#talkies
This Day in Buster…May 5, 1915
Alice Faye, of “Hollywood Cavalcade,” 1939 is born. Buster Keaton has got a little present for you, Alice - hope you like it!
This Day in Buster…May 3, 1935
Goody, goody gun drops! “Tars and Stripes" is released by Educational Pictures.
This Day in Buster…April 24, 1932
“Sidewalks of New York,” with the title "New Yorkin katupoikia,” meaning “New York Street Boys,” opens in Finland. When Buster Keaton ends up at the mercy of gangsters, those street boys come to the rescue!
This Day in Buster…April 18, 1930
“Free And Easy” opens in New York City, but it looks like Buster Keaton was having difficulty getting in to see it!
His name in the credits is as synonymous with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as hearing Leo the Lion roar before a film. Douglas Shearer was MGM’s head sound designer and recording director. By some, Douglas Shearer could simply be reduced to the brother of actress Norma Shearer. He moved to Los Angeles from Canada to join his mother and two sisters (after not seeing them for four years). Norma became not only one of MGM’s movie queens but one of the biggest global stars of the 1930s.
The transition from silent to talking pictures was an uncertain time in Hollywood. Shearer, an engineer by trade, muscled his way in and with his significant inventions, transformed talking pictures and filmmaking. “During his more than 40 years with MGM, he contributed more than any other man in Hollywood to the perfection of motion picture sound,” said writer and filmmaker, Ephraim Katz. But Douglas paved his own way and was conscious of the implications of nepotism. He went so far as living by himself away from his family, making a point that he was not connected to Norma. He didn’t need Norma’s star power, though it probably didn’t hurt in making initial connections.
Shearer’s first job in Hollywood was in the prop room, where he called himself “assistant animal guy,” as he wrangled several pigeons, cows, chickens and pigs, according to film historian Gavin Lambert. While working with the livestock, it was the discussion of sound that peaked Shearer’s interest. He pitched an experiment to MGM of adding sound to a film trailer, and in turn, was given a job in special effects at MGM. “I had enough background in industrial plants and mechanicals so that I thought the competition wouldn’t be too tough,” Lambert quotes Shearer.
By 1928, Shearer was the head of MGM’s sound department — a position he held for 40 years. “Overnight, I was the one-man sound department,” Lambert quotes Shearer. MGM was the last major studio to make the conversion to sound, and they relied heavily on Shearer. He visited Bell Laboratories in New Jersey to study the latest equipment and hired a team.
With “more stars than there are in heaven,” MGM’s look was important, but so was its sound. “Douglas gave it a clarity and spaciousness unequalled at the time,” Lambert wrote. But Shearer didn’t just learn how to produce sound in the early days, he had to eliminate extraneous sounds. The cameras of the late-1920s were loud, so his team developed a quieter camera. He also faced issues of microphone placement, which was solved by creating a moving microphone on the boom to move with the actors, according to film historian Charles Foster.
Shearer created other innovations that became industry standards and landmarks, such as:
- The first lion’s roar that was heard behind the MGM logo.
- Shearer suggested synchronized singing with already recorded music for THE BROADWAY MELODY (’29), which became standard procedure with the playback system.
- He electronically created Tarzan’s famous yell.
- Shearer was able to “retouch” singing. For example, he would adjust the soundtrack frame by frame if a singer like Jeanette MacDonald went flat in the high-note range.
With a total of 14 Academy Awards, Shearer was awarded seven competitive awards from 1930 to 1958, ranging from Best Sound, Recording to Best Special Effect and seven others for technical and scientific achievements. He received the award for Best Sound the first year it was introduced for the film THE BIG HOUSE (’30).
Always innovative, Shearer’s projects took him outside of sound as well. He developed an improved system of color process photography. He also worked on the 65mm big screen look for BEN-HUR (’59).
During World War II, he took a hiatus from films to help the government. Shearer helped with the research and development of radar and devices that determine when and where nuclear explosions take place, according to his New York Times 1971 obituary. When President Roosevelt offered Shearer a civilian award for his work, this was one accolade he declined. “I didn’t do it for the personal glory,” Shearer told Roosevelt. “I did it to help save lives and get the war over and done with.”
Though Shearer is considered by many one of the most influential figures of Hollywood history, it’s those in front of the camera, like his sister Norma, that are better remembered today. In a 1963 interview, actor Spencer Tracy noted that Shearer was the only person he knew to have a plethora of Academy Awards and to never be seen on screen. “He has made many stars by his achievements … I wonder where I would have been today if it wasn’t for the genius of this man,” Tracy said. “He is a star himself, but he will never admit it.”
