Saturday, January 31, 2015

News of the Week January 30, 1915 -- January 31, 2015


The 30-January-1915 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.


"German prisoners on way to detention camp in England.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  Images of enemy POWs were good for morale at home. 

"Hartlepool victims given miliary funeral.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe Daily News." On 16-December-1914, the German battlecruiser squadron, commanded by Admiral Franz Hipper, shelled British port cities including Hartlepool in County Durham.  The raid killed 137 people, including many women and children.  Four soldiers were among the people killed in Hartlepool. 


"Horses captured by French being taken to the rear.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe Daily News." Horses were important to all the armies in the war. 

"Automobile ambulances of the British army, presented by Rajah of Gwaloir.  Copyright 1915 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial." Gwalior is a city that is now in the state of Madhya Pradesh.  The Maharaja in 1914 was Mâdhav Râo Sindhia. 


"Graduates of Austrian Military Academy given commissions.  Copyright 1915 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  This may be the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.

"Catholic church in Belgium destroyed by Germans.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly." Allied propagandists found a lot of material in the Germans' savage treatment of Belgium. 

Friday, January 30, 2015

Dorothy Dell 100 -- January 30, 2015

www.listal.com

Actress Dorothy Dell was born in New Orleans 100 years ago today, on 30-January-1915.  She appeared in a handful of movies before she died in an automobile crash on 08-June-1934 at the age of 19.  She is best remembered today for  appearing in an adaption of Damon Runyon's Little Miss Marker with Shirley Temple. 

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www.listal.com
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News of the Week for 30-January-1915 will appear in this blog tomorrow. 

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Katherine Ross 75 -- January 29, 2015

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Actress Katherine Ross was born 75 years ago today, on 29-January-1940.  She grew up in Walnut Creek and did much of her early professional acting in San Francisco.  She is most famous for her work in The Graduate and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

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www.listal.com

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Rough House Rosie -- January 28, 2015

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Red haired Clara Bow was probably the most popular silent actress after Mary Pickford.  Rough House Rosie was a hit, in more than one sense of the word, in 1927, but is now lost.  A trailer survives. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Greatest and Most Beatuful Artist Now Appearing In Motion Pictures -- January 27, 2015

Moving Picture World, 02-January-1915

George Middleton, a San Francisco automobile dealer, married the beautiful and celebrated prima donna (that's how she was billed), musical comedy actress Beatriz Michelena in San Francisco in 1907. She left the stage for a while, then returned in 1910. In 1912, Middleton, son of a famous family in the lumber business, founded the California Motion Picture Company in San Rafael, north of San Francisco. At first he made promotional films for his auto business, but in 1914 he began to produce dramatic features starring his wife. Salomy Jane still survives and is very impressive. Most of the CMPC movies were destroyed in a fire.
By the time of the ad above, the CMPC had moved its distribution from Alco, which was in financial trouble, to Lewis J Selznick's World Film Corporation.  This ad touts Michelena's portrayals of Salomy Jane, Mignon and Lovey Mary in Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

Moving Picture World, 02-January-1915
Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch was based on a popular novel by Alice Hegan Rice.  It has been filmed at least four times.  WC Fields appeared in the 1934 Paramount production. 

Moving Picture World, 09-January-1915
Lewis J Selznick's World Film Corporation handled an ambitious number of movies.  This ad has the CMPC productions of Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch and Mignon, along with a feature starring Clara Kimball Young, "The Most Popular Star in Pictures." 

Moving Picture World 04-July-1914
The World Film logo featured an elephant. 

Moving Picture World, 09-January-1915
Here is a closer view of the Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch section of the ad. "A complete circus was used in one of the scenes of this great production."

Moving Picture World, 09-January-1915
And here is a closer view of the Mignon section.  Mignon was a popular opera by Ambroise Thomas.  Here the diva poses with a rabbit. 

Moving Picture World, 09-January-1915
"The role of Lovey Mary is taken by Beatriz Michelena, the beautiful California opera star...The beauty and intelligence of Beatriz Michelena in the role of Lovey Mary make her very acceptable."

