Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Georges Méliès’ “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” (1902)

Silent Guest Stars: Herr Micromegas, Herr Eric Stott und Herr Rodney Sauer

Herr Micromegas wrote: “That raises an interesting point...
If indeed, the film draws upon H.G. Wells' First Men in the Moon (seems obvious to me that it does although Melies only really ever acknowledged Jules Verne), then in turn the dreamlike nature could be indirectly due to......Johannes Kepler and his' Somnium (which chronicles an it's-all-a-dream journey to the moon). Wells - say some scholars - paid tribute to Kepler in his novel by having the FMinM characters - on more than one occasion - note the dreamlike nature of their trip. Personally, I think it's possible (dunno how probable ) that Melies picked up on this especially in view of the fact that the travelers take a quick snooze in one of the tableaux.

The influences on this little film are staggering. I would recommend Matthew Solomon's book on A Trip to the Moon for those interested in learning more”.

Und Herr Eric Stott replied: “Woah! This is an important film but claiming that it's influenced by Verne, Welles AND Kepler is probably giving it more weight than it can carry. I imagine Melies responding with "Verne, Yes. Wells- do you think I've got time to read novels? I've got movies to make and a theater to run. Kepler- who in heavens is he?".

Then Herr Micromegas said: “Well, it's all speculation. Did he consciously say to himself that he was going to put a dash of Kepler into his film? Probably not. ...Could he have picked it up in a scoop of Wells? More likely.
After all, there are other Wellsian items in the film: snow scenes, the Earth view, man-size mushrooms, giant swift growing plants and others besides the dream sequence.All in First Men in the Moon. Not much of a connection, you say? OK then how are the Selenites explained? Nobody even lands on the moon in the Verne novels. They are never even mentioned by Verne other than in a quick one or two sentence speculation that they exist. Yet, the Melies characters are captured by them (ala Wells' Cavor & Bedford) and meet the leader (the Grand Lunar in FMitM), Melies' Selenites look like Wells' book illustrations, Melies' Selenites are fragile as in Wells and so on...
That's pretty strong evidence that Wells influenced the Frenchman...and the conclusion that he did is shared by others.
We could go into it more, but the filmmaker - to many minds - also took his cue from fairgrounds exhibits, Magic Lantern/Glass Slide shows, plays, and everywhere he could. Any and all of these could have impacted the film. There were “A Trip to the Moon” examples of each back then.
Now, to pick up on the Kepler association was probably too isolated an example on my part. But to counter your statement that Melies might say “Wells- do you think I've got time to read novels? I've got movies to make and a theater to run. Kepler- who in heavens is he?”. Gosh just look at his film catalog…he “adapts” (for entertainment, granted) tons of things. Not aware of the writings of Kepler from way back when? Maybe. Maybe not. No time to read? Well, he must have read something to have given the astronauts such names as Nostradamus (who arguably prophesized moon travel in a rare passage), Alcolfribas (undoubtedly after the author Alcofribas Nasier a.k.a. Francois Rabelais with fictional characters that …traveled to the moon back in the 1500s even before Kepler’s writing) and Micromegas (a character in a Voltaire story who space travels), Who in heavens are all of them?”.

At this point Herr Eric Stott added: “OK, I was being flippant, but I still think that this film is getting so much critical analysis that it takes the fun out of it.

I should also admit that I'm a bit "off" Melies at the moment- I made the mistake of watching too many in succession on the Flicker Alley set. His best films are marvelous, but seeing too many of his second-best is like eating a whole bag of marshmallows at one sitting”.

Und Herr Micromegas replied: “More than anything it'll always be fun to watch Melies. And I agree with you. Watching too many of his films - much like viewing too many chapters of a serial - in one sitting is tedious”.

Suddenly Herr Rodney Sauer appeared and said: “A good analysis. And if there were a magic lantern show adapted from Welles' story, it would have given Melies the set pieces he needed for a rousing yarn. Part of the difference is the technology -- Jules Verne's idea of shooting the astronauts in a shell gave them no way to get home if they landed on the moon, so he chickened out and had the shot miss. (Melies answer, of just tipping the shell off the edge of the moon, was too much in violation of gravitational law for Verne's attempts to be accurate with his science.)

Welles' very clever but very impossible method -- the invention of a substance impervious to gravity, so that you could cover your ship in shutters made of that substance and it would fly off the earth as the earth spins under it, then you can open shutters towards the object you want the ship attracted to -- is far less cinematic; but it DOES allow you to get back from the moon using the same method you took to get there.

Besides, what good Frenchman would credit an English author, when there's a perfectly good French author to be proud of?”.

Writing about this Herr Micromegas: “Thanks! Now, the only part that I haven't doped out yet is how the astronaut and esteemed space man Fernandigalus fits into things!!!”.

Und finally Herr Von Galitzien said: “Usually lenghty articles often go unread by German counts not to mention longhaired discussions about ancient books on science issues ( at most, text captions ), for this reason Günthell did a summary written in a manner that is understandable to German counts and in this way finally this Herr Von could enjoy and learn a lot about such peculiar book scientific discussion on sci-fi French and English literatura”.

Published in alt.movies.silent.

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About D. W. Griffith's "Hearts Of The World" (1918)

Silent Guest Stars: Herr William M. Drew und Rich Wagner


Herr William M. Drew wrote:

As someone who usually appreciates Ferdinand von Galitzien's generally well-informed comments on the silent cinema, I wish to register a strong objection to his dismissal of D. W. Griffith and his films as being "conventional," "conservative" and "dated" and apparently only of value for their cinematic techniques, not their inherent artistry. This opinion of his is, alas, far from original and has been at the heart of the persistent revisionist misinterpretation of the director's work. Much of this, needless to say, is based on a never- ending obsession (in the United States, at least) with "The Birth of a Nation" and the notion that every one of the films Griffith made in his 23 years of directing should somehow be seen as reflecting the same point of view as those parts in the Civil War-Reconstruction film which have caused such controversy.

