Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden this week announced the annual selection of 25 films into the Library of Congress National Film Registry. Films are selected based on their cultural, historic and/or aesthetic importance, and must be at least 10 years old. The 2021 National Film Registry represents one of the most diverse collections … [Read more…]
Take a virtual tour of Jacksonville’s historic silent film studio complex with Norman Studios Vice President Barbara Wingo…
Meet David Norman, the grandson of filmmaker and inventor Richard Norman, on Sunday, August 11, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., as part of the Meet the Inventor Series at the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville. As an added bonus on the same day at 5 p.m. there will be an encore … [Read more…]
An exhibit entitled “Norman Studios presents The Flying Ace at the Cade” will open at the Cade Museum in Gainesville, Florida on June 14. The exhibition explores the career of Richard Norman, Jr., the founder of Norman Studios, as a producer of home talent and other local motions pictures and as a major producer of … [Read more…]
By Barbara Wingo Gene Gauntier (born Eugenia Gauntier Liggett) began working in films for the Kalem Company in 1907. She acted in and wrote scenarios for numerous films, including the first motion picture version of Ben-Hur (1907), which was not only a great success, but also gave rise to a landmark United States Supreme Court … [Read more…]
By Mitch Hemann Just when the silent era was beginning to wind down, and “talkies” were about to become all the rage, William Wellman’s big budget war picture Wings (1927) flew into movie houses across the country, dazzling audiences wherever it landed. It is a stunning masterwork of cinema that is regarded even today as … [Read more…]
By Mitch Hemann Harold Lloyd’s final silent film, Speedy (1928), is arguably some of his finest work. In this delightful comedy, Lloyd plays a hapless, bespectacled fellow who loves baseball almost as much as he loves his girlfriend, Jane (Ann Christy). Much to Jane’s dismay, his passion for the game prevents him from keeping a … [Read more…]
By Mitch Hemann Jeff Gardner is an archaeologist living in Jacksonville’s historic Springfield neighborhood. Recently retired, he’s been able to pursue many passion projects. One such project is a book he’s preparing on a long forgotten star of the silent era who lived right here in Jacksonville. Jeff will be presenting his research along with … [Read more…]
By Mitch Hemann Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès was born on December 8, 1861, in Paris France. His father, Jean-Louis-Stanislas Méliès, was a shoe maker, and by the time Georges came along he had a successful business and amassed a bit of wealth. From the start, Georges had a very active imagination and was quite creative. His father, … [Read more…]
By Mitch Hemann By the 1920s, Hollywood had seen many stars. Funny men like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton made us laugh, starlets like Mary Pickford and Lillian Gish drove men crazy, and debonair gentlemen like Douglas Fairbanks made women swoon. But nobody was prepared for Valentino. Born on May 6, 1895 in Castellaneta Italy, … [Read more…]