iRare Silent Films
Collection #1
Auntie’s Portrait (1915) staring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. They receive an ugly painting and decide to hide it in the attic. Auntie (played by Ethel Lee) pays a surprise visit and looks to see where they’ve hung her pride and joy while they try to get it hung before she finds it. Run Time 13:44
Nothing To Wear (1917) also stars Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Mrs. Drew is a clothes hog who constantly gets new clothes for each new occasion. Mr. Drew thinks nothing of writing his wife a check until he has a heart attack and then his whole demeanor changes. He goes so far as taking all her clothes away to make his wife quit demanding more clothes. Run Time 17:06
Her Dressmaker’s Bills (1912) starring Pearl White and Chester Barnett. Pearl also is a clothes horse and the tailors come trying to collect on their past due accounts. Her husband has to resort to some antics to get her to quit spending money. Run Time 8:13
Collection #2
Savage Princess (1909) starring Mary Pickford as an Indian maiden who has fallen for a white man. When he leaves town without her she sends an Indian Brave to kill him. Running Time 16:04
A Son’s Return (1909) starring Mary Pickford, Charles West, Herbert Prior, and Anita Hendrie. Charles West leaves his boyhood home and returns disguised five years later to help his parents who have fallen on bad times. Running Time 15:05
Shrinking Rawhide (1912) starring Herbert Rawlinson, Frank Richardson, Hobart Bosworth, and Betty Harte. Don Juan vies with Alcalde for the hand of Mercedes. Alcalde plays underhanded! Running Time 17:22
Collecion #3
Gangsters And The Girl (1914) starring Alma Rubens, Charles Ray, Arthur L. Jarrett, Betty Burbridge, and Thomas Ince. Alma Rubens play Molly whose father writes from prison asking her to get help from a local gang to raise funds for his appeal. Molly is framed for pick pocketing a watch and the gang breaks her out. An undercover cop joins the gang and Molly finds out and is torn between her loyalty to the gang and her love for the cop. Running Time 27:56
Will-Be Weds (1913) starring John Steppling, Beverly Bayne, Joseph Allen Sr. Two love birds try to elope but are caught before they can get married. With the help of friends they pretend the marriage has already taken place and then try to find someone to marry them before her father finds out. Running Time 16:13
Riding The Goat (unknown date) Walter Hiers is initiated into the local Order of the Goats. Running Time 4:44
Crossed Wires (date unknown) Walter Hiers has invented a radio controlled car (a shortened version of A Wireless Lizzy). Running Time 4:04
Collection #4
Little Country Mouse (1914) starring Blanche Sweet, Wallace Reid, Mary Alden, and Raoul Walsh. Little Country Mouse Blanche Sweet goes to the city to visit her cousin. There she plays cards and ends up owing $250 which is paid for by the evil Wallace Reid who intends to force her to his will. Her honor is rescued by Raoul Walsh. Running Time 13:23
A Virginia Feud (1913) starring James Vincent, Alice Hollister, Henry Hallam, and James B Ross. This was Hollywoods version of the Hatfield and McCoy feuds with a little Romeo and Juliet thrown in. Running Time 16:01
Polishing Up (1912) starring John Bunny. Bunny and his wife decide to take separate vacations and end up at the same hotel with their paramours! Running Time 16:44
Battle At Elderbush Gulch (1913) Yes I know this isn’t rare. It got sent off by mistake and is just thrown in because there’s room
Collection #5
Mystery of Dead Man's Isle (1915) starring Clyde Benson and Edith Johnson. It was directed by Giles Warren. It's a drama with a sad ending. Clyde Benson sees a girl wandering on what is supposed to be a deserted island in the bay and rows out to see her. Edith Johnson had been shipwrecked on the island and taken in by a group of counterfieters who use her to pass countfiet money. The secret service raids the island and the girl is killed as her rescuer is rowing her to safety.
Dear Old Pal (1923) Snub Pollard and Paul (James) Parrott are best friends to fight about anything and then make up. They fight about horseshoes and the girl they both love Marie Mosquini.
Beaucitron At Home (1922) This is another Snub Pollard short. Snub was known as Beaucitron in France and this film has french title cards but did not have the opening title. I gave it the name Beaucitron at Home but it's french title may have been "L' Heritage di Beaucitron". In it Snub and extended members of his family go in together to buy a piece of property to build homes on. But the propety is so small that they can't all build so they solve the problem by building homes that float from hot air baloons. One day Snub's grandfather arrives carrying a satchel loaded with money to give Snub his inheritance. Snub's toddler is making so much noise he is put out on the front porch where he accidently unties the rope holding the house to the ground and they float away. You've got to see the ending for yourself. I have since found out that this was originally titled L’ Heritage de Beaucitron which translates to The Legacy of Beaucitron! The American Title was 365 Days!
Collection #6
In The Line Of Duty (1915) Cast includes Marion Warner and William Stowell. Marion Warner plays the Society Editor of the city (newspaper. She attends a gala party where a diamond necklace is stolen. Her boyfriend is accused of the crime but the necklace is not found on him. Later Marion learns that he is guilty and must decide between her love for him and doing her duty to turn him in.
Some Baby (1922) Snub Pollard and Marie Mosquini are wed and as they leave the reception are given lots of presents including a box with a live baby. They decide to keep the baby but the remorseful mother decides she wants him back and by then the baby has disappeared! Hillarity ensues as Snub and friends try to locate the missing baby!
Beaucitron Detective (1922) This is another Snub Pollard short. Snub was known as Beaucitron in France and this film has french title cards but did not have the opening title. In it Snub fancies himself a detective ala Sherlock Holmes. He is hired by his girl friend's father to track a satchel of missing money. He passes right in front of the thieves while tracking foot prints and finds the missing satchel in which the money has been replaced with a beehive. Hillarity ensues! Further research shows that the original American title is Mystery Man.
Collection #7
A Slave’s Love (1910) This early film experimented with hand tinting. Color was added to some of the clothing. The story takes place in ancient Rome where a Roman Senator falls in love with a slave girl. His wife has her arrested and poisoned. The Senator who arrives too late to save her poisons himself and dies by her side just as his wife arrives on scene. Kind of an early version of Romeo & Juliette.
A New Way Of Traveling (ca 1910) What an odd film!!! This one also uses hand tinting. The characters appear to be Japanese and a fat lady (at least I think it’s a lady) takes a fantasy ride in a barrel to the bottom of a lake and meets strange sights on the way.
The Locket or When She Was Twenty (1913) This one Stars John Bunny, Flora Finch, and Leah Baird. Baird accidently puts her locket into Bunny’s pocket where Flora finds it and leaves him while he’s napping. When Bunny awakes and finds Flora’s note he hurries to her parents’ home. On the way Baird spots Bunny and follows him with a cop to have him arrested.
The Wrong Mr. Fox (1917) Victor Moore plays Jimmy Fox an out of work actor who is about to kill himself when he gets a job offer. He takes the wrong train and ends up in a town expecting the arrival of a Reverend Fox. Moore tries to impersonate the preacher to steal the offerings but “out foxes” himself.
Collection #8
The Struggle (1913) A young boy witnesses the murder of his father by a stranger who had attacked his mother. Years later after joining the army he sees the stranger in a saloon and a fight ensues. The boy receives a head wound and the stranger is shot and killed. The boy is found guilty of murder and scheduled for execution, but did he do it?
The Two Doyles (1919) A rare Franklyn Farnum western in which he plays dual roles as twin brothers. One brother holds up a stagecoach but all he steals is a kiss from a cute girl. Unfortunately he also stumbled on to the sheriff’s secret life as a cattle rustler.
