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The Silent Film Quarterly ——————————————————————————
Volume II, Issue 1 Fall 2016
Table of Contents Editor’s Message
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Departments: Coming Attractions
4
6
Charles Epting
15
Steven Suttle
20
A Roundup of New Releases
Silents In Review
San Francisco Silent Film Festival 2016
Original Features: The Baby Peggy Interview: Part One
Hollywood Hits the Road:
The Model T Ford as Silent Movie Icon
Hiralal Sen:
Kaushik Majumdar
25
Neil Parsons
28
The Pioneer in Oblivion
The Blue Lagoon:
An Early Landmark of South African Cinema
The Show Off:
Mark Pruett
36
Robert L. Harned
41
Nigel Dreiner and Others
45
Ford Sterling Revealed
The Borzages of Hollywood:
And Sally Phipps, as Told By Her Son
Interviews: Modern Times Podcast:
An Interview With The Show’s Hosts
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Keeping the Cinema Alive:
Matias Bombal
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An Interview by James Peyton —————————————————————————————————
Editor’s Message It’s finally here—the first issue of Silent Film Quarterly’s second year! When I first founded this magazine I did not know whether it would make it to a second issue, let alone a second year; I now have full confidence that thanks to the support of readers around the globe, Silent Film Quarterly will carry on for many more years to come. The last few months have been extremely busy, both in terms of developing the magazine and my own “real” job. There are a few highlights I feel the need to touch upon. The first has been the close friendship I have developed with Jessica Wahl, who I first came into contact with during her campaign to raise money for a headstone for the forgotten silent film actress Katherine Grant. After meeting Jessica over a cup of coffee, we both realized that placing a headstone for Miss Grant was only the beginning of our collaborations together. In the last few months we have brainstormed similar projects for other actors and actresses whose final resting places remain unmarked—details will be announced in future issues of the magazine and on our Facebook page. I also want to mention briefly the publication of my new biography of Bebe Daniels, which was released at the end of August. Several years of dedicated research culminated in the first book written about Daniels in over 40 years. To celebrate the release I held a screening of Bumping Into Broadway and Feel My Pulse at the incredible Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California, and I was humbled by the fact that so many of my favorite people in the silent film community attended. As this issue goes to press I am getting ready to hold a similar screening and book-signing at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum—to say I’m honored is a real understatement. Issue 5 has been in the works for a long time, but I am extremely proud of the quality of the content. I think it’s natural for each new issue to be my favorite, but this one is particularly special as it afforded me the opportunity to sit down with Diana Serra Cary, better known as Baby Peggy. I must sincerely thank Kevin John Charbeneau for arranging this incredible opportunity. As always, there are big things in the works for the future of Silent Film Quarterly, and as always I cannot express my gratitude for your continued support and dedication. Your editor, Charles Epting
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Write for Silent Film Quarterly! Want to write for Silent Film Quarterly? The magazine is always looking for interesting original content about the silent era, including feature articles and reviews of silent films. Please contact the editor at charleseptingauthor@gmail.com if interested or for more information.
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Coming Attractions: A Roundup of New Releases by Lewis Walker Silent Film Quarterly is excited to announce a new column which will be dedicated to looking at new DVD and Bluray releases. This is something that readers have been asking for since the magazine’s earliest days, and we are thrilled that Lewis Walker will be undertaking this important service for silent film fans worldwide. • • • As many fans of the silent era will undoubtedly realize being able to see silent films from the comfort of your own home can be quite tricky, and as it is seen as a ‘specialized’ subject they are either insanely expensive or just impossible to get hold off. I have encountered this problem many times, finding usually Charlie Chaplin is one of the only silent stars to access easily. Silent Film Quarterly want to help you find the newest and maybe hard to find releases you might not be aware of, and to grow
your home film library and hopefully show that silent films are still in demand! My first port of call is usually Grapevine Videos. I used them when writing my dissertation and managed to find a pretty rare film through them! In June they released The Mother and the Law (1919) directed by D.W. Griffith, which is a re-edited version of his modern take of a love story from his film Intolerance (1916). Any film by Griffith is handy for any cinephile, and this would be a great edition. Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton star in another release from Grapevine called We’re in the Navy Now (1926) a comedy about, well, the Navy. Beery plays a professional boxer and Hatton plays his manager who accidentally join the Navy and hilarity ensues! Also recently released is the 1925 feature Paths to Paradise starring Betty Compson and Raymond Griffith. It’s a comedy story of the San Francisco underworld, directed by Clarence G. Badger who directed the infamous Clara Bow vehicle It (1927). Usually Grapevine release around 3 silent films per month, so can be a treasure trove
The Silent Film Quarterly・!4 for collectors, and the films are usually priced under $20. Not only that but all the films are region free! Plus, there is a place on the website to donate to the cause and help preserve and circulate films! Olive Films have announced that Cecil B. DeMille’s 1915 film The Captive will be coming to Blu-ray in September. It’s described as a “wartime, romantic drama” and stars Blanche Sweet, House Peters and Theodore Roberts. I am not sure about what the restoration will look like, but I am hoping for a great transfer, and the fact it will be on Blu-ray is only fueling that hope! Although I have not seen the film yet I am very excited for this release! A John Ford classic from 1926 will make the jump to Blu-ray this August from KINO entitled 3 Bad Men starring Olive Bordgen, George O’Brien and Lou Tellegen. It was included in the “Ford at Fox” box-set a few years ago (which can still be purchased on Amazon for a reasonable price) and will no doubt be a popular pickup because who doesn't love a John Ford western?
