Pre-1930s Hall of Fame II

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The Doll (1919)

Wow, this was demented! I liked it, but it was sure strange. It reminded me of an old Monty Python skit. The little kid was hilarious, especially when he had the hots for the doll and then after kissing it, kisses the doll maker's wife just so that there's no complaints, ha! Then he kept trying to drink paint, what a weird little dude!

And the girl who played the doll was real good at being whacked too. Loved her doll dance and the stuff she did with her hands, kind of robotic. The color tinting was a nice choice and it was cool seeing a young Ernst Lubitsch at the beginning of the movie. I watched this on Youtube and I chose the one with a unconventional score, which to me sounded even more demented than the movie... which I thought was great and worked perfectly.

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Women will be your undoing, Pépé
@ahwell @Siddon @edarsenal @Nostromo87

Cricket's new nom is 3 Bad men (1926). Variety is out.
A John Ford silent western?
VERY nice!
And youtube as it with western music for the soundtrack. I think this'll be my cherry popper for this HoF
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The Doll

What a fun little film! Ernst Lubitsch is really impressing me, first with Trouble in Paradise and now this. What helps it a lot is the length, which is short and tidy. I liked the characters and some of the wittier lines that often even made me chuckle a bit. Acting was all around pretty good and there was a special touch that made each character unique. Overall, it was a film that was very cute and fun, and I really enjoyed it.




@ahwell @cricket @Nostromo87 @edarsenal

We couldn't find a link for J'accuse (1919) so that movie is out. Siddon has chosen as a replacement: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) Which has a couple of copies on youtube, one of them even has the original color tinting.



3 Bad Men



There are a couple movies from director John Ford that I don't care for, but overall he's someone you can look to for not only amazing quality, but quantity as well. This is the fifth decade in which I've been watching his movies for a countdown. I don't think this movie is as good as The Iron Horse (1924), but it's well worth watching.

When I say it was a blind nomination, I mean I didn't even look at the synopsis. All I had to see was Ford and a high rating and I knew it was a must see. That was cool because it turned out to be not at all what I figured. There seems to be a nice story of redemption and channeling the good in people. There's nice characters, action, humor, and a little romance. I'm not sure how ahwell feels about westerns but I think you guys will enjoy this.




3 Bad Men

Cricket was right, I did enjoy this! I keep on saying I'm not a fan of Westerns, but they're growing on me with movies like Tombstone, Open Range, and this. 3 Bad Men is my first John Ford film, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of his work now, since this was really well done. There was adventure, romance, suspense, and much more in this film. I also loved the visuals; the distant mountains, the horseback scenes, the beautiful landscapes. It all combined very well. Furthermore, many of the characters were deep and complex... however, I wasn't a fan of the old archetypal things about the Western genre, and this one turned into another good vs. evil slog by the end. It had its fair share of boring moments, but overall 3 Bad Men was a positive experience.




3 Bad Men is my first John Ford film, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of his work now, since this was really well done.
My biggest recommendations would be How Green was My Valley, My Darling Clementine, The Quiet Man, The Grapes of Wrath, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, but he has a lot more good movies besides those.




Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928)

Not much to say about this one. It was fine I guess, but it didn't really do much for me. I watched it in two parts on consecutive nights, not always the best way to see a film. The first night I watched half of the movie and found it to be sweet and sentimental, though a bit cloying. The father-daughter relationship was nicely done. Though not much else happened, except the clown kept crying and the Count was affected with constant laughing. His laughing was supposedly from his over indulgent life style. I know many of these movies are told as parables, but the laughing/crying just didn't make much sense to me and certainly wasn't interesting.

OK so the next night I watch the second half of the movie and it revealed that Tito aka Flik the clown (Lon Chaney) is in love with his adopted daughter (Loretta Young). His daughter loves him too and will marry him. Now, that sounds like a basis for a strong statement movie...But unless I missed something, the film never makes use of that Woody Allen type relationship. The only aspect that comes into question is that Lon Chaney's character feels he's too old to marry his adopted daughter.

I'd be real interested in hearing other's opinions on this. Did I miss a scene? I was tired so who knows maybe I nodded off and missed reading an important title card?