Should Husbands Dance (1920) with Dorothy Devore and Neal Burns. Neal takes dancing lessons to surprise his wife but she suspects he’s cheating!
Collection #9
When Pals Fall Out (1919) Franklyn Farnum - Farnum and his best friend love the same woman and are about to have a shootout when a little girl intervenes and captures their hearts and they realize they are still friends.
Her First Biscuits (1909) John Cumpson, Florence Lawrence - A new bride has made a batch of biscuits. Her husband pretends to like them, so she delivers the rest to his office. But one bite of these biscuits makes you violently ill, and soon all his visitors (he runs a theatrical booking agency), plus the workmen at home, are ill; when she shows up at the office, they all go after her.
A Clever Dummy (1917) Ben Turpin . An inventor creates a robot that looks like Ben Turpin. But Ben takes its place at a demonstration
Home Cured (1926) Johnny Arthur, Virginia Vance Johnny is a hypochondriac and his wife and best friend follow the doctor's orders to cure him by pretending he is going to die that very day.
Collection #10
Lulu’s Doctor (1912) Maurice Costello, Clara Kimball Young - Madge (Clara Kimball Young breaks up her engagement to Doctor John Lewis ( Maurice Costello) and heads west to take care of her young niece who has been orpaned. After settling up the Estate's affairs Madge with her neice in tow heads East asgain where she ultimately reconnects with her former fiance thanks to the niece needing a doctor.
Two Birds In A Cage /Stars & Stripes (1921) Sidney Smith - Two skinny dippers have their clothes stolen by escaped convicts. Donning the prison garb out of necessity they are caught and thrown into prison from which they try to escape.
A Happy Accident/Speed Madness (1925) Frank Merrill - To keep the old homestead from being foreclosed, a mother agrees to have her daughter marry the deep-dyed villain who hold the mortgage. However, the daughter has a race-car-driving fiancée who objects, and sets about getting a patent on his new-and-improved automobile valve.
Boobs In The Woods (1925) Harry Langdon - Chester Winfield tries to make it as a lumberjack, but he's foiled by his lack of strength and the jealous foreman, Big Bill Reardon, after Chester catches the eye of Hazel Wood, Big Bill's favorite and the camp's waitress. Bill tries to eliminate Chester, so he and Hazel head down the mountain for other work. She waits tables and gets him a job as a dishwasher. He spills kerosene in the soup and then must serve it to an angry customer. Hazel tells a couple of tall tales about Chester, and soon all the customers, the owner, and the cook, think he's a desperado. They make him the saloon bouncer. Some trick shooting seals his reputation. Then Big Bill arrives for a showdown.
Fatty & Minnie He-Haw (1915) Fatty Arbuckle - Fatty steals a ride on a train, discovered, and put off in the middle of nowhere. He stumbles along over the hot desert and finally passes out. A very plump Indian woman finds him and takes him to her tepee, woos him and finally, in desperation, Fatty agrees to marry her. While the tribe is preparing for the marriage ceremony, Fatty attempts to escape but is caught.
Collection #11
The Conflicts End (1912) Marion Leonard - A newspaper woman buys a statuette from an Italian peddler and is given her change in counterfeit bills. Through the peddler, she tracks down the counterfeiters.
Take The Air (1923) James Parrott - Parrott works on a skyscraper being built and accidents happen to everyone involved.
Freddy Goes Greek/Greek Meets Greek(1920) Eddie Boland - Freddy (Boland) is infatuated with the ancient Greek Society and his sister and her friends try to make him face reality
Negrita (ca 1920) Looks like a short Our Gang type film. Negrita is a little black toddler who prefers to play with geese rather than the rest of the gang.
Rose O’ Salem Town (1912) Dorothy West, Henry B. Walthall - A Deacon coming onto a "wild child" (Dorothy West) but after she rejects him he goes back into town saying that the girl and her mother are witches. It's up to a trapper (Henry B. Walthall) to try and race and save them before they're burned to death.
Desert Rat (1919) Franklyn Farnum - Steve Lanyon known as the Desert Rat returns with gold and saloon owner Brazos Pete plots to get it. After he gets his girl friend to marry Steve hoping that will do it, Steve's old girl friend arrives and when Brazos is attracted to her, Sadie gets jealous and kills Brazos. Sadie flees and when the Sheriff arrives he finds the new girl with the gun in her hand.
Collection #12
A Desparate Scoundrel (1915) Ford Sterling - "A Desperate Scoundrel" begins with Ford being chased from the park when he's
caught trying to steal milk from a baby! He then directs his larcenous talents towards a laundry. After stealing a wad of cash, the owner eventually realizes what has happened and the chase is on.
Love And Rubbish (1913) Ford Sterling and the gang from Keystone are in a park and a child goes missing. It's believed that she climbed into a trash barrel that is being hauled to the dump and a chase insues.
Be My King (1928) Lupino Lane, Wallace Lane - Lupino Lane and his brother Wallace are shipwrecked along the African coast and run into cannibals.
Ten Of Spades (1914) Victory Bateman, William Garwood
Collection #13
The Golden Stallion (1927) Maurice Flynn, Joe Bonomo - The first serial Nat Levine produced was "The Silent Flyer", which was distributed by Universal Pictures. "The Golden Stallion" was the first serial that carried the Mascot Pictures logo, as Levine figured out he could make more money distributing his films through the states-rights system himself. This one has good guy Wynne Kendall ('Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn' ) and bad guy Ewart Garth (Joe Bonomo)searching for the secret clue to a fabulous gold mine. But first, they have to capture a wild horse named "White Fury" as the clue is branded on his neck. It only took 10 chapters to get there.
Broncho Billy’s Sentence (1915) G.M. Anderson - Broncho Billy robs a strong box and is followed by a possee. He hides out with a girl and her father forcing her to send the possee on a wild goose chase to save her father. As he leaves he steals a kiss and then she shoots at him grazing his head. He winds up with a preacher and his wife and realizes that he must repent. Broncho Billy turns himself in with the loot and spends his time in prison preaching the gospel until he is paroled.
Collection #14
Ten Days Or Ten Dollars (19240 Ben Turpin - Ben is a soda jerk at a variety store that gets robbed during the night. The cashier whom he is fond of is accused of stealing ten thousand dollars. The real thief convinces Ben that she must pay ten dollars or spend ten days in jail so Ben goes to police to pay the ten dollars and he is then accused of being the thief. Ben escapes and the cashier finds the real thief who is arrested.
Conquest Of The Pole (1912) George Meiles - Scientists from all over the world are meeting to discuss the best way to reach the North Pole. Professor Maboul demonstrates for them the innovative equipment that he has designed for the purpose. When verything is ready, Maboul and several other scientists depart for the pole. Their trip will prove to be even more eventful than expected.
Under Burning Skies (1912) Blanche Sweet - Griffith short about Joe (Wilfred Lucas), a drinking and fighting cowboy who falls for a pretty girl (Blanche Sweet) and swears to his friend that he's going to change his ways. That is until he learns that the girl is leaving with her husband (Christy Cabanne). Embarrassed, Joe goes searching for them for revenge but when he finds them both are near death due to lack of water. Will Joe seek revenge or do something good for once? This here is a pretty good Western that goes back to what Griffith was doing in New York and that is telling morality stories. There's a small chase scene, which is pretty well done, although it's no where near a classic scene for the director. The ending is also very well handled and comes off quite good, which is something the director was great at. The three leads all turn in good performances with Lucas stealing the show as
the tough guy. Future Griffith star Robert Harron has a brief role.
