during an extratextural discourse. It continued to question "purely from the viewpoint of whether you can get money with it" and conceded, "The thread of the story is quite slender and has a very questionable moral as presented, but the introduction of scenes showing clearly activity about a film studio is sure to prove exceptionally interisting to any film fan." It offerred the theater owner consolation, "Since the producer has already gone and 'done it', I presume you might as well go ahead and get the money with this, because it would be impossible to eliminate the back-stage scenes and have a picture left."
The photoplay was cowritten with director Maurice Tourneaur by Frances Marion and starred actresses Doris Kenyon, Robert Warwick and June Eldvidge. Frances Marion that year also wrote the photplays to to the films Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Poor Little Rich Girl both starring Mary Pickford. Actress Doris Kenyon appeared on screen in the films of Alice Guy Blanche, in 1916 in the film "The Queen's Waif" and in 1917 in "The Empress".

During 1917 Robert Warwick and Doris Kenyon also starred together in "The Man Who Forgot" (Emile Chautard). The film is presumed to be a lost silent film, with no surviving copies existing.

Silent Film Silent Film

Scott Lord Swedish Silent Film: In the Fetters of Darkness (Morket I Boj...

Directed by Swedish Silent Film director George af Klercker for Hasselblads Fotografiska during 1917, "I Morkets Borje" was phtotgraphed by Swedish cinematographer Carl Gustav Florin and starred Sybil Smolawa with Helge Kihilberg. That year George af Klercker also directed the film "The Suburban Vicar". Silent Film Swedish Silent Film

Scott Lord Silent Film: Mary Pickford in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (Neilan, 1917)

In addition to directing Mary Pickford in “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm”, during 1917, Marshall Neilan directed Pickford in the film “The Little Princess Princess”. Both photplays were scripted by Frances Marion.

Silent Film

Silent Film

Scott Lord Swedish Silent Film: Forstadprasten (Suburban Priest, George ...

During 1917, Swedish Silent Film director George af Klerker directed actress Mary Johnson in the film "The Suburban Vicar" ("Forstudprasten"), in which she starred with Corcordia Selander and Lilly Graber. Photographed by Carl Gustaf Florin, the film was scripted by Harriet Bloch. Victor Sjostrom Victor Sjostrom Silent Film

Scott Lord Silent Film: Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman (1917)

John Barrymore portrayed the titular character in "Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman" directed by George Irving in 1917. Starring in the film with Barrymore were actresses Evelyn Brent and Christine Mayo. John Barrymore John Barrymore