Thursday, June 24, 2010

Opinions, Please!

Miss Normand tries to divine an answer.

My next subject is the inimitable Mabel Normand, and a woman like her deserves a doozy of a poem.  Problem is, I can't decide on a form - and I really want to use one.  Which one do you think would be best for dear Mabel?  Here are your choices (click for examples):

kyrielle
pantoum
sestina
sonnet
triolet
villanelle
virelai

Thank you for your help - I can't wait to see what you choose!

EDIT:  Looks like pantoum is the winner!  Thanks to all who voted and stay tuned for the poem by the end of this week. 

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Captain Salvation (1927)


A touching, spiritual little picture about Anson Campbell, a young man (Lars Hanson) studying to be a parson, and how no good deed - in this case, a helping hand towards a fallen woman (played with great fervour by Pauline Starke) - goes unpunished.  Anson suffers through many Christlike trials while trying to protect Bess Morgan (Starke) and still hold onto the love of his sweetheart Mary Phillips (the lovely Marceline Day).  Hanson does an admirable job; his turn as a crazed man in the second half of the film is terrific.   Wonderful supporting cast including Ernest Torrence and Flora Finch.  A little heavy-handed in the morality department (as you might expect), but still an all-round good picture that you wind up carrying with you for a while after it ends. 

I give this one: 

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

An Open Letter to Mr Chase

I really should write something
about your unsung talent,
how you deserve to be elevated
alongside the Big Three
but instead, my heart breaks
when I read of yet another funny man
tortured
tormented
a victim to his demons.

Charles, there was nothing you could do.
Jimmy would have told you the same.


















Charley Chase

Monday, June 7, 2010

Silent Gems Found! (reposted from Silent Stanzas)


Clara can hardly contain her excitement!

Yet another treasure trove of silent films has been discovered!  This group of seventy-five(!) comes from New Zealand, and includes Clara's early film "Maytime" as well as work by John Ford, Mabel Normand, and others! 
Click the below link to get the full story.  This is such an exciting time to be a silent film fan!

Silent Films Found - The San Francisco Silent Film Festival Blog

More reviews coming soon, I promise.  Things have been hectic in the Avalon abode!

Silent Gems Found!


Clara can hardly contain her excitement!

Yet another treasure trove of silent films has been discovered!  This group of seventy-five(!) comes from New Zealand, and includes Clara's early film "Maytime" as well as work by John Ford, Mabel Normand, and others! 
Click the below link to get the full story.  This is such an exciting time to be a silent film fan!

Silent Films Found - The San Francisco Silent Film Festival Blog

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Paws to Remember

With apologies to ee cummings.


staccato little steps
tick
tick
ticked their way on set
(and sennett was surprised but
liked the little grey cat)
chaplin chucked her

chin

and there were tricks with turpin

but with marie, oh beautiful marie...
(i can only assume that

much purring was heard)

teddy was pretty swell, too - not a bad costar

even though he
was a

dog



Pepper, the First Feline Movie Star