The Star
Born into show business, Dolores Costello’s parents, Maurice and Mae, were both performers on stage and in early films for Vitagraph. Dolores had multiple credits in Vitagraph films before she even celebrated her tenth birthday. In fact, I’ve already covered one of Dolores’ early films on this blog, as part of my Christmas movie throwback list.
As Dolores and her sister Helene aged out of child roles, they hopped over to New York and worked as models and on stage for Florenz Ziegfeld. Famed Broadway producer Ziegfeld ran a series of very successful revues on Broadway featuring showgirls who exemplified a specific brand of free-wheeling, vigorous femininity. Such was their popularity that the nickname “Ziegfeld girl” had nationwide recognition. Many Ziegfeld girls found success on film – Dolores and Helene were brought back to the movie business by Warner Brothers. After some minor roles, Dolores was picked by John Barrymore to star alongside him in The Sea Beast (1926), which was loosely inspired by the novel Moby-Dick. Dolores’ star rose dramatically over the next few years and she would marry Barrymore in 1928.
The Cosplay
When I originally saw these portraits of Costello, I immediately wanted to recreate them in closet cosplay. But, even now, I haven’t been able to definitively pinpoint when they were taken or if they were taken to promote a specific film. Based on her styling, I reckon they were likely shot around 1928-29. Then I came across an uncited suggestion that they were taken during the production of Noah’s Ark (1928). So, I watched it and the assumption seems probable. I did not intend to make this a post about a movie, but Noah’s Ark is so interesting, I couldn’t help myself!
The Film
Noah’s Ark is fascinating. It stands firmly between the silent and sound eras. Darryl F. Zanuck conceived the film as a dual story: a World War I romance tale and a creative retelling of the story of Noah from the book of Genesis. Originally planned as a fully-silent epic, the production of Noah’s Ark was extended due to the emergence of talkies. Sound segments were filmed making Noah’s Ark one of many hybrid films made in this transitional period. Though it was released at the end of Hollywood’s sound/silent hybrid cycle, it was a big box office success.
The film begins with a preface likening biblical stories to contemporary life, easing the viewer into the mirrored story of the flood/WWI. The story commences with our cast of characters on a train traveling through Europe, carrying a very international crowd. We meet two all-American types, Travis (George O’Brien) and Al (Guinn “Big Boy” Williams), a German showgirl, Marie (Costello), a minister (Paul McAllister), and a Russian intelligence agent, Nickoloff (Noah Beery). The train is violently derailed over a bridge, but Travis and Al manage to save Marie and end up at a local inn with other survivors, including Nikoloff. Travis saves Marie once more that night, as Nickoloff sneaks into her room with ill intent. At the same time, soldiers arrive at the inn announcing that war has broken out.
Later, in Paris, Marie and Travis have fallen in love and marry, while Al enlists in the army. Travis finds it hard to say goodbye to his good friend and gets swept up when he sees Al marching away. Travis quickly joins up too, leaving Marie to fend for herself–a German citizen stuck in France in the middle of the war(!!!). All three lose touch. In a heart-wrenching turn of events, when Al and Travis by chance end up in the same trench together, the chaos of the battlefield leads Travis to accidentally kill Al with a grenade. Back in the city, Marie has resumed working as a showgirl where she is recognized by Nickoloff, who has her arrested as a German spy. Nickoloff plants evidence on her and uses his influence to ensure that she gets the firing squad. In another chance encounter, one of the military men assigned to carry out the execution is Travis, who immediately attempts to stop the execution. At that moment, however, a German attack buries the whole lot of them under a ton of rubble. As they sit without much hope of survival, the minister (the same one from the train), recounts the story of the flood.
Noah (McAllister) lives in a kingdom ruled by King Nephilim (Beery) who worships a god called Jaghuth. God warns Noah of the oncoming flood and Noah has his sons begin constructing a massive ark. One of Noah’s sons, Japheth (O’Brien), is in love with their servant girl, Miriam (Costello). King Nephilim plans to sacrifice Miriam and kidnaps her. When Japheth tries to save Miriam, he is captured, blinded, and forced into hard labor. The flood comes suddenly just as Miriam is about to be killed. Japheth manages to escape his chains and his sight is restored divinely. He finds Miriam and the two make their way to the ark. Meanwhile, a whole menagerie of animals also make their way to the ark while masses of people are battered by waves and washed away.
