Unidentified Sid Smith

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Richard M Roberts
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Unidentified Sid Smith

Postby Richard M Roberts » Wed Dec 17, 2014 8:30 am

Hey Gang, get a look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ0jHFx ... L&index=36

This looks like a Joe Rock Blue Ribbon Comedy, with Sid Smith, Alice Ardell, Martin Kinney, Harry Martel, and Leo Sulky, definitely shot on the Universal lot (nice use of the HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME sets), but what is the title? The only Blue Ribbon I know Sid Smith appears in with Ardell is ALICE BLUES (1926), but I can't find a review or plot synopsis. Or is this one of the other Blue Ribbons like THE HURRICANE or BLACK AND BLUE EYES that i can't dig up who the male comedian was on it? Or is it something else entirely?


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Steve Rydzewski
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Re: Unidentified Sid Smith

Postby Steve Rydzewski » Wed Dec 17, 2014 7:13 pm

Also saw Alfred Hewston (or Houston) in this short, Richard.

Could it be one of Sid's Sava or Tennek Comedies?

SteveR

Richard M Roberts
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Re: Unidentified Sid Smith

Postby Richard M Roberts » Wed Dec 17, 2014 8:04 pm

Steve Rydzewski wrote:Also saw Alfred Hewston (or Houston) in this short, Richard.

Could it be one of Sid's Sava or Tennek Comedies?

SteveR



Unlikely if the gal is Alice Ardell (which I'm not completely positive, but it sure looks like her), though I'd like to see a plot summary on THE BANANA KING (Sava 1926).

Did Sid Smith ever actually make any comedies for Tennek? You know, I've always gotten the feeling that Tennek and Sava were part of the same thing, certainly when they were both listing the same Gene "Fatty" Layman-Charles Dorety and Hank Mann comedies in the trades. Are there any Tennek titles definitely known to star Sid Smith, and are there any more than four Sava Comedies with Sid Smith? Did Jesse Goldburg get taken over by Gene Layman or visa-versa, but it all seemed to be part of the same fly-by-night operation.

Joe Rock was filming all his Standard Cinema Comedies at Universal, so that makes sense with the HUNCHBACK sets, as does Martin Kinney and Harry Martel (though both freelanced many places, including Universal).


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Tommie Hicks
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Re: Unidentified Sid Smith

Postby Tommie Hicks » Thu Dec 18, 2014 2:29 pm

I'm pretty sure this is a Rock film and that is Alice. Joe Rock at this time was recruiting old time comedy stars like Slim Summerville, Lee Moran, Chester Conklin and Joe himself to support her in her early films with Rock. I think I see Jack Richardson in this also.

Tenneck and Sava are the same company. I saw a press release stating that Tenneck had signed Cheste Conklin and Slim Summerville though the latter may have been signed as a director. The only Tenneck stars that I have been able to confirm is Dorety and Layman. I have seen no promotional material with Smith and Tennick and Sava.

I have been trying to compile a career schematic for Sid. I have heard some opine that Sid Smith "fell" to Pizor. But I am convinced that Smith's associations with Grand Asher, Pizor, and possibly Tenneck was so he could utilize his Sid Smith Production Company. When that company dried up in 1926 Smith was quickly snatched up by Fox and Christie.

Steve Massa has found out that Sid's parents were deaf. Sid Smith lies in an unmarked grave in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery one row over from the unmarked grave of one time co-worker Frank Alexander.

Steve Rydzewski
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Re: Unidentified Sid Smith

Postby Steve Rydzewski » Fri Dec 19, 2014 4:19 pm

Well, if the clip is a Pizor, I guess we can probably eliminate these three titles:

Image

Image

Image

Posters from the collection of our friend, Mr. Bertie Wooster. Pretty effective posters for only two colors!

– SteveR

William Ferry
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Re: Unidentified Sid Smith

Postby William Ferry » Fri Dec 19, 2014 8:21 pm

Hi gang,

I did a little detective work - I think this is a print with Danish titles. I think the title may be KING FOR A DAY, if that helps. Here's a link with some more info:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... 685727.ogv

Richard M Roberts
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Re: Unidentified Sid Smith

Postby Richard M Roberts » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:52 am

William Ferry wrote:Hi gang,

I did a little detective work - I think this is a print with Danish titles. I think the title may be KING FOR A DAY, if that helps. Here's a link with some more info:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... 685727.ogv



Thanks for the detective work William, but that is just the Eye Institute information they gleaned from the print, and sadly, most of it is wrong. Yes, EEN DAG KOENIG translates into "The One-Day King" or "King For A Day", but there is no title that we know of like that that corresponds to a Sid Smith title. The film cannot possibly be made in 1920, due to the HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME sets being used, and, the Eye Institute originally listed Sid Smith as being Raymond Griffith.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

William Ferry
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Re: Unidentified Sid Smith

Postby William Ferry » Fri Dec 26, 2014 7:02 pm

Derp! Well, this goes to show why I haven't written any books on silent comedies! Thanks for the clarification, chief! :)


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