sixmartinis and the seventh art

high contrast

2012-01-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

I love this noir-ish moment- from 1937 yet. It could almost be a template for what was to come. Barbara Stanwyck acts the pants off everyone else and all Joel McCrae ever needs to do is stand in front of the camera, as far as I'm concerned.

Interns Can't Take Money (1937)

directed by Alfred Santell

cinematography by Theodor Sparkuhl - huh, I gotta see more...

art direction by Hans Drier

and Roland Anderson

smoking section

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Story of a Cheat (1936)

directed by Sasha Guitry

cinematography by Marcel Lucien

onto a new year

2012-01-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

This is the Hearst Memorial Mining building at UC Berkeley. The school once had a working mine on campus for educational purposes. Now it's a traffic loop, but this refurbished building maintains the grandeur of an earlier education experience. It's one part of the inspiring atmosphere on campus - along with the Pacific Film Archive of course.

This is my version of a year-end wrap-up. Most of my time was taken up with classes and schoolwork, but I did attend some amazing film screenings which you can go read. Brian at Hell On Frisco Bay, fine film writer that he is, invites fellow locals to share their favorite rep theater screenings from 2011. Go check it out; I'll wait for you here.

I've been enjoying reading other people's end-of-year lists all over the internet film world, but I'm sad to notice the neglect of the passing of some important avant garde and experimental filmmakers:

George Kuchar, 1942-2011, whose I, An Actress was selected for preservation at the National Film Registry for 2011;

Robert Breer, 1926-2011, creator of the roto-scoped and beautiful Fuji which was added back in 2002;

Jordan Belson, 1926-2011, whose Allures was also selected for preservation this year.

Thanks, guys.

2011 countdown

2011-12-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

Midnight Mary (1933)

I Am Waiting (1957)

Snow Creature (1954)

The Enforcer (1951)

At the Stroke of Twelve (1941)

Marked Woman (1937)

Snow Creature (1954)

Tea Making Tips (1941)

Midnight Mary (1933)

Snow Creature (1954)

Gold Diggers of 1933

Shockproof (1949)

El Rey Del Barrio (1950)

Hong Kong Holiday (1957)

Wife vs Secretary (1936)

By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953)

Gold Diggers of 1933

Non Ti Scodar Di Me (1936)

Letter of Introduction (1938)

The Enforcer (1951)

Midnight Mary (1933)

Sangdil (1952)

Happy new year to everyone!

Here's to a bright, happy and engaging 2012!

most snowiest time of the year day 30

2011-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Aural Adjunct: Snow Time by Felix Arndt

King's Row (1942)

directed by Sam Wood

cinematography by James Wong Howe

production design by William Cameron Menzies

art direction by Carl Jules Weyl

most snowiest time of the year day 29

2011-12-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

We Live Again (1934)

directed by Rouben Mamoulian

cinematography by Gregg Toland

most snowiest time of the year day 28

2011-12-28T16:15:00.000-08:00

Most scenes play like a soap opera, where no one will just come out and say what is on their minds. It's awfully confusing plot-wise, but thankfully it takes place in a world of perpetual blizzards. Just look at all this snow....

Hakuchi (1951)

aka The Idiot

directed by Akira Kurosawa

cinematography by Toshio Ubukata

most snowiest time of the year day 27

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

directed by Raoul Walsh

cinematography by Ernest Haller

art direction by Max Parker

most snowiest time of the year day 26

2011-12-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hope you are enjoying your Boxing Day holiday! Why not kick back, put up your feet and listen to Jack Benny as Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner, not to mention Rosalind Russell, Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, Dorothy Malone, Charles Boyer and Gene Kelly as well.

Barbara Stanwyck comes through again!

...showing an early affinity for acting on horseback, and during an absolutely velvety gorgeous snowstorm too:

It's worth seeing even just for a young and handsome George Brent.

The Purchase Price (1932)

directed by William A Wellman

cinematography by Sid Hickox

art direction by Jack Okey

come and spend xmas with me

2011-12-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Aural Adjuncts:

The Santa Claus Express by the BBC Dance Orchestra

White Christmas by Vera Lynn, who could make me cry even singing "Happy Birthday"

Come and Spend Christmas With Me by Byron G. Harlan

Holiday-themed Sweater Coup, for all you who participate in the Ugly Christmas Sweater parties. This'll send the vintage clothes aficionados into a tizzy. Thanks again to Barbara Stanwyck; here's another view:

The Other Love (1947)

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Midnight Mary (1933)

and because its time to prepare for next year,

No Man of Her Own (1950)

the tree goes up on xmas eve 2011

2011-12-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Aural Adjunct: Bounce of the Sugar Plum Fairies

by the John Kirby Sextet - emphasis on the BOUNCE

Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)

No Man of Her Own (1950)

Dr Zhivago (1965)

le Douxieme Souffle (1966)

Love Story (1970)

City on Fire (1987)

On Moonlight Bay (1951)

most snowiest time of the year day 23

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Aural Adjunct: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

by the Alvino Rey Orchestra, featuring some prominent slack-key guitar work - or is it an organ?

