I have a goody and I know ya'll are gonna want it. I've been speaking with Elaina Archer (of http://www.aandfproductions.com) for a few months now and we decided to give you a little holiday gift.
Elaina has kindly offered up a DVD copy of her censorship documentary "Why Be Good? Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema" which has a heavy focus on the silent film era. It was one of the first things I seen in Hollywood once I got into silent film, and despite my whining for more Anna May Wong, Elaina still puts up with me. Its actually a riveting look at censorship (which yes, for the keen readers this post suffered from a bit; an OTC member had a stupid, self hindering, panty pissing hissyfit and well...we had to change the prize a little) and sexuality in film, which basically defined the 20s.
This is our very first competition (well...The Rudolph Valentino Society has another one going on right now but that doesn't technically count.) so its terribly exciting! I'm opening the contest today. It'll run through January 10th, 2009 and anyone from anywhere in the world can enter (yup I'll pay international shipping).
Now what do you have to do? You have to sign up at the Valentino Silent Forums and be an active member (and by that I mean at least make one post between now and the end of the contest). Mind you those forums aren't just about Rudy...go there and talk about things like censorship or Jack Pickford...or whatever silent topic you wish. Or just laugh at David Bret. Whatever makes you happiest.
For those who have already signed up at the forums and would like to enter well...post about it and I'll count you. One winner will be chosen at random (eenie meenie miney moo) and be announced on the 10th. There will also be an interview with Elaina in the next few weeks (in which we've already promised to debate the merits of Theda Bara). So stay tuned for that!
It really is a neat documentary, and its long overdue considering the subject matter. Everyone things 'precode' and Hays came in the 1930s, but actually everything had happened almost 15 years before that (Hays came in 1921, but censorship was as old as flickers...so was sex in films. See, "The Kiss").
In other FTT news I'm rethinking webisodes into podcasts...and I'm also thinking about finally sifting through my 20 something pile of silent DVDs to review (yes including the long postponed Secrets). Publishing 2 books is enough to make me want to pull my eyelashes out...glad they're done though. I am giving very serious thought to launching 1921 PVG Publishing into a silent film based publisher...as long as again I don't pull my eyelashes out. If anyone knows of anyone writing biographies on Fatty Arbuckle or D.W. Griffith in particular, send them my way.
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