Seductive Cinema: The Art of Silent FilmFrom a distinguished film historian - an exhilarating celebration of silent movies, a book that offers a new understanding of the art, the directors, the cinematographers and the stars of the great silent films. In it James Card - pioneer collector of silents since the twenties, founder of the George Eastman film archive and the Telluride and Montreal film festivals - strips away the formulaic praise that has encrusted the reputations of such filmmakers as D. W. Griffith (who, he says, did not invent the close-up or film editing) and discusses their real achievements. He rescues the reputation of Cecil B. DeMille and enriches those of such long-underestimated pioneers as King Vidor and Josef von Sternberg. Drawing on his close association with Gloria Swanson, Louise Brooks and Joan Crawford ("Crawford acted too soon; if only the movies in the twenties had been more respected, she might have been acknowledged as the formidable actor she was"), Card discusses the silent film's attitudes toward sex, the vamp and the good woman. He describes overlooked silent movies of social concern, among them The Cry of the Children, directed by George Nicholls; such classic thrillers as Herbert Brenon's Beau Geste and such early avant-garde American masterpieces as J. Sibley Watson's The Fall of the House of Usher. Seductive Cinema is a book that everyone seriously interested in moviemaking has been awaiting for years: the book on the silents by the man who knows more about them than anyone else. |
From inside the book
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Page 251
... to Hollywood . Once there , he wisely moved to the side of the camera to direct . One of his first features brought praise from a source that would be important to him . In those days before films had achieved respectability King Vidor.
... to Hollywood . Once there , he wisely moved to the side of the camera to direct . One of his first features brought praise from a source that would be important to him . In those days before films had achieved respectability King Vidor.
Page 252
... King Vidor's work had not escaped Mr. Smith . In his September 1920 Classic review of The Jack - Knife Man he wrote : King Vidor has proved himself again . Mr. Vidor it was who startled the celluloid world somewhat over a year ago with ...
... King Vidor's work had not escaped Mr. Smith . In his September 1920 Classic review of The Jack - Knife Man he wrote : King Vidor has proved himself again . Mr. Vidor it was who startled the celluloid world somewhat over a year ago with ...
Page 262
... King Vidor forget Murray's performance . Some months after The Crowd had been released , King Vidor offered him another part . By then Murray had made a mess of himself with booze . Vidor told him to slim down , wash up and report for ...
... King Vidor forget Murray's performance . Some months after The Crowd had been released , King Vidor offered him another part . By then Murray had made a mess of himself with booze . Vidor told him to slim down , wash up and report for ...
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Common terms and phrases
actor actress admiration American films Asta Nielsen audience became began Borzage brought Caligari camera career cast Cecil Chaplin cinema Cinémathèque Clara Bow close-up collection comedy D. W. Griffith Dancing DeMille DeMille's dialogue directed director drama Eagels early films Eastman House Eastman Theatre feature festival FIAF Film Archive Film Artists film history filmmaking George Eastman German girl Gloria Swanson Greta Garbo Griffith historians Hollywood husband images Iris Barry Joan Crawford John Barrymore Josef von Sternberg King Vidor Kodak Lillian Gish look Louise Brooks Lumière magic Mary Pickford Modern Art Film motion picture Museum of Modern Muybridge never Norma Shearer Pabst's Paramount Paris Peter Pan photographed play players predialogue prints production projector reels released Rochester role Russian scene screen script Sennett shot silent films speed star Stroheim studio theatrical tion titles vamp Vampire vault Viola Dana wife woman writer York
References to this book
Dangerous Men: Pre-Code Hollywood and the Birth of the Modern Man Mick LaSalle No preview available - 2002 |