This is some impressive studio snow well-matched to the shots taken in the Pyrenees:

The Abominable Snowman (1957)

directed by Val Guest

cinematography by Arthur Grant

art direction by Ted Marshall

most snowiest time of the year day 22

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

Aural Adjunct: Ring Dem Bells by the Fud Candrix Orchestra - hope ya like Jump! Its great for zooming around the rink.

More stars on ice:

Mary Wickes waves Hi!

And yes, that is Doris Day doing her own plaid-tastic ice skating scenes:

from By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953), the sequel to On Moonlight Bay.

most snowiest time of the year day 21

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Aural Adjunct:

By The Fireside

by the Ray Noble Orchestra, with vocals by Al Bowlly. They were featured as the dance orchestra in The Shining, so they always have a wintertime connection for me.

This could be the new motto and logo for this blog.

...and a gratuitous cute little kid bundled up for the snow -

meet PeeWee Flannery!

By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953)

directed by David Butler

cinematography by Wilfrid M Cline

art direction by John Beckman

most snowiest time of the year day 20

2011-12-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Aural Adjunct: Snowman by the Ambrose Orchestra, with vocals by the Rhythm Sisters

No, not that type of snow man. This type:

I'm not a big fan of musicals, but any time Doris Day wants to sing, it's OK by me.

On Moonlight Bay (1951)

directed by Roy Del Ruth

cinematography by Ernest Haller

art direction by Douglas Bacon

most snowiest time of the year day 19

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Aural Adjunct: When Winter Comes

by Swedish big band leader Gosta Torner

Have you done the Google search for Let It Snow yet?

These borders are original to the film, I assure you. It is a fun, silly, "pre-code" (wink! euphemisms cut the spam down drastically) slap-stick romp in the snow with Pola Negri in her wild-haired, wild-eyed best.

Die Bergkatze (1921)

aka The Wildcat

directed by Ernst Lubitsch

cinematography by Theodor Sparkuhl

art direction by Max Gronert

and Ernst Stern

most snowiest time of the year day 18

2011-12-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Wheee, more ice skating!

There is the briefest shot of Clark Gable gliding from one edge of the frame to the other on skates (not pretty enough to include here), but unfortunately not one glimpse of Jean Harlow or Myrna Loy on ice.

It is a gorgeous Art Deco ice rink, one I imagine ICELAND in Berkeley resembled before it was recently closed. Not only born late, but now I'm showing up too late for what little is still left!

Wife vs Secretary (1936)

directed by Clarence Brown

most snowiest time of the year day 17

2011-12-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Caged (1950)

directed by John Cromwell

cinematography by Carl Guthrie

most snowiest time of the year day 16

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure this is stock footage of somewhere I've seen before, maybe Sun Valley; anyone know?

More shots from this film seen here:

That Wonderful Urge (1948)

directed by Robert Sinclair

most snowiest time of the year day 15

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here's the human element from yesterday's Sign of the Wolf (1941)...

... including a very William-Powell-esque Michael Whalen. Just how I like my handsome male leads - mustachioed and driving a sleigh:

most snowiest time of the year day 14

2011-12-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

I'll bet you were just thinking, when are we going to see some animals romping in the snow? Here ya are:

Sign of the Wolf (1941)

directed by Howard Bretherton

cinematography by Fred Jackman Jr.

most snowiest time of the year day 13

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, was this good! The suspense was so great, I had to force my finger off the fast-forward button. I'm glad I didn't succumb because I didn't want this to be even a minute shorter.

After loving The Cranes Are Flying

and then being disappointed with The Nail in the Boot

this, I had no idea what this would be like. Even though the Italian was dubbed into English while the Russian was left subtitled, I'm still impressed. Go see it!

Krasnaya Palatka (1969)

aka The Red Tent

directed by Mikhail Kalatozov

cinematography by Leonid Kalashnikov

most snowiest time of the year day 12

2011-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

If I become a famous artist only to suffer from an undisclosed but known-fatal respiratory ailment, I want to be sent here:

Doesn't it seem that in Hollywood only famous artists are ever sent to sanitariums? I guess its because the average PPO won't cover it. I mean really, check out those views.

Sadie McKee (1934)

directed by Clarence Brown

cinematography by Oliver T Marsh

art direction by Cedric Gibbons

most snowiest time of the year day 11

2011-12-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Spellbound (1945)

directed by Alfred Hitchcock

cinematography by George Barnes

most snowiest time of the year day 10

2011-12-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

In The Cut (2003)

directed by Jane Campion

cinematography by Dion Beebe

most snowiest time of the year day 9

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

directed by Alfred Hitchcock

cinematography by Curt Courant

most snowiest time of the year day 8

2011-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Yet another Stanwyck snow-ladened spectacle - in a sanitorium no less! She will make her appearance later this month, so keep checking back.

For right now, just follow the rolling snow ball....

The Other Love (1947)

directed by Andre de Toth

cinematography by Victor Milner

most snowiest time of the year day 7

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Snow Creature (1954)

directed by W. Lee Wilder (Billy's big brother)

cinematography by Floyd Crosby

art direction by Frank Sylos

It's really hard to make blowing snow look like more than just a smeary lens, but I like how this one seems sparkly and magical.

