World War II Films of the Silent Era coming on DVD
Max Nineteennineteen
* * * * * * * *
(LOS ANGELES) World War II didn't begin until at least ten years
after The Jazz Singer became the first talking film. But that didn't
stop innovative silent filmmakers from making movies about it.
On June 6, the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, Image
Entertainment will release a collection of these speculative films
about the next "war to end all wars," a 2-disc set entitled "World War
II Films of the Silent Era."
Hosted by film historian and WWII expert Leonard Maltin, the DVD
begins with a startlingly feminist and pacifist 1919 epic from Italy,
"Quo Bene?" (Who Benefits?), directed by Augustino Melli. It stars
the legendary diva Maria Pontefiori as a Sicilian fisherwoman who,
horrified by the deaths of men from her village in the last war, leads
a delegation of fishwives to the front of the next war. Raped by a
Prussian general in a beautiful hand-tinted scene, she eats her entire
catch of bad shellfish, and expires lavishly on the battlefield,
leading armies on both sides to throw their weapons away and take holy
orders. "It's a real rip-roarer and Miss Pontefiori is tops as
Sicilian fishwives go," gushes Maltin.
The next film in the collection is a welcome comic diversion:
"Bicarbonate Sven Signs the Ver-Sy-Yee Treaty," a recently
rediscovered comedy starring the beloved "Norwegian" comic Billy
Spivey as his best-known character, cleverly mixes real footage of
Woodrow Wilson, Eduoard Daladier and David Lloyd-George to show how
Bicarbonate Sven starts a second war literally at the end of the first
one.
"Flappers Must Fight," a 1926 Tiffany-Stahl feature starring Alice
Teale, Peggy Ann Wesley and Norma Dussier, hypothesizes that with so
many men having perished in the previous war, the next war will be
fought entirely by women. A hardbitten depiction of life on an
all-girl dirigible crew unfortunately falls apart at the end, when the
general played by Teale decides to give up war on the eve of the big
offensive and settle down with her small town sweetheart (Thomas
Pugh).
Perhaps the most fascinating film in the collection is "Das
Ungeheimliche Schrecklichkeit von der Himalayen" (The Unbelievable
Awfulness of the Himalayas), a 1929 German release. In it, a magnetic
dancer played by Onni de Ertz becomes the toast of German society, and
brings the entire country under her spell. Deftly taking advantage of
the political situation to achieve power, she unites all of Germany
behind the idea of invading and conquering the Himalayas. Director
Otto Runck went to great lengths to achieve realism, and the
location-shot scenes with thousands of barefoot extras climbing
Himalayan peaks make this one of the most remarkable and compelling
films of the 1920s-- all the moreso when you know how few of them
returned from icy wastes.
"World War II Films of The Silent Era" has a street date of June 6,
and a suggested retail price of $29.95.
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DShepFilm
launch Maltin on the comedy circuit.
David Shepard
Feuillade
> The mind boggles. Surely Max, you
> and Frippery must collaborate on a
> script to launch Maltin on the comedy
> circuit.
I thought he already *was* on the comedy circuit. Isn't that what his TV gig
is about?
Tom Moran
"You can get a great deal of entertainment
out of tedious people if you keep your head.''
-- W. Somerset Maugham
Robert Miller
James Roots
> Saw this on the Image website. More good news!
>
> * * * * * * * *
>
> (LOS ANGELES) World War II didn't begin until at least ten years
> after The Jazz Singer became the first talking film. But that didn't
> stop innovative silent filmmakers from making movies about it.
>
> On June 6, the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, Image
> Entertainment will release a collection of these speculative films
> about the next "war to end all wars," a 2-disc set entitled "World War
> II Films of the Silent Era."
(snip)
Bay Street Video in Toronto has the World War One version in its
remainder shelves -- I forget the price, but probably something
like $20 CDN. I picked it up last year and was pleasantly
stunned at how good and powerful the films were.
Based on that experience alone, I'm looking forward to the
World War Two version.
Jim
Jeff NY
Nearly choked... then I noticed today's date! Champion work, Max!
Second in brilliance:
"Das
Ungeheimliche Schrecklichkeit von der Himalayen" (The Unbelievable
Awfulness of the Himalayas),
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff
James Roots
Max, you are a dead man.
Jim
(reluctant star of "Gullible's Travels")
Joseph Goodman
Max Nineteennineteen
> But it's still only March 31 in Chicago, isn't it, Max???
Well, there's a certain delay using Google's news reader to post...
Robert Miller
news:aa2a3f47.04040...@posting.google.com...
>
> Well, there's a certain delay using Google's news reader to post...
>
Does it ever make you feel like dancing:
Max Nineteennineteen
> >Hosted by film historian and WWII expert Leonard Maltin,
Although this is a little joke at the ubiquity of L.M. (even my
toddlers know who he is), do note that he does have a serious role to
play regarding WWII on DVD-- he will shortly host, and played some
behind the scenes part in making happen, a Disney Treasures volume
devoted to WWII cartoons and the feature Victory Through Air Power.
(Which Michael Eisner is reputed to have once said would never be seen
by anyone anywhere ever again.)
Jeff NY
>play regarding WWII on DVD
Can't wait to hear his apology for the way in which our WWII enemies were
depicted in these films!
Bruce Calvert
I figured that the next DVD in this series would be "Spanish-American War Films
of the Silent Era" followed by "Boer War Films of the Silent Era"!
Bruce Calvert
--
Visit the Silent Film Still Archive
http://home.comcast.net/~silentfilm/home.htm
Remove the "xspam" to reply
Max Nineteennineteen
Well, based on past ones you can pretty much write a Leonard intro
yourself by now:
By [1933/1942/1066] Walt Disney had made some of the funniest cartoons
on earth. But back then people didn't feel about [making fun of
Asians/taking heroin/boiling babies alive] the way we do now. It was
all just harmless fun. Today we know better, but it would be a shame
to cut these scenes of [Mickey stabbing bucktoothed Japs/Mickey
turning tricks for drugs/Mickey throwing screaming infants into the
flames]. They're a part of history-- and darned funny too. So let's
appreciate them, not censor them, as we enjoy [Mickey Strangles Tojo
With His Own Intestines/Mickey Hopped Up On The Junk/Baby-Killer
Mickey].
ChaneyFan
depicted in these films!
If that's what it takes to get these things released, then by all means bring
the apologies on.
The WWII films (like VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER, EDUCATION FOR DEATH) were
considered so inflammatory that Disney brass vowed that they would never ever
see the light of day. I know that Leonard was actively involved in pushing
them to get these released, so instead of sniping, give him a big round of
applause.
===============================
Jon Mirsalis
e-mail: Chan...@aol.com
Lon Chaney Home Page: http://members.aol.com/ChaneyFan
Jon's Film Sites: http://members.aol.com/ChaneyFan/jonfilm.htm
Max Nineteennineteen
> >>>Can't wait to hear his apology for the way in which our WWII enemies were
> depicted in these films!
>
> If that's what it takes to get these things released, then by all means bring
> the apologies on.
>
> The WWII films (like VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER, EDUCATION FOR DEATH) were
> considered so inflammatory that Disney brass vowed that they would never ever
> see the light of day. I know that Leonard was actively involved in pushing
> them to get these released, so instead of sniping, give him a big round of
> applause.
I quite agree, even as I make fun of the P.C. weasel words that have
to be ritually intoned over these cartoons in order for us to see
them. It's silly that it has to be done, and I thank Leonard for
doing it for us.
Now we'll see if he can even loosen Song of the South from their
grasp....
Beaver Lad
into the room to see what was the matter. Pretty soon he was laughing
too!
Bravo, and thanks for the huge laffs!
(P.S. -- My son is not really named "alarmed".)
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In article <aa2a3f47.04040...@posting.google.com>, Max