Silent Films | Hollywood Yesterday

Buster Keaton and Marion Mack, The General

February 1, 2020 By Joi

Two of my favorite Buster Keaton films are The General and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (Amazon link to a dvd set which includes both) – then again, I love him in everything he was ever in – from his iconic silents to his outrageously fun The Passionate Plumber and from In the Good Ole Summertime to Beach Blanket Bingo… the man was simply brilliant.

The photos, here, are from The General (1926) and picture the lovely Marion Mack with him.

Buster Keaton and Marion Mack, The General

Oddly enough, although Buster Keaton is clearly the star of this film, he is listed last in the credits! I’m not sure what this signified, if anything, but I’m certain it was of Buster’s own choosing.

Buster Keaton always named The General as his favorite of his films. I am fairly obsessed with reading what film or films was an actor or actress’s favorites from their body of work. I always wish, however, that they’d elaborate on WHY the particular film stands out.

It can be tough to find silent films (as well as other old Hollywood movies) on dvd, which is why I buy all of my favorites. The General and Steamboat Bill, Jr. are available on Amazon as a set. I’ve had to buy all of Buster’s films in “sets” because I have so much trouble finding them individually!

Mary Astor and Douglas Fairbanks: Don Q Son of Zorro

November 8, 2019 By Joi

Mary Astor and Douglas Fairbanks, Don Q Son of Zorro

My first Mary Astor film was The Maltese Falcon, so when I first saw her in a silent film (Don Q of Zorro), it caught me off guard. For some reason, I was only aware that Douglas Fairbanks starred in this film before sitting down to watch it. Very unlike me, because normally I want to know..

Who is in the film.
Who directed it.
Who the costume designer is.
Who the writers are.

The whole shebang! However, every now and then, I will throw myself down into my favorite chair, ask a cat or two to climb on board, and watch one without a bit of knowledge at hand. This was one of those times.

I remember when I first saw her in this film. It was one of those, “Where do I know you from….” moments – it didn’t take long, though, before I (literally) said out loud, “The Maltese Falcon… Mary Astor!”

You could tell it’s her, but she just looks so different. It isn’t the “age” thing as much as it is the simple fact that her face, hair, and even the way she carried herself were almost a world of difference from The Maltese Falcon.

Don’t get me wrong, I love her both ways – we Mary Astor fans will take her any way she comes.

Funny thing is… it was actually kind of fun to just sit and watch a film, come what may. Or, as in this case, come WHO may!

This film also stars Lottie Pickford as Lola. At the time Lottie was Douglas Fairbanks’ sister-in-law (as he was married to her older sister Mary Pickford). This was Lottie’s final film before her death on December 9, 1936 at the shockingly young age of 41.

If you’ve never seen Don Q Son of Zorro (Amazon), check it out, it’s a good one!

Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups by Georgia Hale

June 27, 2019 By Joi

Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups by Georgia Hale

From the Intro: Charlie Chaplin was not one but two. For many years I was under contract to Charlie Chaplin. Now I want you to know him as I do. These intimate close-ups of him reveal the still calm of a sun-lit lake, the fury of an unspent sea. ~ Georgia Hale

Georgia Hale was an especially beautiful and talented silent film star and a very gifted writer. Unless you’re pretty familiar with Silents, you probably aren’t familiar with her. After all, she wasn’t in very many films and her career did not continue on into “talkies.” In fact, she only has 17 films to her credit and four of these roles weren’t even named – one was “Second Wife,” one was, “the girl…” you get the idea.

She does have a very big… huge, even… feather in her cap. She starred alongside Charlie Chaplin in one of the most popular, beloved, iconic and brilliant silent films ever made – The Gold Rush.

If you’re going to have one movie that’s truly a stand out, make it legendary.

I often talk about the instant impact many stars and films have on those of us who cherish Old Hollywood. While some actors and actresses become favorites over the course of three, four, or even five films – others leave their fingerprints on your life immediately. There’s just something about them – their screen presence, the way they walk, the way they talk (when applicable), the way they make their character come to life. Sometimes there’s just something in their eyes that you resonate with and… make no mistake about it… you know they’ll be one of your “absolute favorites” for the rest of your life.

When I watched The Gold Rush for the first time, Charlie Chaplin had already been one of my favorites for a while. However, his beautiful co-star, Georgia Hale (portraying his love interest, Georgia) was completely new to me. Within two scenes, I knew she’d be one of my “absolutes.” While she reminded me of a hybrid of two of my all-time favorite actresses (Barbara Stanwyck and Keira Knightley), she was most definitely totally unique and very fun to watch.

To see someone totally new to me holding their own with the breathtakingly brilliant Charlie Chaplin left quite an impression.

When a new “absolute” arrives in my world, I want to read everything about them and see as many of their films as I can find. As is the case with a lot of silent film stars, finding all of her films will be a little tough. But as soon as I saw that she had written a book, I knew that reading more about her would be as easy as it would be enjoyable.

Georgia Hale Publicity Still Photographed by Paralta

Her book, “Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups” is as unique as Georgia. It’s also just a little bit sad because She had written a biography and could not find a publisher. It was only when she wrote it from the standpoint of being about Charlie Chaplin that she found someone willing to publish it.

Although, as a fan of Georgia’s, this kind of makes me sad, I cannot help but admire and applaud her determination to have her say! The book is every bit as much an autobiography as it is a Charlie Chaplin biography… in spite of the fact that someone thought it had to have his name on the cover before her name.

In the end, she got her book published and that’s all that matters!

I feel rich for having been so close to him. – Georgia Hale

There are many things I love about this book and we’ll get to them in a minute, but first I want to assure fellow Charlie Chaplin fans that this is not a hatchet job. Yes, she talks about how much she loved him and how he never quite returned this love. He comes to life as, at times, selfish and other times incredibly desperate for attention and love. He can be aloof and bewilderingly unpredictable. He broke her heart as well as other hearts.

In other words, he was a flesh and blood human. Flesh and blood humans are capable of all sorts of things – especially when they’re in the middle of the kind of CRAZY success he had. Georgia does not judge him – she tries to understand him. And to love him.

I respect the fact that she does not wade into bitter, “He did this and this and this… the jackass!” waters. Unlike a certain celebrity daughter (won’t name any names, here), she does not try to knock him down and make a joke of him just to shine a spotlight on herself with a t-shirt that reads VICTIM.

She had too much love in her heart for that.

She explains their complicated relationship, which included great pain on her part, but she loved him… I believe until the day she died.

If Charles Chaplin carried within him many contradictions, was tender-hearted, cruel, sensitive, child-like, a poseur, all these qualities were part of his creative spirit. – Georgia Hale

In a previous post, I shared Georgia’s beautiful story of how Charlie Chaplin changed her life… possibly even saved her life… before she ever even met him. She said, “He made my heart laugh for the first time…” When you’re done here, be sure to read her beautiful words here.

As I always mention in my Old Hollywood book reviews, I am possibly more cautious than any reviewer in the world when it comes to trying to be brief. The internet is always in the fast-lane and I don’t want to slow my readers down. I’m even more tenacious when it comes to NOT giving anything away. Doing so isn’t fair to the author or the reader. I want you to enjoy books as much as I did, journeying from one page blissfully to the next…. without anything being ruined for you.

Continued Below….

Charlie Chaplin and Georgia Hale on the set of The Gold Rush

I will allow you to discover the first meeting between these two stars on your own and allow you to explore their relationship without throwing in my two cents. I do, however, want to say that no matter how badly their relationship ended, the fact that she was able (many years later) to still speak of him with love – and at times even a great deal of sympathy for him – tells me that he was a special man. He left a lasting impact on Georgia, one she was never able to run away from.

He also helped her grow and to find herself. Her childhood and teen years weren’t very happy. She dealt with poverty, feelings of not being good enough, and a seemingly unloving father. After Charlie Chaplin came into her life, she found herself able to stand up for herself and TO herself. Later in life, she became very wealthy in real estate – at a time when women weren’t given many opportunities.

She also found a way to get her book published! (I love this fact, could you tell??) While she never married, she did have a loving relationship later in life and left him a wealthy man after she died.

So, yes, she found her happy ever after and, personally, I think Charlie Chaplin had a lot to do with it – in spite of not sharing the ever after with her.

I hope you’ll find a copy of Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups (Amazon) or e-Bay. This is a fascinating book about two even more fascinating stars. You’ll also meet other wonderful Old Hollywood stars as you read through Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups – Marion Davies, Marlene Dietrich, Mary Pickford, the Gish sisters, Douglas Fairbanks.. and many more.

Georgia Hale: “He (Charlie Chaplin) Made My Heart Laugh for the First Time..”

