Latest news with #silentfilm
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Our director is a madman': a century on, Gloria Swanson's disastrous film Queen Kelly is finished
In the long history of Hollywood excess, there is no tale as torrid as that of Queen Kelly. This lavish silent melodrama starring Gloria Swanson and directed by Erich von Stroheim will screen as the pre-opening event at this year's Venice film festival, with a new score by composer Eli Denson. The film is an outlandish saga of illicit love in sordid surroundings – and so is the story of its production. Queen Kelly is set in Europe before the first world war and tells the story of Patricia Kelly (Swanson), a convent girl who falls in love with a prince (British actor Walter Byron) who is engaged to a deranged queen. Patricia is sent away to Tanzania, where she is forced into marriage with a vile character called Jan, later earning the nickname Queen Kelly. It's a far-fetched tale, which sets a curious tone from the beginning with its infamous meet-cute, in which Patricia is so overawed by meeting the prince that her knickers fall to the ground. On the first day of shooting in 1928, Swanson had a premonition that the film would never be finished, and events proved her correct. The screening at Venice consists of a new restoration by Dennis Doros that incorporates previously unseen material, and some inventive methods of recreating the film's grand finale. He describes this version as a 'reimagining'. Viewers of the film have always had to fill in the gaps, as did those who wanted to learn what happened behind the scenes. The story of the film begins with a love affair. In 1927 Swanson was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, married to French war hero Marquis Henry de la Falaise, when she met the married Boston businessman Joseph P Kennedy, father of the Kennedy clan. The following year Swanson and Kennedy became lovers, and their relationship was soon an open secret in Hollywood. Swanson, who was living beyond her generous means, put her financial affairs in his hands. Kennedy had been in the movie business for some years, and together they planned a lucrative showcase for Swanson's talent. Making an expensive silent film when the talkie revolution was already in motion was one questionable decision. The next was hiring Von Stroheim to write and direct it. He was anything but a safe bet, known for his censor-baiting storylines, immense profligacy (insisting the extras in 1922's Foolish Wives be supplied with silk underwear) and epic running times (his original cut of 1924's Greed was said to be nine hours long). Von Stroheim proved as immoderate as ever. In the third month of filming, with costs soaring, Swanson and Kennedy called the whole thing off. Her objection was that Von Stroheim had taken the narrative in a direction that would never pass the censors. The scenes they were working on in Africa were clearly set in a brothel. She was exhausted by his reshoots and horrified by having to do a scene in which Jan (Tully Marshall) dribbled tobacco juice on to her hand. She called up Kennedy, saying: 'Our director is a madman.' For his part, Von Stroheim claimed the shoot was abandoned purely because the coming of sound rendered this expensive silent film obsolete. Whatever the reason, Swanson and Kennedy cut their losses, which totalled a reputed $800,000. Von Stroheim was unceremoniously removed from the project. He would never complete a film as director again, although he would continue to find success as an actor, dubbed the 'The Man You Love to Hate' for playing German villains, most notably in Jean Renoir's 1937 classic La Grande Illusion. Swanson and Kennedy tried to complete the film as a talkie and even a musical. A 1932 cut of Queen Kelly was shown in a few countries, but this was essentially only the film's first half. Fast-forward to 1950, when Swanson staged her own glorious comeback, playing washed-up silent film star Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder's black comedy Sunset Boulevard. None other than Von Stroheim was hired to play Norma's butler, the man who keeps her fantasy of enduring fame alive. And when Wilder needed to use a scene from one of Norma's old movies? A clip of Queen Kelly was chosen. Swanson was back in the spotlight, and one of her most famous follies was once more a talking point. From then on, she did her best to revive the project she once thought was doomed – screening her cut of the film at one-off events and even on US TV, with the words: 'This Queen Kelly gal was a child that somehow didn't want to be born.' Swanson died in 1983, just two years before Doros completed his first reconstruction. He used Swanson's own prints and outtakes, which had been preserved at the George Eastman Museum. This new restoration, and its red-carpet premiere in Venice, may just be everything that Swanson dreamed of for her lovechild Queen Kelly. Von Stroheim, one suspects, would prefer to try a few more takes. Queen Kelly screens in Venice on 26 August
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Our director is a madman': a century on, Gloria Swanson's disastrous film Queen Kelly is finished
In the long history of Hollywood excess, there is no tale as torrid as that of Queen Kelly. This lavish silent melodrama starring Gloria Swanson and directed by Erich von Stroheim will screen as the pre-opening event at this year's Venice film festival, with a new score by composer Eli Denson. The film is an outlandish saga of illicit love in sordid surroundings – and so is the story of its production. Queen Kelly is set in Europe before the first world war and tells the story of Patricia Kelly (Swanson), a convent girl who falls in love with a prince (British actor Walter Byron) who is engaged to a deranged queen. Patricia is sent away to Tanzania, where she is forced into marriage with a vile character called Jan, later earning the nickname Queen Kelly. It's a far-fetched tale, which sets a curious tone from the beginning with its infamous meet-cute, in which Patricia is so overawed by meeting the prince that her knickers fall to the ground. On the first day of shooting in 1928, Swanson had a premonition that the film would never be finished, and events proved her correct. The screening at Venice consists of a new restoration by Dennis Doros that incorporates previously unseen material, and some inventive methods of recreating the film's grand finale. He describes this version as a 'reimagining'. Viewers of the film have always had to fill in the gaps, as did those who wanted to learn what happened behind the scenes. The story of the film begins with a love affair. In 1927 Swanson was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, married to French war hero Marquis Henry de la Falaise, when she met the married Boston businessman Joseph P Kennedy, father of the Kennedy clan. The following year Swanson and Kennedy became lovers, and their relationship was soon an open secret in Hollywood. Swanson, who was living beyond her generous