Friday, 30 September 2011

1908

"Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd."

(L-R Fred MacMurray, Carole Lombard, Rex Harrison, Bette Davis, John Mills)



Movie births in 1908 include John Mills, Rex Harrison, Michael Redgrave, David Lean, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Mel Blanc, Edward Dmytryk, Carole Lombard, Burgess Meredith, Lew Ayres, Fred MacMurray. Also James Bond author Ian Fleming, and James Bond 'M' actor Bernard Lee.

In music, Stephane Grappelli (of Quintette du Hot Club de France) and US jazz bandleader Louis Jordan were born. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov became the third composer of Могучая кучка (The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie) to pass away.



El hotel eléctrico
Dir: Segundo de Chomón
Time: 9mins


Fantasmagorie [A Fantasy]
Dir: Émile Cohl
Time: 2mins


Moscou sous la neige [Moscow Clad in Snow]
Dir: Joseph-Louis Mundwiller
Time: 7mins


Excursion dans la lune [Excursion to the Moon]
Dir: Segundo de Chomón
Time: 7mins


The Thieving Hand
Dir: J. Stuart Blackton
Time: 5mins


Sculpteur moderne [Modern Sculptors]
Dir: Segundo de Chomón
Time: 6mins


The Adventures of Dollie
Dir: D.W. Griffith
Time: 12mins


Понизовая вольница [Stenka Razin]
Dir: Vladimir Romashkov
Time: 9mins


Magic Bricks
Dir: Segundo de Chomón
Time: 3mins

Émile Cohl's very short Fantasmagorie is quite a fantastic early example of an animated cartoon, and The Thieving Hand is a genuinely funny short, and makes me think this could be a comedic version of 1981's The Hand.

Contrary to the previous years, I would assume by now the nickolodeon flocking public may have grown tired of the majority of trick films. Whilst interesting and original in the 1890s, I can only imagine audiences were wanting something a bit more out of the movie-going experience. Plus, the movie companies were now trying to appeal to a much wider audience. Soon, audiences were no longer just made up of the lower classes. Stories (however simple) were becoming more popular on screen, and together with longer screenings (1-2 reels would equal 10-20 minutes), a trip to the 'pictures' was more of an event than a quick cheap laugh.

It was around this time that film pioneering took another step forward, with directors such as D.W. Griffith focusing on creating and improving new filming techniques. Griffith had failed as a playwright and, by the sounds of things, was not setting the world alight with his acting. He was luckily offered an opportunity to direct a film for Biograph, due to the original directors illness. Although The Adventures of Dollie is far from great, I'm surprised at its relatively low rating on many websites. I know plenty of people associate much of DW Griffiths work with racism (and yes, one could argue the portrayal of the gypsies in this film is racist), but the film does do a job. Taking a simple story, from start to finish, and giving Griffith his first experience behind the cameras, this was the start of his successful career as a director. And certainly a welcomed diversion from the current crop of trick films.

We catch our first glimpse of early Russian cinema here. The short documentary, Moscow Clad in Snow, shows winter life throughout the capital, and manages to generate an equally interesting look into this fascinating country. Maybe I'm just a sucker for most things "Pусский". Then again, I feel Понизовая вольница [Stenka Razin] doesn't fare as well. Although the scenes are filmed well enough (especially on water), and the negative is in prime condition for its age, I can't read Russian, nor did I find I was able to follow the French subs with much success, and as I'm unfamiliar with this story, it just didn't make it for me.

My film ratings for 1908.

My music ratings for 1908.


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