June 25, 2019 By Joi

Georgia Hale

In Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups, beautiful silent film actress, Georgia Hale, writes from the heart about her own life as well as her relationship with the genius known the world over. I’m working on my review of this book and will publish it later this week – in honor of the week of her birth in 1900. I say “the week” simply because there’s a little discrepancy over the exact date. Her autobiography gives the date as June 25, 1900 – and, as a Georgia Hale fan, that’s the date I recognize as her birthday. However, other dates are given in biographies found online.

Bottom line… even if she was born on another date, I will recognize the one of her choosing!

There is one particular piece I wanted to share from the book today. I will share a great deal more in the upcoming review, but today is for something special. Something different. Something… well.. beautiful – and possibly even relatable to many.

I have heard many fans say things along the lines of, “Katharine Hepburn saved my life…” or “Becoming an Ava Gardner fan gave me hope…” Obviously it isn’t always these two actresses – I’ve seen the same types of beautiful testimonies for everyone from Buster Keaton to Audrey Hepburn and countless others in between.

Georgia Hale would be able to relate to each and every one.

Georgia’s childhood was not a particularly happy one. While it wasn’t as tragic as many stars’ childhoods, happiness eluded her. Her father was not a very loving parent and it seems possible that both parents favored other children. Georgia seems to have been, devastatingly, left out.

She also didn’t fit in with most of the kids her age. Due to circumstances at home, she developed a rather melancholy (even moody) disposition that, obviously, didn’t exactly draw others to her. This proved to be yet another source of pain for the beautiful young girl. One of the breaking points for young Georgia was when her dad yelled at her, “What’s wrong with you? I wish you’d been born a boy!”

If she had much spirit left, these words crushed it.

Immediately after his outburst, Georgia walked out of the house and went to the movies. Along the way, she writes that his hurtful words kept ringing in her ears. “I heard this for years. I found myself wishing that I had never been born… at all.”

This mindset was about to change.

“When I reached the ‘Bona-Venture’ the show had started. I crept into the dark theatre. Finally, the main feature, the comedy started. Onto the screen came a funny little fellow. He was a pathetic character, like the rest of us. His clothes were castoffs and much too large for his small frame. His shoes were way out in front of his feet. He did wear a collar and a tie, but no shirt, and on his head a classy, dirty derby. His hand whirled a cane, jauntily, as if in defiance of his lot.”

She noted how he kept going about his busy little life, joyfully, in spite of troubles, his fate, or even bullies. She recounts how everyone in the audience was cheering and laughing…”But I saw something different, something invisible. I FELT something beautiful. A gentle beam of light had stolen into my dark world.”

After the movie was over, she left the theatre and ran ahead of the other kids. “I wanted to be alone. I wanted to hold it closely. Charlie Chaplin had said something to me… he had spoken to me directly…. he made my heart laugh for the first time.”

When actors and actresses make films, they have NO idea the number of lives they are touching – or how profoundly some may feel the touch. When Georgia Hale writes, “A gentle beam of light had stolen into my dark world,” I wonder how many other fans have felt the exact thing she felt – and so beautifully described.

As a tribute to Georgia on her birthday (the one of her choosing, perhaps), I wanted to share her beautiful words. Given that they are words about a man she spent nearly half of her life loving, I believe it’d make her very happy.

Read my review of this very special book: Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups by Georgia Hale

Wonderful Georgia Hale Quote About Charlie Chaplin (A Man She Spent a Lifetime Loving)

May 16, 2019 By Joi

I’ll be writing more about Georgia Hale’s Biography/Autobiography, “Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups” in future posts. I cherish this particular book a great deal. Not only are Georgia Hale and Charlie Chaplin two of my personal favorites, it’s very difficult to get my hands on Georgia Hale information, photographs, or collectibles. Her career (while dazzling) was very, very brief and there simply isn’t a lot out there.

Needless to say, this book is a very prized possession. It’s a wonder I don’t keep it under lock and key!

For those who may not know, Georgia Hale loved Charlie Chaplin a great deal. She spent most of her adult life loving him. They never married and the extent of his affections for Georgia can only be guessed at. He seemed to have a great deal of affection for her, on one hand, but on the other hand? Wedding rings… to other women.

As I often say on this Old Hollywood blog, I am not here to judge, nor would I ever attempt to. There had to be something strong and very real in their relationship or Georgia simply wouldn’t have loved him as strongly as she did. This much I’m certain of.

You know, unlike Georgia, a lot is written about Charlie Chaplin. Sadly, it isn’t all favorable. However, within one quote in her book, Georgia has (in my opinion) tied all the pieces of his complex and beguiling personality together…. as, really, only she could.

