Tag Archives: Silent Comedians

Harry Langdon – The Strong Man Part 3

Posted on September 5, 2013 by John Bengtson

Harry Langdon’s 1926 comedy feature The Strong Man contains many exterior scenes filmed in the Korea Town area of Los Angeles near Wilshire and MacArthur Park.  Harry plays a WWI veteran who returns to the States hoping to meet his … Continue reading →

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A new version of Keaton’s The Blacksmith – part 3, Robin Hood’s castle and more surprises

Posted on August 23, 2013 by John Bengtson

As first reported in Variety in July (and again in Variety in October), and in my first and second posts, film historian Fernando Pena has discovered that a completely different version of Buster Keaton’s 1922 short The Blacksmith circulated overseas, … Continue reading →

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Leave it to Santa Monica – Beaver and Harold Lloyd

Posted on August 17, 2013 by John Bengtson

Although Leave it to Beaver takes place in “Mayfield,” set in an undetermined state, I show in a prior post how Skokie, Illinois stood in for Mayfield during a scene from “Beaver’s Fortune” (Season 3: Episode 10; first broadcast December … Continue reading →

Posted in Harold Lloyd, Hot Water, Leave It To Beaver, TV Shows | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Punky, Harold, and Harry – nine decades of film location history at Shatto Place

Posted on August 3, 2013 by John Bengtson

In a prior post I explain how the same setting on Witmer Street appears in a Harold Lloyd silent comedy, a 1950 film noir classic, and in the recent sitcom The Office.  Another post shows how early Buster Keaton comedies … Continue reading →

Posted in For Heaven's Sake, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, TV Shows | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Found – a new version of Keaton’s The Blacksmith – part 2, more surprises

Posted on July 27, 2013 by John Bengtson

As reported in Variety, and in my prior post, film historian Fernando Pena has topped his discovery of a complete version of the Fritz Lang 1927 epic Metropolis with a 9.5 mm print of Buster Keaton’s 1922 short The Blacksmith … Continue reading →

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Found – a new version of Keaton’s The Blacksmith and the tales it tells

Posted on July 20, 2013 by John Bengtson

As reported in Variety, lightning struck twice for film historian Fernando Pena.  The same gentleman from Argentina who discovered a complete version of the Fritz Lang 1927 epic Metropolis has now unveiled a 9.5 mm print of Buster Keaton’s 1922 … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Keaton Studio, The Blacksmith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

The Last Edition 1925 – filmed in San Francisco (and LA)

Posted on July 18, 2013 by John Bengtson

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival begins Thursday, July 18.  I will be signing books at the festival on Sunday, July 21, following the Kings of Comedy presentation at 10:00 a.m., and before the Safety Last! screening at 8:30 p.m.  … Continue reading →

Posted in San Francisco, The Last Edition | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 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

How Harold Lloyd filmed the Safety Last! finale (at three places)

Posted on June 20, 2013 by John Bengtson

Safe at last, Harold stumbles over a parapet wall into the arms of his fiance Mildred Davis, capping his hair-raising climb up the 13 story “Bolton Building” in Safety Last! Seeking the perfect angle for each shot, Lloyd staged this … Continue reading →

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

Leave it to Harold (and Beaver) at the Long Beach Pike

Posted on June 16, 2013 by John Bengtson

In a prior post I wrote how an idyllic Skokie, Illinois street once stood in for Mayfield on Leave It to Beaver.  Although that episode has no connection to silent movies, I was surprised to see that the Season 5, … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Leave It To Beaver, TV Shows | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

How Charlie Chaplin made The Kid (older post)

Posted on June 11, 2013 by John Bengtson

In an early post I uploaded a PowerPoint presentation highlighting some of the historic settings in Chinatown and the Plaza de Los Angeles where Chaplin filmed his early masterpiece The Kid (1921).  You can download the 60 MB file here. … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlie Chaplin, Chinatown, The Kid | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

On the Fence – Keaton’s stunts in Cops and Our Hospitality

Posted on June 6, 2013 by John Bengtson

In a recent post I showed how Buster Keaton staged his daring waterfall rescue from Our Hospitality (1923).  In honor of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s presentation of Our Hospitality this June 8 at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Cops | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 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

Douglas Fairbanks, Edge of Doom, and Film Noir

Posted on May 16, 2013 by John Bengtson

During Douglas Fairbanks’ 1916 short comedy The Mystery of the Leaping Fish (part of the Fairbanks Modern Musketeer DVD set from Flicker Alley), a police van races from HQ down a quaint, post Victorian era Los Angeles street.  Thirty-four years … Continue reading →

Posted in Douglas Fairbanks, Film Noir, Harold Lloyd, Los Angeles Historic Core | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Author Appearance at TCM Classic Film Festival – Free Tour

Posted on April 13, 2013 by John Bengtson

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 →

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

Cops and Safety Last! – the Cosmo Alley Connection

Posted on March 28, 2013 by John Bengtson

We learn early in Safety Last! (1923) that Harold Lloyd’s roommate Bill Strother can climb tall buildings when we watch him escape from a policeman by scaling a four-story apartment building (left).  [NOTE: “Skip,” a resourceful and eagle-eyed reader, was … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Cops, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, Safety Last! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Keaton – Seven Chances Filmed Close to Studio

Posted on March 17, 2013 by John Bengtson

(You’ll find most Seven Chances filming locations at this earlier post.) Now that the Keaton films are all available on Blu-ray, I not only continue to make new discoveries, but to my great satisfaction I am also increasingly able to … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Keaton Studio, Seven Chances | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Chaplin – Keaton – Lloyd – One Block in Silent-Era Hollywood (update)

Posted on February 19, 2013 by John Bengtson

The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga Boulevard was a popular film setting for silent-era comedies.  At the far end of this post is a link to download an animated 15 MB PowerPoint presentation showing thirteen (but not all) Chaplin, … 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 , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments