Seven decades ago, as a boy, the silents impressed me. One theater in my hometown still ran some silents on Saturday afternoons, in addition to B Westerns. Admission, one nickel. Walking the roadside, myself and others, could find discarded pop bottles. We would return them to merchants and garner 2 cents a bottle. A nickel got you admission, another nickel got you a bag of popcorn, another nickel got you a Coke, and there were penny candies. The silents had a musical soundtrack, but it didn't matter I, et al, watched closely. Sitting thru the entire movie, and then again,; later, on the sidewalk, we could discuss impressions, mimic pantomiming actors, and talk of the music. Children aren't fools. We were as adept in discussions as adults. A shame these few remaining silents aren't shown to today's isolated children.
Lillian Gish was so accurate in stating that the silent movies helped Americans to appreciate great music. My God, near the end of this episode we see a segment of "The Thief of Baghdad" whose music is Nicholai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherezade." This is just one of a myriad of examples that can be found in silent film.
Please remember half of Hollywood from the very early days where Canadian. Mack Sennett was Canadian, Mary Pickford was Canadian, even though in a PBS documentary they deliberately avoided saying she was . Three of the first four actresses to win an Academy Award were Canadian. Not boasting just giving credit were credit is due, and proud that people from everywhere were there at the very beginning. This is a wonderful British documentary, the oral history of the very early days of Hollywood. Thank God it exists!
Boston Blackie, Very good knowledge by you. I knew Mary Pickford-Americas sweetheart was Canadian. But did not know that Max Sennett was too. Like Pam Anderson and Trish Stratus are two lovelies from Canada too! Many decades later of course.
Great Hollywood documentary. I agree with other commenters here. I love 12:38 Agnes Demille talking about the wild, lovely flowers of the early Hollywood years. Elizabeth Taylor acted with silent movie star great Lillian Gish in the 1967 movie "The comedians" and she noted that Lillian Gish could take the outside heat and bad weather better than the other actors. And she said it was because Gish was a silent movie star, she worked outside in bad conditions like at 12:42!! Colleen Moore, Louise Brooks and Clara Bow were the biggest flapper Hollywood silent movie stars of the day! Love scene at 42:28 with Mary Pickford. Plus At 42:07 "Mary Pickford was first Hollywood's star to become a millionaire but that was one role she never played?"... ...What about movie "Poor Little Rich Girl" in 1917? Thanks for the Fascinating upload..I always loved History. Vintage movies etc.
This was such a magical time, the devil may care-ness of it all. Making movies to make movies. Hollywood doesn't have that anymore. I guess the closest that we can come to that these days is in independent cinema, where filmmaking can be still be fun and daring. This is awesome thanks for uploading these.
In those days they made it up as they went along. Must have been so much fun when it turned out right. Even if it didn't they learned something. Sad today even in the industry these people and there hard work isn't recognised.
Fascinating At 12:44 when Agnes Demille was describing the landscape of early Hollywood filming. When you were among the rattlesnakes, coyotes. little wild deer etc. Reminds me of the film "Babylon" with Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie-in one scene Margot gets bitten by a rattlesnake. The movie "Babylon" was well-acted but over-long was its downfall. and should have been better edited. Thanks for the upload.
The real highlight here is DeMille's niece and her memories of pre-Hollywood Hollywood, so to speak. A land of flowers. Also, there's a bit of back-in-my-day-ism going on, especially with the newspaper gal at the end, but honestly, can you blame her? Sound DID kill movies as a visual medium for a decade, give or take. Finally, Lord Mountbatten looks pretty hard to impress, but little Mary Pickford brought it off, evidently.
To get to that point required the murder of the Californian Indian (Native American) during the 1840s. Before the Spaniards came, the various tribes did seasonal burning and brush clearing so that you would have been always smelling grass fires. California today is in a worse state because certain plants are not being tended to. The wilderness she is describing was created, it did not exist prior to the 19th century.
From one biography of C B DeMille, Agnes his niece was a stuck-up "Artiste" of dance and culture. She regarded her uncle as a talented lowbrow of spectacle and religious pomposity. It wasn't all so smooth between them as she, in her elder years here would have you believe.
Kinda watching this at a late date but Florida was a major motion picture area overlooked and Chicago was also a hub of movie making. The Essanay studios (Chaplin worked there) was bought by a Catholic school but we still shot commercials on those stages. Now they are gone I believe. The skip to California was a jump too far in the story but okay, forget about the real story , and get to the meat and bones (literally) of the rest.
They should return HOLLYWood and to its former glory. ORANGE GROVES, PALM TREES, JASMINE, HONEYSUCKLE, POPPIES (without the junkies, prostitutes and grifters, etc.).
James "Plummy Voice" Mason is always easy on the ears, but whoever wrote the script was wrong. Well this video is so old maybe it was right then and wrong in the 21st century. Mason opens with the claim LA land has no streets named for "the pioneers" of silent film. How about DeMille Drive near his long time home? I'm sure there is probably an Edison street or avenue somewhere.
I love how Agnes describes the flowers and how Hollywood once looked
Clara, I agree! Just priceless! Plus beautiful scene at 13:06 with lovely lady with flowers!
Clara Bow was my favourite actress of the silent years.
Seven decades ago, as a boy, the silents impressed me. One theater in my hometown still ran some silents on Saturday afternoons, in addition to B Westerns. Admission, one nickel. Walking the roadside, myself and others, could find discarded pop bottles. We would return them to merchants and garner 2 cents a bottle. A nickel got you admission, another nickel got you a bag of popcorn, another nickel got you a Coke, and there were penny candies. The silents had a musical soundtrack, but it didn't matter I, et al, watched closely. Sitting thru the entire movie, and then again,; later, on the sidewalk, we could discuss impressions, mimic pantomiming actors, and talk of the music. Children aren't fools. We were as adept in discussions as adults. A shame these few remaining silents aren't shown to today's isolated children.