If you like, you can watch this bizarre, less than sparkly and magical film here.

most snowiest time of the year day 6

2011-12-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Dr Zhivago (1965)

directed by David Lean

cinematography by Freddie Young

art direction by Terence Marsh

Aural Adjunct: On a Good Old Time Sleigh Ride by the Peerless Quartet, another of my all-time year-round favorites.

If you enjoy this song, don't bother searching out other recordings by the same group. Unfortunately, they really embraced the racist attitudes of their time and made many recordings accordingly. Disappointing, because there is so much energy and joy in this recording and the vocal parts are so complex and unusual that it makes me long for more of the same.

most snowiest time of the year day 5

2011-12-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Holy cats, is that the time? Then let's get on with more snowy movies....

It's hardly surprising to see Barbara Stanwyck in another wintertime setting. Christmas in Connecticut would be enough to ensure her a Queen of the Studio Snow crown but it's always a treat to find another.

No Man of Her Own (1950)

directed by Mitchell Leisen

cinematography by Daniel L Fapp

art direction Hans Drier

and Henry Bumstead

most snowiest time of the year day 4

2011-12-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

More stunt work by our intrepid actors. Claudette on skis and Robert Young allowing a troupe of professionals to swoop over his head - repeatedly:

If that isn't really Robert on the slopes, then the special effects are just as impressive.

most snowiest time of the year day 3

2011-12-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here's something too rarely found in classical Hollywood cinema - bobsled gags.

most snowiest time of the year day 2

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

That isn't studio snow, though there is plenty of that this year, and not just stock footage either. This was filmed in Sun Valley, movie stars and all; my attention was consistently drawn to the breath-fog streaming from the actors' mouths. Sun Valley was such a beautiful location. I wonder if it still is. Anyone know?

most snowiest time of the year

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hooray, it's that time of year again! Hunker down against the blizzard, grab that mug of hot cider and throw another log on the fire. Bring on the snow and ice!

Because I'm sure you're tired of the same old songs every year, I'll provide links over the next few weeks to highlight some lost classics to heighten the mood.

Today's Aural Adjunct: Winter by Billy Murray, one of my favorite songs of all time. I swear, if the man would go on tour now, I'd be at the front of the stage screaming with glee.

The Zamboni driver has already been at work, smoothing the surface for our stars Claudette Colbert and Melvyn Douglas:

No stunt doubles here; those are the actors skating outdoors for a very long, unbroken shot with icy dialog and business both. There is some impressive camerawork too (backwards and on skates):

It is a shame that the writing stinks to high heaven, otherwise this would be a good film to revisit this time each year. At least it is gorgeous to watch. This film is so heavy with winter sports that I'm going to carry it on over the next few days. It's enough to want to take a spin around the rink. Whee!

I Met Him in Paris (1937)

directed by Wesley Ruggles

cinematography by Leo Tover

adding a few rooms to the art deco dream home...

2011-11-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Marked Woman (1937)

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)

...because one simply needs the space to house all that seating, n'est-ce pas? It'll surely come in handy when I throw my annual Xmas party next month.

a pinnacle in framing the image

2011-11-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Summer Storm (1944)

directed by Douglas Sirk

cinematography by Archie Stout

and Eugen Schufftan

Most likely Schufftan is responsible for this shot, with its near-perfect framing.

Only the slightest quivering of the camera renders the special effect visible.

Look - you can even see the image through the slats between the wood planks.

oooo, scary!

2011-10-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

Sangdil (1952)

Ethel Merman, exposing a seldom-seen side of herself, and I wish you a scary Hallowe'en!

Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)

I Walked With A Zombie (1943)

the season of the midterm...

2011-10-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

... is nearly over. School isn't completely overwhelming, but I just don't seem to have much time. This is the hottest time of the year, which makes it seem earlier than October and lets time slip away quickly. Let me tell you, watching horror films during a heat wave takes away a lot of the fun. I'm waiting for the cool down so I can carry my books to school wearing Pendleton skirts and cashmere cardigans, all properly collegiate a la Ali MacGraw.

But what is great about this time of year is that anything posted automatically seems Hallowe'en-y:

Home Movies (1940)

Oooo, ghostly!

That Wonderful Urge (1948)

Love Is News (1937)

Doctor Takes A Wife (1940)

The Reckless Moment (1949)

The Devil Commands (1941)

Shubun aka Scandal (1950)

spaces

2011-09-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

One actor successfully holding the other back so we can get a good look at the fabulous decor. The chevrons on the wall are echoed in the diamonds on the inlaid floor. And are the walls lined with fabric? Perhaps it is a textured wallpaper treatment, but I'm guessing raw silk or grasscloth. Stunning, non?

Oh yeah, some more stuff happens too. All beautifully of course; this is Murnau.

See the cafe patrons through the windows of the streetcar? They are sitting across the street from the camera as the presumably fake trolley passes by. Faux or no, it is to great effect - Freund, thank you.

The Finances of the Grand Duke (1924)

directed by F. W. Murnau

cinematography by Karl Freund

words

2011-09-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

The cinema must seek to become, gradually and in the end uniquely, cinematic; to employ, in other words, only photogenic elements.

Jean Epstein, "On Certain Characteristics of Photogenie" 1924.

The cinema is true; a story is false.

Jean Epstein, "The Senses I (b)" 1921

Visual impact is ephemeral, it's an impression you receive and which suggests a thousand thoughts....

