Babylon (2022)

Fair warning: some spoilers in this review.

My friend and I went to see Babylon today at a local theater. Before the movie, two of its stars - Margot Robbie and Diego Calvas who plays "Manny" - introduce the movie and assure us - the audience - that we're watching the film "the way it was meant to be seen - on the big screen and then they say "we hope you enjoy Babylon".

I hoped so too since it's a 3 hour long movie. But really was curious about it since it was about old Hollywood and the seedy world behind the scenes, from the same director who made La La Land. I didn't love that movie because it ended on such a depressing note. It made me never want to watch it again, even though I liked some of the dancing scenes and set pieces. That was 6 years ago.

After watching Babylon, I never want to watch the movie again, except for maybe a few scenes that I really liked. For example, I really liked the scenes where the outdoor silent movie scenes were filmed. There's a camera pan sequence that shows all of the different movies that were being made on the same outdoor lot - a bar scene, a jungle scene, a battle scene, etc. There was a similar scene in Peter Bogdonovich's Nickelodeon (1976) which also was about silent filmmaking. 

In the first 5 minutes of Babylon, there's a scene in the desert showing how an elephant is being pushed up a hill to be an attraction at a Hollywood party. And then we see it's anus shoot out a gush of wet dung and squirting all over two people pushing the truck uphill. Am I enjoying the movie yet? 

What I thought might be a true ensemble film (like a Robert Altman film) really isn't. It focuses primarily on 3 characters and how they react to the transition from silents to talkies. 

The character of Manny, a Mexican immigrant who becomes a servant to one of the studio heads and later works his way up to an executive, is one of the three major stories told. 

The other prominent stories are of white actors played by Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. Their characters are very similar to those of Jean Dujardin in The Artist (2011) and Jean Hagen in Singin In the Rain (1952), respectively. In The Artist, the lead character thinks of killing himself, and even points a gun to his head (before his dog saves him). But in Babylon, Brad Pitt actually uses it on himself. Tragic. But not unheard of for actors to do that. George Sanders and George Reeves were two examples. In Babylon, we sort of get a sense of what let the Pitt character to pull the trigger.

There were two other very interesting characters that were in the movie that I wished had gotten more to do in the film. In fact, both of their stories would make for a great feature film, I think.

The first is a Black trumpet player who first starts out as a musician on the studio set and playing at lavish parties. He then works his way up to be an early film star like Dizzy Gillespe or Cab Calloway (their names are not mentioned, but the movie heavily implies this could be part of their story). The other is a singer / supporting film player and studio staff member that is a characterization of Anna May Wong. A different name is used but we get the idea that this is partly her story, too. 

Great idea here - how about a long overdue biopic of Anna May Wong for a change? I think we're ready for her story in 2023!  And lets see more films about the early Black films of the early 1930s. Let's see a movie about The Nicholas Brothers, for example. 

There's even a female director on the silent movie set, which I suspect is a tribute to Alice Guy-Blaché, who did make silent films. At one point in Babylon, the director character even utters Alice's trademark line "Be Natural", which is the same name of the great documentary on Alice's life. But no biopic of hers has ever been made either. 

In the final analysis, my friend and I both felt that the character types played by Robbie and Pitt have been told many times in other movies. 

This film focuses on the tragic stories behind the transition from silents to talkies, but it's so long, and the gross-out humor is over the top. At the same time it is self-indulgent tribute to old Hollywood. Unfortunately, what's left out are the other stories of actors who succeeded the transition like Lilian Gish who lived to be almost 100 and had great acclaim in the "talkie" era and beyond. 

Sigh. I really wanted to completely enjoy this movie, and even love it. But in my opinion, it's unfocused, it's way overly sentimental at the end, and it's missing so much. Another blogger, Self Styled Siren, also did not like it. 

This new blog post from Bobby Rivers talks about Babylon and I agree with his assessment of the film, too. (I tend to agree with Bobby most of the time in his movie assessments)

Another perspective by Surrender to the Void.

