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1990 FALL CINESATION SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
DON JUAN (Warner Brothers - 1926)
CAST: John Barrymore, Mary Astor, Estelle Taylor, Willard Louis, Helene Costello, Myrna Loy, June Marlowe, Warner Oland, Montagu Love, Phyllis Haver, Nigel deBrulier, Hedda Hopper, Gustav von Seyferitz, Sheldon Lewis and Gibson Gowland. DIR: Alan Crossland, SCREENPLAY: Bess Meredyth, CINEMATOGRAPHY: Byron Haskins, ART DIR.: Ben Carre
DON JUAN has rightfully earned an important place in motion picture history, it being the first feature film to have a synchronized musical score and sound effects on a disc to accompany the action. The process was named Vitaphone by the Warner Brothers, who were so pleased with the result that they produced the first part-talking feature, THE JAZZ SINGER, the next year.
The lavishly produced film tells of the romantic Don Juan (John Barrymore) and his true love (Mary Astor) against the Borgias (Warner Oland and Estelle Taylor) in Renaissance Italy. Barrymore, already known as "The Great Profile", did all his own stunts (including the gigantic leap onto Montagu Love in the famous dual scene). He has already appeared on film in DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE in 1920 (and ironically, Sheldon Lewis, who plays a bit part as one of the gentlemen of Rome, also starred in another version of that film the same year).
DON JUAN premiered at the Warner Theater in New York City for an indefinite run at the outrageous ticket price of $2.00. Variety said it all when it commented: "A box-office winner ... sure fire ... (has) everything a box-office picture should have. May be said to be one of the best all-around moving picture of fiction the screen has seen."
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE (United Artists - 1952) CAST: Dan O'Herlihy, James Fernandez, Felipe De Alba and Chel Lopez
DIR: Louis Bunuel; SCREENPLAY: Philip Roll and Bunuel; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Alex Philips; MUSIC: Anthony Collins
The famous Defoe story of two men trapped on an island for 28 years has been filmed over 40 times beginning in 1902 and as recently as 1988. The producers of Bunuel's earlier success, "Los Olividados" suggested the project, but Bunuel was uninterested until he realized that the true subject of the film would be solitude, loneliness and despair. The arrival of Friday is delayed and Bunuel has stated that the relationship between the two men was of very little interest to him as a storyteller. The film was Bunuel's first high class production affording him the use of color, the luxury of a Spanish and English version, and a Hollywood actor. (print courtesy of Kino/Janus)
THE WORLD MOVES ON (Fox - 1934)
CAST: Madeleine Carroll, Franchot Tone, Lunsden Hare, Reginald Denny, Sig (Siegfried) Rumann, Louise Dresser, Steppin Fetchit, Dudley Digges, Francis Ford and Torben Meyer
DIR: John Ford, PRODUCER: Winfield R. Sheehan, SCREENPLAY: Reginald C. Berkeley, CINEMATOGRAPHY: George Schneiderman
This epic John Ford film follows two New Orleans families through several generations beginning in the 1820's and ending in the 1920's. Ford used stock battle footage from a French film, CROSSES OF WOOD, to enhance the plot and keep the budget down. A strong antiwar movie, THE WORLD MOVES ON received astonishing reviews including opinion that it was "impressive". (35mm print courtesy of The George Eastman House)
BAD BOY (Hal Roach - 1925) Charlie Chase comedy short. (16mm print courtesy of Bob Vaughn)
DINNER BREAK
WILD & WOLFY (MGM - 1945) Tex Avery cartoon! (35mm print)
CHINESE FANTASY sequence from THE SHOW OF SHOWS (1929)
CAST: Mryna Loy and Nick Lucas
Newly restored 2-strip Technicolor print from the George Eastman House.
At press time we do not know if the special introduction by Fin Tin Tin is included in this print. Keep your fingers crossed. (35mm print courtesy of The George Eastman House) LUCILLE LOVE, GIRL OF MYSTERY (Universal - 1914)
Back by popular demand from the 1988 Saginaw Cinecon is this restored chapter from the serial starring Frances Ford and Grace Cunard. 35mm - Courtesy of AFI/Library of Congress
MOODS OF THE SEA (1942)
A surreal film by Slavko Vokapich and John Hoffman visualizing "Herbrides" by Mendelssohn. Filmed in 1942, released in 1978) (35mm print courtesy of Kino)
PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS ORGAN INTERMISSION
THE KING ON MAIN STREET (Paramount - 1925)
CAST: Adophe Menjou, Bessie Love, Greta Nissen, Oscar Shaw and Joseph Kilgour DIR: Monta Bell, PRODUCERS: Adoph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky, SCREENPLAY: Douglas Z. Doty, CINEMATOGRAPHY: James Wong Howe
Variety called it a "comedy box-office wow ... This is a picture that shouldn't be overlooked anywhere." It especially singled out the talented and suave Adolphe Menjou in the tile role of a king who come to New York, meets a girl and falls in love. (print courtesy of Gordon Berkow)
TALK OF HOLLYWOOD (1929)
Movie making in the early days of sound.