However, the fact is that Griffith was a complex artist who, were he subjected to a more sophisticated analysis than is usually the case, would be receiving much greater critical appreciation from those who profess to be devoted to film art. Unfortunately, many analysts don't really look at the films with fresh eyes, merely bringing to each work their stereotypical view of Griffth as "conventional," "conservative" and "dated," or viewing every one of his films through the prism of that part of Thomas Dixon's narrative, "The Clansman," that was incorporated into "The Birth of a Nation." Neither have these analysts undertaken a thorough examination of the impact of Griffith's films in his own time beyond discussions of specific technical innovations and the controversy over "The Birth" in the USA.

I can assure Mr. von Galitzien, however, that those who actually did hold conventional and conservative opinions were often fiercely critical of Griffith's work at the time, seeing it as an attack on everything they held dear. For example, "Broken Blossoms" stirred up a hornet's nest of debate in the United States on its original release in 1919, receiving much criticism by some for the alleged brutality and sordidness of its subject matter. In particular, there were apparently a number of people with racist sentiments who resented the film's sympathetic treatment of a Chinese character and his culture and religion which are contrasted with the cruelty and intolerance of the West.
One outraged individual who had spent time as a missionary in Asia wrote "The New York Tribune" on July 6, 1919 to protest what he viewed as a "slur" on Christian missionaries in the East. He complained: "The whole wretched tragedy of that picture is designed evidently to convey the impression that the ancient civilization and religion of China are much better and finer and stronger than the Christian civilization and religion of the Occident. Deliberately Mr. Griffith has contrasted an ideal Chinese poet with a brutal degenerate of the London slums; has shown that the Chinese are tender and gentle with little children, while the London prizefighter is just the reverse. The fallacy of this presentation lies in the fact that while one such isolated, single case might be true, it is plain that Mr. Griffith would have us believe that it is typical--this unfair contrast between two races." Continuing on with his fundamentalist bigotry, the outraged letter-writer charged the "religion of Buddha" as having left 400,000,000 Chinese "the most backward in the world" and that only now, due to the labor of "self-sacrificing missionaries," was China "beginning to awake to her duties and responsibilities." He went on to whine: "It is not fair nor kind that such a picture as 'Broken Blossoms' should be so allowed to distort and warp the truth."

Obviously, analysts like Mr. von Galitzien who have been so quick to write off D. W. Griffith are unaware of this forgotten history surrounding the reception of his films. This ignorance extends not only to those who condemned his films but many of those who admired his films as well. The radical social critic, Floyd Dell, for example, praised "Intolerance" upon its 1916 release in the Socialist newspaper, "The Masses," calling it the expression of "a mind which loves life and beauty and joy, and is moved to rage and pity by the deliberate malice with which, in all ages, life and beauty and love is destroyed."

Perhaps even more significantly in 1916, the leading African-American newspaper on the West Coast, "The California Eagle," in a review of "Intolerance" praised the film, saying that not only did it demonstrate its director's "wonderfully inventive mind" among contemporary filmmakers but that it also "clearly shows that D. W. Griffith stands out above them all as the greatest humanitarian of the age." The reviewer observed: "As a race we believe that 'Intolerance' will do much to abate the prejudicial feeling created by 'The Clansman'" (under which title "The Birth of a Nation" had been shown in California).

There are many equally laudatory comments on Griffith's films as they were shown around the world that I could also include here but for reasons of space have not. Indeed, in many respects it's been my impression that, if anything, Griffith in later decades has been more widely appreciated abroad than at home which is why I find Mr. von Galitizien's comments particularly disconcerting. Perhaps he has never experienced any of Griffith's films with an appreciative audience as I did some years back at a screening of "Way Down East." The indictment of sexism in that film, the denunciation of a male- dominated society penalizing women for failings that are excused or even justified in men, elicited tremendous applause and loud cheers from the audience. So much again for the nonsense that Griffith's films are "conventional," "conservative" and "dated."

Of course, it's possible that Mr. von Galitzien is living in some Utopia where the kinds of evils that Griffith denounced no longer exist and are of purely historical interest. Based, though, on what I read in the papers, there isn't a country in the world, including even those in enlightened Europe, that does not continue to suffer to one degree or another from the kinds of ills powerfully depicted by Griffith in so many of his films.

In conclusion and while reaffirming that I appreciate most of Ferdinand von Galitzien's posts on the silent cinema, I am afraid his observations on Griffith are suffused with the same kind of intellectual laziness that has led others to repeat as holy writ equally hoary myths like John Gilbert having a high-pitched voice and Marion Davies being a Susan Alexander. For that reason, I felt it incumbent on me to dispute yet another manifestation of ignorance about Griffith that has surfaced on this board.

And Herr Rich Wagner added:

Yes, it is definitely true; all of his major work is "paternalistic, combining religion and conservative values." That is the very nature of what is called a morality play. It was his stated intention to try and make the World a better place. If it seems dated, one must remember when it was made.
All of his films are "fictional," but that does not prevent them from having a real purpose. Griffith never hid his purpose, but clearly stated it in every major film. "Hearts of the World" is no different!

Great Britain may have hoped to have Griffith inspire America's involvement in WWI, but it's clear from this introduction that Griffith hated war, and clearly saw the futility of it.
For those who have taken the time to learn the true story of America's history, they should clearly see that his "Birth of a Nation" also fits the common theme of all his films. That theme is, 'Man's inhumanity to man.' Our true history is far more offensive than what was depicted in the film. Be it racial intolerance, war, inequality of the sexes, the conflict of religions (where each views the other as heathen), the social double standards, where women are expected to remain chaste, while men are expected to sow their wild oats, the idea that one can abuse another for their pleasure because of wealth, or that a father can have an affair, but demands that his daughter does not. These are the themes of Griffith's paternalistic films. How could this be too complicated to understand when they are so clearly stated?.

