Mbostic's List: CINEMA HISTORY Week 2 Discussion

"By the 1920s, people had mastered the art of speaking volumes without saying a word. In fact, so adept was the film fraternity with the concept of silent films, that for quite a few years after the 'talkies' arrived, movies failed to create the impact they did in the silent era, for directors and actors alike could not deal with all the sound!"

" Keaton's comic appeal came from the way his characters in different films were always unfazed by the events occurring around them. Keaton's debut in The Butcher Boywas first in the legacy of films of the duo that Arbuckle and Keaton made."

" Visual comedy remained strong throughout the 1930s, but now witty dialogue and verbal comedy were added. Some of the great comedians or teams, including Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, and Abbott and Costello, or individuals such as radio star Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, Joe E. Brown, W. C. Fields, and Mae West emerged. Hal Roach's company was responsible for other ground-breaking comedy shorts during the 1930s, including the popular "Our Gang" series that lasted until 1944."

"His parents, Joe and Myra, were both veteran vaudevillian actors and Keaton himself first began performing at the age of three when he was incorporated into their act.

As legend has it, he earned the name of "Buster" at the age of six months, after falling down a flight of stairs. Magician Harry Houdini scooped up the child and turning to the boy's parents quipped, "What a buster."'

" In 1920 Keaton struck out on his own as a filmmaker, first with a series of two-reelers that included now classics such as The Cameraman, Steamboat Bill, Jr., and The Passionate Plumber. In 1923 Keaton started making full features such as The Three Ages (1923) and Sherlock, Jr. (1924). The line up also included perhaps his finest creation, The General (1927), which starred Keaton as a train engineer in the Civil War. Keaton was the full force behind the film, writing and directing it. But while movie proved initially to be a commercial disappointment it was later hailed as a pioneering piece of filmmaking."

Ironically, it is through the movie and TV industry that vaudeville eventually left its greatest mark. Nearly every actor in the beginning of the century either performed or visited vaudeville. The silent movies, with former vaudevillians such as Burt Williams, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, incorporated the animated physical comedy of the vaudeville stage.

 It was symbolic of the cultural diversity of early twentieth century America. Vaudeville was a fusion of centuries-old cultural traditions, including the English Music Hall, minstrel shows of antebellum America, and Yiddish theater. Though certainly not free from the prejudice of the times, vaudeville was the earliest entertainment form to cross racial and class boundaries. For many, vaudeville was the first exposure to the cultures of people living right down the street.

"Through his work, Chaplin came to be known as a grueling perfectionist. His love for experimentation often meant countless retakes and it was not uncommon for him to order the rebuilding of an entire set. It also wasn't rare for him to begin with one leading actor, realize he'd made a mistake in his casting, and start again with someone new."

" During his first year with the company, Chaplin made 14 films, including The Tramp(1915). Generally regarded as the actor's first classic, the story establishes Chaplin's character as unexpected hero when he saves farmer's daughter from a gang of robbers."

The use of synchronised music in movies had been in use for over a year as a result of the Vitaphone system introduced by Warner Brothers. The first film to use Vitaphone was Don Juan starring John Barrymore. The Jazz Singer, however, was a major step up from there, with realistic spontaneous speech. Warner Brothers thus threw down the gauntlet to other Production houses to play catch up. Fox Studios were quickly into production with a rival system called Movietone, designed for use with short films and news clips. The first broadcasts in Movietone were news clips of a reception for Aviation hero Charles Lindbergh given by President Calvin Coolidge and a speech by Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini. These proved so popular that the Fox Studios set up Movietone News to make regular sound newsreels.