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Here's Charley at the premiere of The Divine Lady on January 29, 1929: https://youtu.be/vwk0kwETsYI?si=ybyaLzDp6Ze0VyKb&t=886 Is that his wife, Bebe, on Charley's left in the fur stole? I'm not recognizing the woman on his right but figure if she's identifiable, the people here are the ones to d...

John - You can definitely see the second structure on top of the roof in your photos.

I figured out the location by pulling up the 1923 city directory and reading thru the list of hotels till there was one with SSLY in the name

Putting on my John Bengtson hat it looks like the rooftop sequences were shot atop the Hotel Rosslyn at West 5th St and Main. In some of the shots you can also see signage for the Hotel Stowell one block away to the North East at 4th St and South Spring. If you look carefully at the still photo ther...

I came across this Feb 13, 1914 Los Angeles Express article quite by chance: https://i.ibb.co/pLmp4ck/Los-Angeles-Express-Fri-Feb-13-1914-p-22.jpg I think the film in question is A Film Johnnie, even though the fire at the end of that film seems quite tepid. Olivedale was a new housing development b...

Looks like his act was about 12 minutes of monologue followed by 5 minutes of more physical comedy at the piano(s).

This Variety review from Sep 13, 1918:
https://ibb.co/KDd3xPD

and this from Nov 29 the same year:
https://ibb.co/ypBLnKj

I love Bengtsoning too! Looks like the jump off the building at 26:10 was filmed at the former Security Bank Building at 6385 Hollywood Boulevard. The building still stands and can be viewed on Google Maps. Here's a contemporary view. https://calisphere.org/crop/999x999/58790d54be3f91cdb1b053ec2c534...

Page 269 of WC Fields by Himself reproduces a letter from Fields to Sennett (Dec 18, 1932) in which he discusses his reasons for declining to appear in the film. He objects to the addition of an 'indelicate' Castor Oil sequence and also notes: When I have the stage all set for a Fields picture and y...

Here's three more gems from the brothers. The one from April 1929 is listed as not from Animal Crackers, but from Keith-Albee Vaudeville. That's because Animal Crackers had closed on Broadway on April 06 and starting April 13 they were touring in Scenes from Animal Crackers. Also interesting to note...

Ed's series of Broadway comics reminded me of when I found this (dated October 06, 1928).

Prepare to be amused and learn Physical Culture at the same time.



Click on image for full size.

Watching How to Make Movies recently I noticed in the background some sort of contraption with what look like two large white sheets on it. Does anyone know what its function is? My guess it something to assist with lighting. <I've asked this question in other forums but no one seems to know> https:...