means, put her financial affairs in his hands. Kennedy had been in the movie business for some years, and together they planned a lucrative showcase for Swanson's talent. Making an expensive silent film when the talkie revolution was already in motion was one questionable decision. The next was hiring Von Stroheim to write and direct it. He was anything but a safe bet, known for his censor-baiting storylines, immense profligacy (insisting the extras in 1922's Foolish Wives be supplied with silk underwear) and epic running times (his original cut of 1924's Greed was said to be nine hours long). Von Stroheim proved as immoderate as ever. In the third month of filming, with costs soaring, Swanson and Kennedy called the whole thing off. Her objection was that Von Stroheim had taken the narrative in a direction that would never pass the censors. The scenes they were working on in Africa were clearly set in a brothel. She was exhausted by his reshoots and horrified by having to do a scene in which Jan (Tully Marshall) dribbled tobacco juice on to her hand. She called up Kennedy, saying: 'Our director is a madman.' For his part, Von Stroheim claimed the shoot was abandoned purely because the coming of sound rendered this expensive silent film obsolete. Whatever the reason, Swanson and Kennedy cut their losses, which totalled a reputed $800,000. Von Stroheim was unceremoniously removed from the project. He would never complete a film as director again, although he would continue to find success as an actor, dubbed the 'The Man You Love to Hate' for playing German villains, most notably in Jean Renoir's 1937 classic La Grande Illusion. Swanson and Kennedy tried to complete the film as a talkie and even a musical. A 1932 cut of Queen Kelly was shown in a few countries, but this was essentially only the film's first half. Fast-forward to 1950, when Swanson staged her own glorious comeback, playing washed-up silent film star Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder's black comedy Sunset Boulevard. None other than Von Stroheim was hired to play Norma's butler, the man who keeps her fantasy of enduring fame alive. And when Wilder needed to use a scene from one of Norma's old movies? A clip of Queen Kelly was chosen. Swanson was back in the spotlight, and one of her most famous follies was once more a talking point. From then on, she did her best to revive the project she once thought was doomed – screening her cut of the film at one-off events and even on US TV, with the words: 'This Queen Kelly gal was a child that somehow didn't want to be born.' Swanson died in 1983, just two years before Doros completed his first reconstruction. He used Swanson's own prints and outtakes, which had been preserved at the George Eastman Museum. This new restoration, and its red-carpet premiere in Venice, may just be everything that Swanson dreamed of for her lovechild Queen Kelly. Von Stroheim, one suspects, would prefer to try a few more takes. Queen Kelly screens in Venice on 26 August
CBC
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
The forgotten Canadian film bureaus that cranked out morality tales about being a good worker
The 1922 film Her Own Fault begins with Mamie waking up exhausted in a stuffy room and, as the silent film title card tells us, "starting the day wrong." Things go downhill from there. She doesn't wash, runs late for her factory job, stoops uncomfortably over her work, and spends the evening "seeking excitement" in a crowded dance hall. The result, the film tells us in one of its final title cards, is that she "gets what is coming to her": tuberculosis. The morality tale is one of 15 short silent films currently streaming on "The Moving Past," a website created by Toronto historian David Sobel. Sobel built the site last year to house digitized versions of films made by two short-lived and nearly forgotten government film companies: the Ontario Motion Picture Bureau, and the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau. The two companies cranked out hundreds of films between 1918 and 1929, before sputtering to a stop during the Depression. The Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau was later absorbed and replaced by the National Film Board. "Canada was the first country in the world to have government sponsored films made … and I thought it would be fun for people to be able to go to the website and watch," said Sobel in an interview with CBC Toronto. Less fun, or at least less easy, is the process to get them there, which involves Sobel driving to Ottawa to visit the National Archives and screen the films before paying himself to have them digitized and edited. "I've had some discussions with the Archives where I'm saying, you know, really you should be sending these films for free because I'm promoting you. But we'll see," he said. 'Very particular ideas about class' The result of all that time spent on Highway 401 is a collection of films showing a snapshot of work, life and culture in Ontario and Canada — many of them geared toward providing moral instruction about being clean, healthy and productive. Take Someone at Home from 1925, which introduces us to irresponsible electric utility lineman Jim. "That particular film is actually a safety film, so it gets into how dangerous [that kind of work] was," said Sobel. After suffering a careless on-the-job accident that lands him in the hospital, Jim realizes he should take precautions at work, winning back a fiancee who is on the verge of leaving him for good. Other films in the uploaded collection aim to promote and spread new ideas and innovations, such as purpose-built playgrounds for children. The Educational Playground from 1922 first briefly shows us unsupervised children on the street before laying out the "unconditional success" of playgrounds, where "healthy amusement" can be found in pursuits like baseball, boxing and folk dancing. University of Toronto professor Sarah Bay-Cheng, who studies the intersection of technology and theatre, says these kinds of societal snapshots are rare. "During World War 2, a lot of historical films were melted down for the silver nitrate. So we've actually lost, in Canada, significant film archives," said Bay-Cheng. "So it's great to have some of these." In fact, as Sobel notes on his website, the films were very nearly destroyed in the 1930s, but were bought by a priest to show his congregation and later stored in barn near North Bay, Ont., for three decades before being re-discovered. Bay-Cheng also says the educational intent of the films on the Moving Past website exposes some of 1920s society's most entrenched ideas. "There are very particular ideas about class, particularly related to hygiene. So bathing comes up in a lot of these films. There's a lot of descriptions and depictions of brushing your teeth, of eating well, of [asking] what makes a good worker," she said. Sobel's hope is to continue growing his online collection until it numbers in the hundreds, starting with six new digitized titles set to be uploaded in the fall.
