Napoleon vu par Abel Gance

The countdown has begun and I've been remiss in tooting the horn about this exciting event.

In recent news, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival announced that Turner Classic Movies (TCM) have become a sponsor of this exciting event.  They've also released a beautiful poster for the event (which will soon be available for purchase - yay).

If you've not yet seen the trailer, here it is again!

Makes the mouth water, doesn't it?

Presented as a grand epic silent film should be seen, this is a not to be missed event.  The Oakland Paramount is a splendid venue, a full orchestra conducted by the composer Carl Davis and the film itself painstakingly restored by Kevin Brownlow and Photoplay Productions, it's going to be glorious.

I'm especially looking forward to meeting so many silent film affcionados from across the globe.  Many have only "met" online and it will be fun to gather, toast and share a great experience.

Tickets can be ordered here.  Don't miss out, this is an epic event!

The Thin Man in San Francisco - February 21, 2012 Event

Emily Leider, author of MYRNA LOY: THE ONLY GOOD GIRL IN HOLLYWOOD will show movie clips and give a talk on February 21, 2012 at 7:30 at the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco.

NICK AND NORA’S SAN FRANCISCO

on February 21, 2012

7:30 PM; reception prior at 7:00

San Francisco Jewish Community Center

Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center
3200 California Street, San Francisco

Presented by the San Francisco Historical Society and Museum

SF Historical Society Members: Free
Non-Member Tickets: $5.00

“Nick and Nora’s San Francisco” will focus on three figures: Dashiell Hammett, the former Pinkerton detective and San Francisco resident who wrote THE THIN MAN and created the sleuthing characters Nick and Nora Charles; actor William Powell, who played Nick in the 1934 MGM movie version, which spawned five sequels; and Myrna Loy, the actress who portrayed Nora in all six Thin Man films. Illustrated with film clips and photographs, Leider will discuss Hammett’s relationship with Nick, Nora and San Francisco, and the experiences of Powell and Loy in San Francisco while filming AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936) and SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (1941), the two Thin Man movies actually shot (in part) in San Francisco. Leider will touch on San Francisco’s reputation as a “wet” city during Prohibition, and on the impact of Repeal in 1933 on the audience for THE THIN MAN.

Your's truly will be there, no bones about it.

William Desmond Taylor

February 1, 2012 will be the 90th anniversary of the unsolved murder of William Desmond Taylor.   Interest in the Taylor case has spawned several books (or varying quality) and Bruce Long's excellent and incredibly thorough and informative site (http://www.taylorology.com/).  Bruce has also authored William Desmond Taylor: A Dossier.

There is a new (to me) website/blog for the forthcoming documentary/docu-drama.  Here's the poop from the website:

Who Killed Bill?’, a drama-documentary on the life and murder of Hollywood Silent Era director, William Desmond Taylor, will air on Newstalk on Saturday May 12 & 13, 2012.

Born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner in Carlow, Ireland, Taylor had an extraordinary life prior to his arrival in a burgeoning Hollywood. Taylor went on to become Head of Production at Players-Lasky (Paramount) Studios and direct over 60 movies before he was murdered under mysterious circumstances at the age of 49. His unsolved murder would have cataclysmic repercussions for the industry.

‘Who Killed Bill?’, written & directed by Marc-Ivan O’Gorman, dramatises the events that occurred immediately after the discovery of his body in his home in Los Angeles. It also features interviews from Hollywood history experts such as, Marc Wannamaker and Kevin Brownlow.

Having recently seen one of Taylor's rare extant silents, it's a real pity his demise and the mystery surrounding it have overshadowed a man who was quite a fine director. 

Happily, if you're in Ireland in May 2012, there will be Taylorfest to look forward to.

William Desmond Taylor was an immensely successful Hollywood actor & director of the Silent Era. He acted in 27 movies, directed over 60, and, at the time of his death, was the head of production at Paramount Studios.

2012 is the 140^th anniversary of his birth and to celebrate the occasion, Taylorfest (May 18-20) presents, in his hometown of Carlow, a selection of his classic films, performances of scenes from his extraordinary life, talks from world experts, celebrity appearances and much more.

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