Griffith's "dated approach" all carried that same theme without apology; a sincere effort to make the world a better place. His films were all fiction, but his intentions were not.
With fondest wishes to both Herr Graf and William Drew, who have each helped me immeasurably over the years.

PS: Two things were not mentioned in Herr Graf's review. Griffith framed several scenes through armored plating resulting in a letterbox style.
Finally...the horrific image in the film of what appears to be a man who had been blown apart. Judging by the image and the dead man's expression, he apparently was conscious long enough to reach down with his hand where his body once was.
That image was the real image of War and the horror that soldiers are still facing today. It cause many to gasp when the film was first shown and should still today. I will remember that image long after I forget many of the details of the story.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien replied:

First of all, this Herr Graf would like to say that he appreciated very much the comments and replies of Herr William M. Drew and Herr Rich Wagner to this Herr Von silent review about Herr Griffith’s “Hearts Of The World”. They are very enlightened point of views that this German count would like to make more precise for the sake and enrichment of Herr Griffith silent oeuvre.

As this Herr Graf said in his previous post, this German count highly appreciates-- it would be useless and even pretentious to consider them not in that way -- many of Herr Griffith’s silent films. They are wonderful masterpieces of silent film history. As an example recently this Herr Von emphasized “Isn’t Life Wonderful”, as a superb masterpiece that deserves more attention and to be claimed as one of Herr Griffith’s best pictures. The problem with other minor films of him is the particular film narrative sources that, always granting the artistic and visual style of the Amerikan director, is the background or the surroundings of the film is in question, which do not always fit in some of his films.

In “Hearts Of The World”, a contemporary silent film, the first part of the film is one that suffered those mannerisms that this German Graf doesn’t like at all. If we keep in mind that we are watching a “modern” picture that depicts the horror of WWI, that atmosphere of pretentiousness regarding the live of the two Amerikan families in a French town seems dated even for a “modern” 1918 silent film. They even appear disconnected for Herr Griffith’s artistic purposes; in perspective, it seems two different parts of the film are at odds with one another.
The Herr Griffith film narrative sources in “The Birth Of A Nation”, “Intolerance” and much more in “Way Down East” works and fits for the artistic Herr Griffith film purposes, not to mention the film story of those pictures which rely on such peculiar Herr Griffith style. However, to transfer those caricaturized aspects, that sometimes are somewhat reminiscent of XIX newspaper serials to “Heart Of The World” is an absurdity. What’s achieved is that the first part of the film is more “fictional that fiction itself” and unreal insists this German count, for a contemporary film. But these flaws, when finally Herr Griffith puts them aside, give action and emotion to “Hearts Of The World”.

So, the major problem of “Heart Of The World” it is their simplistic characters in the film context and not any social conflicts depicted by Herr Griffith in many of his great films that you mentioned and that this Herr Von likes very much and shares. Because when this German count watches any Herr Griffith silent film never having in mind any of those unfortunately revisionist controversies (well-known about some Herr Griffith famous silent films), that raises a question that doesn’t generally appeal to this Herr Graf overall because they don’t prevent enjoyment to Herr Von of those specific films. As it was pointed out before, in the context of those films those particular subjects questioned by modern revisionists, weaves into the atmosphere and artistry of those oeuvres, political incorrect nowadays, certainly, but honestly, this Herr Von never paid attention, although knowing those controversies for years, if finally they are successful and in agreement always for the sake of the artistic purposes of the director.

So, forgetting those revisionist controversies that Herr Drew mentioned and that this Herr Graf never cares for and especially the epithet of “dated” that you don’t like at all, Herr Graf is referring specially to the first part of the film. In other words when those peculiar and special artistic licences of the Amerikan director that in other films of him works pretty well but not, in this Herr Graf opinion, this time as an introduction in a contemporary film that depicts WWI. That’s not to ignore , of course, those areas of the film depicting the horrors of war, which this German count knows and appreciates ( this Herr Von after all, lives in Deutschland, not Utopia… ) and Herr Griffith’s mastery during those sequences. That’s because those objectionable mannerisms in that part of the film were put aside by the Amerikan director.

And finally Herr Rich Wagner said:

I believe that I've misunderstood Herr Graf's use of the word 'dated' and I'd like to amend slightly my recent comments made to Herr Graf's original post.

After reading my reply and his original posting again, I've learned from my own words to better understand, and now agree with the statement above. Even when words are clearly written, they can be misleading if you're unsure of what is intended.

He's actually correct to say that Griffith's films seemed dated (out of fashion even when released), when compared to the much more realistic and mature films being made in Europe at the same time. I didn't think so at the time, but after reading my response, it's now clear to me. The reason simply is that Griffith's films can resemble the collected sermons of a minister, whose been preaching on the Seven Deadly Sins. My original response captured that fact when I highlighted the themes of so many of Griffith's major films.

From my recent comment. “Yes, it is definitely true; all of his major work is "paternalistic, combining religion and conservative values. That is the very nature of what is called a morality play. It was his stated intention to try and make the World a better place. Be it racial intolerance, war, inequality of the sexes, the conflict of religions (where each views the other as heathen), the social double standards, where women are expected to remain chaste, while men are expected to sow their wild oats, the idea that one can abuse another for their pleasure because of wealth, or that a father can have an affair, but demands that his daughter does not. These are the themes of Griffith's paternalistic films. How could this be too complicated to understand when they are so clearly stated?”.

That final question haunted me until I realized that perhaps this was exactly what Herr Graf had meant by dated, but I had misunderstood.
Unlike his contemporaries, Griffith's morality plays all carried a common theme without apology. His was a sincere effort to make the world a better place. When viewing his work along side the many other films from Europe, they certainly do seem "dated" in the way that I believe Herr Graf had intended by his comment. I believe it's a view I now share, along with his great respect for D. W. Griffith's entire work including "The Birth of a Nation."