Weak Knees (1925) Cliff Bowes, Virginia Vance - Virginia Vance and Cliff Bowes are secretly engaged while her father has plans to marry her off to a visiting Count. The Count however is a fake and attempts to steal things from the house with the help of two helpers.
Sea Sirens (1919) Bobby Vernon - Bobby is an artist who paints girls (Sea Sirens) at the beach. Virginia falls in love with him but her father won't let them marry unless Bobby can paint a picture that he would buy. Of course her father hates every picture. One of
the sirens helps frame Virginia's father and Bobby snaps a picture which he uses to paint a picture which the father has to buy to keep it away from his wife thereby fullfilling the terms he set for their marriage.
Collection #15
A Bedroom Scandal (1921) Monty Banks - Monty Banks works in a fashionable dress store where is is a notorious flirt. He ends up flirting with his mother in law whom he's never met.
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (1902) - Taken from the 35mm paper prints at the Library of Congress this film shows Buffalo Bills Wild West show as it came to a town in New York
Days Of 49 (1913) Frank Borzage (actor) - A wagon train is attacked by indians and a lady whose husband is killed wanders the hills for a day or so before stumbling into a cabin with two gold miners. They both fall in love with her and she must choose one which causes them to break up their partnership. One of the miners leaves but discovers an indian attack is about to occur and returns to defend his friends.
Fatty & Mabel In San Diego (1915) Fatty Arbuckle, Mabel Normand - Fatty and Mabel, a married couple, visit the San Diego exposition; after watching the parade, they rent a motorized cart. While Mabel makes a quick shopping foray, Fatty can't keep from flirting with and then chasing after a petite woman passing by. He follows her into a hula pavilion where he also is attracted to the plump Hawaiian dancers. Meanwhile, Mabel is looking for him, and so is the petite woman's husband. The ensuing arguments attract the cops, and it all plays out in front of the Exposition's fountain.
Collection #16
Courage Of Sorts (1913) Edward Coxen, Lillian Christy - A ghost story in which the prospective son-in-law agrees to stay in the haunted house. The girl's father plays ghost, but the tables are turned on him in an amusing manner.
Hide & Seek (1913) Mabel Normand Ford Sterling - A banker's young daughter, playing a game of "hide and seek", is apparently
locked within the vault resulting in comedic rescue.
His Wife’s Secret (1915) G.M. Anderson - Broncho Billy is a burglar who comes to the aid of drunk's wife just as she is about to be beaten.
Remember When (1925) Harry Langdon - When Harry was a lad, he lived at Hillcrest Orphanage, where he played with Rosemary, a neighbor girl. She moves away, leaving him just a locket. Soon after, he runs away from the orphanage and, for 15 years, is a tramp. After happenstance and misadventure, he's hired by Mack's traveling circus; Rosemary is its bearded lady. By luck, they pitch their tents right across from Hillcrest, bringing a flood of memories. Will Harry and Rosemary reunite? Can he get past her beard?
Two Guns From Tumbleweed (1927) Leo Maloney - "Two-Gun" Calder (Leo Maloney) gets tired of his girl (Peggy Montgomery) being abused by the villain Darrel (Joe Rickson) so the rivals eventually have a showdown.
Collection #17
Catalina Here I Come (1927) Madeline Hurlock, Eddie Quinlain, Andy Clyde - Wanda is a gum-chewing waitress; dim Eddie, the pastry boy at the café, likes her. So does Mr. Hamhocks, the café owner, whose head is also turned by the arrival of Pearl Minnow, a gold digger in town for the annual Catalina Channel Swim, sponsored by Wrigley's. Wanda and Pearl take a dislike to each other;
Hamhocks is charmed by Pearl and Eddie stays loyal to Wanda. The day of the swimming contest arrives, the two women compete, and the two men try to help their respective gals. Their trials and tribulations mix with documentary footage of the event. An angry swordfish gets in the act.
Dry & Thirsty (1920) Billy Bletcher - Horace Radish wants a drink, but Prohibition is in force. When all his other schemes fail, he heads to the Bootlegger's Haven Hotel with high hopes. But waiting at the hotel is the tough lawman William Allways Tryan, who is ready to toss in jail anyone found with even a drop of liquor. Radish ends up flirting with the lawman's wife.
His Enemy’s Friend (1922) Leo Maloney - The McWades and Carters have feuded for generations. The feud has ended but
there are still bad feelings on the McWades side. Some of the McWade's hired help decide to get the feud started again by framing Leo who is a Carter as a cattle rustler. Leo however has saved the life of the young McWade boy and the boy overhears the plans of hired help and verifies Leo's innocence.
Sergeant Hoffmeyer (1914) Ford Sterling - film, made a short while earlier). Hofmeyer's own son lacks a working go-cart of his own, however, so Dad goes out to get one for him-- by snatching it away from another boy, after fighting him for it in a vacant lot! The boy, who looks about 9 years old, is later seen nursing a black eye. Billy plays a highly ethical little boy who witnesses Hofmeyer's crime and helps bring about his downfall.
Collection #18
Little Billy’s Triumph (1914) Billy Jacobs - Young Little Billy wants to buy some ice-cream with the dime his mother gave him, but the neighborhood bullies have other plans for that dime.
Lizzies Of The Field (1924) Billy Bevan - There is no love lost between the Red Dog Garage, and the Black Cat Garage, two auto repair shops on opposite sides of the street. A big cross-country auto race is announced, and it turns into a no-holds-barred contest as the rival garages go all out to win
Meet The Missus (1924) Glen Tryon - Glen invites his boss and boss' boss home for dinner. The maid has discovered the bottle of hooch and becomes drunk. Then she replaces it with kerosene. Glen proceeds to make cocktails from the kerosene and things go from bad to worse in the wonderful comedy.
The Big Idea (1924) Snub Pollard - Inventor Ignatius Pollard develops a new "Pavement Polisher" to clean the streets, but a demonstration of the device does not go as planned.
Collection #19
The Lion And The Souse (1924) Charlotte Mineau - Mrs. Van Hoosit becomes an actress and filming is done on the family estate. A premiere of her latest film is put on at the family estate. A live lion is brought by one of the guests and goes berserk at the premiere.
Dollars and Sense (1916) Ora Carew, Joseph Belmont - A country girl and a foppish Englishman inherit an estate, and the terms say that it can't be divided. The terms also state that the two must get married, and if one refuses, then the other gets the entire estate. The girl schemes with her twin brother to trick the Englishman out of his part of the inheritance.
Mission Of Mr. Foo (1915) Carlton King, Gladys Huelette - Gladys works in Chinatown and meets the mysterious Mr. Foo who gives her a necklace he had received from the Empress of China. The Chinese Ambassador sees the necklace and suspects Mr. Foo is a traitor to the Republic which overthrew the Manchu Dynasty.
Melodrama Rides The Rails (ca 1913) - This is a compilation of three short railroad films that include:
Railroad Smashup (1904) - A staged crash between two outmoded locomotives given to the Edison Co. by the Pennsylvania Railroad for the express purpose of destroying them.
A Railway Tragedy (1904) - A woman arriving at a train station is unaware that a nearby stranger is closely eyeing her and her purse as she leaves her carriage. As she waits for her train, the same stranger lurks nearby on the platform, so that he can make sure to sit in the same compartment with her. When the train gets underway and the woman dozes off, the stranger reveals his ill intentions
A Mother's Devotion or The Firing Of The Patchwork Quilt (1912) - A mother is waiting or her son, a railroad engineer, to return home when she discovers that a railroad trestle he must pass over has been washed out. She must try to get word to him before his train reaches the trestle.