Another vlogger that I usually agree with is Deep Focus Lens, who loves musicals more than I do. In their video review of Bablylon they use the phrase "thematically muddled", and also they emphasize how the characters "don't exist in the times they live in", and compare it to Boogie Nights and Casino where some parts they don't  like (and are "awkwardly inserted") and some they do. Check out the revie below:

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New Coldplay video is a silent film

I really love the look of this new music video from the band Coldplay. Their new video for their new song Magic is made to look like a silent film. Check it out below. The lead singer plays both the magician and apprentice.  Also read more about the video here at New York Daily News or here  at Rolling Stone.

The Artist (2011) was my in-flight movie on United Airlines

Last week I traveled to San Francisco on United Airlines and the in-flight movie was none other than The Artist. I had to snap a picture of this because how often do you see a B/W or silent film on an airplane?

The Artist (2011)

Last night, I had the experience of seeing the delightful tribute to classic films, The Artist and thought it was great. At times I was really convinced I was watching a film from the 1930s. The sets and costumes are Oscar-worthy. All of the actors have "that look" as if they just stepped out of an old movie. And the dog....he really steals the show! There is a sequence in the film that reminded me of one in Hugo, where the only copies of old silent nitrate film are burned and lost forever, giving us a bit more of an idea as to why there are so many lost  films. Exciting, romantic, fun. I give The Artist an A

Review of The Artist from Silent London

The blog Silent London has reviewed the highly anticipated new French film - and might I add, a silent film - The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius.

 Read the review here: http://silentlondon.co.uk/2011/10/18/the-artist-2011-london-film-festival-review/ 

I'm so happy that the review is mostly positive ("A wonderful piece of visual film-making" - Silent London) This is one film I cannot wait to see because never have I seen anything like it: a modern-day film made to look and feel like a real late-20s black-and-white silent film - with title cards! Here is the trailer if you have not seen it yet:

 

The two leads are French actors, but there are a few recognizable American actors in the cast: John Goodman, James Cromwell, and Penelope Ann Miller.

I'm happy to report that the movie showing in my city - Chicago - this Thursday night (one night only) as part of Chicago's annual International Film Festival. Unfortunately, though, I am not able to attend.

The Motion Picture Association of America has given the film

a parental rating of PG-13 for "a disturbing image and a crude gesture."

Makes sense, as many pre-code films would likely get the PG-13 if released today.

A New Movie about Old Hollywood

Have you seen this new sneak preview for The Artist? 

 What do you think?

This movie looks so good. The costumes, actors, sets, and photography all make it look like an authentic black and white film.

I'm excited about this one!

More information about the movie here from Wikipedia

Movie Theaters of Los Angeles, Part 4 - West and North Hollywood

Now let's leave the Hollywood & Vine area and go a little further west down Sunset Boulevard to Fairfax.

SILENT MOVIE THEATRE

According to Cinema Treasures, this theater was built in 1942 as a venue for silent films.

Outside and inside are posters and memorabilia from the 1920s and 30s.

Below: I think this is how the exterior looked originally, circa 1940.

Today the theater is the official home of The Cinefamily, a classic film organization which shows independent, classic, and foriegns in addition to silents.    Last year they had a special screening event with "Baby Peggy" Diana Cary and one of her silent films. The last few times I've been to visit, I saw "Detour" here in 2008 and a series of Frank Tashlin cartoons in 2009.

There's me with Charlie Chaplin and Louise Brooks

Just a few blocks south on Fairfax is a famous Jewish deli that dates back almost to the same era, Canter Bros. There's alot of cool stores and pubs down Fairfax. I think the Auto Museum is a little further down too.

OK, now let's take the subway to North Hollywood, or NOHO.

This is one of the coolest train stations I've ever seen, inside and out.

EL PORTAL THEATER

According to Cinema Treasures, the theater opened as a cinema in 1926. Through the years it showed 2nd-run films until a 1994 earthquake damaged the ceiling and walls.

