1910s

The Birth of a Nation (originally called The Clansman) is a 1915 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and based on the novel and play The Clansman, both by Thomas Dixon, Jr. Griffith also co-wrote the screenplay (with Frank E. Woods), and co-produced the film (with Harry Aitken). It was released on February 8, 1915. The film was originally presented in two parts, separated by an intermission.
The film chronicles the relationship of two families in Civil War and Reconstruction-era America: the pro-Union northern Stonemans and the pro-Confederacy Southern Camerons over the course of several years. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth is dramatized.Read More »

Synopsis:
Maude, engaged to a doctor, was adopted years earlier by the president of an anti-alcoholic league. She becomes infatuated with a Gypsy violinist, who, after kidnapping and restraining the girl’s fiancé takes her to his villa and, to try to make her give in to his coaxing, has some gypsies offer her champagne.

Whilst incomplete and suffering from a certain amount of nitrate decomp – there are around four quite bad bouts of this, if memory serves – enough of the film survives to provide a coherent, if whimsical, narrative with pleasing performances and some charming special effects. There is much to recommend the film stylistically with a good mix of long, medium and close-up shots, some thoughtful shot compositions and several instances where characters exit shot toward the side of the camera, providing a candid feel.Read More »

Sally Pinkus is an German-Jewish boy who takes a job as a shoe store clerk after being expelled from school for goofing around. Soon fired for trying to court the owner’s daughter, Pinkus lands another job in a more ‘upmarket’ shoe salon, only to be fired again, before charming a rich benefactress to fund his ultimate dream: Pinkus’ Shoe Palace.Read More »

François Massarelli (google translate) wrote:
Philippe Guérande (Edouard Mathé), reporter for the “Mondial”, fights a merciless fight against the band of criminals Les Vampires. He is helped in this by his friend Oscar-Cloud Mazamette (Marcel Levesque), a former member of the gang whom he persuaded to follow the right path and who is very devoted to him. He spares no effort to counter the actions of the Great Vampire, the leader of the gang (Jean Aymé), Irma Vep (Musidora), the muse of criminals, or even Satanas (Louis Leubas), a dangerous manipulator of explosives, and Vénénos (Frédérick Moriss), the “master of poisons”…Read More »

A love-triangle in a Dutch fishing village results in the Pietr (wealthy) stranding the Dirk (poor) at sea. The latter ends up in foreign lands with his little pooch. Drama ensues. Lots of lovely outdoor/at sea shots in this one!Read More »

Mark David Welsh wrote:
A young girl living in Salem attracts the romantic attentions of both a frontiersman and one of the village elders. When she rejects the latter, he attempts to force her to accept him by accusing her of witchcraft…Read More »

Inspector Juve is tasked to investigate and capture an infamous criminal Fantomas.Read More »

Quote:
In 1919, before Ernst Lubitsch was known for his famous “touch,” the master director made something like nine films–a perfect opportunity for an artist to really practice his craft. Even he had to start somewhere.

Madame du Barry was retitled Passion to avoid the anti-German sentiment after World War I. Even though it was a French title and a French story, in Europe the movie was connected to the German director Ernst Lubitsch. Lubitsch’s name appeared nowhere in the American posters or movie titles so the movie wouldn’t bomb in America.Read More »

IMDB wrote:
Le Gendarme est sans Culotte (or, “The Policeman is Without Trousers”) concerns a dim-witted cop named Foezel, who is played by Marcel Lévesque, best remembered as Mazamette in the great crime serial Les Vampires. Lévesque, whose comic relief character practically stole the show in that series, also starred in his own short comedies. To my way of thinking he suggests a Gallic version of Jimmy Finlayson, Laurel & Hardy’s familiar nemesis, not only in appearance but in his vigorous, over the top performance style. […]Read More »