News and Notes

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Updates

2/12/08

• Why, what do you know! It's been a whole year. (sigh) A snow day has given me the opportunity to go through emails, and I thought I would at least get this one up while I was thinking abbout it.
  
  I received an email from Samantha, who apparantly works with a film school. Not silent-related, but to understand what silent film contributed to film in general, learning about and understanding film is always a good thing.
  
  Lights Film School is a project-based online film school. While I can't vouch for it, I can direct you to it: http://www.lightsfilmschool.com. If anyone decides to create a film, I'd love to hear about it...
  
  I will try to keep my promise of doing more with the site. Your emails make me feel guilty, so keep 'em coming!
  
  As always, thanks for stopping by.

2/19/07

• It's been too long, I know. Oh, I could regale you with tales of goings-on this last year, but I think the biggest thing, for me, is the redesign (or lack thereof). After spending much time on it, I had the misfortune (an understatement, trust me) of experiencing the Click of Death. And no, I had not backed up my files; I lost everything, and I mean, everything: photos, client files, personal writing, and everything else I had collected to put on this site. It was an awful, awful moment when the recovery firm told me they couldn't get a thing off my hard drive. I'll spare you the details of the weeping, gnashing of teeth, and throwing of objects. Suffice it to say, my files were toast.
  
  Anyways. While I start (again), I put something new on the Features section; it's an article on Nosferatu I wrote quite some time ago. I think if I were to write it again today, I would do better with citing my sources; I suppose I could go ahead and rewrite it that way but I kind of like it the way it is. Read it and let me know what you think!
  
  I am hoping to have more time in the coming weeks, so I will be working to add things and work on the redesign, as well. As always, thanks for stopping by!

2/24/06

• The UCLA Film and Television Archive will be screening the collaboration of Tod Browning and Lon Chaney. Read here for more details.

2/14/05

• Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
  
  
• The UCLA Film and Television Archive will be screening Buster Keaton's The General, along with live organ accompaniment. Read here for more details.
  

10/30/04

• I have added a new page that will be incorporated into the new site (which is still being worked on by Steve, who I'd tell to get the lead out but he's doing it for free, so...). I have been getting updates on showings from the UCLA Film & Television Archive, and at long last have managed to get one posted in time. If you live in the Los Angeles area, then you'll want to check either site for updates (I promise to be much, much better about posting them in time, too).
  
  
• And, believe it or not, I have started updating the links pages! Yay! Updated so far: Silent Movies, International Silents, and Incidental Tourist. (I'll post my progress here as I continue to update pages.)

10/21/04

• I received this email today from Kristin Gust regarding the Fox Theatre:
  
  I happened to run across an article on your site copyrighted in 1999 saying the Fox was going to be restored. I don’t know if you know the latest, but the theater did not get restored and is in danger of being torn down if funds aren’t raised by NOVEMBER 1ST …
  
  Please check out www.foxfullerton.org for the latest information. If there is any way you could get this information to more eyes, especially eyes that might have money or time to give it would be a great blessing.
  
  Thank you!
  
  ~Kristin Gust
  
  It's no secret how much I love the old movie palaces from our favorite film era. If you can, please visit and donate to help save this wonderful old theatre.

8/28/04

• I promised a big announcement, and a big announcement it is. I am in the process of updating the site, and I mean major overhaul...new look, search functions, new features...the works. Keep checking back to find out the big unveiling. In the meantime, if you want to be sure your SILENT MOVIES-related site is included, be sure to email me.
  
  As always, thank you for the support you've shown the site. One thing that will NOT change with the new look is the addition of annoyances. I promise I will never ask for "memberships," or add pay areas, banner ads, popups, etc. I do shill for Amazon, but that's because I do feel they are a great resource, and the little I make from sales helps me to pay for the site. That is the only thing I ask of you: If you ever purchase books from them, please consider buying through the site. Every little bit helps! (But it's *never* mandatory.)

5/28/04

• At long last, Welcome to Silent Movies shakes off the cobwebs and adds some new content. Personal obligations have kept me from working on the site, but with luck I will be able to make more additions in the coming weeks.
  
  
• New! Silent Portraits in the Features section. I recently went to an estate sale, and was lucky enough to find some vintage movie magazines from the teens and twenties. In addition to scanning and adding many of the interesting articles, interviews, etc., the magazines have some lovely portraits of stars that I will be adding, as well. I originally intended for this to be monthly, but given my track record decided against that.
  