Rare Singles
Until They Get Me (1917) This film is one of Frank Borzage’s early directorial efforts. It was filmed right before The Gun Woman which is also available. It stars Pauline Starke, Joe King, Jack Curtis, Wilbur Higby, Anna Dodge, and Walter Perry. Jack Curtis is on his way to see his wife and newborn son when he kills a man in self defense. The following year Curtis meets Pauline Starke working as an indentured servant who has decided to escape. Joe King plays a Canadian Mountie who is chasing Curtis and takes Pauline to the Mountie Outpost where she becomes the foster daughter of Wilbur Higby and his wife Anna Dodge.
The Sky Pilot (1921) directed by King Vidor, stars Colleen Moore and John Bowers. Bowers plays a traveling preacher who tries to bring religion to a frontier town. Colleen Moore the beautiful girl he falls in love with is trampled in a stampede but regains the use of her legs just in time to save him from a burning house.
East Is East (1916) Florence Lawson - Victoria Vickers, a little East End Cockney girl, is left a vast fortune by an uncle in America. She is finally discovered hop-picking in Kent by her solicitor, who has given up the search and gone off on a photographic holiday instead! The conditions of the legacy are that she must spend three years learning to be a lady before she inherits absolutely. 'Vicky'
does her best, but she is not happy in high society. Meanwhile her old East End beau Bert accepts a loan from her in order to 'better himself' and starts a highly-successful fish-and-chip shop business. He takes elocution lessons and buys gentleman's clothes in the hopes of aspiring to her hand. But Vicky, who thinks he has deserted her now she is a fine lady, is lonely enough to accept an offer of marriage from her guardian's spendthrift son, and when Bert reads of the engagement in the newspapers he abandons London and goes down to live in Kent where they were once happy together...
She (1925) Betty Blythe, Carlyle Blackwell, Mary Odette - Mr. Blackwell (as Leo Vincy) discovering a relic that informs him about Blythe (as Ayesha, or "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed"), who loved his father (also essayed by Mr. Blackwell, in old age make-up) and (two thousand years of, presumably) others in the ancestral line. Blackwell accompanies pal Heinrich George (as Horace "The Baboon" Holly) and handyman Tom Reynolds (as Job) to Arabia. They meet up with native girl Mary Odette, flesh-eating cannibals (okay, maybe there aren't any other kind), and Blythe.
Texas Guinan Silent Westerns
The Texas Guinan Silent Westerns Vol. 1 has 4 Silent Westerns in it. Included are "Letters of Fire" (1919) "The Girl of the Rancho" (1920), "A Moonshine Feud" (1920), and "The Stampede" (1921). Each of these films are in the Public Domain but are almost impossible to find.
Letters of Fire was filmed for Bulls Eye, ReelCraft in 1919. It was originally a "five reeler" which is the equivalent of a full length movie. In 1929 it was condensed down to a one reeler. In this movie Texas plays a sheriff who is framed for cattle rustling. The head rustler brands her bossom with his initials. After recuperating Texas catches the rustler and returns the favor.
Girl of the Rancho was also filmed for Bulls Eye/Reelcraft. It was originally a two reeler and was also condensed down to a one reeler in 1929. Texas spurns the advances of a mexican bandit who then kidnaps her sister until she changes her mind. As the possee and the bandits have a shootout Texs rescues her sister.
A Moonshine Feud was filmed in 1920 for Reelcraft/Bullseye. It also was a two reeler which was condensed down to one reel in 1929. The two reel version has been preserved by the UCLA Film Archives but is not available to the general public. The release notes detailing what has been cut are included. In this movie Texas and her brothers fight a gang of moonshiners. Texas rescues a revenue agent and they fall in love.
The Stampede was filmed in 1921 for Victor Kremer Productions. It was directed by Francis Ford the older brother of John Ford. It is a five reeler and has not been condensed. This film is the least well preserved of Texas' surviving film. It takes place during the Oklahoma land rush and Texas comes to the aid of sick girl.
Bonus clips from Texas' only surviving sound movie "Broadway Thru a Keyhole" are included. Also a minute and a half bonus clip from Texas' movie "Girl of the Border"
Texas Guinan Silent Westerns Vol. 2 has 3 of Texas Guinan's silent films. This set includes "The Gun Woman" (1918), "South O' Santa Fe" (1919), and "The Spirit of Cabin Mine" (1919). All Three were recorded from the Library of Congress and are in the Public Domain.
The Gun Woman was filmed for Triangle Film Corp and directed by Frank Borzage. Cast includes: Texas Guinan, Francis McDonald, and Edward Bradley. Texas plays a saloon owner who falls in love and loans her lover the money to buy a house believing they will soon be married. He uses the money to start his own saloon in another town. Texas takes her revenge on him.
South O' Santa Fe was filmed in 1919 for Frohman Amusement Corp was directed by Cliff Smith. Cast includes Georg Chesebro, Jack Richardson, Anna Purdon. Texas is hired by a ranch owner to be the foreman of on unruly group of ranch hands.
The Spirit of Cabin Mine was also filmed for Frohman Amusement Corp in 1919. Only the 2nd half of this film exists but it is still very easy to follow and makes a good one reeler. Texas was kidnapped as a child and raised by the indian who killed her mother. She spurns the advances of the reservation agent and falls in love with his deputy.
Bonus trailer from Queen of the Night Clubs, a short clip from this lost film, phots, magazine ads and a four page program shown as a slide show while you listen to Texas Guinan herself talk about the movie. Also a bonus slideshow of a Frohman Amusement brochure showing 30 of their stars including Texas Guinan, Mary Miles Minter, Mack Swain and others.
Stars of Yesterday & Silent Movie Clips Here are three interesting films I had transferred to DVD-R. The first is Stars of Yesterday (1931) which was narrated by Burnett Hershey. It has a whole bunch of clips of silent film stars and Hershey introduces or reminds the viewer who they are. The silent stars include Broncho Billy Anderson, Theda Bara, Faty Arbuckle, Sarah Bernhardt, Betty Blythe, Mary Fuller, Mildred Harris, Ford Sterling, William S. Hart, Helen Holmes, Mabel Normand, Charles Ray, Clara Kimball Young, Mary Miles Minter, Marjorie Clayton, Texas Guinan and others. The Pacific Film Archives in California has a copy of this that runs 11 minutes. My copy only ran 9 1/2 minutes and was missing the opening titles. It's quite fun to watch and see these old stars.
The second film on this DVD is from a reel with a bunch of Silent Movie Clips. This clips include Another Man's Boots (1922), Pearl As A Detective (1912/13) with Pearl White, Vanity Fair (1911) with John Bunny, Mickey's Express (looks like a Little Rascals), Thief of Bagdad (1924), Old Guard Guard (1912/13) Discontent (1916), In the Moon's Ray (1914), Pursued (1925), The Flame Fighter (1925), What No Man Knows (1921), and several that I can't identify one has a lady who grabs a dandy's cane and breaks it to pieces and then proceeds to beat the living tar out of him tossing him through the air into a trash bin. That clip alone is priceless! Another definitely has Alan Hale (the Skipper's father) in a medival movie, and one that has a two trains that have been stopped from crashing at the last moment. Most of the clips are short with a couple extending a couple of minutes. Some of them are in two parts with other clips in between.
Heartthrobs of Yesteryear is the third film on this DVD and has silent film actress Mae ____ recalling some of her leading men and others actors she knew.
