Tuesday, 31 May 2011

1904

"At eight o'clock a girl she wakes, at five past eight a bath she takes. At ten-past eight my ladder breaks, when I'm cleaning windows."

(L-R) Count Basie, Jean Gabin, George Formby, Peter Lorre

The demise of Czech classical composer Antonín Dvorák was the most significant death in music for 1904. Coleman Hawkins (american jazz tenor saxophonist) and Glenn Miller (trombonist/bandleader) were born in america's mid-west whilst Count Basie was born in New Jersey. Across the atlantic, in Lancashire, England an unlikely hero (& influence to those who followed) was born. George Formby.

Formby began performing on stage as a teenager. By 1926 he began making records, and by 1932 started appearing in films. For years Mr Formby was the highest paid entertainer in Britain, remaining the UK's top comedian throughout most of the 30's & 40's. After signing with Columbia in 1941 he became the fifth highest-paid movie actor in the world, ahead of superstars like Errol Flynn and Bing Crosby! 150,000 people lined the streets during his funeral in 1961, and his more famous fans included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ray Davies. I once read somewhere that Harrison spent an entire evening playing Formby's records to Bob Dylan. From what I remember, Dylan wasn't overly impressed. He just just didn't "get" it.


George Formby

From 1904, we also start seeing some of cinemas biggest names appearing from here onwards, and this particular year brought us Cary Grant (see previous post), Peter Lorre, John Gielgud, Robert Montgomery, Jean Gabin, Dick Powell, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers. Also directors George Stevens & Jacques Tourneur.

This months featured year seems to start and end with the work of Georges Méliès, who continues to be a major contributor. Conceived as a sequel to 1902's Le voyage dans la lune, An Impossible Voyage has some great sets and effects, and now becomes the longest film mentioned so far (at 24mins!?! Is the world ready to devote this amount of time to the passing fad that is the motion picture?). Méliès also made Le bourreau turc, Les cartes vivantes, The King of the Mackerel Fishers, La sirène and Sorcellerie culinaire all achieving a respectable 6+(/10) on imdb.

Following on from 1901's Fire! and The Big Swallow, James Williamson offers some slapstick in An Interesting Story.


Les cartes vivantes
(This negative has been preserved very well, or an
excellent job has been done on its restoration)


The King of the Mackerel Fishers

James Williamson pops up again with An Interesting Story.

An Impossible Voyage

The shortlived Art movement 'Fauvism', led by Henri Matisse and André Derain, appears in France.

During some youtube searches, I happened upon TheBirthOfFilm and their wonderful collection of early movies. Many b&w's from the 1890s through to the 1940's. Certainly worth a visit if you're into that kind of thing.

Alas, I was unable to find any noteworthy songs from 1904.


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