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Women will be your undoing, Pépé



3 Bad Men

Meek Eastern dude: I've just reached manhood.
Mike Costigan: [Sarcastically] Then you better reach again.

This was quite the excellent Western as befitting a John Ford film and plays out as a glimpse to what was to come from this man in regards to iconic backdrops for in-depth characters and storylines. Along with the marriage of comedy and drama where each is enhanced by the other.
What is also noted is quite a number of aspects that can be seen repeated upon to this very day.
WARNING: "Such as" spoilers below
J. Farrell MacDonald's Mike Costigan's bravado in his final moments within the gun powder shed, cleverly taking out a decent amount of guys along with himself.


Played against a grand tapestry of a Government-authorized Land Grab for Gold infested land snatched away from Native Americans we watch as three no-goodniks find redemption, and for one, revenge against a corrupt sheriff and his posse. All the while sprinkling a bit of Ford's patriotic simple folk nobility and aesthetics about finding real gold in farming and the more simpler, honest trades.

Like many of Ford's main characters, they are rough, not so honest men, but with honorable hearts that live outside society's duplicity.

Also, I must state that the copy I found on youtube also had an apt Old Time Western soundtrack that was very ideal.

So one helluva a great start to this HoF



Laugh, Clown, Laugh



This was another movie that I strongly considered nominating myself and unfortunately I didn't get much out of it. One of the reasons I almost nominated it is because I liked the synopsis. I did end up liking the story, but it doesn't play out in an exciting way at all. The ending was fairly strong, but there needed to be either more emotion or a sinister side. The production and performances were good, but it didn't leave any impact on me.





He Who Gets Slapped (1924)

I rather liked this one, it's very different. At times it uses art house style scene inserts with images of a clown zealously spinning a globe. I loved the opening scene that has a globe of the world. Then we see miniature clowns setting on the ring around the globe. Finally the globe becomes the circus ring and we are transported into the circus big top. I guess that's saying, 'all the world's indeed a stage'. Very art house and nicely done!

Lon Chaney's clown, HE, is a unique blend of nihilistic and sad clown tropes. He reveals in self sadism and practices a form of flagellation as he's slapped, bashed and tossed about the circus ring like a rag doll. All that abuse is done for the entertainment of the crowd who laugh with gustoat the poor broken clown.

Laugh, Clown, Laugh
(1928) is very similar to He Who Gets Slapped (1924), but the latter is a much better film with stronger themes, more impressive sets and more of a pay off at the end.
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3 Bad Men (1926)

I'd call 3 Bad Men a masterpiece of story telling and a cinematographic tour de force. I mean, wholly oxen, there were sure a lot of horses in the race for gold country scene! Err, I mean Indian territory scene. And yes there were even some oxen with big heavy yokes pulling those wagons. I believe that the pioneers favored oxen over horses to pull those prairie schooners across the plains, as horses tired to easy.

As much as I was impressed with the on location shots and the massive staging of men and beast, the story itself lost me at times. Oh, it's a richly detailed story with many a character. But for me in the 21st century I find silent films hard enough to follow but when they have complex stories I get a tad bit distracted...not the movies fault though. I guess I didn't really ever care much or feel I knew the characters. The 3 bad men seemed to be the most fleshed out. I can't say the dark haired girl or her boyfriend had much development, and I'm still confused about the bad guy sheriff. I mean I know he was a baddie, buy why? And why was he and like a 100 men trying to stop or kill the lead wagon? Was it just to get first choice in the land grab?



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It



This was a lot of fun, and it's definitely not the kind of movie I seek out as I usually go for a darker storyline.

The "It" factor has always been real even if it is hard to define. Many of the greatest frontmen are just that because of "it", rather than because of their voices. Just think of Mick Jagger, Jim Morrison, David Lee Roth, and many more. Athletes have "it", and they're usually the best leaders. Joe Namath wasn't even a great QB but he's in the HoF for this reason. You watch a movie with Barbara Streisand; not the greatest actress but she has "it". "It" can easily veer into obnoxiousness if you're not careful. Think Donald Trump. This movie didn't even need the "It" storyline to be successful, but it does add something and it gave it a title.