Unlike William Drew, I never thought Herr Graf's comments were anything revisionist, but simply an honest appraisal of Griffith's work.

I've learned much from this exchange.

Published in “alt.movies.silent”.

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Sergei M. Eisenstein's "Bronenosets Potyomkin" (1926)

Silent Guest Stars: Herr Rich Wagner und Herr Neil Midkiff


Herr Rich Wagner wrote: "Perhaps another reason why the 'restored' version "can be appreciated even more today," is that they've tweaked the running speed up at least 5%. I had seen the earlier film twice before and while it was very watchable, I wasn't very excited by it. When watching the restoration (when it was shown on TCM), I was surprised that this time, I found the film exciting; so much so that I rented the original film from Netflix, to attempt to see what what was different about this film. Surely, seeing the flag in the red color couldn't be all that was different. I studied every scene and the films are both exactly the same. Except for the faster running speed and livelier music, the only difference in this restoration was that carefully tinted red flag seen in the film.
Maybe someone should try speeding up Able Gance's "J Accuse."

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien replied: "As a German curiosity, this Herr Von has in his silent film collection, the perfect "Bronenosets Potyomkin" version for an aristocrat; this "version" has a running time of 118 minutes!!!... can you imagine??... Revolution never comes!!!".

Then, Herr Rich Wagner strikes back: " Apparently, your's is "the perfect "Bronenosets Potyomkn," since my 'restored' copy from TCM a few years ago was just 108 minutes from beginning to end. The older DVD copy that I rented again from Netflix (to see what was different), was 114 minutes and it contained the exact same film footage (I know because I watched them scene by scene, at the same time using two players). Yes, I can become obsessed when something puzzles me as this did. That's also how I discovered the different overall film speed. Some scenes were identical speed, while others were increased in the version I have from TCM. 108 vs. 114 minutes; that's where my 5% came from. It would seem that the European version is superior to mine. Does it also contain the 'Red' flag in this all B&W film? It hard to forget seeing that since it's the only color in the film.
This reminds me of the recent restoration of John Ford's "The Iron Horse" maybe three years ago now. I should have said 'restorations' because there were actually three, and the one released in Europe was different from the one that was released here.
Always nice hearing from you, Herr Graf. Your film reviews are always a joy to read".

Suddenly, Herr Neil Midkiff appeared: "Before the recent restoration of the film from vintage nitrate material, nearly all the video or film copies of Potemkin available were based on the same source: a step-printed Soviet release of the early 1960s if I remember the date correctly.
At that time, variable-speed projectors for proper projection of silent film were almost impossible to find, so in order to roughly approximate the original pace when using a sound-speed projector, every other frame of the negative was printed twice in succession on the print. So using a 24 fps projector, the effective film speed was 16 fps on the basis of the original negative.
I only saw this once projected from a 16mm film copy, and it was not only obviously too slow for natural movement, but also looked slightly jerky because of the repeated odd frames. The jerkiness was only magnified when this type of print was transferred to 30 fps NTSC video, with the required repetition of one frame out of every four in going from 24 to 30 fps. I've seen at least three different video copies based on this old material and have found the film to be disappointing in its impact, partly because the combination of the two types of frame rate adjustments made the action so jerky that it was difficult for the eye and brain to translate the succession of images into smooth motion. At least to my eye, it didn't seem "real" in the way film usually does, even early hand-cranked cinematography which doesn't bother my eye at all.
The TCM broadcast and the Kino DVD derive from pre-1960, non-step-printed film elements, and with modern digital transfer techniques it is possible to get 30 fps video from film running at any speed you like, whether 18.2 or 19.64 or 21.1 frames per second or whatever. I don't know what speed the restored film was transferred at, but it clearly looks far more natural at something faster than 16 fps, and it is much smoother in motion without the step-printing.
On top of that, the older film sources were a lot closer to the original negative in terms of how many generations of copying had been done, so the restored print is much less grainy and has a smoother, less-contrasty gray scale.
The visual impact of the restored film, even on video, is incredibly greater than I had found any earlier version of the film to be. I hope someday to have a chance to see the film restoration projected on a variable-speed projector at the proper rate -- that should be even more stunning".

Finally, Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien said: "Mein lieber Herr Midkiff: Your comments about the recent restoration of Herr Eisenstein's "Bronenosets Potyomkin" have been very appreciated and also very enlightened for this German count, don't forgetting Herr Wagner's particular obsessions when the honor and the truth of a silent restoration is at stake.

Published in "alt.movies.silent"

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Sven Gade & Heinz Schall's "Hamlet" (1921)

Silent Guest Stars: Dame Suellen Aucejo, Dame Mary Mallory, Herr Robert Birchard, Herr Dennis Doros und James Bazen

Dame Suellen Aucejo wrote: "That must be interesting!
But I have a question...If Herr Hamlet is, in this version, Dame Hamlett, what is Ophelia? Is she a Herr or a dame too?...
If she is a dame too, that would be even more interesting to watch! I'd love to see how they dealt with the most controversial of topics in history, which is homosexuality, or if they did adapt for Ophelia too and transformed her in a boy, how did he/she die drawned by his/her dress...
This seems extremelly complcated after all! LOL
Does anyone know?".

Und Dame Mary Mallory said: "I and two other women who saw this at UCLA in August loved it. We were mesmerized, moved, and thought itbeautifully shot. We loved Nielsen's performance, finding her strong yet vulnerable and very androgynous. It makes the film more interesting from a sexual identity/gender role perspective, in that Hamlet has feelings for a male friend but can't reveal them, while Ophelia (female) has feelings for Hamlet and has no idea why he's not interested. We are seeking out photos and images from the film".

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien added: "One of the most interesting aspects of this German version of "Hamlet" is the "new" relevance of the sufferings of Ophelia; this German count could say that she is the most harmed in this special Danish "mènage a trois".
Her feelings for Hamlet are sincere, pure and innocent and she doesn't understand why the Prince rejects her. Meanwhile, Hamlet is more interested in Horatio but that special relationship never can come to fruition because Horatio is interested exclusively in comradeship. Hamlet realizes of course that the role he/she must play makes any love relationship a farce.
In the midst of all this turmoil is Ophelia who will be sacrificed for both, becoming mentally unbalanced and taking her own life because of her unrequited love.

Suddenly Herr Robert Birchard commented: "The film is played with Asta as a man--except for the fact that periodically she covers her chest with her hand when someone gets too close and might discover that she has breasts. The big reveal is at the end of the picture as Hamlet kicks the bucket.
This is purely stunt casting, and I think the only reason that Hamlet is ultimately revealed to be a woman is that Asta N. is totally unconvincing as a man.
I disagree with the person who found it a handsome production. It was not especially well made, performances were so-so, and the overall picture was rather tedious".

And then Herr Dennis Doros added: "Bob, I think you must have missed the beginning which explains that Hamlet's father is falsely pronounced dead on the battlefield and because of this, the mother is forced to announce that the new baby girl is a boy to keep the lineage going. So all along, Hamlet is a girl who's forced to play dress-up and can't pull it off. Ophelia is hot for Hamlet while he/she has feelings for his/her college friend (was it Horatio?). The movie is based on a late 19th century German novel of Hamlet rather than directly from Shakespeare's play itself. I always thought the homo-eroticism and role-playing makes this version one of the most psychologically interesting variations of Shakespeare around.
That, and the fact that former Milestoner Anke Mebold restored the film, made it a special experience to see it last year".

Und Herr Robert Birchard replied: "Well, Dennis, yes, I guess I did miss the beginning, but even with the explanation it still doesn't change my opinion of the picture. It always seems that there's some obscure German novel to back these sorts of experiments up, but in every other way but the transgender gimmick, the film owes its storyline and characters to old Bill S. I saw Hamlet on a double bill with the Mabel Normand film "Head Over Heels", which in many ways was a terrible film, but which impressed me for the way it was staged with a bit of wit and energy and for the way Mabel Normand's personality came across. Asta Nielsen, by contrast, had next to no screen presence and Hamlet was staged like a stage pageant. For me it was a pretty dull and lifeless affair, and as I say, even with the explanation, it still comes off to me as a stunt. The more interesting psychological aspects all take place in the mind of the audience, not really in the intentions of the filmmakers. I'm glad I saw it (or, most of it, anyway), because it was a film I had long wanted to see, but having seen it I'll check it off the list and be glad I'll never have to look at it again. It, for me, was a dreary exercise at best".

Last but not least, Herr Dennis Doros added: "Certainly not denying that you can dislike a film or that one of us is right or wrong. There's just a whole heritage of variations on Shakespeare (who based his career on adaptations as well) and this one happens to be based on a then-popular German one. As much as I like Joseph Papp's productions, I rarely found his attempts at placing Shakespeare in a different time or place as psychologically interesting as this version of Hamlet and the concept of what made H. the melancholy Dane. After that, whether it's a good film or a bad one is subjective".

Finally, Herr James Bazen said: "Yes, I agree. I've seen the okay-quality, untranslated German titled Peter Kavel VHS copy and thought it was one of the most fascinating films I've seen and Asta was excellent. I hope one day someone puts this on DVD as it really is an impressive film. In fact, if Kino would ever decide to do a follow-up of their gay themed German film set, this would be an excellent candidate".

Published in Silent Films Yahoo Newsgroup

Filmes Mudos Ilustrados Con Comentarios De:

Acerca de "La Aldea Maldita" (1930) de Florián Rey

Estrella muda invitada: Herr Sergio

Herr Sergio escribió: "¡Ay!, señor Conde, sepa que los del proletariado pudimos comprobar, empieza a hacer demasiados años en la televisión pública, cuán excelente y recomendable es esta "La aldea maldita" de Herr Florián Rey, y sepa cuán descorazonador resulta imaginar que no hay conservado ningún otro film en mismo lugar y misma época de categoría similar. Ni Florián Rey parece tener algo parecido viendo una película como "Carmen, la de Triana", aunque no esté totalmente falta de interés, en absoluto, al menos por mis también lejanos recuerdos de esta inspiradora de "La niña de tus ojos" (nada más y nada menos...ejem)...
Un saludo admirativo, deseándole plácido verano en la lóbrega frescura de su "schlöss" (me he propuesto escribirlo bien algún día de memoria)".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien contestóle: "Pues dice usted bien, mein lieber Herr Sergio y a pesar de su acento típico de clase ordinaria..., resulta ciertamente descorazonador, incluso para un aristócrata teutón que carece de esos supuestos síntomas sentimentales adjudicados a ese funcional músculo del cuerpo humano, que solamente se pueda destacar "La Aldea Maldita", como el único memorable filme silente producido en esas tierras más allá del Schloss.
Lamentablemente la mayoría de la filmografía silente de Herr Rey está considerada perdida para siempre ( curioso hecho éste, ciertamente... sobreviven en dichas tierras filmes baladíes aunque pornográficos y no otras obras de quizás mayor enjundia ) y habría la posibilidad de que se hubiese perdido algún filme de cierto interés, pues si se aplica el mismo baremo que sucedióle a "La Aldea Maldita", esto es, versionar el susodicho años más tarde sus filmes silentes más exitosos con alevosía, sonoridad y folclorismo sonrojante y caduco ya por entonces, pudiera ser que finalmente, el original no fuese tan catastrófico".