Collection #1
Auntie’s Portrait (1915) staring Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. They receive an ugly painting and decide to hide it in the attic. Auntie (played by Ethel Lee) pays a surprise visit and looks to see where they’ve hung her pride and joy while they try to get it hung before she finds it. Run Time 13:44
Nothing To Wear (1917) also stars Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Mrs. Drew is a clothes hog who constantly gets new clothes for each new occasion. Mr. Drew thinks nothing of writing his wife a check until he has a heart attack and then his whole demeanor changes. He goes so far as taking all her clothes away to make his wife quit demanding more clothes. Run Time 17:06
Her Dressmaker’s Bills (1912) starring Pearl White and Chester Barnett. Pearl also is a clothes horse and the tailors come trying to collect on their past due accounts. Her husband has to resort to some antics to get her to quit spending money. Run Time 8:13
Collection #2
Savage Princess (1909) starring Mary Pickford as an Indian maiden who has fallen for a white man. When he leaves town without her she sends an Indian Brave to kill him. Running Time 16:04
A Son’s Return (1909) starring Mary Pickford, Charles West, Herbert Prior, and Anita Hendrie. Charles West leaves his boyhood home and returns disguised five years later to help his parents who have fallen on bad times. Running Time 15:05
Shrinking Rawhide (1912) starring Herbert Rawlinson, Frank Richardson, Hobart Bosworth, and Betty Harte. Don Juan vies with Alcalde for the hand of Mercedes. Alcalde plays underhanded! Running Time 17:22
Collecion #3
Gangsters And The Girl (1914) starring Alma Rubens, Charles Ray, Arthur L. Jarrett, Betty Burbridge, and Thomas Ince. Alma Rubens play Molly whose father writes from prison asking her to get help from a local gang to raise funds for his appeal. Molly is framed for pick pocketing a watch and the gang breaks her out. An undercover cop joins the gang and Molly finds out and is torn between her loyalty to the gang and her love for the cop. Running Time 27:56
Will-Be Weds (1913) starring John Steppling, Beverly Bayne, Joseph Allen Sr. Two love birds try to elope but are caught before they can get married. With the help of friends they pretend the marriage has already taken place and then try to find someone to marry them before her father finds out. Running Time 16:13
Riding The Goat (unknown date) Walter Hiers is initiated into the local Order of the Goats. Running Time 4:44
Crossed Wires (date unknown) Walter Hiers has invented a radio controlled car (a shortened version of A Wireless Lizzy). Running Time 4:04
Collection #4
Little Country Mouse (1914) starring Blanche Sweet, Wallace Reid, Mary Alden, and Raoul Walsh. Little Country Mouse Blanche Sweet goes to the city to visit her cousin. There she plays cards and ends up owing $250 which is paid for by the evil Wallace Reid who intends to force her to his will. Her honor is rescued by Raoul Walsh. Running Time 13:23
A Virginia Feud (1913) starring James Vincent, Alice Hollister, Henry Hallam, and James B Ross. This was Hollywoods version of the Hatfield and McCoy feuds with a little Romeo and Juliet thrown in. Running Time 16:01
Polishing Up (1912) starring John Bunny. Bunny and his wife decide to take separate vacations and end up at the same hotel with their paramours! Running Time 16:44
Battle At Elderbush Gulch (1913) Yes I know this isn’t rare. It got sent off by mistake and is just thrown in because there’s room
Collection #5
Mystery of Dead Man's Isle (1915) starring Clyde Benson and Edith Johnson. It was directed by Giles Warren. It's a drama with a sad ending. Clyde Benson sees a girl wandering on what is supposed to be a deserted island in the bay and rows out to see her. Edith Johnson had been shipwrecked on the island and taken in by a group of counterfieters who use her to pass countfiet money. The secret service raids the island and the girl is killed as her rescuer is rowing her to safety.
Dear Old Pal (1923) Snub Pollard and Paul (James) Parrott are best friends to fight about anything and then make up. They fight about horseshoes and the girl they both love Marie Mosquini.
Beaucitron At Home (1922) This is another Snub Pollard short. Snub was known as Beaucitron in France and this film has french title cards but did not have the opening title. I gave it the name Beaucitron at Home but it's french title may have been "L' Heritage di Beaucitron". In it Snub and extended members of his family go in together to buy a piece of property to build homes on. But the propety is so small that they can't all build so they solve the problem by building homes that float from hot air baloons. One day Snub's grandfather arrives carrying a satchel loaded with money to give Snub his inheritance. Snub's toddler is making so much noise he is put out on the front porch where he accidently unties the rope holding the house to the ground and they float away. You've got to see the ending for yourself. I have since found out that this was originally titled L’ Heritage de Beaucitron which translates to The Legacy of Beaucitron! The American Title was 365 Days!
Collection #6
In The Line Of Duty (1915) Cast includes Marion Warner and William Stowell. Marion Warner plays the Society Editor of the city (newspaper. She attends a gala party where a diamond necklace is stolen. Her boyfriend is accused of the crime but the necklace is not found on him. Later Marion learns that he is guilty and must decide between her love for him and doing her duty to turn him in.
Some Baby (1922) Snub Pollard and Marie Mosquini are wed and as they leave the reception are given lots of presents including a box with a live baby. They decide to keep the baby but the remorseful mother decides she wants him back and by then the baby has disappeared! Hillarity ensues as Snub and friends try to locate the missing baby!
Beaucitron Detective (1922) This is another Snub Pollard short. Snub was known as Beaucitron in France and this film has french title cards but did not have the opening title. In it Snub fancies himself a detective ala Sherlock Holmes. He is hired by his girl friend's father to track a satchel of missing money. He passes right in front of the thieves while tracking foot prints and finds the missing satchel in which the money has been replaced with a beehive. Hillarity ensues! Further research shows that the original American title is Mystery Man.
Collection #7
A Slave’s Love (1910) This early film experimented with hand tinting. Color was added to some of the clothing. The story takes place in ancient Rome where a Roman Senator falls in love with a slave girl. His wife has her arrested and poisoned. The Senator who arrives too late to save her poisons himself and dies by her side just as his wife arrives on scene. Kind of an early version of Romeo & Juliette.
A New Way Of Traveling (ca 1910) What an odd film!!! This one also uses hand tinting. The characters appear to be Japanese and a fat lady (at least I think it’s a lady) takes a fantasy ride in a barrel to the bottom of a lake and meets strange sights on the way.
The Locket or When She Was Twenty (1913) This one Stars John Bunny, Flora Finch, and Leah Baird. Baird accidently puts her locket into Bunny’s pocket where Flora finds it and leaves him while he’s napping. When Bunny awakes and finds Flora’s note he hurries to her parents’ home. On the way Baird spots Bunny and follows him with a cop to have him arrested.
The Wrong Mr. Fox (1917) Victor Moore plays Jimmy Fox an out of work actor who is about to kill himself when he gets a job offer. He takes the wrong train and ends up in a town expecting the arrival of a Reverend Fox. Moore tries to impersonate the preacher to steal the offerings but “out foxes” himself.
Collection #8
The Struggle (1913) A young boy witnesses the murder of his father by a stranger who had attacked his mother. Years later after joining the army he sees the stranger in a saloon and a fight ensues. The boy receives a head wound and the stranger is shot and killed. The boy is found guilty of murder and scheduled for execution, but did he do it?
The Two Doyles (1919) A rare Franklyn Farnum western in which he plays dual roles as twin brothers. One brother holds up a stagecoach but all he steals is a kiss from a cute girl. Unfortunately he also stumbled on to the sheriff’s secret life as a cattle rustler.
Should Husbands Dance (1920) with Dorothy Devore and Neal Burns. Neal takes dancing lessons to surprise his wife but she suspects he’s cheating!
Collection #9
When Pals Fall Out (1919) Franklyn Farnum - Farnum and his best friend love the same woman and are about to have a shootout when a little girl intervenes and captures their hearts and they realize they are still friends.
Her First Biscuits (1909) John Cumpson, Florence Lawrence - A new bride has made a batch of biscuits. Her husband pretends to like them, so she delivers the rest to his office. But one bite of these biscuits makes you violently ill, and soon all his visitors (he runs a theatrical booking agency), plus the workmen at home, are ill; when she shows up at the office, they all go after her.
A Clever Dummy (1917) Ben Turpin . An inventor creates a robot that looks like Ben Turpin. But Ben takes its place at a demonstration
Home Cured (1926) Johnny Arthur, Virginia Vance Johnny is a hypochondriac and his wife and best friend follow the doctor's orders to cure him by pretending he is going to die that very day.
Collection #10
Lulu’s Doctor (1912) Maurice Costello, Clara Kimball Young - Madge (Clara Kimball Young breaks up her engagement to Doctor John Lewis ( Maurice Costello) and heads west to take care of her young niece who has been orpaned. After settling up the Estate's affairs Madge with her neice in tow heads East asgain where she ultimately reconnects with her former fiance thanks to the niece needing a doctor.
Two Birds In A Cage /Stars & Stripes (1921) Sidney Smith - Two skinny dippers have their clothes stolen by escaped convicts. Donning the prison garb out of necessity they are caught and thrown into prison from which they try to escape.
A Happy Accident/Speed Madness (1925) Frank Merrill - To keep the old homestead from being foreclosed, a mother agrees to have her daughter marry the deep-dyed villain who hold the mortgage. However, the daughter has a race-car-driving fiancée who objects, and sets about getting a patent on his new-and-improved automobile valve.
Boobs In The Woods (1925) Harry Langdon - Chester Winfield tries to make it as a lumberjack, but he's foiled by his lack of strength and the jealous foreman, Big Bill Reardon, after Chester catches the eye of Hazel Wood, Big Bill's favorite and the camp's waitress. Bill tries to eliminate Chester, so he and Hazel head down the mountain for other work. She waits tables and gets him a job as a dishwasher. He spills kerosene in the soup and then must serve it to an angry customer. Hazel tells a couple of tall tales about Chester, and soon all the customers, the owner, and the cook, think he's a desperado. They make him the saloon bouncer. Some trick shooting seals his reputation. Then Big Bill arrives for a showdown.
Fatty & Minnie He-Haw (1915) Fatty Arbuckle - Fatty steals a ride on a train, discovered, and put off in the middle of nowhere. He stumbles along over the hot desert and finally passes out. A very plump Indian woman finds him and takes him to her tepee, woos him and finally, in desperation, Fatty agrees to marry her. While the tribe is preparing for the marriage ceremony, Fatty attempts to escape but is caught.
Collection #11
The Conflicts End (1912) Marion Leonard - A newspaper woman buys a statuette from an Italian peddler and is given her change in counterfeit bills. Through the peddler, she tracks down the counterfeiters.
Take The Air (1923) James Parrott - Parrott works on a skyscraper being built and accidents happen to everyone involved.
Freddy Goes Greek/Greek Meets Greek(1920) Eddie Boland - Freddy (Boland) is infatuated with the ancient Greek Society and his sister and her friends try to make him face reality
Negrita (ca 1920) Looks like a short Our Gang type film. Negrita is a little black toddler who prefers to play with geese rather than the rest of the gang.
Rose O’ Salem Town (1912) Dorothy West, Henry B. Walthall - A Deacon coming onto a "wild child" (Dorothy West) but after she rejects him he goes back into town saying that the girl and her mother are witches. It's up to a trapper (Henry B. Walthall) to try and race and save them before they're burned to death.
Desert Rat (1919) Franklyn Farnum - Steve Lanyon known as the Desert Rat returns with gold and saloon owner Brazos Pete plots to get it. After he gets his girl friend to marry Steve hoping that will do it, Steve's old girl friend arrives and when Brazos is attracted to her, Sadie gets jealous and kills Brazos. Sadie flees and when the Sheriff arrives he finds the new girl with the gun in her hand.
Collection #12
A Desparate Scoundrel (1915) Ford Sterling - "A Desperate Scoundrel" begins with Ford being chased from the park when he's
caught trying to steal milk from a baby! He then directs his larcenous talents towards a laundry. After stealing a wad of cash, the owner eventually realizes what has happened and the chase is on.
Love And Rubbish (1913) Ford Sterling and the gang from Keystone are in a park and a child goes missing. It's believed that she climbed into a trash barrel that is being hauled to the dump and a chase insues.
Be My King (1928) Lupino Lane, Wallace Lane - Lupino Lane and his brother Wallace are shipwrecked along the African coast and run into cannibals.
Ten Of Spades (1914) Victory Bateman, William Garwood
Collection #13
The Golden Stallion (1927) Maurice Flynn, Joe Bonomo - The first serial Nat Levine produced was "The Silent Flyer", which was distributed by Universal Pictures. "The Golden Stallion" was the first serial that carried the Mascot Pictures logo, as Levine figured out he could make more money distributing his films through the states-rights system himself. This one has good guy Wynne Kendall ('Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn' ) and bad guy Ewart Garth (Joe Bonomo)searching for the secret clue to a fabulous gold mine. But first, they have to capture a wild horse named "White Fury" as the clue is branded on his neck. It only took 10 chapters to get there.
Broncho Billy’s Sentence (1915) G.M. Anderson - Broncho Billy robs a strong box and is followed by a possee. He hides out with a girl and her father forcing her to send the possee on a wild goose chase to save her father. As he leaves he steals a kiss and then she shoots at him grazing his head. He winds up with a preacher and his wife and realizes that he must repent. Broncho Billy turns himself in with the loot and spends his time in prison preaching the gospel until he is paroled.
Collection #14
Ten Days Or Ten Dollars (19240 Ben Turpin - Ben is a soda jerk at a variety store that gets robbed during the night. The cashier whom he is fond of is accused of stealing ten thousand dollars. The real thief convinces Ben that she must pay ten dollars or spend ten days in jail so Ben goes to police to pay the ten dollars and he is then accused of being the thief. Ben escapes and the cashier finds the real thief who is arrested.
Conquest Of The Pole (1912) George Meiles - Scientists from all over the world are meeting to discuss the best way to reach the North Pole. Professor Maboul demonstrates for them the innovative equipment that he has designed for the purpose. When verything is ready, Maboul and several other scientists depart for the pole. Their trip will prove to be even more eventful than expected.
Under Burning Skies (1912) Blanche Sweet - Griffith short about Joe (Wilfred Lucas), a drinking and fighting cowboy who falls for a pretty girl (Blanche Sweet) and swears to his friend that he's going to change his ways. That is until he learns that the girl is leaving with her husband (Christy Cabanne). Embarrassed, Joe goes searching for them for revenge but when he finds them both are near death due to lack of water. Will Joe seek revenge or do something good for once? This here is a pretty good Western that goes back to what Griffith was doing in New York and that is telling morality stories. There's a small chase scene, which is pretty well done, although it's no where near a classic scene for the director. The ending is also very well handled and comes off quite good, which is something the director was great at. The three leads all turn in good performances with Lucas stealing the show as
the tough guy. Future Griffith star Robert Harron has a brief role.
