We've barely scratched the surface of the first 30 or so years of film history. What's been left out, sadly, are many of the important men and women who made film one of our greatest pastimes and entertainment industries. Use the lab time today to get to know some of these famous names.
Various famous Hollywood (and some German) actors/directors:
Various famous Hollywood (and some German) actors/directors:
- Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in the Thief of Baghdad (1924), The Mark of Zorro (1920); the full version of The Thief of Baghdad can be found here. It's really a good film, all told. Douglas Fairbanks was known for doing his own stunts. Along with Chaplin and Pickford, he helped establish United Artists. Full film: The Black Pirate (1926); The Mark of Zorro (1920); The 3 Musketeers (1921); Robin Hood (1922)
- Rudolph Valentino's The Son of the Sheik (1926) & the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), Blood and Sand (1924); Camille (1921)
- Mary Pickford (1917) The Poor Little Rich Girl; Full films: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917); Poor Little Rich Girl; Pollyanna (1919); Daddy Long Legs (1919)
- America's Lovebirds or America's Sweethearts: Janet Gaynor & Charles Farrell; 7th Heaven (full film 1927); Lucky Star (full film 1929); Sunnyside Up (full film 1929, a talkie!)
- Clara Bow in It (1927); It (full film); Get Your Man (full film 1927)
- Conrad Viedt (mentioned in German Expressionism post): Different From Others (film no longer available on Youtube); The Man Who Laughs (full film 1928)
- Erich von Stroheim: Greed (1924); Last scene from Greed (clip)
- The Man of a Thousand Faces, Lon Chaney, The Phantom of the Opera (complete silent film, 1925), The Unmasking Scene from Phantom (clip), Color sequence from The Phantom of the Opera; The Hunchback of Notre Dame (full film 1923); Shadows (full film 1922); The Shock (full film 1923); Oliver Twist (full film 1922)
- And a few others: The King of Kings (full film 1927, Cecil B. DeMille)
- Gloria Swanson in: Male & Female (full film 1919, Cecil B. DeMille)
- Fritz Lang: Metropolis (1927); Woman in the Moon (1929); Destiny (1921); Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922); The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) M (1931, with Peter Lorre)
Then watch: Breaking the Silence (crash course #10)
See the test review post below to study for your exam next class.
Period 2: (8:00)
Resisting Sound on Film: Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times (1936) - the last silent film (for the period). That is until Call of Cthulhu (2005) and The Artist (2011)--will be the last silent film I will force upon you this year.
This film marks the last appearance by Chaplin's tramp character. Chaplin wrote, directed, starred, composed and produced this film 9 years after the first talking film (film synched with sound technology--see crash course #10 above). It is a film satirizing and protesting the progress of technology on the modern man. Perhaps Chaplin was alone in his viewpoint, as talking films overtook the outdated silent films of that long ago golden age of early film era.
The film is set in the 1930's, during the Great Depression. The film's main themes echo the frustration and extreme poverty and loss of the people at the time. Unemployment was at its highest in American history, poverty and hunger were known to many. As you watch, look for this fond farewell to better times as the Industrial Age dehumanizes and alienates the working class.
HOMEWORK: Study for your exam. There is no class on Friday, due to the early dismissal. Only periods 5-9 will be held. Your journal paper deadline has been extended.
Your originally scheduled Journal Paper #2 (due April 2) will be due April 10th. Students may instead opt for a 10-minute short film script project or a silent film short.
- option A: You may write a short film. Use proper film format to write or adapt a short story. Due April 10. See Amazon Storywriter (and the handouts for formatting)
- option B: You may write the scenario and create a short silent film. Film, edit, and prepare your film (this option's deadline is the end of the marking period (April 12), as opposed to April 10).
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