I can’t possibly even BEGIN to tell you how much I love this quote about Charlie Chaplin by Georgia Hale: “If Charles Chaplin carried within him many contradictions, was tender-hearted, cruel, sensitive, child-like, a poseur, all of these qualities were part of his creative spirit.”

When I first read this quote, it struck me that this type of approach could be taken with many of our favorite Old Hollywood actors and actresses. So many of these wonderful stars behaved and even thought along some pretty original and inexplicable lines. Yet… the qualities we can’t often get our heads around are, as Georgia so eloquently said, part of their creative spirit.

Georgia Hale and Charlie Chaplin in The Gold Rush

Harold Lloyd: Silent Movie Legend (Ten Fast Facts)

April 17, 2019 By Joi

When most people think of “Silent Movie Stars,” they first think of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Mary Pickford. Even people who have never seen a silent movie in their life (boy, are they missing out!) have heard of these three legends.

However, those of us who live and breathe old movies, know there’s a HUGE name missing on this list of household names – Mr. Harold Lloyd. One of my favorite soapbox subjects on Hollywood Yesterday is this quandary: Why are so many (equally deserving) stars overlooked while others achieve lasting fame – even among casual old movie fans. I simply do not know. Was Lloyd as talented and hilarious as Chaplin? Yes. Is he as celebrated today as Chaplin? No.

I have no answers. Only questions. But, that’s essentially why I began and continue to publish Hollywood Yesterday – to keep as many of these wonderful stars in the public eye as possible, while doing my part to introduce them to new generations of fans. The Chaplins, the Keatons, the Pickfords AND the Lloyds of the world.

If you aren’t familiar with Harold Lloyd, I hope you’ll enjoy reading a little about him below, then promptly find a few of his movies to enjoy. Trust me, you’ll soon be asking, “Why isn’t he a household name?!” too.

If you come up with any answers, let me know.

10 Fast Facts About Harold Lloyd:

Harold Clayton Lloyd was born on April 20, 1893 in Burchard, Nebraska,
I love lasting Hollywood marriages (mostly because they’re so rare), so I am in love with the fact that Harold Lloyd and silent movie star Mildred Davis were married from 1923 to her death in 1969. They were frequent co-stars.
Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, and Buster Keaton are considered to be the three most influential film comedians of the silent film era. They’re often referred to as “The Big Three.”
While he was never credited as a writer, make no mistake about it, Lloyd was the brains behind all of his movies. He came up with most of the gags, props, and stories.
Unlike many other stars of the silent era, Lloyd was known to be very smart with his money. While he had many expensive hobbies, he would still leave an inheritance of $12 million dollars after his death in 1971. At one time, he was one of the 10 richest entertainers in the world.
One of his fascinating hobbies was 3-D photography. He took hundreds of images of Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Richard Burton and Roy Rogers. Many of his photos are reproduced in the book “3-D Hollywood: Photography by Harold Lloyd“, which was edited by his granddaughter, Suzanne Lloyd Hayes.
Other hobbies included breeding Great Danes, collecting cars, movie-watching (it’s said that he would have “marathon movie nights” several times each week… the man is my hero), record-collecting, and photography. He had an insatiable appetite for photography.
In 1919 Harold Lloyd was handed what he thought to be a prop bomb. Horrifyingly enough, it was a real bomb and when he lit it with his cigarette, it exploded, blowing off his right thumb and index finger. He spent months in the hospital but, when he recovered, he returned to work.
His movie Safety Last is included on Roger Ebert’s “Great Movies” list.
Mildred and Harold Lloyd had three children: Gloria Lloyd (1923–2012) and Harold Clayton Lloyd Jr. (1931–1971) and Marjorie Elizabeth Lloyd (1924–1986), who they adopted in 1930.

Find Harold Lloyd DVDs on Amazon

Buster Keaton’s The General: Full-Length Silent Movie

April 15, 2019 By Joi

Buster Keaton took on the role of director, writer, and star in this 1926 Silent Movie classic. The film also stars Marion Mack (as Annabelle Lee, Johnnie’s love interest), Glen Cavender (Captain Anderson), and Jim Farley (General Thatcher).

Plot: Johnnie Gray (Keaton) is an engineer who LOVES his locomotive, named “The General.” When the Civil War breaks out, he is turned down for service because he’s more valuable as an engineer than a soldier. His lady love, Annabelle, mistakenly believes he is cowardly.

When Union spies capture “The General” – with Annabelle on board – Johnnie must capture both of his great loves. He chases after them, right through enemy lines and the fun ensues.

