THEIR LAST HAUL (L-Ko, 1915)

[Rob Farr]

Courtesy of Joseph Blough, here is a reel from a rare L-Ko from the BFI starring Alice Howell, Hank Mann, and Francis McDonald. David Denton has informed us that it is not Wallace McDonald appearing in this film, but Francis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEgcrYg993c&t=24s

[Richard M Roberts]

It's great seeing Francis McDonald doing comedy, did he do many more L-KO's? He's one of the most familiar and ubiquitous faces in films from the teens to the sixties, but usually in straight parts (and when he got older, he seemed to have a line in playing derelicts, I guess that's what being married to Mae Busch will do to you).

The imd(um)b doesn't list any more L-KO for him, but what do they know, they say it's Wallace McDonald in this film anyway.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Robert Moulton]

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 there looks to be an elevated structure on the roof with a much smaller footprint than the rest of the roof. I'd guess this rooftop location was chosen so that the smaller structure could be used in the standard way to give a greater illusion of danger.



<I've flipped the frame grab to show the rooftop signage better lining up with the still photo>

[John Bengtson]

Wow - thank you for solving this Robert! I studied the sign but hadn't yet figured it out. Here's the sign from Safety Last!

[Robert Moulton]

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