So bad, Herb Graff can't wait to see it!
(print courtesy of AFI/LIBRARY CONGRESS)
UNCLE TOM'S CABANA (MGM - 1947) Tex Avery cartoon! (35mm print)
THANKS A MILLION (20th Century-Fox - 1935)
CAST: Dick Powell, Ann Dvorak, Fred Allen, Patsy Kelly, Raymond Walburn, David Rubinoff, Benny Baker, Andrew Tomers, Alan Dinehart, Paul Harvey, Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra DIR.: Roy Del Ruth; PRODUCER: Darryl F. Zanuck; SCREENPLAY: Nunnally Johnson; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Peverell Marley
This political satire features Powell as a crooner who seeks shelter in a rainstorm at a political gathering and ends up finding himself running as a candidate for governor of Pennsylvania. THANKS A MILLION was released in the first year of the newly formed 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. Popular singer Powell was borrowed from Zanuck's former studio, Warner Brothers and radio comedian Fred Allen made his film debut in this feature. The film was remade in 1946 as IF I'M LUCKY starring Perry Como, Vivian Blaine, and Phil Silvers.
SATURDAY
Surprise Grab Bag - 20 min.
HELL BENT (Universal-1918)
CAST: Harry Carey, Duke Lee, Neva Gerber, Vester Pegg and Joseph Harris DIR: John (Jack) Ford, SCREENPLAY: Ford and Carey, CINEMATOGRAPHY: Ben F. Reynolds
This was John Ford's tenth film as a director and Harry Carey's 30th as a screen actor. This western takes place in Rawhide and Carey is Cheyenne Harry who comes to town and makes friends with Lee and Gerber, the latter appearing as a dance hall girl. When she is kidnapped by the villain, Carey tries to save her which leads to a grueling trek through the desert and the exciting finale. (35mm print courtesy George Eastman House)
THE HERB GRAFF SCANDALS
A collection of very bad shorts that are so bad you'll love them; accompanied by insights and enlightenments from raconteur Herb Graft.
(16mm prints courtesy of Herb Graff)
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS (1964)
Episode starring Gloria Swanson and James MacArthur. (16mm print)
LUNCH BREAK
TUMBLE DOWN TOWN (1933) Aesop's Fable Cartoon. (35mm print)
JOHN BARRYMORE'S TROPHY ROOM (Paramount) An original Magna Color short from Paramount. (35mm print courtesy of William Hewitt)
WHEN A MAN LOVES (Warner Brothers - 1927)
CAST: John Barrymore, Dolores Costello, Warner Oland, Sam De Grasse, Holmes Herbert and Tom Santschi DIR: Alan Crossland; SCREENPLAY: Bess Meredyth; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Byron Haskins.
Based on the story (and opera) Marion Lescaut, this silent film has many of the same cast and crew who made DON JUAN the previous year. It is a tale of lust, celibacy and mutiny in the France of Louis XV.