Weak Knees (1925) Cliff Bowes, Virginia Vance - Virginia Vance and Cliff Bowes are secretly engaged while her father has plans to marry her off to a visiting Count. The Count however is a fake and attempts to steal things from the house with the help of two helpers.
Sea Sirens (1919) Bobby Vernon - Bobby is an artist who paints girls (Sea Sirens) at the beach. Virginia falls in love with him but her father won't let them marry unless Bobby can paint a picture that he would buy. Of course her father hates every picture. One of
the sirens helps frame Virginia's father and Bobby snaps a picture which he uses to paint a picture which the father has to buy to keep it away from his wife thereby fullfilling the terms he set for their marriage.
Collection #15
A Bedroom Scandal (1921) Monty Banks - Monty Banks works in a fashionable dress store where is is a notorious flirt. He ends up flirting with his mother in law whom he's never met.
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (1902) - Taken from the 35mm paper prints at the Library of Congress this film shows Buffalo Bills Wild West show as it came to a town in New York
Days Of 49 (1913) Frank Borzage (actor) - A wagon train is attacked by indians and a lady whose husband is killed wanders the hills for a day or so before stumbling into a cabin with two gold miners. They both fall in love with her and she must choose one which causes them to break up their partnership. One of the miners leaves but discovers an indian attack is about to occur and returns to defend his friends.
Fatty & Mabel In San Diego (1915) Fatty Arbuckle, Mabel Normand - Fatty and Mabel, a married couple, visit the San Diego exposition; after watching the parade, they rent a motorized cart. While Mabel makes a quick shopping foray, Fatty can't keep from flirting with and then chasing after a petite woman passing by. He follows her into a hula pavilion where he also is attracted to the plump Hawaiian dancers. Meanwhile, Mabel is looking for him, and so is the petite woman's husband. The ensuing arguments attract the cops, and it all plays out in front of the Exposition's fountain.
Collection #16
Courage Of Sorts (1913) Edward Coxen, Lillian Christy - A ghost story in which the prospective son-in-law agrees to stay in the haunted house. The girl's father plays ghost, but the tables are turned on him in an amusing manner.
Hide & Seek (1913) Mabel Normand Ford Sterling - A banker's young daughter, playing a game of "hide and seek", is apparently
locked within the vault resulting in comedic rescue.
His Wife’s Secret (1915) G.M. Anderson - Broncho Billy is a burglar who comes to the aid of drunk's wife just as she is about to be beaten.
Remember When (1925) Harry Langdon - When Harry was a lad, he lived at Hillcrest Orphanage, where he played with Rosemary, a neighbor girl. She moves away, leaving him just a locket. Soon after, he runs away from the orphanage and, for 15 years, is a tramp. After happenstance and misadventure, he's hired by Mack's traveling circus; Rosemary is its bearded lady. By luck, they pitch their tents right across from Hillcrest, bringing a flood of memories. Will Harry and Rosemary reunite? Can he get past her beard?
Two Guns From Tumbleweed (1927) Leo Maloney - "Two-Gun" Calder (Leo Maloney) gets tired of his girl (Peggy Montgomery) being abused by the villain Darrel (Joe Rickson) so the rivals eventually have a showdown.
Collection #17
Catalina Here I Come (1927) Madeline Hurlock, Eddie Quinlain, Andy Clyde - Wanda is a gum-chewing waitress; dim Eddie, the pastry boy at the café, likes her. So does Mr. Hamhocks, the café owner, whose head is also turned by the arrival of Pearl Minnow, a gold digger in town for the annual Catalina Channel Swim, sponsored by Wrigley's. Wanda and Pearl take a dislike to each other;
Hamhocks is charmed by Pearl and Eddie stays loyal to Wanda. The day of the swimming contest arrives, the two women compete, and the two men try to help their respective gals. Their trials and tribulations mix with documentary footage of the event. An angry swordfish gets in the act.
Dry & Thirsty (1920) Billy Bletcher - Horace Radish wants a drink, but Prohibition is in force. When all his other schemes fail, he heads to the Bootlegger's Haven Hotel with high hopes. But waiting at the hotel is the tough lawman William Allways Tryan, who is ready to toss in jail anyone found with even a drop of liquor. Radish ends up flirting with the lawman's wife.
His Enemy’s Friend (1922) Leo Maloney - The McWades and Carters have feuded for generations. The feud has ended but
there are still bad feelings on the McWades side. Some of the McWade's hired help decide to get the feud started again by framing Leo who is a Carter as a cattle rustler. Leo however has saved the life of the young McWade boy and the boy overhears the plans of hired help and verifies Leo's innocence.
Sergeant Hoffmeyer (1914) Ford Sterling - film, made a short while earlier). Hofmeyer's own son lacks a working go-cart of his own, however, so Dad goes out to get one for him-- by snatching it away from another boy, after fighting him for it in a vacant lot! The boy, who looks about 9 years old, is later seen nursing a black eye. Billy plays a highly ethical little boy who witnesses Hofmeyer's crime and helps bring about his downfall.
Collection #18
Little Billy’s Triumph (1914) Billy Jacobs - Young Little Billy wants to buy some ice-cream with the dime his mother gave him, but the neighborhood bullies have other plans for that dime.
Lizzies Of The Field (1924) Billy Bevan - There is no love lost between the Red Dog Garage, and the Black Cat Garage, two auto repair shops on opposite sides of the street. A big cross-country auto race is announced, and it turns into a no-holds-barred contest as the rival garages go all out to win
Meet The Missus (1924) Glen Tryon - Glen invites his boss and boss' boss home for dinner. The maid has discovered the bottle of hooch and becomes drunk. Then she replaces it with kerosene. Glen proceeds to make cocktails from the kerosene and things go from bad to worse in the wonderful comedy.
The Big Idea (1924) Snub Pollard - Inventor Ignatius Pollard develops a new "Pavement Polisher" to clean the streets, but a demonstration of the device does not go as planned.
Collection #19
The Lion And The Souse (1924) Charlotte Mineau - Mrs. Van Hoosit becomes an actress and filming is done on the family estate. A premiere of her latest film is put on at the family estate. A live lion is brought by one of the guests and goes berserk at the premiere.
Dollars and Sense (1916) Ora Carew, Joseph Belmont - A country girl and a foppish Englishman inherit an estate, and the terms say that it can't be divided. The terms also state that the two must get married, and if one refuses, then the other gets the entire estate. The girl schemes with her twin brother to trick the Englishman out of his part of the inheritance.
Mission Of Mr. Foo (1915) Carlton King, Gladys Huelette - Gladys works in Chinatown and meets the mysterious Mr. Foo who gives her a necklace he had received from the Empress of China. The Chinese Ambassador sees the necklace and suspects Mr. Foo is a traitor to the Republic which overthrew the Manchu Dynasty.
Melodrama Rides The Rails (ca 1913) - This is a compilation of three short railroad films that include:
Railroad Smashup (1904) - A staged crash between two outmoded locomotives given to the Edison Co. by the Pennsylvania Railroad for the express purpose of destroying them.
A Railway Tragedy (1904) - A woman arriving at a train station is unaware that a nearby stranger is closely eyeing her and her purse as she leaves her carriage. As she waits for her train, the same stranger lurks nearby on the platform, so that he can make sure to sit in the same compartment with her. When the train gets underway and the woman dozes off, the stranger reveals his ill intentions
A Mother's Devotion or The Firing Of The Patchwork Quilt (1912) - A mother is waiting or her son, a railroad engineer, to return home when she discovers that a railroad trestle he must pass over has been washed out. She must try to get word to him before his train reaches the trestle.
Rare Singles
Until They Get Me (1917) This film is one of Frank Borzage’s early directorial efforts. It was filmed right before The Gun Woman which is also available. It stars Pauline Starke, Joe King, Jack Curtis, Wilbur Higby, Anna Dodge, and Walter Perry. Jack Curtis is on his way to see his wife and newborn son when he kills a man in self defense. The following year Curtis meets Pauline Starke working as an indentured servant who has decided to escape. Joe King plays a Canadian Mountie who is chasing Curtis and takes Pauline to the Mountie Outpost where she becomes the foster daughter of Wilbur Higby and his wife Anna Dodge.
The Sky Pilot (1921) directed by King Vidor, stars Colleen Moore and John Bowers. Bowers plays a traveling preacher who tries to bring religion to a frontier town. Colleen Moore the beautiful girl he falls in love with is trampled in a stampede but regains the use of her legs just in time to save him from a burning house.
East Is East (1916) Florence Lawson - Victoria Vickers, a little East End Cockney girl, is left a vast fortune by an uncle in America. She is finally discovered hop-picking in Kent by her solicitor, who has given up the search and gone off on a photographic holiday instead! The conditions of the legacy are that she must spend three years learning to be a lady before she inherits absolutely. 'Vicky'
does her best, but she is not happy in high society. Meanwhile her old East End beau Bert accepts a loan from her in order to 'better himself' and starts a highly-successful fish-and-chip shop business. He takes elocution lessons and buys gentleman's clothes in the hopes of aspiring to her hand. But Vicky, who thinks he has deserted her now she is a fine lady, is lonely enough to accept an offer of marriage from her guardian's spendthrift son, and when Bert reads of the engagement in the newspapers he abandons London and goes down to live in Kent where they were once happy together...
She (1925) Betty Blythe, Carlyle Blackwell, Mary Odette - Mr. Blackwell (as Leo Vincy) discovering a relic that informs him about Blythe (as Ayesha, or "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed"), who loved his father (also essayed by Mr. Blackwell, in old age make-up) and (two thousand years of, presumably) others in the ancestral line. Blackwell accompanies pal Heinrich George (as Horace "The Baboon" Holly) and handyman Tom Reynolds (as Job) to Arabia. They meet up with native girl Mary Odette, flesh-eating cannibals (okay, maybe there aren't any other kind), and Blythe.
Texas Guinan Silent Westerns
The Texas Guinan Silent Westerns Vol. 1 has 4 Silent Westerns in it. Included are "Letters of Fire" (1919) "The Girl of the Rancho" (1920), "A Moonshine Feud" (1920), and "The Stampede" (1921). Each of these films are in the Public Domain but are almost impossible to find.
Letters of Fire was filmed for Bulls Eye, ReelCraft in 1919. It was originally a "five reeler" which is the equivalent of a full length movie. In 1929 it was condensed down to a one reeler. In this movie Texas plays a sheriff who is framed for cattle rustling. The head rustler brands her bossom with his initials. After recuperating Texas catches the rustler and returns the favor.
Girl of the Rancho was also filmed for Bulls Eye/Reelcraft. It was originally a two reeler and was also condensed down to a one reeler in 1929. Texas spurns the advances of a mexican bandit who then kidnaps her sister until she changes her mind. As the possee and the bandits have a shootout Texs rescues her sister.
A Moonshine Feud was filmed in 1920 for Reelcraft/Bullseye. It also was a two reeler which was condensed down to one reel in 1929. The two reel version has been preserved by the UCLA Film Archives but is not available to the general public. The release notes detailing what has been cut are included. In this movie Texas and her brothers fight a gang of moonshiners. Texas rescues a revenue agent and they fall in love.
The Stampede was filmed in 1921 for Victor Kremer Productions. It was directed by Francis Ford the older brother of John Ford. It is a five reeler and has not been condensed. This film is the least well preserved of Texas' surviving film. It takes place during the Oklahoma land rush and Texas comes to the aid of sick girl.
Bonus clips from Texas' only surviving sound movie "Broadway Thru a Keyhole" are included. Also a minute and a half bonus clip from Texas' movie "Girl of the Border"
Texas Guinan Silent Westerns Vol. 2 has 3 of Texas Guinan's silent films. This set includes "The Gun Woman" (1918), "South O' Santa Fe" (1919), and "The Spirit of Cabin Mine" (1919). All Three were recorded from the Library of Congress and are in the Public Domain.
The Gun Woman was filmed for Triangle Film Corp and directed by Frank Borzage. Cast includes: Texas Guinan, Francis McDonald, and Edward Bradley. Texas plays a saloon owner who falls in love and loans her lover the money to buy a house believing they will soon be married. He uses the money to start his own saloon in another town. Texas takes her revenge on him.
South O' Santa Fe was filmed in 1919 for Frohman Amusement Corp was directed by Cliff Smith. Cast includes Georg Chesebro, Jack Richardson, Anna Purdon. Texas is hired by a ranch owner to be the foreman of on unruly group of ranch hands.
The Spirit of Cabin Mine was also filmed for Frohman Amusement Corp in 1919. Only the 2nd half of this film exists but it is still very easy to follow and makes a good one reeler. Texas was kidnapped as a child and raised by the indian who killed her mother. She spurns the advances of the reservation agent and falls in love with his deputy.
Bonus trailer from Queen of the Night Clubs, a short clip from this lost film, phots, magazine ads and a four page program shown as a slide show while you listen to Texas Guinan herself talk about the movie. Also a bonus slideshow of a Frohman Amusement brochure showing 30 of their stars including Texas Guinan, Mary Miles Minter, Mack Swain and others.
Stars of Yesterday & Silent Movie Clips Here are three interesting films I had transferred to DVD-R. The first is Stars of Yesterday (1931) which was narrated by Burnett Hershey. It has a whole bunch of clips of silent film stars and Hershey introduces or reminds the viewer who they are. The silent stars include Broncho Billy Anderson, Theda Bara, Faty Arbuckle, Sarah Bernhardt, Betty Blythe, Mary Fuller, Mildred Harris, Ford Sterling, William S. Hart, Helen Holmes, Mabel Normand, Charles Ray, Clara Kimball Young, Mary Miles Minter, Marjorie Clayton, Texas Guinan and others. The Pacific Film Archives in California has a copy of this that runs 11 minutes. My copy only ran 9 1/2 minutes and was missing the opening titles. It's quite fun to watch and see these old stars.
The second film on this DVD is from a reel with a bunch of Silent Movie Clips. This clips include Another Man's Boots (1922), Pearl As A Detective (1912/13) with Pearl White, Vanity Fair (1911) with John Bunny, Mickey's Express (looks like a Little Rascals), Thief of Bagdad (1924), Old Guard Guard (1912/13) Discontent (1916), In the Moon's Ray (1914), Pursued (1925), The Flame Fighter (1925), What No Man Knows (1921), and several that I can't identify one has a lady who grabs a dandy's cane and breaks it to pieces and then proceeds to beat the living tar out of him tossing him through the air into a trash bin. That clip alone is priceless! Another definitely has Alan Hale (the Skipper's father) in a medival movie, and one that has a two trains that have been stopped from crashing at the last moment. Most of the clips are short with a couple extending a couple of minutes. Some of them are in two parts with other clips in between.
Heartthrobs of Yesteryear is the third film on this DVD and has silent film actress Mae ____ recalling some of her leading men and others actors she knew.