Returning to the 1910s, the people buried under the rubble are rescued and learn that the armistice is signed and the war is over.
READ MORE below the jump!
The production of this film was a massive undertaking. All of the special effects are dazzling. The compositing, miniature work, and matte paintings all really stood out to me. Now, the flood sequences were a lot to take in. It’s been reported that some stunt performers were killed filming these scenes and many were badly injured. I managed to track down five different books that report this, all with slightly different accounts. However, none of them cite a source for this information, so I’m not sure how much of it is apocryphal. Regardless, it’s easy to believe. Many of the shots of the flood waters bombarding these extras are wide shots with lots of people and lots of water. Trying to film those shots while adequately monitoring the safety of all performers seems likely impossible. (One reason we should be very grateful for CG nowadays IMO.)
I’d honestly recommend this movie broadly because its excess alone is remarkable and the dual-story format is entertainingly strange. However, watching this on the other side of the Second World War makes the hopeful ending totally gut wrenching.
Also, the relationship between Al and Travis is so so so queer. O’Brien and Williams have a lot more chemistry together than O’Brien and Costello. But, honestly, that chemistry imbalance actually makes the 1910s section more interesting.
Despite the film’s extended production, it made a very tidy profit. While Costello’s films during the silent/sound transition were popular, she had a minor speech impediment that made the process bumpy for her. And so, a few years later, Costello chose to retire to focus on raising her children. After divorcing Barrymore, Costello made a strong, but unfortunately short comeback to films. Thankfully, before her re-retirement in the 1940s, we all got her wonderful turn in The Magnificent Ambersons(1942).
Dolores Costello, for me, represents a kind of sehnsucht. The fits and starts of her career gave us captivating glimpses at what could have been a full and ranging filmography, but never came to fruition. Noah’s Ark is one of those glimpses. The gravity of Marie’s situation settling on to her is so effectively communicated through Costello’s face and body language–all of the uncertainty, anxiety, abandonment–that little needs to be made explicit in the 1910s section. What a gift she had!
This photo of Myrna Loy from the October 1928 issue of Motion Picture Magazine!
Caption text: “Real estate values in Chicago–particularly in the downtown districts–are expected soon to rise as suddenly as indiscreet politicians. For Myrna Loy is schedules next to appear in the title role of ‘State Street Sadie’”
TheOur Gang kids line up for a publicity photo. Probably taken during production of “The First Seven Years”, which was in production October 28 through November 16, 1929. The finished film was released March 01, 1930.
(seen left to right are: Bobby ‘Wheezer’ Hutchins, Mary Ann Jackson, Jackie Cooper, Allen 'Farina’ Hoskins & Norman 'Chubby’ Chaney)
guys i have to tell you i REALLY wanna put a zine together of my tlou art (and put some exclusives in there) and sell physical copies because i think it’d be fun
quick thing re: commissions - so sorry to everyone who filled out the form and hasn’t gotten a response back, I never got notifications for your responses! it’s been a very busy stretch of time for me due to schoolwork obligations, and i’ll be emailing u guys back, from now it would be best to email me at [email protected] whenever you submit your form, just to make sure i know!!
also if i don’t respond for a long time to something you’ve sent, whether that’s an email or invoice, PLEASE let me know through email or dms on here!
quick thing re: commissions - so sorry to everyone who filled out the form and hasn’t gotten a response back, I never got notifications for your responses! it’s been a very busy stretch of time for me due to schoolwork obligations, and i’ll be emailing u guys back, from now it would be best to email me at [email protected] whenever you submit your form, just to make sure i know!!
ALT
ALT
ALTinfini’s 2022 commissions!!!!!!!!! helpful links:
google form for easily contacting me
kofi (for tipping me or for buying adopts i have up)
help a nonbinary asian artist out! boosts are, as always, appreciated ✌!!! thank you!!!!!!!
It’s all done with smoke & mirrors - well, in this case, a sheet of glass in this imaginative interlude in ‘The Gold Ghost’, 1934. Placed in front of the camera lens & angled just so, it would reflect players otherwise out of sight on the set. Smart shooting ;)
In true ADHD fashion I have been subscribed to the dracula daily mails since May, and have still, not read a thing.
I’ve been getting a lot of random notifications on other older art pieces and I just wanted to say… thank you! For both the support and reminding me of how far I’ve come.
I’m still experiencing wrist pains and it’s been really frustrating to be unable to draw with the pain coming and going and like,, not really improving a whole lot. And idk… Art just means so much to me, I guess I started to feel like a pretty big failure for not being able to make anything, or at least not comfortably without repercussions.
So like… getting notifications on art pieces I made in the past, ones I don’t even remember making and REALLY REALLY old pieces, made me feel a bit more accomplished and worthy of this forced break <:o) like Oh yeah! I drew those things! Cool! So thank you all for reminding me of all the art I’ve made and liking my stuff!! Even the 2017 stuff HAHA
Feeling a bit emotional writing the last Stone Flower chapter :’( It’s surreal thinking it’s like… the real Last One. This comic grew up during the two weirdest years of my life and now it’s coming to an end when I’m myself ending a lot of things in my life… I haven’t even started thumbnailing it, yet alone drawing it, I don’t even wanna imagine how it’s gonna be. You better watch out for this one!!!!
hey everyone :) currently working on good ol’ stone flower and thought id let you know that the comic is coming to an end!
after two years (yes, already!…) i think it’s time to end the story the way i planned it. the next page ill publish won’t be the last, im planning the last update to come out at the end of june/beginning of july. so yep, just letting you guys know that ton and rainer’s story is currently on its last arc! i hope you’ll enjoy the finale! im hoping the last issue will be a nice conclusion to the story and will probably be longer than usual. before the finale ill also do a little FAQ for closure, as i feel like as an artist i don’t really connect the way i should with everyone that reads me! :V
i also wanna say that stone flower is my first webcomic, but probably not my last… little story i didn’t really talk about anywhere online but : i tried to physically publish stone flower in my country back in october and it didn’t work out the way i wanted (the world of physical edition is a though one), so i’ll stick to digital formats for now. being a comic artist is a side gig as im actually more of an animator, but it’s still a dream of mine to tell stories, no matter how. really hoping you’ll stick around for the end of sf, and for my future stories too, who knows :)
To the person on tapas that mentionned alec secareanu looking like rainer…. your brain on this one ??? it’s literally him i can’t….
Post link
My cousin wants a death note but with how much he talking about killing people, I don’t really think it’s a good idea
I guess everything is good. None of us are dead or hacking up a lung. Still pissed and mildly convinced by my mother’s words, but hey thats trauma for you *continues to deflect thru comedy*
Haha this is why I don’t tell my parents anything, even if I’m in continous pain or feel sick. I just get called paranoid or that I’m being a hypochondriac or straight up told to shut up. Next time I’ll let mom mix the chemicals herself and not say shit ❤️
So I think I made chlorine gas because my mom told me to put bleach mixed with water with the piss smelling mops/bucket and according to Google, mixing bleach with urine makes chlorine gas, which i just looked up. My eyes started burning and I had to get out of the shower as quick as possible. No ventilation in the bathroom even if the vent wasnt taped off so idk what to do now. Thanks mom.
NO FOR REAL WHAT DO I DO THE VENT DOESNT WORK OUR ONE WINDOW IN THE LIVING ROOM DOES NOT OPEN DO I PUT A FAN IN FRONT OF THE BATHROOM DOOR AND OPEN THE FRONT DOOR AND CIRCULATE THAT SHIT IDK WHAT TO DO BRO
So I think I made chlorine gas because my mom told me to put bleach mixed with water with the piss smelling mops/bucket and according to Google, mixing bleach with urine makes chlorine gas, which i just looked up. My eyes started burning and I had to get out of the shower as quick as possible. No ventilation in the bathroom even if the vent wasnt taped off so idk what to do now. Thanks mom.
Hand drawn animation my beloved
I’m in a new area today just sweeping and omg its hell and heaven kshdjd like awesome cool great I don’t have to wipe tables today! Only sweep! But hrrrrrngh it’s fucking 93° and this area is HUGE compared to my regular area and the other area I work in in the evenings! I’ve had to take breaks between going up and going down, it’s so fucking hot and exhausting! And it’s only 5:11
Oh also a couple asked me if there was a unisex bathroom in my area today and when I politely said No, because there was not a unisex bathroom I did not know where the nearest family room was, they whispered very close to each other. And I got the feeling what they wanted that bathroom for.
MOM SAW AND KILLED A BLACK WIDOW TODAY OKAY GOODBYE IM OUT–
