Tag Archives: Silent Movie Locations

Keaton’s Missing Scene and Cameraman Tricks

Posted on February 1, 2020 by John Bengtson

Early in The Cameraman (1928) neophyte newsreel photographer Buster Keaton submits his double-exposed mistake-filled audition movie footage to the M-G-M Newsreel General Offices in ‘New York,’ resulting in a complete disaster. At left, Buster watches in horror as his double-exposed … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, The Cameraman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Silent Comedy’s Crazy Corner

Posted on January 18, 2020 by John Bengtson

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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Buster Keaton at the Selig Studio “Prison”

Posted on December 21, 2019 by John Bengtson

I only recently became aware of the Selig Polyscope Studio, the first permanent studio built in Los Angeles that opened in 1909 two blocks north from where the Keystone Studio would later open. Focusing on the facility’s distinctive walls and … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Convict 13, Edendale | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Buster Keaton’s Scarecrow Adobe

Posted on December 4, 2019 by John Bengtson

  I’m delighted to host guest blogger Jeffrey Castel de Oro’s amazing post regarding the early California history appearing in Buster Keaton’s The Scarecrow. A friend for 20 years, Jeff has contributed many significant locations and photographs to all of … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Culver City, Jeffrey Castel de Oro, The Scarecrow | Tagged , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Silent Hollywood’s Japanese Enclave

Posted on November 20, 2019 by John Bengtson

The great silent film comedians Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd filmed more frequently on the 1600 block of Cahuenga south of Hollywood Boulevard than at any other street in town. Keaton alone filmed scenes for eight different movies … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood History, Hollywood Tour, The Goat | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

How Mary Pickford Filmed Daddy-Long-Legs Part Two

Posted on November 6, 2019 by John Bengtson

In Daddy-Long-Legs (1919) Mary Pickford portrays an endearing young orphan later sent to college by an anonymous benefactor. Complications ensue when Mary meets her sponsor, unaware of his status, and they fall for each other. Pickford’s most financially successful production … Continue reading →

Posted in Mary Pickford, The Kid | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Chaplin’s Earliest Scenes Beside the Selig Studio

Posted on October 23, 2019 by John Bengtson

When Charlie Chaplin began his film career at the Keystone Studio in 1914, the Selig Polyscope studio (above) stood just two blocks to the north, sandwiched between Clifford and Duane Streets along Allesandro (now Glendale Boulevard) in Edendale. Opening in … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlie Chaplin, Edendale, Keystone Studio, Tillie's Punctured Romance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Early Thrill Comedies – Who Was First?

Posted on September 27, 2019 by John Bengtson

Thrill comedies featuring a star hanging from the side of a tall building have long been a staple of silent films. The photo at left from Play Ball (1925) eloquently explains the brilliant technique with a single image. Starting with … Continue reading →

Posted in Los Angeles Historic Core | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Harry Houdini Solves a Charlie Chaplin Mystery!

Posted on September 12, 2019 by John Bengtson

Harry Houdini helped to discover where Charlie Chaplin filmed crucial scenes for his very first movie Making a Living (1914). The initial scene of Charlie’s entire career (below), discovered by Kevin Dale and reported HERE, was staged in front of … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlie Chaplin, Harry Houdini, Los Angeles Historic Core | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

How Mary Pickford Filmed Daddy-Long-Legs Part One

Posted on August 31, 2019 by John Bengtson

In Daddy-Long-Legs (1919) Mary Pickford portrays an endearing young orphan later sent to college by an anonymous benefactor. Complications ensue when Mary meets her sponsor, unaware of his status, and they fall for each other. In what was Pickford’s most … Continue reading →

Posted in Mary Pickford, The Kid | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The nearly last – Safety Last – joke

Posted on July 18, 2019 by John Bengtson

Surviving his heroic climb up a skyscraper during Safety Last!, Harold Lloyd falls into the arms of his loving fiancé Mildred Davis, waiting for him on the rooftop. As reported in another post, this satisfying conclusion was actually filmed from … Continue reading →

Posted in Harold Lloyd, Los Angeles Historic Core, Safety Last! | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Office – Film Noir – and Harold Lloyd

Posted on June 19, 2019 by John Bengtson

What do the television show The Office, the 1950 film noir drama Edge of Doom, and Harold Lloyd’s final silent comedy Speedy (1928) have in common?  They all filmed scenes looking southwest down Witmer Street towards the front of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Noir, Harold Lloyd, Speedy, The Office, TV Shows | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Alice Howell Early Hollywood Views

Posted on April 28, 2019 by John Bengtson

We all owe Ben Model a huge debt of gratitude for releasing his fantastic new Alice Howell Collection DVD, featuring 12 shorts starring the delightful (and mostly forgotten) comedienne, sourced from archival materials from the Library of Congress, BFI, DFI, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ben Model, Hollywood History | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Harold Lloyd’s The Kid Brother Was Close to Home

Posted on March 24, 2019 by John Bengtson

It’s time to celebrate the wonderful new Blu-ray release of Harold Lloyd’s classic comedy The Kid Brother by the Criterion Collection. Considered by many to be Lloyd’s masterpiece, this release is simply stunning, a beautiful clear crisp print, a choice … Continue reading →

Posted in Harold Lloyd | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Buster Keaton’s The Cameraman

Posted on March 18, 2019 by John Bengtson

I’m pleased to update this post to announce the 2019 San Francisco Silent Film Festival kicks off this year on Wednesday, May 1, with a 7:00 pm screening of Buster Keaton’s 1928 comedy triumph The Cameraman, in a beautiful new … Continue reading →

Posted in Buster Keaton, Manhattan, The Cameraman | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 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

Chaplin falls for The Kid – every scene now identified

Posted on November 24, 2018 by John Bengtson

Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece The Kid (1921) tells the story of the Little Tramp discovering, trying to avoid, and eventually falling in love with an abandoned infant, played out scene by scene at the end of this post. As I write … Continue reading →

Posted in Chaplin - Keaton - Lloyd Alley, Charlie Chaplin, For Heaven's Sake, Harold Lloyd, The Kid | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Oliver Hardy at the Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd Alley

Posted on October 31, 2018 by John Bengtson

The block of Cahuenga south of Hollywood Boulevard was the most popular spot in town to film silent movies. As I’ve written in numerous tours and posts, everyone filmed there, from Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, to Charlie Chaplin, Buster … Continue reading →

Posted in Laurel and Hardy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments