The Year of the Snake -- January 29, 2025

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Today is the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake.

Glamorous Dominican actress Maria Montez appeared in a series of campy Technicolor adventure films including The Cobra Woman. I need a couch like this.

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The Riddle Rider --November 27, 2024

Universal Weekly, 22-November-1922

The Riddle Rider (great title) was a movie serial produced by Universal. William Desmond and Eileen Sedgwick starred and William Craft directed. I like the illustration.

Fred Thomson and His Wonderful Horse Silver King -- April 11, 2024

Motion Picture News, 26-April-1924

Fred Thomson (no relation) had a diverse career. While attending the Princeton Theological Seminary, he earned the Amateur Athletic Union's All-Around Champion trophy in 1910, 1911 and 1913. After being ordained as a Presbyterian minister, he joined the Army and served as a chaplain during World War One. He went into the movie business after he married director and screenwriter Frances Marion. In time, he became a major western star. Sadly, he died of tetanus in 1928.

FBO announced plans to release six movies starring Thomson. Number One was The Mask of Lopez. Number Three was Galloping Gallagher (great title). Number Two must have been North of Nevada, but I haven't found an ad that calls it Number Two. 

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

Silver King is a good name for a cowboy star's horse. 

Photoplay, April, 1924

"Boyish, lovable, with a sense of humor. Hoot Gibson, whose pictures are consistently good." That is a nice description of Old Hoot. 

Motion Picture News, 19-April-1924

Forty-Horse Hawkins is a good title. Eddie Sedgewick directed. Hoot winds up in New York City. We see him driving a cab in the middle image. 

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

Universal purchased a western novel for Hoot's next production. I was surprised to learn that they kept the title: The Ridin' Kid from Powder River. 

Photoplay, April, 1924

Art Acord and Hoot Gibson were friends. 

Film Daily, 28-April-1924

You might expect that "Buddy Roosevelt" was not this actor's real name. Kenneth Sanderson had a long career as an actor and a stuntman. He starred in a series of silent westerns and played small parts in many talkies. 

Film Daily, 29-April-1924

And you might question whether this guy's real name was Buffalo Bill, Jr. Jay Wilsey starred in a series of silent and early sound westerns. 

Photoplay, April, 1924

Jack Hoxie was a real cowboy and rodeo performer who became a star in the early 1920s.

Motion Picture News, 12-April-1924

Universal must have liked his work. They gave him a five-year contract.

Stockton Daily Evening Record, 30-April-1924

Stockton Daily Evening Record, 30-April-1924

Film Daily, 13-April-1924

I thought it was interesting that an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease in Southern California wreaked havoc on production schedules. 

Dumb Dora Does Her Daily Dozen -- December 29, 2023

Motion Picture News, 01-December-1923

Baby Peggy Montgomery was Century's biggest comedy star.

Motion Picture News, 15-December-1923

Baby Peggy's first feature film appearance was in The Darling of New York, which was directed by King Baggott.

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

Baby Peggy had recently signed a contract to make features for Sol Lesser's Principal Pictures. Her first production would be Captain January, an adaption of the book by Laura E Richards. Shirley Temple later starred in an adaption of the same book. 

Photoplay, December, 1923

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

Pal the Dog was another popular Century star. 

Film Daily, 22-December-1923

Christie advised exhibitors to stop stoking the egos of big producers and start entertaining their customers with well-made short films. 

Film Daily, 14-December-1923

Educational offered free ad mats for their short subjects. These could be run as stand-alone newspaper ads or inserted into larger ads. Dorothy Devore as "Dumb Dora Does Her Daily Dozen" in "Kidding Katie." Lots of Ds and Ks. I like the dog.

Film Daily, 28-December-1923

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

Educational released series of short comedies made by many different producers. Cameo Comedies were one-reelers.

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

"Laurel is making 'em all look to their laurels." That is an awful picture of Stanley. 

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

Motion Picture News, 22-December-1923

Motion Picture News, 22-December-1923

"Real people doing really funny things in a really human way." Hal Roach's Spat Family movies were situation comedies. 

Motion Picture News, 22-December-1923

Hal Roach's Our Gang pursues Baby New Year 1924. 

Motion Picture News, 15-December-1923

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

Snub Pollard appeared in a series of two-reelers for Hal Roach. 

Motion Picture News, 15-December-1923

A Merry Christmas to You All from Carl Laemmle -- December 24, 2023

Film Daily, 23-December-1923

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone. 

Carla Laemmle, president of Universal, wishes us all a Merry Christmas. I think the only movie of these presents that I have seen is The Merry Go Round. 

Hoot Gibson -- The Greatest of All Outdoor Stars -- December 11, 2023

Motion Picture News, 08-December-1923

"Three Knockouts in a Row!" Cowboy star Hoot Gibson was on a hot streak. 

Motion Picture News, 22-December-1923

Looking for material for Hoot Gibson, Universal bought an original story by Johnston McCulley, who wrote The Mark of Zorro. The movie may have been Ride for Your Life.

Motion Picture News, 22-December-1923

Fred Thomson (no relation) had a diverse career. While attending the Princeton Theological Seminary, he earned the Amateur Athletic Union's All-Around Champion trophy in 1910, 1911 and 1913. After being ordained as a Presbyterian minister, he joined the Army and served as a chaplain during World War One. He went into the movie business after he married director and screenwriter Frances Marion. In time, he became a major western star. Sadly, he died of Tetanus in 1928.

I was surprised to see the name Monogram. This Monogram apparently had no relation to the famous B-movie studio of the 1930s.

Motion Picture News, 15-December-1923

Jack Hoxie was a real cowboy and rodeo performer who became a big star in the early 1920s. The Red Warning was directed by Bob Bradbury. 

Motion Picture News, 29-December-1923

Yakima Canutt (not "Yakime") was a rodeo champion. The Riddle Rider was a Universal serial that starred William Desmond and Eileen Sedgwick. He had a long career as a stuntman and a stunt director. Canutt and his buddy John Wayne are often credited with developing the art of stunt fist fighting. 

Surely, Exhibitors Have Much to be Thankful For -- November 22, 2023

Film Daily, 16-November-1923

Thanksgiving is coming. 

Universal listed many of their upcoming productions to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Baby Peggy's First is Completed -- August 30, 2023

Motion Picture News, 04-August-1923

Baby Peggy moved on from appearing in short comedies for Century to feature films for Universal.

Motion Picture News, 04-August-1923

Whose Baby Are You? was the first Baby Peggy movie for Universal. King Baggott (whose name I have always liked) directed. 

Motion Picture News, 11-August-1923

Newspapers in twenty cities ran Baby Peggy lookalike contests. 

Vancouver Sun, 28-August-1923

A full page ad for the Vancouver Sun's Baby Peggy contest. Warning: Very large image. 

Motion Picture News, 18-August-1923

Erie Beach, a resort near Buffalo, had a Baby Peggy Day. 

Buffalo Times, 14-August-1923

Want to apply to the "Times Baby Peggy 'Double' Contest"?

Motion Picture News, 11-August-1923

Cameo Comedies offered "Wrecks," starring Cliff Bowes and Virginia Vance. 

Motion Picture News, 25-August-1923

Educational distributed the short films of several producers and stars. "Educational Pictures are proud to offer to exhibitors the splendid one and two-reel pictures outlined on the following pages. They constitute a bigger, better finer program of Short Subjects than we have ever offered before."