Clara Bow was great and the rest of the cast fit in quite well. It ended up being one of the rare movies that I wanted to be longer. Unless the audience is left needing some sort of resolution, that's almost always a good thing. I can't believe how many of these nominations feature an amusement park or a carnival, and the scene from this movie was a great one. If this were real life or if the tone of the movie were different, Betty Lou would probably not be a very good person. After all, she uses Monty to get to Cyrus, pursues Cyrus even though he's attached, and then plots cruel revenge due to a misunderstanding. It never ends up feeling that way though so you know the movie accomplishes what it aims to be.






Lonesome (1928) - eh the film is basically an exercise in banality also notice how creepy it is to give a grown woman a dolly and icecream. I'm not entirely sure what we should review with a film like this. It's also somewhat difficult to compare this to the other Hall where we watched a higher class of comedies. I suppose the value of the film was to play with ambient noise to not be a talkie but to demonstrate the sound and story you could get from the background. But when it was all said and done and I finished watching this film an hour later I had to ask myself...did I care.





I'm going to try and get to one of these a day and finish this up next Thursday.




7th Heaven(1927)

"For those who will climb it, there is a ladder leading from the depths to the heights - from the sewer to the stars - the ladder of courage."

Emotionally a very powerful film and that's thanks to the two wonderful leads, Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. Both seemed very human, and that's something that isn't always the case with silent films. In 7th Heaven the couple really shines and drew me into their world, where desperation is swept aside by a strong belief in one's self. That's a great conceptual theme for a movie. That idea is shown at the start of the film as Diane (Janet Gaynor) lacks belief in her own future and literally lays down in the street to die. That's after having been beat by her wickedly cruel, absinthe guzzling sister. It's Chico (Charles Farrell) who's a unique fellow (kinda of like me) who believes hard enough and positive enough that he makes his own heaven on Earth. I loved that line they had, Chico - Diane - Heaven!...That says more than many sound films ever do. It's a great tribute to the power of love, I bet Huey Lewis would agree

Janet Gaynor was so good at evoking empathy that one just wants to hold her little head up and say, 'Believe! Diane, like Chico believes and you won't be afraid anymore.'

I like the way the director uses the climbing of the stair case to the attic apartment to represent and ascent to heaven. I also liked how he used the dangerous looking catwalk to represent mind over matter, with fear being defeated by hope and love.

I kind of wish the ending had been more bittersweet with Chico not returning from the war. In that way Diane who naturally would be devastated by his death, has to then ultimately carry on the lesson Chico taught her and continue to believe that heaven is where you make it.

Great nom!
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Laugh Clown Laugh

I don't really see what was all that bad with this one. It was a pretty interesting watch in my opinion. I liked the Lon Chaney and Loretta Young, and their characters were pretty interesting. Of course it was no masterpiece, but it held my attention and felt like a nice and concise running time. The entire story line did drag a bit, but that's okay because it was only an hour. I didn't like the ending for sure, it was tragic but didn't need to be. It felt so fake and fluffy, and I just couldn't stand it. But everything in the middle was pretty cool, I liked it.

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He Who Gets Slapped

Just a bit better than Laugh Clown Laugh, but I wish I hadn't watched them back to back because they are very similar in plot and that can get boring. There are little things in this movie that I think are more well done than Laugh, Clown, Laugh, like Lon Chaney's character, who seems more noble and good. The lion scene was pretty creative although much too long drawn out as well. I actually didn't dislike a single actor in He Who Gets Slapped, they all seemed to suit their roles pretty well. So while it is clearly flawed and will never be a personal favorite, I'm glad it was nominated and it will likely be going on my Pre-30s countdown ballot.









The Passion of Joan of Arc...bit of a mixed bag for me, on one hand I loved that the film was basically just the trial of Joan. I like the idea of an hour an twenty minutes of a deep dive into Joan and her philosophy and ideology from this period of time. I went with the suggested score on the Criterion Collection and it gave the film a sweeping epic tone to the film. What I didn't care for was the way Carl Theodore Dreyer with the non stop close ups..it can feel like quite a bit of work to get through the film when all you are witnessing is faces. I understand Dreyer does this for artistic and budgetary reasonings and you can always tell a Dreyer film by his style I just prefer a set design and production values when you tell a historical tale. But still it was good