Publicado en "es.rec.cine".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Henryk Szaro's "Mocny Czlowiek" (1929)

Silent Guest Star: Herr Kino Eye

Herr Kino Eye wrote: "You got me. I can't tag my review on yours. As far as I know, I have never seen a Polish silent. I can tell you that Murnau filmed the castle scenes of Nosferatu in what is now Slovakia, in Orava castle in the Tatras, quite close to the Polish border. So I've ALMOST seen a Polish film".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien replied: "To see silent Polish films, to listen in its integrity the opera "Der Ring Des Nibelungen" by Herr Wagner or to dance dizzy polkas in a soirée, are good examples of the eccentricity of the German aristocracy... anyway, don't worry about that ( the eccentricity not the Germans ) because even the Poles usually don't watch silent Polish films either".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Al Christie's "As Luck Would Have It" (1917)

Silent Guest Stars: Herr Tommie Hicks und Herr Eric Stott

Herr Tommi Hicks wrote: "While I would agree with this non-de-plumer's assessment of Christie's work in the late teens, I would submit that Christie's comedies after 1920 rivaled those of Sennett and Roach".

Und Herr Eric Stott added: "Definitely- "Up in Mable's Room" starring Harrison Ford and Marie Prevost, is a delight".

Finally, Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien said: "Talking about this and in German, don't miss next week the exception proves the rule, that is to say, Herr Al Christie's "Her Bridal Night-Mare" (1920) reviewed by this Teutonic aristocrat in his modern diary".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Mauritz Stiller's "Gösta Berlings Saga" (1924)

Silent Guest Star: Herr Eric Stott

Herr Eric Stott wrote: "I beg to differ, but Stroheim directed a talkie- "Walking Down Broadway". It wasn't released as he shot it, but some of the footage is is the recut version "Hello Sister" And weren't there some talking sequences in Murnau's "City Girl"?".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien answered: "Well, this German Count was thinking about those great silent film directors as responsible of the final result of their oeuvres.

In Herr Murnau case, Fox respected the ultimate and silent editing of "Our Daily Bread", but ordered that their employees should film again new talk sequences besides re edit the film, this time with the title of "City Girl"; fortunately for the silent film fans, that talkie version has disappeared forever and fortunately too the original and final silent "version" of Murnau's "Our Daily Bread" ( instead now with the confusing title of "City Girl" ) it is the film that has survived till today because William Fox didn't touched and interfered with his Amerikan hands the Murnau's silent editing of "Our Daily Bread" because he has other terrible ideas about those last films of the German director, namely re edit and release talkie versions of "Four Devils" and "Our Daily Bread-City Girl" as finally did.

How disrespectful were the longhaired, even in those times, to the German artists!".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Alexander Volkoff’s “Kean” (1924)

Silent Guest Star: Herr MikeGebert Und Herr Kino Eye

Herr MikeGebert wrote: “Thought of Kean last night while watching James Whale's The Great Garrick; they both have a certain larkish approach to portraying a great actor as a big playful ham (a tiger costume figures prominently), though Kean takes it into more traditional biopic territory (including, as you note, one of the screen's most protracted death scenes).
The most intriuging thing about Kean to me was a scene of rapid cutting, a la Napoleon (on which Volkoff worked), a dance number which turns kaleidoscopic in a frenzy of edits only a frame or two long. In Film Comment around 1980, Michael Powell (who was working for Rex Ingram in Nice at the time Volkoff and the other White Russians were making their exile films in France) wrote that when he first saw it in 1924, the audience held up their chairs to prevent the film being shown further until the projectionist agreed to rewind it and replay this sequence. (I think he said they did the same for the dinner-roll dance in The Gold Rush.)

As I wrote back in livelier days on poor a.m.s.:
"I have often wondered whether the origins of extreme rapid cutting as a style might not be lost in the lost work of Gance's assistants (who were quite prominent directors in their own right), the White Russian emigres Alexander Volkoff and V. Tourjansky. I have no proof of this, but they leave Russia for France and in no time rapid cutting appears simultaneously in a) their pal Gance's films, b) their own films (such as Volkoff's Kean), and c) in the cinema of Russians they had worked with who stayed behind. An interesting coincidence, no? More plausible than the conventional explanation, which is that Gance invented it for La Roue and oh by the way, it also got invented separately (with a whole theoretical apparatus behind it) in Russia by people who watched Intolerance over and over. "

Und Herr Kino Eye added: “Here's my review on Kean and the film Mosjoukine was in before, Burning Crucible. ( At this time, Herr MikeGebert confirmed to him. “Though German, also directed by Volkoff )

In regard to the dance sequence you mention, Mosjoukine was in a German film, the White Devil, which besides being a pretty good film, has a show-stopping dance sequence, which as I remember, has a MOTIVATED (that is, the shot made sense in context of the scene), complete TRIPLE 360 degree pan shot, a shot I've never seen done in any other film. I've only seen the film once, so would have to watch the film again to be sure what was happening, but whatever it was, it was a coup de cinema.

Mosjoukine directed his next film, Le Brasier ardent [The Burning Crucible] (1923), a surreal fantasy about a couple with marital problems. After a fight the wife, Elle, leaves the house. The husband, a wealthy industrialist, follows his wife to a private club, which turns out to be an Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole adventure full of hidden doors and secret passageways. Eventually the husband hires "Detective Z" (Mosjoukine, who also plays at least four other roles) as a 'love consultant' in an attempt to win back his wife. Detective Z responds to this challenge by first flirting with Elle, and then abandoning the effort to go home with a toothache. Somehow this intervention returns Elle to her husband and we have a happy ending. Le Brasier Ardent is full of crazy kinetic energy, but there is also a brittle coldness to the film since there is little time invested to give any empathy to the characters.

Mosjoukine would never again be in the position of creating such a plum part for himself where he could play so many multiple characters, but in 1924 he did the next best thing by starring in a movie about a famous stage actor, Kean. Edmund Kean was famous for being one of the first English actors to have such broad popularity that his fame crossed both class and geographic boundaries. One must remember that in Europe, the acting profession was once regarded with suspicion and distaste. In Shakespeare's day, actors were considered only slightly better than the bear baiters competing for crowds outside the Globe. Kean helped elevate the profession into what would be celebrity status for later performers such as Henry Irving. Mosjoukine plays the actor as a tortured romantic genius, denied his one true love by a jealous husband. This lets Mosjoukine have some delicious business such as when Kean is stopped in his efforts to see his love and then must go out and play Hamlet. Mosjoukine plays the scene on at least two levels - a spurned actor almost mad with rage playing a Danish prince also raging against the world”.