Geek Tyrant
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Charlie Chaplin's THE GOLD RUSH Gets Stunning 4K Trailer Ahead of Its 100th Anniversary Re-Release — GeekTyrant
It's been a full century since Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush premiered at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, and now, the iconic silent comedy is getting a grand return to the big screen. A beautifully restored 4K version of the film is set to roll out in theaters worldwide on June 26th, which is exactly 100 years to the day of its original debut in 1925. I love watching these old Charlie Chaplin movies and it will be awesome finally get to watch one on the big screen! The restoration recently made its debut at Cannes Classics, kicking off the festival with a reminder of just how timeless Chaplin's work truly is. And now, mk2 Films has released a new trailer showcasing the vivid clarity and loving care that went into the 4K upgrade. According to mk2 Films, the re-release will screen in over 500 theaters across more than 70 territories. 'This historic event marks a global tribute to Chaplin's legacy, reaffirming the enduring power of The Gold Rush to captivate audiences a century after its debut,' the company said in a statement. Chaplin not only starred in the film, he also wrote, directed, and produced it. It remains one of his most celebrated works, packed with unforgettable moments like the "roll dance" and that famous dinner scene involving a cooked boot. Variety points out: 'Following its 2025 preimiere it was was met with instant critical acclaim. In 1942, Chaplin re-released a 'talkie' version, featuring sound effects, music and narration, which would receive two Academy Award nominations (the original out four years before the first Oscars).' In 1992, The Gold Rush was added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry for being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Whether you're seeing it for the first time or revisiting the film, this new restoration looks like its worth watching. You can watch the trailer for the 4K version of The Gold Rush below.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
On 100th anniversary of 'The Gold Rush,' Cannes tips hat to Charlie Chaplin
One hundred years after Charlie Chaplin made dinner rolls dance and ate his shoe like it was a fine meal, 'The Gold Rush' has been vividly brought back to life in a new restoration that premiered Tuesday at the Cannes Film Festival. On the opening day of its 78th edition, Cannes debuted a 4K restoration of 'The Gold Rush,' one of Chaplin's most beloved silent masterpieces. The screening, held just before the festival's official opening ceremony, was part of a new day-one tradition for restored films, festival director Thierry Fremaux said before the screening at Cannes' Debussy Theatre. Years in the making, this 'Gold Rush' pristinely restores Chaplin's Tramp to all his downtrodden glory. The 1925 Alaskan frontier comedy may be marking its centenary, but it looks bracingly fresh in the restoration carried out by La Cineteca di Bologna. The restoration was more complicated than most because it included an extensive search for any missing footage. In 1942, Chaplin edited the film and re-released it with sound effects, music and narration. That version landed two Oscar nominations, but the restoration sought to get as close to the 1925 original as possible. In 'The Gold Rush' Chaplin's lone prospector ambles through the snowy Alaskan wilds in pursuit less of gold than some food and perhaps companionship. His antic, cliff-dangling struggles make up much of the film's deft slapstick, but the Little Tramp's humble, sweet hopes for romance greatly exceed his strike-it-rich ambitions. The film's premiere drew two grandchildren of Chaplin: Kiera Chaplin and Spencer Chaplin. 'What to say about 'The Gold Rush?' said Spencer Chaplin. 'It was his biggest production to date. He built the set — it was almost like a tourist attraction in L.A. at the time. He built the mountains.' The screening in Cannes drew a packed house in one of Cannes' largest theaters, a crowd that the Chaplin descendants warmly surveyed. 'Our grandfather would be really proud to see this, a hundred years later, to see all you here and interested in seeing the film,' said Kiera Chaplin. 'The Gold Rush' will roll out in theaters worldwide on June 26 in a release organized by mk2 Films. ___ For more coverage of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, visit
