Silent Songs: That boy is a monstaaa...

Hello everyone! Happy New Years! I'm making a vow to get back to about 4 posts a month here on FTT, so...that will be exciting. Also I'm not giving up on the webisode/podcast idea...just...need 2 minutes to think about it. This was a hell of a year...I released two books, founded The Rudolph Valentino Society, discovered the history of Nita Naldi and June Mathis, started Perpetual Flapper, and The Valentino Silent Forums (despite the sound only the Society and books have much to do with Rudy; everything else is general.) PHEW I'm tired! PS: The contest is still running, and the interview with Elaina will be up soon!

2010 will be lots of fun. Gonna get a lot going and you're gonna get and see a lot more from me. And oh that festival thing...gonna be brilliant.

Okay so lets do a quickie fun post. For The Rudolph Valentino Film Festival we're planning on trying to have a little photo/DJ interplay before the films begin. Much in line with my belief that modern and silents can mix I already have a few songs in mind. If anyone has a song/star idea in a similar vain feel free to request it...my music tastes don't go much past Spice Girls (yes ANY type of music...as long as I can get an mp3 of it it would count). Some I really do need ideas for: Rudy, the almighty Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Lillian Gish, D.W. Griffith, and pretty much every other star you can be mad at me for not already having a song for. I think some more rock (and ironic rap) is sorely needed. PPS: I do have a kickass local rocker song for Jack Pickford and Olive Thomas, but there's no clip online so...ya'll will have to wait.

Lon Chaney: "Monster" by Lady Gaga




I freakin love Lady Gaga. When I was a musician eons ago that was what I was trying to do (only unlike her I don't have the legs and I don't have the instrument skills...damn piano outwits me). Even my friend finally came to this realization a few days ago.

On her re-release "The Fame Monster" Miss Gaga inserts various monster/zombie references in most of the songs. The most fitting song is of course 'Monster' which has yet to be a single. The jist of the song is about falling in love with a man on a Subway who tore off her clothes then 'ate her heart and he ate my brain'.

More than anything if a video for this song is ever made it definitely needs to have several Lon Chaney clips...especially from Phantom (I just see the unmasking scene over and over again during the chorus). Of course Chaney was a doll in real life, but his monster films are so infamous and wonderful even no0bs still know who he is. Though I'll use Lon for this song one other thing suits it in my mind: the ending of Pandora's Box. I dare you to not see it.

Gloria Swanson: "Kill the Lights" by Britney Spears



Come on...this is the most Swanson-esque song EVER. It even steals a line from Sunset Blvd, "Mr. Photographer/I'm ready for my close up/make sure you catch my good side/pick one". Gloria was also wonderful in real life, but if you looked up 'attitude' in the dictionary her photo would be there. This is the song that gave me the idea to begin with.

Mae Murray: "Look at me" by Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice)



Oh there will probably be more Spice by the time I'm done with it as I adore them. Mae would probably want that damn waltz, but if there was ever a sheer woman built for the phrase 'Look at Me' its her. Pola Negri might fit too, I'll have to clear that with her keeper.

Clara Bow: "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga



Some say this song is a toss between loving someone or loving the public adoration. When I first heard it I went with the first interpretation, though after hearing that description I gave it another listen. In doing so you can hear someone very deseperately wanting public attention, i.e. the Paparazzi. Clara wasn't a fame whore (ala Mae or Pola) in any form or way. BUT she did want to be loved. When I think of her I always think of Marilyn Monroe, as everyone always pities Marilyn and hails her great talent (which I agree with). But Clara was Marilyn Xs 100. She had a much worse childhood, she needed love and adoration way more, and she had a much worse downfall than Marilyn did. And yet she was still so damned talented! That's why I pick this song...Clara needed the love, but poor Clara never could see she had it.

Mary Pickford: "Lucky" by Britney Spears



Oh...this song is so cheesy it embarrasses even ME to blare it out a car window. I was obsessed with it when I was a kid though (who wasn't obsessed with Britney Spears in 2000/2001?) I'd like to give Mary a real rocker punk song, but I have yet to find a fitting one. And I absolutely abhor that God awful, "Mary Pickford (used to eat roses)" by Katie Melua song. I always hated her...so freakin dull. As cheesy as it is this song fits Mary's store to a t...which is probably sadder than anything. And yet Veronica Lake was the inspiration in the video!

Ramon Novarro: "Mi Chico Latino" by Geri Halliwell



I am giving serious thought to usuing this for Rudy, just because its so damn funny that way. But if I don't I'll use it for dear Ramon. I think he'd like the video. And for anyone about to boo my musical tastes I say: lighten up and have some fun sometime! Oh yes its God awful, but its fun...especially to drink to!

Alright...so you guys got some songs/stars for me? Come on...geek out for me! Pop, Rock, Classics, Rap (a smattering; I'd rather puncture my earblades than do too much of that), RnB...whatever. I'll include anyones name/screen name in this little performance piece if that adds incentive.

This is why I love Gloria Swanson...

I love Gloria Swanson. She was so freakin awesome. Not only as an actress, but she had a wit with her classiness. I particularly like the bit at the end about young people and silent film. And God bless Janis...high off her ass. Oh to be that tripped out!

Clips of Kevin Brownlow's Hollywood are on youtube; but lord knows when those things get pulled so I'm weary to try and post them (I hate dead links). So click here to see Gloria's bit in that documentary. She's just fascinating...right down to the eye rolling.

FTT Loves you: Win Why Be Good? Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema DVD

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.

The Oscar people finally listened to me...

Okay probably not, but in July I wrote how they needed to put up Mary Pickford's Oscar clip, since they had the almighty Chaplin's up. Well a few weeks ago they apparently put it up on youtube! YAY!

Embedding is disabled by you can watch it by clicking here! It's actually odd, they cut out most of the film clips which I'm guessing is for either time or copyrights. If I remember correctly from viewing this at MPI they showed clips of Secrets, My Best Girl...and maybe Coquette. None the less this is still wonderful as finally people can decide for themselves whether she really was Baby Jane, or something more on par with Chaplin and Gish.

Frankly I think its quite sweet, much less Baby Jane than I expected. I'm glad its finally on the interwebs.