And then Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien commented: “This German count shares ( a bizarre fact this, the aristocracy sharing something with the ordinary people... ) such suspicions about those White Russians rapid cutting influences in Herr Abel Gance work; probably the French director was the first one to use that editing in a proper way, that is to say, in dramatic film terms, a fact this that would be developed years later by those Bolshevist and well-know directors as Herr Eisenstein, so finally "la roue" has come full circle.

This German Count appreciates ( a rare fact this, the aristocracy appreciating something from the ordinary people ) Herr Gebert und Herr Kino's old comments ( almost as old as this German aristocrat ) about "Kean" and Moskoujine peculiarities”.

Finally Herr Kino Eye suggested: “Perhaps we should have a film festival, with a clip of a The White Devil's Triple 360 degree pan, followed by La Roue, followed by Ophul's La Ronde, (or should we use the original title, "Reigen"?) followed by a week being treated for a motion sickness disorder”.

Published in “alt.movies.silent”.

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Irving Cummings' "Flesh And Blood" (1922)

Silent Guest Star: Rich Wagner

Herr Rich Wagner exclaimed: "Well Herr Graf, you're talking about an old favorite of mine that I must have watched at least a dozen times, but haven't seen in at least eight years. It was the first time that I actually got a good look at 'Herr Chaney's' pitiful and sorrowful facial expressions. No wonder the poor man never got the girl.

My only question to your post was you referring to this innocent man as a criminal? Here's the story from memory, so it might even be better than the film.
An innocent man, caught in the fangs of an unjust world, he's befriended by the Chinese who assist in his escape so he could see his sickly wife, but alas, she has died. Heartbroken and seeking revenge, with the Chinese help, he manages to befriend his own daughter without her even knowing who he was. Just as he's ready to plan his revenge against his former partner, he learns that the man's son is sweet on his daughter. He learns that the former partner is going to destroy the happy couple, so he strikes a deal; your son or your life. The man backs off and the daughter finds happiness in the arms of her lover. What's that saying about the apple not falling too far from the tree?

Anyway, when Herr Gaff wrote about this, the good Count omitted the final intertitle that says something like, "A man can sometimes be free behind bars."
I'm sure that's not correct (perhaps you could post it correctly?), but it was a typical softhearted film, much like many other Chancy films".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien answered: "Mein lieber Herr Wagner ( Herr Richard's family, this German Count presumes.. ):
Well, this German count was referring about David Wester ( Herr Lon Chaney ) that he was wrongfully incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit, and probably the right word in this case would be "offence" but in any case this German Count didn't named Herr Chaney a "criminal", heaven forbid!!... Obviously those misunderstandings were due Gunthell's simultaneous translation from German to Amerikan ( can't you hear from there asking his master for mercy?? ... )

Good Wester-Chaney says in the next to last intertitle: "I went out a hunted and marked man; I come back, free!" and the last one says: "Strange are the paths men tread to happiness".

"the good Count"... is this an Amerikan pun??!!

Finally Herr Rich Wagner added: "While it's not an 'Amerikan pun,' it was my rather inept way of trying to get a response to my question. You of course, obliged me with an answer.
Thank you for helping me to recall the final words in an old favorite of mine".


Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Lupu Pick's "Napoleon Auf St. Helene" (1929)

Silent Guest Stars: Herr James Roots, Herr Neil Midkiff und Herr Steve Joyce

Herr James Roots asked: "The English government defeated Napoleon? How? By filibustering him until he surrendered?"; and what was the English army doing while all this blowhardery was going on in Parliament?".

Und Herr Neil Midkiff answered: "From Gilbert & Sullivan's _Iolanthe_:

"When Wellington thrashed Bonaparte,
As every child can tell,
The House of Peers, throughout the war,
Did nothing in particular,
And did it very well...."

Then, Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien said and sang: "Not to mention an old European Northern song that refers to so cruel battle that says ( Teutonic simultaneous translation ):

"My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender
Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way
The history book on the shelf
Is always repeating itself"

Finally Herr Steve Joyce joined and recited: "Then there's the one that goes:

"Many years after Waterloo caused a fall from power
He turned up in a role in "The Thirteenth Hour"!

Published in "alt.movies.silent"

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About John Emerson's "The Mystery Of The Leaping Fish" (1916)

Silent Guest Stars: Herr R. H. Draney und Harlett O'Dowd

Herr R. H. Draney wrote: "I've tried without success to get women to wear outfits with the words "Fish Blower" emblazoned across the back...I think it could be a trend if we could just get it started....r".

Und Harlett O'Dowd added: "you realize that's an oxymoron in some circles...".

Finally Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien declared: "Don't mention that Herr Ennyday divides his own and particular time in strange periods as "Sleep", "Eat", "Dope" und "Drink", strange customs those that have nothing in common with the aristocracy time periods, that is to say: "Cocktaling", "Pre-soirée", "Soirée" und "Post-soirée".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Mario Peixoto's "Límite" (1931)

Silent Guest Stars: Herr MikeGebert und Herr Milestone

Herr MikeGebert wrote: "I was always fascinated by this film after reading its entry in Sadoul's Dictionary of Films and knowing that the director had sat on it in recent years until it was rediscovered a few years back. I hoped it might come my way...
And so it did. It played the Chicago Latino Film Festival while I was out of town a few years back.
Glad YOU got to see it although I think Dennis Doros, for one, posted rather glumly about it once".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien replied: "It is a perfectly well-known fact that longhaired youngsters never are where they should...
"Límite" was shown in the Schloss theatre thanks to, what it seems to be, a restored and superb Brazilian print ( includes information and Portuguese intertitles )..., aristocratic privileges as the saying goes...".

Suddenly Herr Milestone ( Dennis Doros ) added: "Hmmm. I'd have to see that post. I've always considered distributing it, but would only be glum about its commercial potential".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Chaplin Und Limburger Cheese

After this German Count was talking about Herr Charlie Chaplin's "Shoulder Arms" (1918), Herr David Totheroh wrote: "And here I was picturing Limburger sandwiches instead of smoked salmon ditches (whatever they are)".

And then Herr Smiley wrote: " hope you realise that Limburg is in The Netherlands, not Germany...".

But then Herr David Totheroh justified: "Tell it to Loyal Underwood, not me!;
(according to my online dictionary: Limburger ˈlimˌbərgər noun a soft white cheese with a characteristic strong smell, originally made in Limburg, a former duchy of Lorraine.)".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Joe May's "Hilde Warren Und Der Tod" (1917)

Silent Guest Star: Herr Jay Salsberg

Herr Jay Salsberg commented: "Lang always claimed to have played the role of "Death". However, from the few photos I've seen from the film, I would suspect the character was played by Georg John. More facial similarities."

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien replied: "This German aristocrat agrees with you: Herr John's face frightens to death, certainly...".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Arnold Fanck's "Der Heilige Berg" (1926)

Silent Guest Stars: Herr Eric "Scheirer" Stott, Dame Daniela C. und Herr Dalandt

Herr Eric "Scheirer" Stott confessed: "Sounds like he wanted beautiful shots of mountains, alternating with actors so dull that the audience just couldn't wait to see more mountains.
Myself, I'd rather stay down drinking beer in a comfortable hotel, and perhaps doing a bit of dancing myself."

And Dame Daniela C. added: "I tried to watch this movie a few weeks ago on Arte, the European channel for culture. It was late at night and Leni Riefenstahl was enjoying herself with some goats- Ah they were so lovely- but I couldn't manage to keep myself interested.The moutain scenes were magnificent though especially the water running downhill and though it was black and white photography the water seemed like gold-great! Alas the story was so dull and I was tired so I switched off."

Finally Herr Dalandt wrote: "It's great when you see it on the big screen. But Leni Riefenstahl was not a great actress and her autobiography is full of lies."

And last but not least, Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien said: "Herr Stott is drinking beer, Dame Daniela is very tired and Herr Werner doesn't like the sci-fi reading... in spite that these longhaired enjoyed the Fanck mountains scenes or even some goats that appeared in the film, obviously it seems that nobody take Dame Riefenstahl seriously...".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Louis J. Gasnier's "Parisian Love" (1925)

Silent Guest Star: Herr Eric Stott

Herr Eric Stott wrote: "Gasnier is one of the mysteries of Hollywood. He was seldom more than medeocre, but he was constantly employed. According to Budd Schulberg (a colorful but unreliable source) Gasnier's first american film was an artistic triumph- and apparantly a fluke, because Gasnier never duplicated it. He's best remembered for directing "REEFER MADNESS"".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien replied: "These comments about Gasnier mediocrity are very enlightened for this German Count because you should know that mediocrity it wasn't an unique characteristic of Gasnier films but also an aristocratic peculiarity...".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Filmes Mudos Ilustrados Con Comentarios De:

Acerca de "Schlagende Wetter" (1923) de Karl Grune

Estrellas Mudas Invitadas: Herr Coronel Kurtz und Herr Dalandt

Herr Coronel Kurtz inquirió: "Hojeando entre las diversas biografias de Grune, me ha asaltado una duda que espero su persona me sepa resolver: ¿La película a la que se refiere su reseña es Explosion? ( Perdone mi incultura manifiesta con la lengua tedesca) ¿Seguro que es del 23 y no del 22?".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien añadió: "Mein lieber Herr Kurtz ( perdone usted que no anteponga su rango militar a su nombre de pila, pero antes tendrá usted que aportar suficientes méritos en su hoja de servicio, para que éste aristócrata germánico curtido en batallas libradas por otros, le reconozca sus distinciones militares ): La fecha de realización del susodicho filme de Herr Grune varía según las fuentes, como puede usted comprobar en la muy germánica página de "Filmportal" que nada entre dos aguas teutónicas, o la muy desvergonzada "IMDB" que asegura sin pudor la data inequívoca de dicho filme... en fín, depende de la fuente si está bien temperada, que diría Herr Bach.Sobre el título manipulado de "Schlagende Wetter", es tanta la osadía que muestran ciertos países poco acostumbrados a hablar la lengua de Goethe, que efectivamente, algunos bautízanlo como "Explosión", por no mencionar que otros más desvergonzados y afrancesados titúlanlo como "Grisou", con lo fácil y elegante que resulta pronunciar "Schlagende Wetter"...".

Finally Herr Dalandt added: "A restored print was shown some years ago - I believe in 2004 - at the Berlinale".

Publicado en "Cinexilio" und "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About King Vidor's "The Sky Pilot" (1921)

Silent Guest Star: Herr Eric Stott

Herr Eric Stott suggested about those peculiar Amerikan religious practices that can be seen in the film: "Perhaps he was practicing Muscular Christianity? http://www.infed.org/christianeducation/muscular_christianity.htm".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien added: "MEIN GOTT!!!...."


Published in "alt.movies.silent".

Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Kote Miqaberidze's "Chemi Bebia" (1929)

Silent Guest Star: Herr Eric Stott

Herr Eric Stott wrote: "This film is VERY funny indeed, and I can recomend that anyone interested buy a copy from www.bethcuster.com, where it is listed as My Grandmother. The score is by the Beth Custer Ensemble and is frankly a very modern and eclectic jazz score that includes electric guitar, but for such a peculiar film it works".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien added: "Well, this German Count would have preferred to hear a Bach concerto in the film but unfortunately that music would be considered capitalist not to mention aristocratic for the Politburo head men".

Published in "alt.movies.silent".