The seventh art, that of the screen, is depth rendered perceptible, the depth that lies beneath that surface; it is the musical ungraspable....

The more we get rid of the plot to go in the direction of visual cinema, the more we will work for the seventh art.

Germaine Dulac, Visual and Anti-visual Films, 1928.

Now, isn't looking at an image in this context just as interesting as contemplating what John Ford was supposed to do with a Shirley Temple picture? (I enjoyed it very much, by the way)

Wee Willie Winkie (1937)
directed by John Ford
cinematography by Arthur C. Miller

oh, just kiss her already!

2011-09-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Geez, those existentialists really make life more difficult for themselves, don't you think?

Ore Wa Metteru Ze (1957)

aka I Am Waiting

directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara

cinematography by Kurataro Takamura

grrr....

2011-08-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my unintended hiatus. I am suffering from dominant-hand tendonitus.
Know what makes it worse? Applauding, swimming, just about anything fun.
Know what makes it better? Staying away from the internet. Go figure.

I was able to eke out a guest post on She Blogged By Night. Go look at one of my favorite sites, staffed by the inimitable Stacia, admired greatly for her championing of character actors and her obsession with El Brendel. Also for her enviable ability to post just as often on vacation as she does the rest of the time.

SFSFF 2011 - Sunday

2011-07-21T09:51:00.001-07:00

Tales of Kevin Brownlow and Napoleon: This second installment of Amazing Tales From the Archives was dedicated to the long and dedicated struggle to bring this film back to it's original glory. It'll be pretty close when it screens at the Paramount Theater in Oakland in March 2012 - apparently there are still a few scenes yet to be rediscovered. It was a gripping adventure that held the nearly full house enthralled. I love his celebrity status; the applause whenever he took the stage over the weekend was nearly deafening.

Tribune-American Dream Picture (1924) I love this concept: write down your dream and send it in to the local paper - the Oakland Tribune, in this case. The winning entries will be filmed starring YOU and shown in the local theater. This tale of a missing baby takes the parents around the streets of Oakland, to the Ferry Building in San Francisco and back again. How great it was to see the local sites, cars and houses. I hope others in the series turn up.

Shoes (1916) I am so happy that the films screened during SFSFF were from different eras of silent film. I tended to watch films from the late 1920s when I first started with silent films. It was at this festival that I learned the beauty of the 1910s and especially Lois Weber. A clerk in the Woolworth's-like five-and-dime resorts to a fall from innocence to pay for a new pair of shoes. Like the other films I've seen from Weber, this one has gorgeously slow pacing and actors that attract attention away from the sadly cheap and unimaginative sets. I see Weber as rooted in her time but evolving towards a newer style. So good.

Wild and Weird: Short Film Favorites. I had seen most of these before, though the sounds of the Alloy Orchestra managed to suggest a different emphasis on the absurdity occurring onscreen. Ultimately, the percussion became too loud for me and I left to rest up for the next program.

Chess Fever (1925) A nation's obsession with chess and how the last remaining hold-out becomes converted too. Brisk pacing, sight gags and actors with natural good looks made this so much fun.

The Nail in the Boot (1932) Kalatozov's moving film from the end of the silent period. Beautiful Expressionist lighting, active editing, camera pans and angles (that reminded me of the work of the Futurists) and terse acting. Somehow, it didn't quite gel for me. The storyline was intentionally obtuse and I suspect the film was cut-up at one time due to the displeasure of the authorities. Still absolutely beautiful.

And that was the end of my marathon. The Sunday night capper, He Who Gets Slapped, I had seen before so I skipped out for home. All in all it was a lot of fun. I met a lot of people and saw a lot of old friends.

The most outstanding feature this year was in use of english subtitles superimposed via video projector onto the original title cards. Personally, I love to see the originals and their distinctive fonts and artwork so this way I could understand the meaning without losing the rhythm of the film.

SFSFF 2011 - Saturday

2011-07-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday started with a bang - literally. An earthquake erupted at 4am, awakening me out of deep dreams of swashbuckling archivist adventures. I never really got back to sleep even after my long Friday at the festival and ended up arriving late on Saturday.

The Blizzard (1912) A huge herd of reindeer results in post traumatic stress syndrome. Gorgeous Swedish silent directed by Mauritz Stiller. Seriously, I very much enjoyed the Matti Bye Ensemble. The score is atmospheric and emotional, a loving support that keeps the rhythms of the film in the forefront. I will happily see any film screened when Matti Bye is involved. He wrote a piece for the program about his views on accompanying silent film. His two rules: keep the eyes on the screen and follow the dynamics of the film. He also mentions the importance of taking silent film seriously. I agree. I feel that some musicians are disrespectful by considering the film "as a backdrop for a concert" (Mr. Bye's words, my criticism.) It worked for the Velvet Underground performances, and rarely after that.

The Goose Woman (1925) Jack Pickford and Louise Dresser are amazing in this drama. I didn't care much for the story, which seemed to meander away from recounting a woman's quest to return to the spotlight. Seeing Ms Dresser's face express subtle changes in emotion in close-up was enough to carry me through. Stephen Horne played as collaboratively as ever.

