Old Hollywood: Movies, Actresses, and Actors
Louise Brooks
Pandora’s Box director Georg Wilhelm Pabst really stirred the hornet’s nest when he cast American beauty Louise Brooks in the role of Lulu. The role was considered to be quintessentially German and Louise was very much the American.
Fortunately she was very much the talented actress… with enough charisma and sex appeal for 100 actresses. These facts silenced her critics beautifully.
You can find Pandora’s Box on dvd (Amazon link).
Lon Chaney, He Who Gets Slapped
Promotional pictures for Lon Chaney’s 1924 film He Who Gets Slapped (directed by Victor Sjöström). This exceptional silent film also stars Norma Shearer and John Gilbert.
You can find He Who Gets Slapped on dvd (Amazon link).
Lon Chaney
Fay Wray and Gary Cooper
The Legion of the Condemned (1928) is, sadly, a lost film. The silent drama was directed by William A. Wellman and the cast included Fay Wray, Gary Cooper, and Barry Norton. While I save words such as “tragic” for the loss of human life, it is an especially sad thing that the work of director William A. Wellman, the writers, the crew, and the cast can’t be enjoyed and appreciated by film fans.
Of course, there’s always hope that a copy will be found in someone’s attic, basement, hope chest, or even storage unity. Wouldn’t that be amazing?! Imagine, being able to see a film that had been lost for so long?
Almost too wonderful to think about!
Clara Bow and Clive Brook in Hula
Clara Bow and Clive Brook star in the 1927 romantic drama Hula (directed by Victor Fleming). Lovely Clara plays Hula, the daughter of a Hawaiian pineapple plantation owner who sets her sights on a married English engineer, played by Clive Brook.
Clara and Clive (sounds like great names for twin babies) have wonderful chemistry but apparently she had even more with director Victor Fleming as they were reportedly involved for a few months.
Clara Bow is an uncommonly fascinating star to read about… she was one in a billion and one and about as bold as they come. I highly recommend you get to know her better!
Clara Bow Biography by David Stenn:
Clara Bow as Hula in the Movie of the Same Name
Clara Bow, Wings
Wings (1927) was the very first winner of the category of Best Picture (then called “Best Production”) at the VERY 1st Annual Academy Awards on May 16, 1929.
The historical film was lost for decades until a copy was discovered in the Cinematheque Francaise film archive in Paris, France. This is why those of us who grieve over lost movies still hold on to hope – happy endings sometimes actually happen!
Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis, Haunted Spooks
In far less upbeat news, Harold Lloyd had a horrible injury to his hand while making Haunted Spooks. While posing for publicity photos, a prop bomb exploded in his hand. His face was badly burned and he was temporarily blinded. Even worse, he lost two fingers due to the horrific accident.
In future films, he is always seen wearing a prosthetic glove on his injured hand.
In spite of this, however, he (remarkably!) always insisted on doing his own stunts.
Clara Bow, Robert Agnew, and the Cast of Wine
As I’ve bemoaned before, it is incredibly frustrating when you come across films for favorite stars that are now considered “lost.” It happens fairly often with really early silent films and it always feels like a punch in the spleen.
I want to see them all!
Wine (1924) is one of the Clara Bow films listed as lost. When I look at the promotional photos (here are a few more), it drives me nuts… I want to see this one! Seriously, look at the pictures here… what could be going on?
Clara Bow, Robert Agnew, and Others from Wine
Clara Bow, Wine (1924)
One of the most frustrating things about loving silent films is living with the fact that so many of them are now lost. When you love so many of the stars from this era, you can’t help but feel that you’ve lost something precious. My personal favorite silent era stars are Clara Bow, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Georgia Hale, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford. I want to see everything they ever did!
Wine (1924) is one of the Clara Bow films listed as lost. The promotional photos make me even more anxious to see it!
Clara Bow and Robert Agnew, Wine
Louise Brooks
Today’s pictures of the day are of the lovely Louise Brooks from the silent film Pandora’s Box (1929). The original title was Die Büchse der Pandora.
Although they were very different actresses, I often think of Clara Bow and Louise Brooks along the same lines. Both were similarly beautiful and highly unique. People often tend to prefer one over the other (much as they do Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin), but… as far as I’m concerned… it’s best to just love them all!
If you aren’t familiar with Louise Brooks, I hope you’ll look up her films (a special edition of Pandora’s Box is available on dvd on Amazon). She truly was a remarkable actress with a “reach up and grab you by the lapels” screen presence.
Louise Brooks
Clara Bow, The Fleet’s In (1928)
Compared to my “talkie” Old Movie viewing, I’m relatively new to silents. I believe it was a mere 4 years ago when I watched my first silent film, in fact. I started off with Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid and have never looked back.
My favorite silent film stars (so far) are:
But I’m picking up new favorites to add along the way. Having said that, there will never (I’m certain of that) be a silent film star I enjoy any more than I do the wonderful, one-in-a-billion Clara Bow. A few I enjoy as much… but more than??… NEVER!
These great photos are from her film The Fleet’s In (1928) – a movie that is, unfortunately, considered lost. Isn’t that as criminally frustrating as it gets?!
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My main goal with Hollywood Yesterday is to keep the names, faces, and films of the stars that mean so much to me shining brightly. When I’m guilty of focusing more time on my personal favorites (such as Olivia de Havilland) than other stars, I hope you’ll forgive me. I am, by all indications, very human!
Also, please know that I try to keep my posts (except for book reviews) short and to the point, so you can enjoy the pictures, grab the information, and get back to your life. I don’t appreciate anything that’s overly wordy, so I don’t want to do that to others. For better or worse, I write as I talk, so if you ever feel like you’re reading the words of someone who’s a cross between Lucy Ricardo, Daisy Duck, and a Jerry Lewis character, that’s just because you are!
Wait. What did I just admit to??
Another personal absolute favorite of mine is Barbara Stanwyck. Not only was she beautiful and outrageously talented, she was exceptionally bright, charismatic, and colorful. This growing collection of Barbara Stanwyck Quotes will give you an idea of just how colorful she was!
There’s nothing quite like watching a movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Whether it’s a Musical, Western, Comedy, Romance, Film Noir, or Drama – if it’s on, I’m not too far away… with popcorn and raspberry tea in hand and a couple of cats nearby.
Below are a few Old Hollywood movie reviews I’ve done on the blog. There are, as you’d imagine, a lot more to come. – Joi (“Joy”)
We’re in the Money (Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell)
The Naked Spur (James Stewart, Janet Leigh)
The Prince and the Showgirl (Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier)
The White Sister (Helen Hayes, Clark Gable)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar)
Rio Bravo (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan)
El Dorado (John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt, Michele Carey)
Rio Grande (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara)
Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein (What is it With Me and These Movies??)
The Stooge (Jerry Lewis’ favorite Lewis and Martin Movie… for good reason.)
Critic’s Choice (Hilarious movie starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball)
To Please a Lady (Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck team up in a fast track movie)
Grand Hotel (Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore)
Hearts Divided (Marion Davies, Dick Powell)
The Quiet Man (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald)
More Old Hollywood Movie Reviews
Find out just how much I (truly) Love Lucy in the Lucille Ball category. I’m warning you, I call it an obsession for a very good reason…