Buster Keaton always claimed that The General was his favorite of all his movies. I can certainly see why he’d feel this way.. but, personally, I’d never be able to choose a favorite Buster Keaton film – they’re all sweet perfection.

Enjoy!

Georgia Hale: A Beautiful Actress with a Short, But Memorable, Film Career

April 7, 2019 By Joi

Georgia Hale landed one of the lead roles in Charlie Chaplin’s film The Gold Rush (1925) when her friend Lita Grey, originally cast in the role, became pregnant and had to back out. The role won her instant star status. Her previous roles had either been uncredited or she was simply known as “the girl.”

Following The Gold Rush, Georgia appeared in a mere 12 films before leaving acting. Her last role was in a Rin-Tin-Tin “serial” (The Lightning Warrior, 1939).

Georgia Theodora Hale was born on June 27, 1900 in St. Joseph, Missouri. She won a beauty contest in Chicago in 1922 and used the award money to move to New York City, hoping to break into theater. When she was unsuccessful in theater, rather than thinking, “I can’t do this…” and heading back home, Georgia simply decided to move to Hollywood and give them a chance to cash in on what theater was obviously missing.

I LOVE her “lemons to lemonade” approach.

In Hollywood, Georgia immediately found work in By Divine Right (1924), and she danced in the chorus of Vanity’s Price (1924). Her big break came with Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, turning in a memorable and wonderful performance as a gorgeous dance hall girl who catches the little tramp’s eye and wins his heart.

“I feel rich for having been so close to him.” ~ Georgia Hale (About Charlie Chaplin)

The Gold Rush, understandably, was a big hit, and launched Georgia to instant fame. It is, in fact, Charlie Chaplin’s favorite movie he made. The best part of the film, from Georgia’s standpoint would be the fact that a very long, very close relationship developed between herself and Charlie Chaplin. Her love for him kept her from ever marrying. In her heart, it appears, she believed she was “spoken for.” Ironically (and very sadly, in my opinion), Chaplin had many other relationships and married more than once.

Georgia Hale was signed by Paramount Pictures and found herself in another hit, The Great Gatsby in 1926. In The Great Gatsby, she played the role of Myrtle Wilson. The cast included Warner Baxter, Lois Wilson, Neil Hamilton (best known as the Commissioner Gordon in the Batman TV series) and future STAR (all caps) William Powell.

Georgia’s last silent picture was The Last Moment in 1928.

Georgia Hale’s last movie was a 12 episode Rin-Tin-Tin serial titled The Lighting Warrior in 1931. There are many stars I frantically wish had been in more films (Claire Trevor is one that comes to mind), but none more so than Georgia Hale. Though it’s really tough, I try not to make comparisons among stars of yesterday and today, but in this case it’s so obvious to me, I can’t help myself. Georgia Hale often reminds me of an exquisite combination of Barbara Stanwyck and Keira Knightley.

Great trick to pull of if you have the goods to do so!

Georgia wrote two versions of her autobiography (as well as a fictional love story) but had difficulty finding a publisher for her writing. Ten years after her death, a publisher published her book, Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Closeups. Click the link to find this book on Amazon (I just threw it into my shopping cart with wild abandon!).

After leaving Hollywood (she wasn’t one of the lucky ones who transitioned from Silents to Talkies), she wrote and eventually went into Real Estate. Apparently, her real estate ventures made her quite wealthy!

She was a stunning, bright light that didn’t shine long (onscreen, that is) but shined very brightly.

Georgia Hale died on June 7, 1985 in Hollywood, California at the age of 84.

UPDATE: I now have Georgia’s wonderful book Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Closeups in my possession and I cherish it as much as gold would have been cherished in her most famous film. I’ll soon be writing much more about both Georgia Hale and the man she spent a lifetime adoring, Charlie Chaplin.

Watch The Gold Rush below (or on YouTube). I love this wonderful Silent Film!

Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis in A Sailor-Made Man!

March 20, 2019 By Joi

Photo courtesy Orange County Archives.

Harold Lloyd’s first feature length production was A Sailor-Made Man (1920), cos-starred beautiful Mildred Davis. They would go on, of course, to become husband and wife and parents to three children.

A Sailor-Made Man (filmed in beautiful Laguna Beach) tells the story of a wealthy playboy (Lloyd) who joins the Navy when the father of the girl (Davis) he loves tells him to get a job to prove himself worthy of her.

When A Sailor-Made Man was released, Harold Lloyd became just the second silent comedian to release a feature-length film.