This site is dedicated to the preservation of memory of silent films. Although they were quite important in the evolution of cinema, they remain virtually forgotten nowadays. Since the best way to understand the present is taking an attentive look at the past, here you have some movies, pictures, interviews, etc. on silent cinema. Some occasional material on sound films will also be presented. I hope you enjoy getting to know a bit more about the beauty and sheer fun of these golden oldies.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Merchant of Venice - 1910
Country: Italy
Language: Italian
Director: Gerolamo Lo Savio
Writer: William Shakespeare (play)
Stars: Ermete Novelli, Francesca Bertini and Olga Giannini Novelli
Release Date: February 1911 (Italy)
Also known as: Il mercante di Venezia (Original Italian title), Der Kaufmann von Venedig (Austria / Germany), Shyloch, ó el mercador de Venecia (Spain), Shylock, ou le marchand de Venise (France), The Merchant of Venice (UK).
Production Co: Film d'Arte Italiana
Plot Keywords: Partially Lost Film | William Shakespeare | Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice | Based On Play
Genres: Short | Drama
With a friend desperate for money, a merchant takes out a loan from a ruthless money-lender. Confident that his ships will soon be bringing him great wealth, the merchant willingly agrees to conditions of the loan that put him at great personal risk.
King Lear - 1910
Country: Italy
Language: Italian
Director: Gerolamo Lo Savio
Writer: William Shakespeare (play)
Stars: Ermete Novelli, Francesca Bertini and Olga Giannini Novelli
Release date: 12 December 1910 (Spain), 21 December 1910 (UK)
Also known as: El rey Lear (Spain), King Lear (UK), Le roi Lear (France)
Production Co: Film d'Arte Italiana
Runtime: 16 min
Sound Mix: Silent
Color: Black and White
Plot Keywords: King | Murder Of Sister | Loss Of Daughter | Madness | Execution | William Shakespeare | Loss Of Sanity | Tragedy | Betrayal | Sword Fight | Shakespeare's King Lear | Death Of Title Character | Ends With Death | Based On Play
Character Name In Title
Genres: Short | Drama
King Lear decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters. The oldest two daughters fawn insincerely over their father, and get most of his possessions. The youngest daughter, Cordelia, is much less lavish in her displays of affection, and disappoints her father. But events soon lead the old king to find out how each of his daughters really feels about him.
Richard III - 1911
Country: United Kingdom
Director: Frank R. Benson
Writer: William Shakespeare (play)
Stars: James Berry, Alfred Brydone and Kathleen Yorke
Release Date: May 1911 (UK)
Production Co: Co-operative Cinematograph, Stratford Memorial Theatre Company
Runtime: 23 min
Sound Mix: Silent
Color: Black and White
Plot Keywords: William Shakespeare | Shakespeare's Richard III | Based On Play | Character Name In Title
Genres: Short | Biography | Drama | History
Although several others are ahead of him in the line of succession, Richard of Gloucester is determined to gain the throne. Through deceit, manipulation, and murder, he does become King Richard III of England. But once he becomes king, he soon finds out that the many enemies he has made will make it very difficult for him to remain on the throne for long.
The Tempest -1908
Country: United Kingdom
Director: Percy Stow
Writers: William Shakespeare (play), Langford Reed (script)
Release Date: November 1908 (UK)
Production Co: Clarendon
Runtime: 12 min
Sound Mix: Silent
Color: Black and White
Plot Keywords: Based On Play
Genres: Short | Drama | Fantasy
Prospero and his daughter Miranda must take refuge on an enchanted island. There Prospero, who himself has magical powers, releases the spirit Ariel from a spell, and also meets the savage Caliban. Then Prospero uses his powers to create a tempest that shipwrecks some of the persons who caused his exile.
The Last Days of Pompeii - 1913
Country: Italy
Language: Italian
Directors: Mario Caserini, Eleuterio Rodolfi
Writers: Edward George Bulwer-Lytton (novel), Mario Caserini
Stars: Fernanda Negri Pouget, Eugenia Tettoni Fior and Ubaldo Stefani
Release Date: 13 August 1913 (USA)
Also known as: Gli ultimi giorni di Pompeii (original Italian title), De laatste dagen van Pompeï (Netherlands - informal literal title), Die letzten Tage von Pompeji (Germany), Les derniers jours de Pompei (France), Los últimos días de Pompeya(Spain), Ostatnie dni Pompei (Poland), Pompejis sista dagar (Sweden).