Moving Picture World, 16-January-1915
Moving Picture World, 16-January-1915
This week's World Film Corporation ad still had the Clara Kimball Young film and Mignon, and adds a movie starring Lillian Russell, who had been a famous actress 20 years before. 

Moving Picture World, 16-January-1915
This week's Mignon section does not have Michelena or the rabbit. 

Moving Picture World, 23-January-1915
"The Most Artistic Work Ever Seen on the Screen." 

Moving Picture World, 23-January-1915
Here is a detailed view of Michelena and the rabbit.  I like the CMPC logo with the California Grizzly. 

Moving Picture World, 23-January-1915
This week's World Film Corporation ad still had Mignon and the Lillian Russell movie, along with Money, a United Keanograph production.  I like the name United Keanograph. 

Moving Picture World, 23-January-1915
This week's Mignon section has Michelena and the rabbit, but the rabbit does not look well. 

Moving Picture World, 23-January-1915
"The beautiful leading woman intelligently blocks out the part rather than distills its essence for us."

Moving Picture World, 30-January-1915
Moving Picture World, 30-January-1915
\"America's most beautiful prima donna in a film dramatization of a world famous grand opera."  It must be nice when one's spouse owns the production company. 


Monday, January 26, 2015

Jim's Love for Zudora is Evident -- January 26, 2015

Moving Picture World, 30-January-1915
Thanhouser's serial The Million Dollar Mystery had been a roaring success.  In 1914, it stopped at chapter 22, promising that chapter 23 would be released at a later date.  Fans were invited to submit a solution to the mystery.  The person whose suggestion would be used to make chapter 23 would receive a $10,000 prize.  This article shows actors Sidney Bracy, Marguerite Snow and Flo La Badie, the star of the serial, sitting in a room piled with mail.  It says they had picked the winner, but his or her name would not be disclosed until the chapter was released in February. 

Moving Picture World, 02-January-1915
"Most Successful Photoplay Ever Staged!"  Thanhouser's next serial, Zudora, was not as much of a success.  "Watch for sensational developments in the new episodes of 'Zudora.'  The early episodes of this wonderful photoplay are constructed to lead up to some of the most remarkable pieces of acting in the history of motion pictures."  Does this sound like an excuse for starting slowly? 

Moving Picture World, 02-January-1915
  This item claims that Thanhouser insured leading lady Marguerite Snow after an auto accident. 

Moving Picture World, 09-January-1915

I like the design of this ad. 

Moving Picture World, 09-January-1915

The manager of the Casino Theater in Des Moines, Iowa used this gentleman to advertise Zudora.  The crystal ball is an empty fish bowl. 


Motography, 09-January-1915
"Jim, disguised as Hassam Ali, photographs Chang." 

Motography, 09-January-1915
"Chang hypnotizes Zudora." 

Motography, 09-January-1915
"Jim's love for Zudora is evident." 

Moving Picture World, 16-January-1915
"In episode No. 8 James Cruze is transformed into the dashing and inspiring hero that made him famous in 'The Million Dollar Mystery.'"  Was this an effort to revive audience interest by making it more like the successful Million Dollar Mystery?

Moving Picture World, 16-January-1915
People like cat pictures ;0)

Moving Picture World, 16-January-1915
"One of the features of 'Zudora' is the attention given to the furnishings of Hassam's home.  Certainly there is no material which in richness seems so strongly to appeal to the camera as teakwood." 

Moving Picture World, 23-January-1915
I like Zudora's expression.  "Thrills, Thrills, THRILLS."

Moving Picture World, 23-January-1915
They lost one of the Persian cats.  "Director Hansel fails to see anything funny about it." 

Motography, 23-January-1915
"Zudora returns the visit of 'the woman of mystery.'"

Motography, 23-January-1915
"Jim, disguised as Hassam Ali, meets Madame Duval." 

Motography, 23-January-1915
"Zudora learns where the little heiress is held prisoner." 

Moving Picture World, 30-January-1915
"James Cruze -- The Hero!"  Not only is James Cruze now the hero, but Sidney Bracy and Frank Farrington, who were in The Million Dollar Mystery.  Have joined the cast.  I get the feeling that Thanhouser was trying to recapture the elements that made the old serial a success. 

Moving Picture World, 30-January-1915
The dollar amount could have been exaggerated.