Mr. Fix-It (1918) It was time to connect with both dinner and some sunlight, but I made sure to catch the end of this Douglas Fairbanks picture. Dennis James played the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ. Just like a fireworks display, the most thunderous and animated section is the finale. The vibrations in the theater from the organ could just as likely be from Mr. Fairbanks' athleticisms. A great, fun combination.

The Woman Men Yearn For (1929) The highlight of the festival for me. Marlene Dietrich is so beautifully lit, she just glows. She's the convincing eye of the hurricane around which all drama swirls while she poses quietly and gracefully. German Expressionism is in full bloom which gives this film a firm noir quality. A must see for all.

Another full day tomorrow!

SFSFF 2011 - Friday

2011-07-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Today began with another episode of Amazing Tales from the Archives. This time, the presenters told stories of trying to identify films that have become separated from their titles or never had them to begin with. It really seems like a giant puzzle, trying to label a fragment by the hairstyles, type of cars, and even design of streetlights. Melissa Levesque said she had run a vintage clothing store for years, so she had an advantage when it came to identification by fashion. It sounds like a fun game to me! These programs by archivists are what inspired by to become an archivist myself. I was able to talk to a few of the presenters afterwards who had all kinds of advice for me as well as contacts. I'm further on my path to archivism now!

A Heart of the Forest (1913?) directed by Ralph Ince, tinted one-reel shown as a demonstration of the archivists' efforts.

Two newsreel segments, each featuring First Ladies wielding movie cameras:

Mrs. Harding, "Cameraman"? (1922)

Coolidge Trapshooting (1928)

Huckleberry Finn (1920) Entertaining, but I'd rather be talking more with the archivists. Directed by William Desmond Taylor. The director cast an actual African-American in the role of Jim, but I still find it hard to watch depictions of slaves.

Newsreel segment:

St. Louis to Chicago Airmail (1926) featuring a 4 year old Charles Lindbergh

I was Born, But... (1932) I love Ozu, and now I do even more. While watching this it struck me is how "silent" his later sound films are. The way that his actors take a breath and look into the camera before speaking, I half expect a title card to appear after the mouth starts to move. Here the camera moves in a brisk pan across the home instead of the famous pillow shots but the same lovely, leisurely pacing is already in place.

The Great White Silence (1924) The cameraman survived the Scott expedition to the South Pole and edited his film into a documentary that he took on the lecture circuit. Everyone loved the penguins, but I was fascinated to see how they travelled. Seeing the men pull the dog-sled themselves, set up camp and live in the tent was moving considering the end of the journey. Gorgeous glass slide photographs too.

Origin of Beethoven's Midnight Symphony (1909) featured some convincing double exposures.

Il Fuoco (1915) I was warned in advanced by accompanist Stephen Horne that this film was a little dated, and he was right. The costumes were absolutely stunning Art Nouveau creations of velvet and feathers. Its too bad the acting was rather hammy, rendering the swoops and leers of the actors as humorous and overly calculated. It seemed that they would pause mid-scene (or "vogue" in modern terms) as though waiting for suggestions from the director. It may have been the height of talent in Italy in 1915, but I was exhausted from nearly 12 hours in the theater. Stephen Horne's score was great and he was joined by Jill Tracy, who breathed lyric-free vocalizations which gave the music a Rosemary's Baby quality. It really helped temper the anachronisms of this dated movie. All this and the crowd were enjoying themselves but I left half-way through to rest up for Saturday.

SFSFF 2011 - Thursday

2011-07-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

(I found a John Ford film I actually like)

It's thrilling and a little bit daunting that the San Francisco Silent Film Festival has spread out over four days. The opening night had two screenings - Upstream and Sunrise.

As much as I love silent film and the experience of watching it with THOUSANDS of other people (over 18 000 attend, according to the program), I really have to pace myself. Attending Upstream (1927) was mandatory since I heard the announcement at the festival last year. I'm so glad I did. The pacing was quick, the ensemble cast was terrific and I especially liked the balance of story time each character was given. I'm very happy this film was rediscovered. Donald Sosin's ensemble was wonderful accompaniment.

Why Husbands Flirt (1919) Cute and vivacious short feature, starring actresses with the largest eyes to hit the screen. Photographed by the great Ross Fisher.

I skipped Sunrise because I had seen it in a previous festival. I was also wary of a solo guitar accompaniment - you know by now my discerning taste considering musical performances alongside silent film. Mostly, something had to give as Friday seems to be a very full day.

Napoleon is coming!

2011-07-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

What an exciting Bastille Day announcement - Abel Gance's Napoleon will be screened for 4 days next spring at the gorgeous Paramount Theater in Oakland, with the Oakland East Bay Symphony conducted by Carl Davis. Kevin Brownlow himself announced it tonight at the premiere program of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

A collective gasp, then a cheer erupted in the theater as the first few images appeared during the trailer. It took me a few more seconds to figure it out.

Keep March 24th, 25th, 31st or April 1st open. And yes, the triptych will be shown.

descending horizons 2

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Phenix City Story (1955)

descending horizons 1

2011-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

best way to spend the summer

2011-06-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Book that vacation! The 16th annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival has been scheduled for July 14-17 2011.

I am especially excited about Upstream, which was announced at the last festival as having been discovered and in the process of being restored.