In 1996 the theater was purchased by a stage company and it is now a live performaning arts venue.

Radio interview featuring silent film star Baby Peggy

A few weeks ago, silent film star "Baby Peggy" (age 91) was interviewed on the radio by Sunny Starr. (read the original post) She had some wonderful stories to tell about her time in Hollywood.

She sounded so good, sharp as a tack. Below is a compilation of the notes that I took while listening to the one-hour interview.

A native Californian, she was born October 26, 1918 as Peggy-Jean Montgomery. She had one sister. (she later changed her name to Diana Serra Cary when she became an author)

Her father Jack, a real cowboy, struggled to find work after WW1. The only place for a cowboy to find work was in Hollywood as a stunt double. He became a stunt double to Tom Mix, who was sort of the John Wayne of that era. Tom Mix introduced the whole idea of being a cowboy superstar.

Her mother didn't care much for the movies or the whole movie business, and rarely left the apartment where they lived.

One day she took a trip to Century Studios with her two kids to see Jack work, never expecting any of her children to become superstars.

Peggy-Jean was 19 months old. She remembers what her mother told her about that day; she was just sitting on the set well behaved when someone at the Studio noticed her, and felt she had the right look for movies. It was a "You Ought to be in Pictures" moment.

Universal Studios head Julius Stern wanted to break her into showbusiness early, and wanted to see her in more shorts and features. Many photos and stills were made of her at the time.

She was put in her first film "Playmates" with Brownie the Wonder Dog. Brownie was a famous dog who had his own series. The short became very popular. The actual film was just rediscovered within the last 4-5 years, and she saw it for the first time, over 80 years later.

When she turned 2 years old, she made 150 dollars a week. Her salary later doubled. As she got more famous, her father was affectionally called, "Mr. Baby Peggy".

At 3 year sold, she was old enough to walk and talk...By 1922 (4 years old) she was working all day every day. She made 150 shorts eventually.

She was the top box office star at Universal Studios in the early 1920s.

She has memories of that time. She recalls that in "Playmates", there was a scene where she was under water in a tub filled with soap suds. The filmakers used whip cream, and she remembers swallowing a whole bunch of it. She hated whip cream until she was 20 years old.

In 1924, she made the 64-minute long "Captain January" (released July 6, 1924) and she made 5 films in over a year.



Her films were classified by the studio as "The Universal Jewels", the top studio productions. They put in alot of care into the production of the films and treated the stars well. "Captain January" was one of her best films, she said. She remembers wearing all the costumes and working with good people on the set and, co-workers such as Hobart Bosworth who treated her like an adult.

In the film, there was a house on fire....she had to escape, and she rememers that. The crew set fire to all three windows. They put kerosine and sawdust on it. She touched the doorknob and it was red hot. She had to climb out over the sink out the window...there was camera right there. She remembers a stunt person was killled.



In another film, she fell out of a pick up truck. In one of the 2-reel comedies she was in, she was filmed from the waist up to make it look like she was riding a goat.

In 1924, she was a mascot of the Democractic convention. A famous photo of her was taken with her near President Roosevelt.

She also talked a bit about other silent stars (not "celebrities"; no one used that term back then, she said) - Joan Crawford, John Gilbert and Charlie Chaplin, and Lilian Gish.

Early silent stars knew how to physically act. They knew expressions and close ups...you didn't have to talk. They could talk with their eyes. She said Joan Crawford brought that over to talkies, and you can see those physical acting abilitiies. Al Jolson was very nervous making talkie films. He did't like microphones.

She remembered how alot of silent films actors were thrown by the wayside during the talkie period. Talkies were primitive, but this was the rage.

She also became a top vaudeville act in the mid-20s. She said she never lived in a big "family house" as a kid. She said that because she traveled so much - especially when she got to vaudeville - that she "lived on the stage".



