24 Tuesday Feb 2015
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Directed: Josef von Sternberg
Year: 1929
Nominated: Best Actor – George Bancroft
Plot in 25 Words: A good guy falls for a gangster’s moll and ends up on death row for his troubles. Some unlikely prison action and cute dog, too.
23 Monday Feb 2015
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Directed: Jean di Lemur
Year: 1929
Nominated: Best Actress – Jeanne Eagels
Plot in 25 Words: A bored housewife takes a lover, and kills him. Tried for murder, she bribes her way out of a jail sentence while being incredibly evil.
19 Thursday Feb 2015
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Directed: Roland West
Year: 1929
Nominated: Best Picture, Best Actor – Chester Morris
Plot in 25 Words: Dark and twisty film offering a glimpse into the old-school workings of undercover police. Lies and deceit lead to a vengeful and bloody shootout.
12 Thursday Feb 2015
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Directed: Frank Lloyd
Year: 1929
Nominated: Best Director – Frank Lloyd, Best Actress – Corrinne Griffith
Won: Best Director – Frank Lloyd
Plot in 25 Words: A poor girl becomes a rich trophy wife, and then lover to one of the most powerful men of the time. Mostly a true story.
05 Thursday Feb 2015
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Directed: Irving Cummings
Year: 1929
Nominated: Best Picture, Best Director – Irving Cummings, Best Actor – Warner Baxter
Won: Best Actor – Warner Baxter
Plot in 25 Words: A very camp bandit is betrayed by the woman he loves. He gets revenge in a deadly manner and loves to rob many more stage coaches.
19 Monday Jan 2015
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Directed: Harry Beaumont
Year: 1929
Nominated: Best Film, Best Director – Harry Beaumont, Best Actress – Bessie Love
Won: Best Film
Plot in 25 Words: Sisters want to become Broadway stars. One sister’s man chooses the other, more attractive sister. The plain sister’s career is more successful, but she’s alone.
16 Friday Jan 2015
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Best Picture:
Best Director:
Best Actor
Best Actress
As before I haven’t heard of a single one of these films, though from a quick check on Wikipedia it looks as though there could be a few musicals in there which I’m definitely excited for!
15 Thursday Jan 2015
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I was pleasantly surprised by my first (and quite probably last) foray into silent films. Some weren’t my cup of tea at all but a few of them really resonated with me. The Last Command was phenomenal. Emil Jennings thoroughly deserved his Oscar and it’s a real shame there’s no existing copies of his other winning film, The Way of All Flesh.
Sadie Thompson, Speedy, and Two Arabian Knights were also a class above anything involving prostitutes. There was a couple I’d watch again and a couple I’d happily forget all about. Either way, watching that many silent films was an experience, one I’d be quite happy to repeat.
It’s unthinkable to me that such a thing as a ‘lost film’ exists. Or rather, doesn’t exist. Hopefully there won’t be too many more.
Favourite – The Last Command
Least Favourite – The Patent Leather Kid
15 Thursday Jan 2015
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Sorrell and Son – 1927
The Way of All Flesh – 1927
The Noose – 1928
Sadly I had to miss three films out of my first batch of Oscar nominated films.
Sorrell and Son is mostly intact but with damaged reels and one completely missing.
The Way of All Flesh is considered a completely lost film with no copies in existence.
The Noose has one copy at the museum of modern art in New York. I think that’s as good a reason as any to go there!
I’ll be keeping an eye out for them, in the hope a copy is found but I’m not optimistic.
16 Thursday Oct 2014
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Directed: Alfred Santell
Year: 1927
Nominated: Best Actor – Richard Barthelmess
Plot in 25 Words: An extremely unlikable boxer is pressed into service in the American army. Wounded in battle, prayer and the American flag help his wounds to heal.
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