Also I Was Born, But... will be screened, which I missed earlier at the PFA.

The Great White Silence will be interesting to watch - a movie about snow screened in a stifling hot theater! I am anticipating delicious torture.

There doesn't seem to be a single film I would chance to miss, so I will likely see them all. I may pass on Sunrise and He Who Gets Slapped which I have already seen on the big screen because becoming exhausted really dilutes the experience of seeing these masterpieces. The main reason for staying put will be The Nail in the Boot, directed by Mikheil Kalatozov who is responsible for The Cranes are Flying.

A few (too few) appearances by Stephen Horne are the absolute icing on this heavenly cake.

did they really go to the cinema?

2011-06-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, looks so.

Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies (2008)

directed by Arne Glimcher

a la Gropius' Werkbund Pavilion

2011-05-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

A bleak look at Europe- refugees moving back and forth and always downward. And this is only 1941....

So Ends Our Night (1941)

directed by John Cromwell

cinematography by William H. Daniels

art direction by William Cameron Menzies

and Jack Otterson

conformity

2011-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, college life.

Forms, forms and more forms.

Little time left for viewing film.

Wouldn't life be so much easier as a gangster?

A gangster would line up all the forms and fill 'em in with lead

and not the pencil kind either.

Roaring Twenties (1939)

directed by Raoul Walsh

cinematography by Ernest Haller

art direction by Max Parker

a little Gaudi in SF

2011-05-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

Last week, when I was taking a look at the Ghiberti doors on Grace Cathedral, I noticed a vacancy sign at one of my favorite apartment buildings in San Francisco. Now, I can't find any listings and I'm not surprised.

It was designed by a self-taught architect, local James Francis Dunn, who clearly absorbed the influences of late-19th century Paris and not a little of Antonio Gaudi.

It's on the National Register of Historic Places, an official San Francisco Landmark and right across the street from Grace Cathedral, as you can see below:

Chambord Apartments (1921)

1298 Sacramento Street, San Francisco

architect James Francis Dunn

the view from the PFA

2011-04-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Many times I've sat outside the Pacific Film Archive, waiting for the doors to open for the film screening that evening. Each time I wait there on the grounds of the UC Berkeley campus, I contemplate this lovely urn with the slack-jawed lion staring back at me.

He and I will have many more face-offs, now that I will be attending the university in the fall.
I am going to be a film studies student at Berkeley!

I want to become a film archivist. I've been inspired by the preservationist presentations at the San Francisco Silent Film Festivals over the years, and more than inspired by all the great films I've watched. And now, after years of working my way through college, I'm finally on my way.

Whee!

angles

2011-04-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

What else would you expect in the most fashionable art deco apartments?

Colleen (1936)
Directed by Alfred Green
cinematography by Byron Haskin
and Sol Polito
art direction by Max Parker

influences on the influence

2011-04-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how Art Deco was configured in other places?
Specifically in areas which contributed mightily to the style itself?
I was so happy to find this film from Egypt in the 1930s. Look:

These shots could be from a Hollywood film, but there's more. Women with permanent waves and fur collars alongside men in muslim dress on bicycles. Signs in French and Arabic and English. Beautiful set design too:

Nice painting over the elevator doors. There weren't any clear shots, but it's a rendition of two figures in twisted perspective. The opening of Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922 inspired designers in the creation of the design elements that signify Art Deco. It's interesting to see those elements here in Egypt at the same time as they were popular elsewhere.

Everything is Fine (1938)
directed by Niazi Mostafa
cinematography by Mohammed Abdel Azeem

I'll have to dig up some silent Egyptian cinema - any suggestions?

joy of spring

2011-04-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Just For You (1952)

Just a little post to share a piece of eye candy.
Sorry to be gone for so long. I caught a lovely early spring flu and am just now catching up.
Just wait 'til you see what I watched while recuperating....

deluge

2011-03-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Seven Sinners (1940)
directed by Tay Garnett
cinematography by Rudolph Mate

Hong Kong noir

2011-03-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Exterior scenes shot in Hong Kong.
I had no idea how beautiful it looked in the 1950s.
The interior design is gorgeous too:

It's especially nice to see so many Asian actors in non-racist parts. And who is this? Where in the name of Peter Lorre has he been all my film watching days?

I have a new favorite character actor, Vic Diaz.

The Scavengers (1959)
directed by John Cromwell
cinematography by Filipe Sacdalan

snow forecast - for real

2011-02-23T18:14:00.000-08:00

Could these be the hills of San Francisco this weekend?

It's a good thing I had a leftover picture from Ski Party (1965). I never thought I would ever get to do a post like this but snowfall has been predicted for San Francisco this Friday. If so, it would be the first time snow has landed here since 1976.

Originally forecasted to hit Saturday, it's moving in much faster now. It has already left its mark in Oregon. Fingers crossed it will grant my wish for snow too!

last wintertime post?

2011-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

This latest blast of winter weather here in SF was startling and refreshing-
but in my mind I'm already jumping ahead towards springtime....

More proof that 1939 was a banner year in film, especially for Art Deco ice skating rinks:

Apparently they made ice skating movies without Sonja Henie - Joan Crawford and James Stewart lace up in her place. Despite the title, it appears this was not one of a series revisited year after year. Sadly. This was fun.

Ice Follies of 1939 (1939) (natch)
directed by Reinhold Schunzel
cinematography by Oliver T Marsh
and Joseph Ruttenberg
art direction by Cedric Gibbons

post-heist

2011-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Le Douxieme Souffle (1966)
directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
cinematography Marcel Combes

those insurmountable stairs

2011-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's a sad love story for St. Valentine's Day, but a love story all the same.

Letyat zhuravli (1957)
aka Cranes Are Flying
directed by Mikhail Kalatozov
cinematography by Sergei Urusevsky

I want to throw a party just to put up these lanterns:

2011-02-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous, non?
I've been on a Barbara Stanwyck kick as of late. I just love her and will gladly endure just about anything to wallow in her relaxed yet calculating style. Robert Ryan is also a draw and Paul Douglas always brings his best. Check out the credits below for a promising line-up.

But this - this I didn't like at all. I actually watched this a long while ago so I can't articulate exactly why I was disappointed but I love these two shots and had to share.

What went wrong?

Clash By Night (1952)
directed by Fritz Lang
cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca
art direction by Albert D'Agonstino

winter lodge

2011-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

No steps, but close.

Last year, after posting all those shots of snow, I was itching for a winter experience of my own.
I managed a short visit to Yosemite just after a snow fall. Trudging through the snow was magical, but something else made a play for my heart. The Ahwahnee Hotel was my winter lodge fantasy come true.

Once I'd booked my trip, I started searching for films that featured location shooting at the hotel. Few showed the interior of the building, although the fabricated sets for The Shining came the closest. My Favorite Wife was supposed to have been shot at the hotel, but once I walked around the place I could tell it was only inspired set design.

These do give you the idea:

Huge fireplaces;

Funky elevator, though the stairs gave a better view of the architecture;

Large, open lobby - front desk just to the left there;

Oh yes, this looks just like the bar. For hot chocolate, of course.

My Favorite Wife (1940)
directed by Garson Kanin
art direction by Van Nest Polglase
associate art direction by Mark-Lee Kirk

Is time really passing that quickly?

2011-01-16T13:12:00.001-08:00

Yes, apparently January is already half over. I should keep a better watch on all those clocks I've been collecting.

I wanted to extend a great big thank you to all my visitors throughout the years. I deeply appreciate your comments (and gifts of films!) and words of recognition. I truly do even if it takes me a while to respond.

I'm sure it's blog-world-wide, but I've been having a persistent case of spam that I'm having trouble eradicating. I have finally caved and enacted the wiggly-word gate for comments from now on. I harrumph and snort when I see those floating letters once I type my comment elsewhere but I need to do something. I'm starting to lose legitimate comments in amongst the spam notices. I want to keep comments open to hear from as many people as possible, so let's give this a try.

counting down ol' 2010

2010-12-31T07:00:00.001-08:00

The Story of a Cheat (1936)

Sudden Fear (1952)

Now, Voyager (1942)

El Compadre Mendoza (1934)

I Wake Up Screaming (1941)

Moontide (1942)

Christopher Strong (1933)

I Wake Up Screaming

Battle of Algiers (1966)

The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954)

The Story of a Cheat

The Spring River Flows East (1947)

In The Mood For Love (2000)

Dial 1119 (1950)

Queen of Sports (1934)

Dial 1119

A Christmas Story (1983)

The Set-Up (1949)

Duck Soup (1933)

The Set-Up

The Cat and the Canary (1927)

Dangerous Crossing (1953)

Blizzard! day 30

2010-12-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know why more films fail to feature the romance of snow.
It's there in songs about winter ("Baby, It's Cold Outside" for one)
and a bit strained but in this Rogers/Astaire film .
And now here:

Una Breve Vacanza (1971)
aka A Brief Vacation
directed by Vittorio De Sica

cinematography by Ennio Guarnieri

Blizzard! day 29

2010-12-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

The joy of snow

Little Women (1949)
directed by Mervyn LeRoy
cinematography by Robert Planck
and Charles Schoenbaum

Blizzard! day 28

2010-12-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Quai des Orfevres (1947)
directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
cinematography by Armand Thirard

Blizzard! day 27

2010-12-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hangover Square (1945)
directed by John Brahm
cinematography by Joseph LaShelle

Blizzard! day 26

2010-12-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Rocking Horse Winner (1949)
directed by Anthony Pelissier
cinematography by Desmond Dickinson

Merry Xmas! 2010

2010-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Larceny, Inc (1942)

Scandal (1950)

Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

Larceny, Inc (1942)

the tree goes up on xmas eve 2010

2010-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Quai des Orfevres (1947)

The Rocking Horse Winner (1949)

Doubt (2008)

84 Charing Cross Road (1987)

Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Blizzard! day 23

2010-12-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Fountainhead (1949)
directed by King Vidor
cinematography by Robert Burkes
art direction by Edward Carrere

Blizzard! day 22

2010-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Coco Avant Chanel (2009)
directed by Anne Fontaine
cinematography by Christophe Beaucarne

Blizzard! day 21

2010-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Scarlet Empress (1934)
directed by Josef von Sternberg
cinematography by Bert Glennon

Blizzard! day 20

2010-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Scenes of groups skiing the slopes together make beautiful pictures.