The beautifully mounted adaptation of the French romance wasBarrymore's second with his new love Dolores Costello and his third and last for the brothers Warner under his current contract. It was a well received film but proved less popular than DON JUAN. The Times found Dolores "extraordinarily beautiful" and said of Barrymore, "one has ample opportunity to study his perfect profile. It is rare that he presents his full face to the screen." Barrymore was not very interested in his role and concentrated on Dolores's performance to divert him from the "swashbuckling shenanigans" he was growing tired of repeating. The result was that Barrymore underplayed most of their scenes together. When Ethal saw a rough cut, she was horrified that her brother was "tossing away" scenes and that he let love interfere with the family "tradition in regard to art". (35mm print courtesy of The George Eastman House)
THE DRAGON PAINTER (Robertson-Cole - 1919)
CAST: Sessue Hayakawa, Toyo Fujita, Edward Peil and Tsuru Aoki DIR: William Worthington, SCREENPLAY: E. Richard Schayer, CINEMATOGRAPHY: Frank D. Williams, ART DIR: Milton Menasco
An obsessed painter searches for a dragon princess whom he has been painting in his madness in this unusual and exotic film shot partly in the Yosemite Valley. The art director re-created the village of Hakone, Japan, where the story takes place. Sessue Hayakawa plays the title role and he is seen being groomed to take over the work of a master painter who has no son to which to pass on his talent. Hayakawa marries the painter's daughter and finds that this has taken away his gift for painting. The wife contemplates suicide to make things right and the surprise ending is a moving one. Critics were especially impressed with the beautiful images conjured up by cinematographer Frank D. Williams, with special mention of the cloud effects over the mountains. (35mm print courtesy of The George Eastman House)
GORDON BERKOW will introduce a series of shorts from the Youngson collection including extremely rare footage of Youngson receiving an Academy Award, a very early "Koko The Clown", "Love At First Flight" with color sequences, plus more lost treasures.
(16mm prints courtesy of Gordon Berkow)
OUT OF ORDER (George Kline - 1915)
(16mm print courtesy of AFI/Library of Congress)
IB TECH NITRATE TRAILERS
(35mm prints courtesy of Phil Johnson)
THE MOVIES (Bell & Howell Show at Home Prints)
Lloyd Hamilton in a 2-reel short about a country boy who goes to Hollywood.
SWING SHIFT CINDERELLA (MGM - 1945) Yet another Tex Avery cartoon!! (35mm print)
LITTLE SCHOOL MOUSE (MGM) (35mm print)
DINNER BREAK
NORTHWEST HOUNDED POLICE (MGM - 1946) Droopy cartoon!
(35mm print)
THE BUCCANEER (Paramount - 1938)
CAST: Fredric March, Franciska Gaal, Akim Tamiroff, Margot Grahame, Walter Brennan, Ian Keith, Spring Byington, Douglas Dumbrille, Beulah Bondi, Anthony Quinn, Louise Campbell, Montagu Love, Holmes Herbert, Evelyn Keyes and Richard Denning PROD/DIR Cecil B. DeMille; SCREENPLAY: Edwin Justus Mayer, Harold Lamb, and C. Cardiner Sullivan; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Victor Hilner; MUSIC: Georges Anthiel
Fredric March plays the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte who became an American hero during the War of 1812. This lavish adventure film premiered at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans.
Hugh Sothern is seen as Andrew Jackson and Spring Byington portrays Dolly Madison in this piece of American history. The historical events, as in most DeMille epics, were watered down and overlydramatized and the battle scenes seem to run a bit long. THE BUCCANEER marks DeMille's 24th anniversary in motion pictures and his 64th personal production since he started in movies with THE SQUAW MAN back in 1915. Ironically, THE BUCCANEER was remade in 1958, a year before DeMille's death and it was directed by Anthony Quinn, who was once DeMille's son-in-law (Quinn was married for a time to his adopted daughter, Katherine).
Leading lady Franciska Gaal was a Hungarian actress imported to appear in Paramount Pictures. She made three more movies and was never heard from again, except on the label of a perfume bottle in 1939. (35mm print courtesy of Paramount)
INTERMISSION
A GIRL'S FOLLY (World - 1917)
CAST: Robert Warwick, June Elvidge, Doris Kenyon, Chester Barnett, Johnny Hines and Leatrice Joy DIR: Maurice Tourneur, SCREENPLAY: Frances Marion and Tourneur, ASST. DIR. & EDITOR: Clarence Brown, CINEMATOGRAPHY: John van den Broek
The leading man of a movie being shot on location tries to make a local girl his mistress in this comedy-drama which manages to keep its morality intact, considering it was released at the end of World War I.
According to the American Film Institute, Josef von Sternberg appears in a cameo role as the cameraman. Sternberg was an editor and assistant director at World Film Corp. at the time the film was made. It is rumored that Tourneur also appears in a bit part. (35mm print courtesy AFI/Library of Congress)
SITTING PRETTY (Paramount - 1933)
CAST: Jack Oakie, Jack Haley, Ginger Rogers, Thelma Todd, Gregory Ratoff, Lew Cody, Harry Revel, Mack Gordon, Art Jarrett, Anne Nagel, Fuzzy Knight, Joyce Matthews, Wade Boteler, and Dave O'Brien DIR: Harry Joe Brown; SCREENPLAY: Jack McGowan, S.J. Perelman and Lou Beslow; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Milton Krasner; MUSIC & LYRICS: Mack Gordon & Harry Revel
Two songwriters head out to Hollywood and pick up a movie crazy waitress along the way.