She said that in vaudeville, there were usually 6 acts. There was one headliner like Al Jolson or Babby Peggy (top vaudeville stars in that period) There was always a newsreel, comedy short, and a film. And 6 acts of live comedy. All for 85 cents. In 1926 -she did vaudeville work the Palace Theater several times. (The Palace in New York was known as the top vaudeville theater in the country) It was illegal to work as a kid at the Palace, but she managed to do it anyway. She talked about being affiliated with something called the Gerig Society that worked to get kids off the streets.

She didn't stay a part of showbusiness past the age of 13. She went to school, had a family and pretty much wanted to put her Baby Peggy persona behind. As she got older, she realized her fans would not let her forget, so she "made peace with Baby Peggy".

In the years since she left performing, she became a writer specializing on Hollywood history, and put out several books, including "Hollywood's Children" (a book about child stars including Shirley Temple and Dickie Moore) She had many connections to the old silent stars still, and interviewed many of them for her books.

She met many silent stars, including Greta Garbo and Mary Pickford. She talked about going to Mary Pickford's house one day; she had a very ordinary looking house, she said.

Her interviews with these legends could be found in her books.

She talked about the discovery of a few of her films, a reminder that most silent films have been lost, about 80 percent of all silent films are lost.

She made many films for Century Studios, but when the stuio burned down, so many films were lost forever.

One of her feature films, "Darling of New York" (1923), has never been found in its entirety. She said it contains the first scene ever filmed where you see firetrucks putting out a fire.

Just a few years ago, the last reel of "Darling of New York" was discovered. A high school kid overseas was collecting animated cartoons. In the package of old films, the kid found a missing reel of "Darling of New York".

There are not many Baby Peggy short comedies around today. But in last 25 years, they found 12 or 13 of the studio comedies. They are genuine slapstick films.

She said that the silent era was wonderful in those days. It was a favorite pastime of immigrants, as they could learn to read
the titles and learn English that way.

She then went on to speak a little about current Hollywood, and said how "it doesn't resemble the period I was a part of". "It was a great period. I never thought I would live to see the end of Hollywood."

She talked a little about how she enjoyed seeing Lilian act in the 1987 movie "The Whales of August", when she was in her late 80s. (She said Lilian always had a sense of history, and that when she made it, she was aware of it being historical.)

There's a new book out that she wrote "Whatever Happened to Baby Peggy?". She enjoys talking about this book. All of her books are available on Amazon.

She will be appearing live in person July 7 in Los Angeles, California at the Silent Film Theater for a special screening of 1924's Captain January. See the calender page on their website for more information.

---

For more on Baby Peggy, read these recent blog posts:

Baby Peggy (Louise Brooks Society)

The Bookseller Who Became an Author and Who Once Had Been the Biggest Little film Star in the World (Huffington Post)

The Return of Baby Peggy (examiner.com)

This weekend, a radio interview with silent film star Baby Peggy

Did you know that there is a one-hour weekly radio program (every Sunday night) devoted to classic stars of film and television. Almost every week it features interviews with the living legends themselves. In the past few months, I heard Joan Leslie, Ernest Borgnine, and last week Dean Jones.

This week's guest is Baby Peggy, (Real name: Diana Cary), who - at age 91 - is one of the last surviving silent film stars. I don't know much about her or her films yet, so I'm really looking forward to listening to this program.

This Sunday night - May 16 - you can listen to the interview online here (the radio station plays oldies music 24/7)

(USA Time: 9 PM Pacific/ 10 PM Mountain / 11 PM Central/ 12 AM Eastern)

If you miss the episode, you can order the archived program on this site

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)

"The Adventures of Prince Achmed" (1926) It is known as the first full-length animated feature. The film is playing at a revival house near where I live (w/ restored 35 MM print), and I was thinking about checking it out.

Dorothy Janis (1910-2010)

Dorothy Janis, one of the last stars of silent films, has passed away at the age of 100.



From IMDB: Dorothy Janis' short film career began when she was visiting a cousin, who was working on a film at Fox in 1927. Her beauty was noticed at once and she was asked to test for a role. She made only five films, four silents and one talkie (Lummox). She is best known for her performance opposite Ramon Navarro in The Pagan. She retired at the age of twenty and married bandleader Wayne King in 1932. They were married 53 years, until his death in 1985.

