Tag Archives: Hollywood Tour

Historic Hollywood Relics Found In “Lost” Films

Posted on February 4, 2024 by John Bengtson

This post presents bits and pieces of Hollywood history appearing in an assortment of little-known films, many unavailable for decades. I closely follow Dave Glass’s invaluable YouTube channel. You never know what brief scene from an obscure film will reveal … Continue reading →

Posted in Gale Henry, Hollywood History | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Early Hollywood Visual Tour at HippFest 2021

Posted on March 16, 2021 by John Bengtson

Scotland’s HippFest Silent Film Festival starts tomorrow, Wednesday March 17 through Sunday March 21. Hosted virtually this year, the festival usually plays in Scotland’s oldest purpose-built cinema The Hippodrome in Bo’ness. The programs will be available through a new streaming … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood History | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Time Travel to 1919 Hollywood

Posted on September 7, 2020 by John Bengtson

Imagine when Hollywood was still a town, with stately homes, dirt roads, orchards, and scores of vacant lots. Vintage photos are compelling, but silent films are true time machines, placing you at the spot to see and breathe a slice … Continue reading →

Posted in Chaplin - Keaton - Lloyd Alley, Hollywood History, Lyons and Moran | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Buster’s Paramount Backlot Plunge

Posted on March 21, 2019 by John Bengtson

I’m pleased to update this post to announce that the 2019 San Francisco Silent Film Festival will conclude Sunday May 5, with a 8:00 pm screening of Buster Keaton’s second feature comedy Our Hospitality (1923), to be accompanied by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Hollywood Snapshots – a 1922 Time Machine

Posted on February 10, 2019 by John Bengtson

Facing a public relations nightmare in 1922 over recent scandals, the film community produced Hollywood Snapshots, a promotional film portraying screen folk as wholesome to middle America. Presented online by the National Film Preservation Foundation, Snapshots captures remarkable images of … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood History, Hollywood Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Before the Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd Alley

Posted on December 6, 2018 by John Bengtson

The beautiful new Kino Lorber Blu-ray release Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers is a revelation, a six-disc set featuring dozens of early films created by women, many unseen for decades. One of the biggest surprises was witnessing the Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd alley appear … Continue reading →

Posted in Chaplin - Keaton - Lloyd Alley, Hollywood Tour, Lois Weber | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Hollywood’s Silent Echoes – 2017 FIAF/FLC Tour

Posted on April 30, 2017 by John Bengtson

[Tour download] Late in 1921 a mob of angry police chased Buster Keaton down a narrow Hollywood alley towards Cahuenga Boulevard. Entering the street Buster saw to his right a corner where “America’s Sweetheart” Mary Pickford filmed a scene in … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cinecon 2016 Silent Echoes Hollywood Walking Tours

Posted on August 15, 2016 by John Bengtson

The block of Cahuenga south of Hollywood Boulevard was the setting for more silent movie filming than any other spot in town. I’ll be leading walking tours of this historic site at the upcoming Cinecon 52 Classic Film Festival during … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Mostly Lost – Keaton Found (Stan Laurel too) at Hollywood and Western

Posted on March 3, 2016 by John Bengtson

This fun discovery from Buster Keaton’s The Goat (1921) was made possible thanks to Mostly Lost, the Library of Congress crowd-sourcing workshop to screen and identify orphan silent and early sound films, held at the Packard Campus in Culpeper Virginia. … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Stan Laurel, The Goat | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

New Chaplin Discovery – Cinecon Talk and Guided Tour

Posted on August 27, 2015 by John Bengtson

While preparing my upcoming talk for Cinecon 51 I just realized that Chaplin filmed this rustic church scene from The Pilgrim (1923) in Newhall, near where friend Douglas Fairbanks filmed much of Wild and Woolly in 1917, beside the original … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlie Chaplin, The Pilgrim | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Silent Era Hollywood Tour – Cinecon 50 – Author Presentation

Posted on August 27, 2014 by John Bengtson

Attached to this post is a self-guided written 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 Friday, August 29, 2014, at 10:55 a.m. at … Continue reading →

Posted in Chaplin Tour, Keaton Tour, Lloyd Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Harold Lloyd’s Why Worry? TCM Hollywood Connection

Posted on April 10, 2014 by John Bengtson

In honor of the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival screening of Harold Lloyd’s 1923 feature comedy Why Worry? at the Egyptian Theater on Friday, April 11 at 7:15 pm, here are a couple of quick views from the conclusion of … Continue reading →

Posted in Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Chaplin Leads the Gang to the Hollywood Police

Posted on March 31, 2014 by John Bengtson

As I explain in my book Silent Traces, Charlie Chaplin’s landmark short film Easy Street (1917) contains scenes filmed on extant Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles (see below), where he would return a few years later to film his … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Chaplin Tour, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, Stan Laurel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Perry Mason at the Chaplin Studio – The Case of the Homecoming Kid

Posted on March 18, 2014 by John Bengtson

One of the most gratifying experiences to come from working on my Charlie Chaplin book Silent Traces was being given a private tour of the Chaplin Studios, at 1416 N. La Brea Avenue in Hollywood, now home to The Jim … Continue reading →

Posted in Chaplin Studio, Chaplin Tour, Charlie Chaplin, The Kid | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Johnny Depp and Buster Keaton at the Cops/Ed Wood alley

Posted on September 8, 2013 by John Bengtson

To go with the Hollywood’s Silent Echoes presentation I gave last month at the Cinecon 49 Classic Film Festival at the Egyptian Theater, I prepared a tour of nearly 50 silent-era Hollywood landmarks and film locations you can access HERE.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Cops, Hollywood Tour, The Kid | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Kid – Cops – Safety Last! Three comic masterpieces filmed at a common Hollywood alley you can still visit today

Posted on August 10, 2013 by John Bengtson

Charlie Chaplin encountered the abandoned infant who will become his son in The Kid (1921) along an alley running east-west between Cosmo and Cahuenga just south of and parallel to Hollywood Boulevard.  A gang of police would later chase Buster … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Chaplin - Keaton - Lloyd Alley, Charlie Chaplin, Cops, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, Safety Last!, The Kid, The Last Edition | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Silent Era Hollywood Tour – Cinecon 49 – Author Presentation

Posted on July 11, 2013 by John Bengtson

Attached to this post is a self-guided written 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 Friday, August 30, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. at … Continue reading →

Posted in Chaplin Tour, Keaton Tour, Lloyd Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Solved at Last! – the Safety Last! Mystery Building

Posted on June 25, 2013 by John Bengtson

Harold Lloyd filmed his stunt-climbing “thrill” comedies on the rooftops of eight buildings in the downtown Los Angeles Historic Core.  Remarkably, seven of these eight buildings are still standing.  (In all Lloyd employed 17 buildings in one way or another … Continue reading →

Posted in Harold Lloyd, Lloyd Thrill Pictures, Safety Last! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Keaton location to be demolished – photo help?

Posted on June 1, 2013 by John Bengtson

I just discovered where Keaton filmed a scene from Cops (1922), as Big Joe Roberts retrieves his wallet from Buster (but not its cash contents) by leaning out to grab it from a passing taxi.  The scene was filmed at … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Chaplin Studio, Cops, Hollywood Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

How Harold Lloyd Filmed Safety Last (the parts on the ground)

Posted on May 22, 2013 by John Bengtson

The alleys at the SE corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga are certainly the most historically significant silent film locations in town.  The yellow arrow above marks the alley entrance from which Buster Keaton grabs a passing car one-handed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Cops, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, Lloyd Thrill Pictures, Safety Last! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments