Category Archives: Uncategorized

Silent Comedy’s Bridges of Hollenbeck Park

The graceful arch bridge that once spanned the narrow lake in Hollenbeck Park has appeared in numerous silent films. USC Digital Library. Perhaps its most celebrated appearance is with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy during their early talkie short Men … Continue reading

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Silent Locations YouTube Channel

After writing three books, and nearly 300 blog posts explaining the visual history hidden in silent movies, I’ve learned how to make YouTube videos that show this history directly. I’ve prepared over 15 Blu-ray/DVD bonus programs, and been invited to … Continue reading

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Columbo and Mannix Save Us, Again

Comfort viewing classic-era TV shows during the pandemic has brought legions of new fans to Peter Falk’s Columbo. There’s something safe and reassuring about watching a humble and dedicated public servant do his duty, and bring wealthy, self-entitled criminals to … Continue reading

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Live Virtual Silent Locations Tour with Esotouric

This Saturday January 16, at noon PST, Esotouric, L.A.’s most eclectic sightseeing tour company, is hosting my live virtual silent cinema scavenger hunt through L.A.’s historic Westlake neighborhood. Though webcast live, the event may be viewed later. Click the link … Continue reading

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Silent Comedy’s Crazy Corner

Quick – what are some essential elements for a silent comedy? A park bench? An angry cop? A banana peel? If you think about it, one absolutely essential geographic element is the humble street corner. It doesn’t matter what the … Continue reading

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Silent Echoes LA Bus Tours and Podcast

Kim Cooper and Richard Schave are a married pair of Los Angeles history titans and guardian angels. Bloggers (Esotouric blog, 1947 Project), authors (The Kept Girl), and podcasters (You Can’t Eat the Sunshine) about everything LA, from Bunker Hill, film … Continue reading

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Farewell – a sudden lost Our Gang landmark

During the Our Gang comedy Bouncing Babies (1929), Wheezer seeks to return his annoying baby brother to the hospital, unaware that the bundle snuggled in the crib is only a doll. In order to cross a busy intersection, Wheezer throws … Continue reading

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The Red Kimono – A Vast Record of Early Los Angeles

The Red Kimono (1925), a searing drama notably produced and written by women, captures a remarkably comprehensive visual record of early Los Angeles. From Broadway and posh gated communities to Chinatown and the amusement park piers, these settings, along with … Continue reading

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Marc Wanamaker and Bruce Torrence – Hollywood’s Photo History Heroes

Marc Wanamaker of Bison Archives, and Bruce Torrence of HollywoodPhotographs.com, both accomplished authors, photo archivists, and historians, are two behind the scenes giants of Hollywood history. Wanamaker, a foremost authority on all things Hollywood, especially its movie studios, has supplied … Continue reading

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Max Linder Shines Again in Seven Years Bad Luck

Dapper Max Linder, the pioneering French silent film comedian affectionately dubbed “The Professor” by Charlie Chaplin, will be taking the spotlight soon. Max’s 1921 feature comedy Seven Years Bad Luck will be screened at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, … Continue reading

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Author Appearance at TCM Classic Film Festival – Free Tour

Attached to this post is a self-guided tour to Hollywood silent film locations and studios that I have prepared in connection with the “Hollywood’s Silent Echoes” presentation I will be giving April 28, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. at Club TCM … Continue reading

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The Artist Locations Part 8 – the Paramount Backlot

My first post about The Artist filming locations shows that the three different movie theater exteriors appearing in the movie were all filmed at the Warner Bros. backlot.  As shown here, apparently all of the other exterior city scenes from … Continue reading

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Win a Copy of Silent Visions in TCM December Contest

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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Laurel and Hardy – Home at Last

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

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