Filmography:

Kit Carson (1928)
Fleetwing (1928)
The Overland Telegraph (1929)
The Pagan (1929)
Lummox (1930)

Pandora's Box (1928)

"Those who have seen her can never forget her. She is the modern actress par excellence....As soon as she takes the screen, fiction disappears along with art, and one has the impression of being present at a documentary. The camera seems to have caught her by surprise, without her knowledge." -- Henri Langlois, (French pioneer of the film archive movement)

A few days ago the Louise Brooks Society's blog posted an article on the actress by Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune, who wrote: "She compares to no one, really. She is her own island of allure". The article was an anticipation of a local screening of "Pandora's Box" featuring live organ accompaniment, which I went to check out the other day.

It's a classic film of the German Expressionist era, filled with symbolism and unforgettable images. It really impressed me. American actress Louise Brooks stars as Lulu, a young dancer and showgirl in Berlin who - as we learn - has had many lovers but eventually settles down in marriage with a millionaire newspaperman. Other characters include the newspaperman's son, as well as Jack the Ripper, who makes an appearance. A murder trial causes Lulu and her friends to flee the country, which leads to a thrilling conclusion in London around Christmastime. The supporting characters are worthy of each of their own posts and discussions.

Behind the Scenes: The temperamental actress made several films (many of them now lost) in the US before fleeing to Europe after a studio dispute. German director G. W. Pabst, who liked Brooks in Howard Hawks' A Girl in Every Port, wanted her to play the lead in "Pandora's Box", also known as simply "Lulu".

Upon release in Europe, the film was not a big hit, perhaps due to some controversy in Pabst's decision to cast American Louise Brooks as the character of "Lulu", which was well known in Europe from earlier stage and film productions. According to Brooks herself (in the 1984 documentary "Lulu in Berlin" where she sits down to speak with interviewer Richard Leacock) Marlene Dietrich, who played the role of Lulu on the stage, was among the German actresses rumored to play lead in the film. This may have upset some die-hards.

According to some reports, Hitler was not a fan of this film. Could the casting of Brooks or the menorah in Lulu's apartment have something to do with it, perhaps? And I could be wrong, but I don't think the film even showed in the United States until the 1950s, when it experienced a resurgence of popularity.

For a longer review of this film, I recommend The Mythical Monkey's review on his blog.

Read a review from Moon in the Gutter.

Felix the Cat in Hollywood (1923)

This is a vintage silent cartoon from 1923.  A "skid-row" feline (Felix) is desperate after several money-raising mishaps. He soon ends up in Hollywood looking for work.

It's about 3 minutes too long in the beginning, but enjoyable overall.

After about 5 minutes, Felix finally meets some silent stars (Gloria Swanson, Ben Turpin, Actor Theodore Roberts, Will Hays, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., William S. Hart, Director Cecil B. DeMille).


Dir. by Otto Messmer. Released July 15, 1923.



Celebrities, in order of appearance:



Sources: 1.) IMDB, 2.)a silent-comedian web forum

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) (Silent)

Almost 100 years old, this is a true gem, a very entertaining early version of Jules Verne's classic. Released by Universal the day before Christmas in 1916. I rented a recent re-released DVD of this; the colorized tints really enhance the experience. It was one of the first big-budget films of the silent era, with spectacular underwater photography; there's scenes aplenty of coral and sea life that British director Stuart Paton wanted to show off. Scenes of the Nautilus submarine are cool, as are the scenes on the island, which bring to mind another Verne novel, "Mysterious Island". Haven't read either novel, but this film is reported to be a very faithful film version of the "Leagues" book, with elements of "Island" mixed in. I recommend it. Captain Nemo is played by Allen Holubar, who died at the much-too-soon age of 35. The excellent music score is from the early 90's. View the Wikipedia post.