Silent Footsteps

Double Indemnity (1944) was based on an actual murder case from 1927. Ruth Snyder took out a large insurance policy on her husband, and then killed him with the help of her boyfriend. The policy had an unusual double indemnity clause.

According to Wikipedia, “Judd Gray, the man on whom MacMurray’s Neff character was loosely based, said when he confessed, after killing Albert Snyder, ‘When I walked I listened for my step — no sound seemed to follow.’ Neff says, ‘I couldn’t hear my footsteps. It was the walk of a dead man.’”

The Playhouse

Here’s a link to stream the classic silent comedy short: The Playhouse (1921). Before computer-based special effects, there were in-camera special effects. The cameraman (in those days, almost always a man) would roll the film back and hand-crank a second shot at exactly the same speed as before. That challenge was multiplied to an almost impossible degree in Buster Keaton’s The Playhouse (1921), where Keaton plays every cast member in a theatrical production.

If you prefer to download this public domain short, you can visit here.

The Music Lives On

Film composer Max Steiner died on December 28, 1971, but he continued to rack up film credits.

Zorro, the Gay Blade (1981) included some of his music from The Adventures of Don Juan (1948). Creepshow (1982) included music from A Star is Born (1937). Great Balls of Fire! (1989) and UHF (1989) included music from Gone with the Wind (1939). Lost in Yonkers (1993) included music from Now, Voyager (1942). And King Kong (2005) included the fanfare from King Kong (1933).

Food Fight

Production photo from Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Stanley Kubrick had originally planned to end Dr. Strangelove with a pie fight in the War Room. Kubrick even went so far as to film the sequence, but changed his mind after viewing the footage. Presumably, he thought the result was too satirical. Only photos remain of that sequence.

“Another reason for cutting the custard pie fight at the end of the film was that at one point, President Muffley took a pie in the face and fell down, prompting Gen. Turgidson to cry, ‘Gentlemen! Our gallant young president has just been struck down in his prime!’ Stanley Kubrick had already decided to cut the pie fight by the time of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, but this line (or possibly even the whole sequence) would certainly have been cut anyway due to its eerie similarity to real events.”

– Source: Internet Movie Database

Le Voyage dans la Lune

Here’s a link to stream the classic silent short: Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902). Created by pioneer filmmaker Georges Méliès, Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) is filled with fanciful images and ideas relating to space travel.

The sequence where the space capsule crashes into the Man in the Moon is one of earliest examples of stop-motion photography. That technique was the basis for many of the special effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Star Wars (1977).

If you prefer to download this public domain short, you can visit here.

Last Hollywood Silent?

What was the last Hollywood silent? It depends on how you define a silent film. Sunrise (1927) is considered to be one of the greatest silent films, even though it was released with a synchronized music track.

Because Modern Times (1936) used title cards for its dialogue, you could make a strong case for it being Hollywood’s last major silent production. Chaplin’s Tramp does sing, though in keeping with the silent tradition of the character, the lyrics are unintelligible. The Tramp’s final words in the film are a fitting tribute to the end of an era: Buck up – never say die! We’ll get along.

Meet John Doe

Here’s a link to stream the classic social drama: Meet John Doe (1941). Though it can be more heavy handed than Frank Capra’s other films (such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It’s a Wonderful Life), this one is a cut above similar social dramas from the time period.

If you prefer to download this public domain feature, you can visit here.

Metropolis

Image from Metropolis (1927)

“No optical printing system existed at the time, so to create a matte effect, a large mirror was placed at an angle to reflect a piece of artwork while live footage was projected onto the reverse. To expose the projected footage, the silvering on the back of the mirror had to be scraped off in strategically appropriate places. One mistake would ruin the whole mirror. This was done for each separate shot that had to be composited in this manner. This procedure was developed by Eugen Schüfftan and is known as the ‘Schufftan Process.’”

– Source: Internet Movie Database

The Unknown

Poster for The Unknown (1927)

“For many years this film only existed in murky 9.5mm dupes on the black market. In March 1973, at a screening of this film at George Eastman House, archivist James Card said that Henri Langlois and his staff at the Cinematheque Francais discovered a copy of it in 1968 among other miscellaneous cans of film marked ‘l’inconnu’ (films ‘unknown’ due to missing titles, etc.).”

– Source: Internet Movie Database

Nosferatu

Here’s a link to stream the classic silent horror film: Nosferatu (1922). The first — and creepiest — adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Drawing on his art history background, director F.W. Murnau creates a subtly menacing atmosphere, intensified through striking visual compositions and innovative special effects. Max Schreck, who plays the title role, seems to have been born to play the part. His last name is the German word for scream, fright, or fear.

Fascination with this film continues up to the present day. Shadow of a Vampire (2000) is an account of the film’s production, except it presumes that Schreck was a real vampire.

If you prefer to download this public domain film, you can visit here.

Fashion Statement

Production photo from It Happened One Night (1934)

Can a movie change clothing trends almost overnight? That’s what happened with It Happened One Night (1934) from Columbia Pictures. Here’s the scoop, according to the Internet Movie Database:

“While shooting the scene where he undresses, Clark Gable had trouble removing his undershirt while keeping his humorous flow going and took too long. As a result the undershirt was abandoned altogether. It then became cool to not wear an undershirt which resulted in a large drop in undershirt sales around the country. In response, underwear manufacturers tried to sue Columbia.”

Vertigo

Image from Vertigo (1958)

Kim Novak wasn’t Alfred Hitchcock’s first choice for the leading female role in Vertigo (1958). He wanted Vera Miles to take the part, only she became pregnant and couldn’t do it. Miles had plenty of talent (check out her performances in Psycho and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance). On the other hand, I can’t imagine her bringing the same mysterious quality to the role.

One Week

Here’s a link to stream the classic silent comedy short: One Week (1920). Buster’s rival mixes up the numbers on a build-it-yourself house. This short and Cops (1922) are a great place to start if you’re not familiar with Buster Keaton’s work.

If you prefer to download this public domain short, you can visit here.

Kid Brother

Photo from Kid Brother (1927)

Only one time in my life have I witnessed someone laughing so hard he fell out of his chair. It was during a screening of Kid Brother (1927), one of Harold Lloyd’s best silent comedy features. Near the end of the film as the Lloyd character is being pursued inside a cargo ship, a small monkey tries on a pair of shoes and proceeds to walk along the deck. Lloyd hears the clomping and assumes it must be the villain. It was the sight of the monkey in the oversized shoes that struck a chord with my friend Dean, who eventually landed on the floor, no worse for wear.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Italian Poster for Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

One of the best alien-invasion movies from the 1950s, it was remade in 1978 and 1994. It is often cited as having an anti-Communist or anti-McCarthite subtext, though director Don Siegel has denied he had any political intentions for the film.

D.O.A.

Here’s a link to stream the classic film noir: D.O.A. (1950). A man is desperately trying to find out who gave him a slow-acting poison. He doesn’t have much time, as the poison will kill him in just a few days. This is one of the top film noirs and not to be confused with the lesser 1969 and 1988 remakes. D.O.A. is an abbreviation for “Dead on Arrival.”

Here’s a choice bit of dialogue from the movie:

Homicide Detective: Can I help you?
Frank Bigelow: I’d like to see the man in charge.
Homicide Detective: In here…
Frank Bigelow: I want to report a murder.
Homicide Captain: Sit down. Where was this murder committed?
Frank Bigelow: San Francisco, last night.
Homicide Captain: Who was murdered?
Frank Bigelow: I was.

If you prefer to download this public domain feature, you can visit here.