Production Co: Società Anonima Ambrosio
Sound Mix: Silent
Color: Black and White
Plot Keywords: Slave | High Priest | Potion | Love Triangle | Sorceress | Prayer |
Murder | Duplicity | Roman Salute | Jealousy | Escape | Spectacle | Volcano | Sea |
Rose | Mount Vesuvius | Self Sacrifice | Arena | Kidnapping | Destruction | Disaster
Blindness | Volcanic Eruption | Epic | Boat | Gladiator | Blind Girl | Physical Abuse | Pigeon | Beating | False Accusation | Witch | Romantic Rivalry | Lion | Pompeii | Lava | Lizard | Fire | Imprisonment | Ancient Rome | Based On Novel
Genres: Adventure | Drama
Well respected Pompeiian Glaucus performs an act of kindness by buying Nidia, a blind slave being mistreated by her owner. Nidia falls in love with her new master, but he only has eyes for Jone. Jone in turn is lusted after by Arbace, an Egyptian high priest of Isis. When Nidia beseeches Isis for help in capturing Glaucus' heart, Arbace gives her a "love" potion, which really will affect his mind and not his heart, thus opening the way to Jone for himself. When Arbace's disciple is murdered Glaucus finds himself in hot water, shortly after which Mt. Vesuvius erupts.
The Hazards of Helen - Episode 26 - The Wild Engine - 1915
Country: USA
Language: English
Director: J.P. McGowan
Writer: Edward T. Matlack (story)
Stars: Helen Holmes, Leo D. Maloney and Rex Downs
Release Date: 8 May 1915 (USA)
Also known as: The Wild Engine
Production Co: Kalem Company
Sound Mix: Silent
Color: Black and White
Genres: Short | Thriller
Did you know? This film was re-edited with another Hazards of Helen episode by the Aywon company and re-issued in 1919 as chapter one of "The Adventures of Helen".
Helen, informed of the danger which menaces an excursion train because another engine on the same track is running wild, mounts a motorcycle and speeds down the track to warn the passengers of their imminent peril. Nearing a river trestle under repair, she hurtles into the river; undaunted, she swims to the opposite bank and flags down the excursion train in the nick of time, causing the engineer to run his train onto a siding just a few moments before the runaway dashes by.
Spunky gal heroines were all the rage in the years prior to and during World War I. In addition to the famous Perils of Pauline, there were also Adventures of Kathlyn, Exploits of Elaine, Ventures of Marguerite, and Hazards of Helen. This final series encompassed a remarkable 119 episodes, of which The Wild Engine was number 26. Helen Holmes starred as the titular character in dozens of these episodes, including this one, in which she is hired as a railroad telegrapher and ends up forestalling a dreadful locomotive accident. Admirers of rail equipment and rolling stock will be in seventh heaven, as there are three separate trains involved, and we also get a close look at line switching and signals operation. As for Helen, she 'borrows' Hoot Gibson's motorcycle and drives it off the edge of a drawbridge! Holmes is a believable hero and the film an impressive 14-minute thrill ride.
The Abyss - 1910
Country: USA | Denmark
Language: English
Director: Urban Gad
Writer: Urban Gad
Stars: Asta Nielsen, Robert Dinesen and Poul Reumert
Release Date: 18 April 1912 (USA)
Also known as: Afgrunden (original title), A züllés útján (Hungary), Abgründe (Germany), Der Abgrund (Germany), Gøglerblod (Denmark - working title), Przepasc (Poland), The Abyss (undefined), The Woman Always Pays (USA), Woman Always Pays (USA).
Production Co: Kosmorama
Runtime: Denmark: 38 min | Denmark: 37 min (16 fps) (2004 restored version)
Sound Mix: Silent
Color: Black and White
Plot Keywords: Dance | Tram | Theater | Actress | Letter | Bondage | Murderess |
Stairway | Murder
Genres: Short | Drama
Magda meets her fiancé and he invites her to visit him and his parents. While visiting them, a circus comes to town and Magda asks her fiancé to take her to the show. Afterwards one of the artists shows interest in Magda and her fiancé becomes jealous and brings her home. The artist follows and enters her room through the window. She runs off with the artist leaving a goodbye note. The fiancé later locates Magda, but she rejects him. We see Magda perform a gaucho dance on stage around the artist who she has tied up with a lasso but afterward the artist shows interest in another woman. Magda becomes jealous and starts a fight which gets her and the artist fired. She finds work as a piano player by which time her former fiancé sees her again. He sends her a note asking her to meet him. The artist follows Magda, interrupts their meeting and throws the fiancé out of the room...
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