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Finally in Blu-ray releases two new editions I am extremely looking forward to. Coming from England the first stop for my silent cinema needs was the brilliant Masters of Cinema releases that have produced outstanding restorations of Metropolis (1927), Nosferatu (1922) and Wings (1927). Over the summer they have two huge silent film releases scheduled. The first is The Complete Buster Keaton Short Films 1917-1923 which I believe has already been released by KINO a few months ago. The reason I mention it though is that I had the DVD edition, and the whole set is beautiful. The films are getting upgraded, a 1080p presentation, and come with a bunch of special features to shine light on a comedy genius. I have already placed my pre-order, and if you have the capacity the play a region 2 Blu-ray I urge you to do the same. Also coming in August is Early Murnau—Five Films a Blu-ray box-set which includes Schloss Vogelöd (1921), Phantom (1922), Der Letzte Mann (1924), Die Finanzen Des Grossherzogs (1924) and Tartuffe (1925), five of F.W. Murnau’s early German films. The edition comes fully restored and with a 100 page booklet of the fantastic early work of a true master of the screen.
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Silents in Review: San Francisco Silent Film Festival by Claire Inayat Williams
・・・ Claire Inayat Williams provided Silent Film Quarterly with interview of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival’s Day of Silents for Issue 3 several months ago. Williams was able to attend the festival, held from June 2 to 5, and again reviewed many of the films that were offered.
Beggars of Life (1928) Release date: September 22, 1928 Director: William Wellman Cast: Wallace Beery as Oklahoma Red, Louise Brooks as Nancy, and Richard Arlen as Jim ・・・ Wallace Beery leers at a campfire of hobos, declaring unceremoniously that he’s in charge now as Louise Brooks, disguised as a boy, desperately tries to stay inconspicuous. Beggars of Life also stars quintessential silent cinema heartthrob Richard Arlen, but it’s Beery and Brooks who truly steal this show. When we first meet Brooks’ character she is an orphan, constantly on guard and trying to thwart the straying hands of her foster father. Eventually she has had enough, and in self-defense she kills him. She knows she will certainly hang, but has nowhere to go and no one to turn to for
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help. Well- intentioned, Canada-bound hobo in the strapping form of Richard Arlen turns up and takes pity on her; his protectiveness and concern for her, naturally under the guise of not caring at all, adds to the charm of their unfolding re l at i o n s h i p. U n d e r h i s w i n g s h e impersonates Arlen’s little brother, and together they attempt to flee the pursuing law and make it over the Canadian border. Beery, an actor of such magnitude your eye can’t help but gravitate to him whenever he’s on the screen, soon shows up as Oklahoma Red, a complicated “bad guy” that embodies many characteristics of the well-meaning yet imperfect roles he would become famous for (he would go on to win the Oscar for Best Actor for Frances Marion’s The Champ two years later). “This must be love,” he ponders, incredulous but genuinely trying to understand. In addition to the all-around stellar performances, Beggars features a remarkable African American character and side relationship that is unexpectedly sweet and sincere. Blue Washington (sometimes credited as Edgar Washington Blue) plays Black Mose, a drifter just like the rest of them, just one of the gang. His main goal is caring for an