A charming reminiscence. What was your hometown?
Lillian Gish was so accurate in stating that the silent movies helped Americans to appreciate great music. My God, near the end of this episode we see a segment of "The Thief of Baghdad" whose music is Nicholai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherezade." This is just one of a myriad of examples that can be found in silent film.
As I do when I take off my hat, you make a good point !
Please remember half of Hollywood from the very early days where Canadian. Mack Sennett was Canadian, Mary Pickford was Canadian, even though in a PBS documentary they deliberately avoided saying she was . Three of the first four actresses to win an Academy Award were Canadian. Not boasting just giving credit were credit is due, and proud that people from everywhere were there at the very beginning. This is a wonderful British documentary, the oral history of the very early days of Hollywood. Thank God it exists!
Boston Blackie, Very good knowledge by you. I knew Mary Pickford-Americas sweetheart was Canadian. But did not know that Max Sennett was too. Like Pam Anderson and Trish Stratus are two lovelies from Canada too! Many decades later of course.
Great Hollywood documentary. I agree with other commenters here. I love 12:38 Agnes Demille talking about the wild, lovely flowers of the early Hollywood years.
Elizabeth Taylor acted with silent movie star great Lillian Gish in the 1967 movie "The comedians" and she noted that Lillian Gish could take the outside heat and bad weather better than the other actors. And she said it was because Gish was a silent movie star, she worked outside in bad conditions like at 12:42!!
Colleen Moore, Louise Brooks and Clara Bow were the biggest flapper Hollywood silent movie stars of the day!
Love scene at 42:28 with Mary Pickford. Plus At 42:07 "Mary Pickford was first Hollywood's star to become a millionaire but that was one role she never played?"... ...What about movie "Poor Little Rich Girl" in 1917? Thanks for the Fascinating upload..I always loved History. Vintage movies etc.
Thank you so much for sharing!
I have a notion to second THAT emotion !
Colleen Moore was lovely
She was no Hope Emerson, but the late great Ms.Moore was indeed one beautiful (and talented) lady !
This was such a magical time, the devil may care-ness of it all. Making movies to make movies. Hollywood doesn't have that anymore. I guess the closest that we can come to that these days is in independent cinema, where filmmaking can be still be fun and daring. This is awesome thanks for uploading these.
In those days they made it up as they went along. Must have been so much fun when it turned out right. Even if it didn't they learned something. Sad today even in the industry these people and there hard work isn't recognised.
Thanks for making this available.
Very excellent historical film. KAT🐱
I heartily concur ! An awesome & amazing documentary !
I love this whole series!
Indubitably ! One of the greatest documentaries ever produced !
Fascinating At 12:44 when Agnes Demille was describing the landscape of early Hollywood filming. When you were among the rattlesnakes, coyotes. little wild deer etc. Reminds me of the film "Babylon" with Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie-in one scene Margot gets bitten by a rattlesnake. The movie "Babylon" was well-acted but over-long was its downfall. and should have been better edited. Thanks for the upload.
The real highlight here is DeMille's niece and her memories of pre-Hollywood Hollywood, so to speak. A land of flowers. Also, there's a bit of back-in-my-day-ism going on, especially with the newspaper gal at the end, but honestly, can you blame her? Sound DID kill movies as a visual medium for a decade, give or take. Finally, Lord Mountbatten looks pretty hard to impress, but little Mary Pickford brought it off, evidently.
To get to that point required the murder of the Californian Indian (Native American) during the 1840s. Before the Spaniards came, the various tribes did seasonal burning and brush clearing so that you would have been always smelling grass fires. California today is in a worse state because certain plants are not being tended to. The wilderness she is describing was created, it did not exist prior to the 19th century.
Sad seeing how beautiful Hollywood was. Today you just have to try and imagine it because it isn't beautiful anymore 😢
Thank you for your help
From one biography of C B DeMille, Agnes his niece was a stuck-up "Artiste" of dance and culture. She regarded her uncle as a talented lowbrow of spectacle and religious pomposity. It wasn't all so smooth between them as she, in her elder years here would have you believe.
Very nice
I love the score to this documentary. Does anyone know what it’s called?
Of course, they were never silent .. some picture palaces employed full orchestras, a sound quality even today's movies can't match.
so fabulous!
ah...Louise Brooks.
Hubba hubba !
Kinda watching this at a late date but Florida was a major motion picture area overlooked and Chicago was also a hub of movie making. The Essanay studios (Chaplin worked there) was bought by a Catholic school but we still shot commercials on those stages. Now they are gone I believe. The skip to California was a jump too far in the story but okay, forget about the real story , and get to the meat and bones (literally) of the rest.
We lose so much by not looking back.
They should return HOLLYWood and to its former glory. ORANGE GROVES, PALM TREES, JASMINE, HONEYSUCKLE, POPPIES (without the junkies, prostitutes and grifters, etc.).
James "Plummy Voice" Mason is always easy on the ears, but whoever wrote the script was wrong. Well this video is so old maybe it was right then and wrong in the 21st century. Mason opens with the claim LA land has no streets named for "the pioneers" of silent film. How about DeMille Drive near his long time home? I'm sure there is probably an Edison street or avenue somewhere.
En français,ça serai magnifique