  
• New! New features in the Features section, including a very lovely Louise Brooks.

8/8/03

• New article on the restoration of the Loew's Palace Theatre in the Bronx, New York.
  
  
• New feature: Near my hometown of Akron, Ohio lived a woman who was once very big in pictures...and no one ever knew!

6/28/03...Big news and many updates!

• The UCLA Film and Television Archive will be screening a terrific series of films. Entitled the Queens of Comedy, it will feature favorite actresses such as Mabel Normand, Colleen Moore, Constance Talmadge, Marion Davies, and more. Read more about the series, the films, and where to see them.
  
  
• It's up! A new article on Anita King by William Drew takes a look at the early film star and her groundbreaking solo journey cross-country. It's a nice companion piece to The Speeding Sweethearts, which if you haven't read I encourage you to take the time and do so. Not only wonderful early film history but a testament to the freedom that women began to enjoy early in the last century.
  
  
• I'm also adding other new features as I go along. One of interest is an article written by my friend David Downey on the early downtown theatres of his hometown of Mountain View, California. An interesting read and highly recommended.
  
  
• Tons and tons of new articles in the News Archive. It's really starting to get unwieldy and difficult to find anything in particular, so I'm starting to look into site search options. As soon as I do a little more research and make a selection I'll include it ASAP.
  
  And, I should probably apologize to many right here and now. So many have sent me articles, or requests, and I just never got around to posting them and so they are horribly out of date (and I'm properly embarrassed, believe me). Without getting too personal these last few years have been...challenging, and I'm working hard to make up for lost time. Again, my apologies to many who have requested promotions, links, etc. and have yet to see them up.
  
  
• Fun fun fun! I added a new "Facts" page. This one is dedicated to the youth of the Jazz Age, those Sheiks and Shebas who knew their onions...!
  
  
• I'm working on the links section, trying to update and add new ones as I run across them. If you have a site of your own or a favorite you'd like to see included, let me know. Yeah, it takes me a while, but I do get there eventually... Look for updated links within the next week or so.
  
  New links of note: The Pola Negri Appreciation Site! (This one's for you, David...!); an interesting mix of articles and collectibles from Things and Other Stuff; vintage, original postcards from Vintage Film Star Postcards
  
  
• I received a press release from artist Nicole Steen. She recently opened an exhibition of her paintings at the Bukowski Gallery in Vancouver, BC, featuring the vamps of the silent era. They are wonderful, and not surprisingly mostly sold out. Be sure to take a look, before they're gone...
  
  
• And speaking of working on things, the next big push will be to update the movies section. It needs to be reorganized as well as adding new movies and DVDs. Hey, I'm working on it...

5/10/03

• What do you know! Updates at last...
  
  
• New articles in the News Archive
  
  
• New books in the Bookshelf including books on Valentino and Ramon Novarro
  
  
• Coming Soon: New Features (give me a week or so...)

6/1/02

• New articles in the News Archive.
  
  
• New books in the Bookshelf.

1.28.02

• I recently received a note from Peter Vantine, grand prize winner of the 2001 Young Film Composers Competition. As part of their Valentino film festival on Valentine's Day, Turner Classic Movies will be showing a newly restored version of "Camille," with Valentino and Nazimova, scored by Mr. Vantine:
  
  I came across your silent film site while browsing the Web and thought I'd let you know about the re-release of the 1921 version of "Camille" starring Alla Nazimova and Rudolph Valentino! This newly restored classic will also feature the world premiere of the music score I wrote as part of the grand prize award for winning the 2001 Young Film Composers Competition.
  
  CAMILLE will air on the Turner Classic Movies cable network on Thursday, February 14th at 8pm EST. If you'd like to get a sneak preview of the music and stills from the film, go to:
  
  http://www.petervantine.com/camille/main.html
  
  
• Most of the changes to WTSM are behind-the-scenes; but the biggest additions (so far) have been to The Features page. Lots of new features, but the one I'm most excited about is the piece on Magic Lanterns. The story is from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and is about a year old, but oddly enough not long after posting it, I came across a reference to The Getty's new exhibit on "Inventions of Wonder." They've a fully interactive online exhibit that's just wonderful, and even better are early moving picture inventions that amused as far back as the 1700s. Really, don't miss this -- it's a lot of fun!
  
  
• All previous articles of note have been moved to the News Archive.

Thanks for stopping by!
Kally

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