Author Archives: John Bengtson

How Harold Lloyd Filmed the Girl Shy Trolley Stunts

Posted on March 19, 2012 by John Bengtson

Following the great success of Safety Last! (1923), Harold Lloyd further cemented his reputation as a dare-devil comic with his first independently produced feature comedy Girl Shy (1924).  In that film, Harold discovers the woman he loves is about to … Continue reading →

Posted in Girl Shy, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, Lloyd Thrill Pictures | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Keaton’s Highland Goat Garage

Posted on March 11, 2012 by John Bengtson

During the frantic chase in Buster Keaton’s 1921 short film The Goat, Buster attempts to flee the police by leaping onto the rear spare tire of a departing car, only to find himself sitting instead on a freestanding auto garage … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Hollywood Tour, The Goat | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

How Harold Lloyd Filmed Safety Last!

Posted on February 29, 2012 by John Bengtson

The image of Harold Lloyd hanging desperately from the hands of a skyscraper clock during Safety Last! (1923) is one of the greatest icons in cinematic history.  Using maps, aerial views, and vintage photographs, my book Silent Visions shows how … Continue reading →

Posted in Harold Lloyd, Lloyd Thrill Pictures, Los Angeles Historic Core, Safety Last! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 51 Comments

The Artist Locations – Part 6 – Uggie Saves The Day

Posted on February 27, 2012 by John Bengtson

What an Oscar night!  The two biggest winners, The Artist, and Hugo, both pay homage to early cinema, and the best animated short, the beautiful and moving The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, pays tribute in part to … Continue reading →

Posted in The Artist | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Artist – Locations 1 of 5, Chaplin, and Pickford (repost)

Posted on February 16, 2012 by John Bengtson

Set in Hollywood during 1927 to 1932, The Artist depicts the romance between a fading silent film star and a rising “talkie” ingénue.  The Artist has received glowing reviews and numerous awards, and is noteworthy for being presented in black … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, One Week, The Artist, The Kid | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mr. Keaton’s Neighborhood

Posted on February 13, 2012 by John Bengtson

Buster Keaton would travel hundreds of miles to find just the right setting for a shot.  But he was also practical, and filmed dozens of exterior scenes at or adjacent to his small studio.  I am not aware of any … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Daydreams, Keaton Studio, Sherlock Jr. | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

New York, Harold Lloyd, and Adam Sandler?!

Posted on February 6, 2012 by John Bengtson

After matching The Artist (2011) and Harold Lloyd in a prior post, how about pairing Harold and Adam Sandler for an encore?  I haven’t seen many of Sandler’s films, but once I realized Big Daddy was shot on location in … Continue reading →

Posted in Harold Lloyd, Lloyd Tour, Manhattan, New York, Speedy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Artist Locations Part 5 – Chaplin’s City Lights

Posted on January 28, 2012 by John Bengtson

The Los Angeles Theater, located at 615 S. Broadway in the Los Angeles Theater District, has a remarkable connection to two of the most audacious hit movies in Hollywood history, Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights (1931), and Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlie Chaplin, City Lights, Los Angeles Historic Core, The Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Chaplin’s Modern (Los Angeles) Times

Posted on January 26, 2012 by John Bengtson

As I explain in my visual essay included in the Criterion Collection Blu-ray edition of Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times (1936), Chaplin filmed scenes for his first movie Making A Living (1914) beside the third Los Angeles Times Building that once … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlie Chaplin, For Heaven's Sake, Harold Lloyd, Modern Times | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Artist Locations Part 4, Bradbury, Chaplin, and Lloyd

Posted on January 20, 2012 by John Bengtson

During a pivotal scene in The Artist (2011), fading silent film star George Valentin and rising ingénue Peppy Miller pass each other on a staircase at the Kinograph Studios where they work, their career trajectories mirrored by their relative positions … Continue reading →

Posted in Angels Flight, Charlie Chaplin, Hal Roach Studios, Harold Lloyd, Lloyd Thrill Pictures, Los Angeles Historic Core, Los Angeles Tunnels, Safety Last!, The Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

The Artist Locations Part 3, Harold Lloyd, and Safety Last!

Posted on January 14, 2012 by John Bengtson

After first posting about the location and studio connections between The Artist (2011) and Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford, and then posting about the connections between The Artist and Roger Rabbit and Buster Keaton, it’s time for Harold Lloyd to … Continue reading →

Posted in Harold Lloyd, Lloyd Studio, Lloyd Thrill Pictures, Lloyd Tour, Los Angeles Historic Core, Safety Last!, The Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Artist Locations Part 2, Roger Rabbit, and Buster Keaton’s Debut – One Week

Posted on January 7, 2012 by John Bengtson

The Artist depicts the romance between a fading silent film star and a rising “talkie” ingénue, set in Hollywood during 1927 to 1932.  Writer-director Michel Hazanavicius, and his mostly French cast and crew, traveled to California to film at true … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Keaton Studio, One Week, The Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Artist – Locations, Chaplin, and Pickford

Posted on December 29, 2011 by John Bengtson

Set in Hollywood during 1927 to 1932, The Artist depicts the romance between a fading silent film star and a rising “talkie” ingénue.  The Artist has received glowing reviews and numerous awards, and is noteworthy for being presented in black … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, One Week, The Artist, The Kid | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Charming Third Time for Seven Chances

Posted on December 10, 2011 by John Bengtson

Seven Chances is Buster Keaton’s latest Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber.  During the film Buster eludes an army of angry jilted brides as he attempts to marry his sweetheart in time to inherit a fortune.  After owning the film first … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Seven Chances, USC | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Win a Copy of Silent Visions in TCM December Contest

Posted on December 8, 2011 by John Bengtson

My Harold Lloyd book Silent Visions is the Turner Classic Movies “Book Corner” selection for the month of December.   Visit the TCM site below and you can register for a chance to win one of 15 copies of my book. … Continue reading →

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Buster’s Manhattan Project – on Film

Posted on November 24, 2011 by John Bengtson

During the summer of 1964, Buster Keaton and Samuel Beckett collaborated making a black and white, avant garde, nearly silent short movie entitled Film.  Keaton, who is seen only from the rear, plays a man attempting to evade perception, eluding … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Manhattan, New York | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Laurel and Hardy – Home at Last

Posted on November 17, 2011 by John Bengtson

Comedy fans across the country celebrated the recent release of Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection, a 10 DVD set from RHI Entertainment that contains all of the duo’s sound era short films, and several feature films, that had otherwise … Continue reading →

Posted in Hal Roach Studios, Laurel and Hardy, Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Chaplin – Keaton – Lloyd – One Block in Silent-Era Hollywood

Posted on November 4, 2011 by John Bengtson

The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga Boulevard was a popular film setting for silent-era comedies.  Attached below for download is a 15 MB PowerPoint presentation showing thirteen (but not all) Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd filming locations near this historic … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Chaplin Tour, Charlie Chaplin, Cops, Girl Shy, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, Hot Water, Keaton Studio, Keaton Tour, Lloyd Studio, Modern Times, Safety Last!, The Cameraman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Chaplin’s Kid Autos – They Were What ?!?

Posted on October 31, 2011 by John Bengtson

Inducted now into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, Kid Auto Races at Venice, Cal. was Charlie Chaplin’s second motion picture release, and the first release to feature his Little Tramp persona.  It was filmed at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlie Chaplin, Venice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

New Photos – Babe Ruth’s Orphanage Cameo in Speedy

Posted on October 8, 2011 by John Bengtson

Babe Ruth’s hilarious cameo appearance is one of the many highlights in Harold Lloyd’s final silent comedy Speedy (1928), which I am presenting at 3:10 pm on Sunday, October 21, 2012, and at 7:30 pm on Monday, October 22,  at … Continue reading →

Posted in Harold Lloyd, Manhattan, New York, Speedy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments