In the early days of cinema, when actors were unbilled and unmentioned in credits, audiences immediately noticed Mary Pickford. Moviegoers everywhere were riveted by her magnetic talent and appeal as she rose to become cinema's first great star.In this engaging collection, copublished with the Library of Congress, an eminent group of film historians sheds new light on this icon's incredible life and legacy. Pickford emerges from the pages in vivid detail. She is revealed as a gifted actress, a philanthropist, and a savvy industry leader who fought for creative control of her films and ultimately became her own producer.This beautifully designed volume features more than two hundred color and black and white illustrations, including photographs and stills from the collections of the Library of Congress and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Together with the text, they paint a fascinating portrait of a key figure in American cinematic history.

For many people the term "silent comedy" conjures up images of Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp, Buster Keaton's Stoneface, or Harold Lloyd hanging precariously from the side of a skyscraper. Even people who have never seen a silent film can recognize these comedians at a glance. But what about the female comedians? Gale Henry, Louise Fazenda, Colleen Moore, Constance Talmadge-these and numerous others were wildly popular during the silent film era, appearing in countless motion pictures and earning top salaries, and yet their names have been almost entirely forgotten. As a consequence, recovering their history is all the more compelling given that they laid the foundation for generations of funny women, from Lucille Ball to Carol Burnett to Tina Fey. These women constitute an essential and neglected sector of film history, reflecting a turning point in women's social and political history. Their talent and brave spirit continues to be felt today, and Comic Venus: Women and Comedy in American Silent Film seeks to provide a better understanding of women's experiences in the early twentieth century and to better understand and appreciate the unruly and boundary-breaking women who have ... [Read More]

Three Amigos (DVD)The Three Amigos are a silent screen comedy act whose act has seen better days. But when they find themselves in a small Mexican hamlet terrorized by bandits, the time has come for the Three Amigos to play their roles for real in this hilarious all-star comedy.]]>

Veit Harlan (1899–1964) was one of Germany's most controversial and loathed directors. After studying with theatre and film pioneer Max Reinhardt and beginning a promising career, he became one of Joseph Goebbels's leading filmmakers under the National Socialist regime. Harlan's Jud Süss (Jew Suss, 1940), in particular, stands as one of the most artistically distinct and morally reprehensible films produced by the Third Reich. His involvement with this movie has led to many critical questions: Was the director truly forced to make the film under penalty of death? Is anti-Semitism a theme in his other productions? Can and should his work be studied in light of the horrors of Nazism and the Holocaust?The first English-language biography of the notorious director, Veit Harlan presents an in-depth portrait of the man who is arguably the only Nazi filmmaker with a distinct authorial style and body of work. Author Frank Noack reveals that both Harlan's life and work were marked by creative vision, startling ambiguities, and deep moral flaws. His meticulously detailed study explores the director's influence on German cinema and places his work within the contexts of World War II and fi... [Read More]

How Hollywood Does It is a look at the history, techniques, movements and people who create the magic of motion pictures. Mise-en-scene looks at how filmmakers make decisions about what is put before the camera. It includes costumes, props, set design, positioning of actors and much more. Mise en scène is a term that refers to all visual elements that appear within each frame of a motion picture. Without various features of mise en scène, a moving picture would consist of only a series of flickering black or light-infused frames, since even a colored screen would provide visual information that some might consider an element of mise en scène. A French phrase which translates roughly as “placed on stage, ”mise en scène” is a broad concept often difficult to define for film because it only exists when considering a combination of elements within the frame or camera’s eye. Basically, anything to be filmed—the setting, the costumes and make-up, the movement, facial expression, and position of actors on screen, and some elements of lighting—is considered mise en scène. The concept of mise en scène for film shares a lot with theater production in that props, sets and bl... [Read More]

John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Cary Elwes. It's a vampire flick to die for! Acclaimed Expressionist filmmaker F.W. Murnau hires method actor Max Schreck to play Count Orlock for the film Nosferatu in this devlish, fictionalization of events. 2000/color-b&w/91 min/R/widescreen.

Includes 1920s Star Costume, Black, with Jacket, Trousers, Mock Waistcoat and Tie. Please note that all our Smiffys products will always come in full Smiffys branded packaging.

Mens Charlie Chaplin costume: play the part in this black and white Charlie Chaplin costume! An icon of the Silent film era, This instantly recognizable character outfit is perfect for costume parties and Halloween. Fun Shack - brought to you by Fun Shack, we supply hundreds of unique costume designs in various sizes to suit every occasion! Whatever outfit you decide on, you can buy from us with confidence, knowing that you will receive a high quality and exceptional outfit. Returns - all of our costumes come with our famous no-quibble, 30-day money back guarantee! Simply follow the returns process outlined by amazon and one of our colleagues at amazon will handle your return from start to finish. All that we ask is that you return the costume in saleable conditions with all of the outer packaging and tags enclosed.

This black sequin mini dress has fringe details, pearl necklace and black feather boa. Comes with flapper headband and

Who feels like always making conversation at parties anyway? Step back to the 1920s. Become a silent movie star like Charlie Chaplin in the Silent Movie Star