This lavish musical comedy is a satire on Hollywood characters and features the songs of Gordon and Revel, who also have bit parts in the film. Music fans will best remember the song, "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?".
Ginger Rogers, Virginia McMath, began making movies in 1930 and achieved fame when paired with Fred Astaire in FLYING DOWN TO RIO, the same year she appeared in SITTING PRETTY.
SUNDAY
Surprise Grab Bag - SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (RKO - 1940)
CAST: Thomas Mitchell, Edna Best, Freddie Bartholomew, Terry Kilburn, Tim Holt and Christian Rub. DIR: Edward Ludwig; SCREENPLAY: Walter Ferris, Gene Towne and Graham Baker; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Nicholas Musuraca; SPECIAL EFFECTS: Vernon L. Walker; MUSIC: Anthony Collins
A London merchant decides to take his family to Australia. A Tropical storm causes the boat to capsize and the family retreats to an island where they fight to survive.
Graham Baker and Gene Town formed a producing company, "The Play's The Thing Productions", to bring this story to the screen. This project was to be the first in a series of screen adaptations of popular stories that were in the public domain. In this way, they hoped to keep story costs low. Despite the classic nature of the novel, the film fared poorly and is reported to have lost $180,000. Two more flops, "Tom Brown's School Days" and "Little Men", were produced before the production company called it quits.
First made as a serial called "Perils Of The Wild" in 1915, "Swiss Family Robinson" has been remade 15 times, including a Disney version (1960), a Fox version (1975) and seven TV versions the most famous of which is "Lost In Space" (1965). Thomas Mitchell was at his peak as a film actor in 1940 having won an Oscar the year before for "Stagecoach". Both Freddie Bartholomew and Terry Kilburn were borrowed from MGM for this feature. Both are still alive, Bartholomew is an advertising executive and Terry Kilburn is the director of Meadowbrook Theatre at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. ISLE OF LOST SHIPS (First National - 1929)
CAST: Jason Robards Sr., Virginia Valli, Clarissa Selwynne, Noah Berry Sr., and Robert Emmet O'Connor DIR: Irving Willat, SCREENPLAY: Fred Myton and Paul Perez, CINEMATOGRAPHY: Sol Polito
This film is a remake of a 1923 Maurice Tourneur film staring Milton Sills and Anna A. Nilsoon and was one of the early talkies. It told of a shipwreck and the derelict characters who were involved.
The highlight of this seagoing adventure is Jason Robards Sr. being shot through a torpedo tube! Compared to this, the rest of the film is ordinary, although Variety raved that it "will clean up in any type of house ... set for an enviable long run". (35mm print courtesy of AFI/Library of Congress)
WHITE HELL OF PITZ PALU (Germany - 1929/Universal - 1930)
CAST: Leni Riefenstahl and Gustav Diessl DIR.S: G.W. Pabst and Dr. Arnold Fanck; SCREENPLAY: Lad Vayda and Dr. Fanck
A famed climber who is haunted by the death of his wife is joined by a young couple in an attempt to reach the top of the giant Alp. As with many German films of the 20's, this is a story of an obsessive quest. In this film, a famous mountaineer searches for his wife lost in the icy crevasses. It also reflects a philosophy of the time that open air and the mountains hold the hope of freedom and self discovery. The camerawork of Sepp Allgeier, who also worked on "Diary Of A Lost Girl", is stunning, especially in the climbing sequences, the aerial shots used in the rescue attempt, and the surreal effect as the villagers move through the icy ravines at the base of the mountain.
Arnold Fanck, a geologist, had specialized in "mountain films" since 1920 and emphasized broad emotions to match his vistas. Pabst lowered and cooled the emotions, heightened the visuals and helped to create a world wide success with this film.
The climbing gear and clothing look "primitive" by today's standards but were authentic for that time. Women really did wear skirts and some men wore regular jackets on short sporting climbs.
LIFE WITH TOM (MGM) Tom & Jerry cartoon! (35mm print)
THE END - SEE YOU NEXT YEAR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Organists: Bob Vaughn, John Lauder, and Mark Kotishion Projectionist: Neil Rogers
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