La Roue (1923) Director: Abel Gance A Victor Hugo quote begins The Wheel - "Creation is a Great Wheel which does not move without crushing someone." This epic film opens with a dramatic and cataclysmic train crash. Sisif (played by Séverin-Mars who died of a heart attack before the release of the film) the ironically … Continue reading La Roue
cinema
Camille
Camille (1936) Director: George Cukor Camille is an elegant and beautiful MGM film starring Greta Garbo, and showcasing the heights of classic cinema in the 1930s. It is a story of a love-triangle, based on an 1842 story by Alexandre Dumas fils (the Younger), La Dame aux Camélias ("The Lady with the Camellias"). He wrote the story at … Continue reading Camille
Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt
Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt (1927) Director: Walter Ruttman Some may call it avant-garde and excessive, while others call it valuable for its historical significance. It is the quintessential "city symphony" film, of which there were other minor films in Paris or Manhattan. In Act I of this plotless film, we find ourselves boarding a train, … Continue reading Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt
Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam
Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam (The Golem: How He Came Into The World) (1920) Director: Paul Wegener, Carl Boese The Golem is an impressive early silent German Expressionist horror film. The film is an adaptation of a 1915 novel of the same name by Gustav Meyrink, an Austrian writer best known for The … Continue reading Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam
Captain Blood
Captain Blood (1935) Director: Michael Curtiz Captain Blood, starring Errol Flynn, is wonderfully entertaining film. It is based on the 1922 novel of the same name. Much of the film was shot on a Hollywood sound-stage, however the epic battle scenes at sea were shot in Laguna Beach, CA. The film was a huge public … Continue reading Captain Blood
Curly Top
Curly Top (1935) Director: Irving Cummings Curly Top is a classic Shirley Temple film - one of her best. It features one of her best known sing-a-long songs: "Animal Crackers In My Soup." It was one of the best box office draws of 1935. The script is based on a 1912 story called "Daddy Long-Legs" and … Continue reading Curly Top
The Littlest Rebel
The Littlest Rebel (1935) Director: David Butler The film is a beautiful and classically heart-warming tale of a Southern plantation family during the American Civil War. It was released in 1935, and became a top box-office film, along with Shirley Temple's signature performance in Curly Top, which was also released in 1935. Shirley Temple stars alongside Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the … Continue reading The Littlest Rebel
The Gay Divorcee
The Gay Divorcee (1934) Director: Mark Sandrich The Gay Divorcee is a delightfully nostalgic film. It was the second of ten pairings for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in movies. It was based on a musical of the same name. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. The film takes place on … Continue reading The Gay Divorcee
The Scarlet Empress
The Scarlet Empress (1934) Director: Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg once said of his film: "It is a relentless excursion into style." The Scarlet Empress is a cinematic delight. The film is filled with striking imagery, expressionist lighting, and it is topped off with excellent acting from the great Marlene Dietrich, von Sternberg's actress … Continue reading The Scarlet Empress
Dr. Mabuse The Gambler
Dr. Mabuse The Gambler (1922) Director: Fritz Lang Clocking in at over 4 and 1/2 hours, this silent film is masterfully produced. Dr. Mabuse was directed by the famous German director, Fritz Lang - who also directed such masterpieces as M and Metropolis. In German, the film was titled Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (note the word "spieler" can mean … Continue reading Dr. Mabuse The Gambler