We're talking formation;

teamwork;

and guns?

Yes, for this is a training film for the US Army.

It seems that the army wanted to be fully prepared in case of war. The reasoning was that since much of the US is covered by snow during the winter, patrols who could ski were formed to be able to cover all types of terrain to go wherever they were needed.

The Basic Principles of Skiing (1941)
War Department Official Training Film No. 11-168
United States of America War Office
attributed to Otto Lang

Blizzard! day 19

2010-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Undercurrent (1946)
directed by Vincente Minelli
cinematography by Karl Freund

Blizzard! day 18

2010-12-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Christopher Strong (1933)
directed by Dorothy Arzner
from a montage by Slavko Vorkapich

Blizzard! day 17

2010-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)
directed by Joseph Pevney
cinematography by Russell Metty

Blizzard! day 16

2010-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Das Weisse Band (2009)
aka The White Ribbon
directed by Michael Haneke
cinematography by Christian Berger

Blizzard! day 15

2010-12-15T07:00:00.001-08:00

That Wonderful Urge (1948)
directed by Robert Sinclair
cinematography by Charles G Clarke

Blizzard! day 14

2010-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Ice Follies of 1939 (1939)
directed by Reinhold Schunzel
cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg

Blizzard! day 13

2010-12-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Letyat Zhuravli (1957)
aka The Cranes Are Flying
directed by Mikhail Kalatazov
cinematography by Sergei Urusevsky

Blizzard! day 12

2010-12-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Ice is the new snow.

Doesn't it look marvelous with the sun shining through?

SOS Eisberg (1933)
directed by (Dr) Arnold Fanck
cinematography by Richard Angst
and Hans Schneeberger

Blizzard! day 11

2010-12-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Douglas Sirk must have been a dynamo right from the get-go.
The camera moves are already as fluid as the later works I've seen. The plot dynamics are already firmly in place. High regard for women and respect for their plight are the focus of the plot.

I especially love how the Brazilian, the Swedes and presumably all of Puerto Rico speak German.

La Habanera (1937)
directed by Douglas Sirk
cinematography by Franz Weihmayr

Blizzard! day 10

2010-12-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Make Way For Tomorrow (1937)
directed by Leo McCarey
cinematography by William C Mellor

Blizzard! day 9

2010-12-09T06:55:00.000-08:00

Ethan Fromme (1993)
directed by John Madden
cinematography by Bobbie Bukowski

I didn't realize until after I posted these that all three camera set-ups are looking downward, foreshadowing the climactic fateful downhill sled ride....

I love this book; I re-read it this past winter.

Blizzard! day 8

2010-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Call of the Yukon (1938)
directed by B Reaves Eason
and John T Coyle
cinematography by Ernest Miller

Blizzard! day 7

2010-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

All This and Heaven Too (1940)
directed by Anatole Litvak
cinematography by Ernest Haller

Blizzard! day 6

2010-12-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Ski Party (1965)
directed by Alan Rafkin
cinematography by Arthur E Arling

I loved whenever this movie would play on television while I was growing up. I think my lifelong love of ski lodges started right here, especially when James Brown and the Fabulous Flames walk in the door. Certainly all the innuendos in the dialog (and a few camera set-ups) flew right over my head - oh my! Watching it again made me wonder how it ever played on basic cable back in the day.

But look at this fantastic opening sequence - skiiers in slow procession carrying multicolored flares look striking at night against the snow:

Blizzard! day 5

2010-12-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Holiday Affair (1949)
directed by Don Hartman
cinematography by Milton Krasner

Blizzard! day 4

2010-12-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

All Mine to Give (1957)
directed by Allen Reisner
cinematography by William Skall

Blizzard! day 3

2010-12-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Love Story (1970)
directed by Arthur Hiller
cinematography by Dick Kratina

Blizzard! day 2

2010-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Night Train to Munich (1940)
directed by Carol Reed
cinematography by Otto Kanturek

Blizzard!

2010-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Well, not exactly, but it is another DIY snow month here on sixmartinis.

The Shining (1980)
directed by Stanley Kubrick
cinematography by John Alcott

Bundle up tight and don't forget your snow goggles. Snow season is upon us.

wish me luck

2010-11-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is the soon-to-be-remodeled Memorial Stadium at the Berkeley campus of the University of California.

I hope it isn't demolished - or if it will be, not too soon anyway. I just submitted my application to study at the university this fall and I'd like to see the glorious art deco-ness of it for a while.

The reason I have been posting irregularly for the last few years is that I've been busy working my way through college. Let me tell you it's draining. Very often I wouldn't have time to write a post. Many times I'd been too busy to even watch a film. I don't think I've seen a movie from start to finish in one sitting in over a year. Painful.

Finally, all the essays and paperwork went through and I am officially up for consideration.

Everybody keep your fingers crossed. Wish me luck!

i'm thankful for my kitchen

2010-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Laura (1944)

I thought it best to save the reveal of my favorite room for the most kitchen-centered holiday:

Deception (1946)

Curse of the Cat People (1944)

I even hired a sommelier for the perfect wine flight tomorrow:

Wings in the Dark (1935)

And of course, coffee for everyone:

Night Train to Munich (1940)

No Regrets for Our Youth (1946)