Author Archive: Retro

Vegetarian health food tycoon is embarassed by his carnivorous son, and states that junior must get his picture in the paper before he can receive a half interest in the business and marry his true love. Written by John Emerson and Anita Loos. Dir. L. Frank Baum.

Lowly clerk in a New York button factory takes up the philosophy that a person may have anything he wants if he concentrates on it. This costs him his job, but he soon finds he has been proclaimed King in the country of Vulgaria. Written by Anita Loos and John Emerson. Dir. Edmund Goulding.

Wealthy man is charmed by dancer, and takes a job as a bouncer in the bar where she works. Dir. Arthur Dreifuss.

Bespectacled wimp is hijacked as a prank by several members of a diamond smuggler’s gang, and is believed to be a spy by the gang’s leader. Supervised and Produced by Douglas Fairbanks.

In a South American country, Fairbanks is arrested by a tyranical politician, and finds he must lead a jailbreak to free the country’s president and his beautiful daughter from the dungeons and restore political stability. Written by Anita Loos and John Emerson. Dir. Edgar G. Ulmer.

Buster Keaton stars in this two-reel comedy as the captive of hostile Indians. His captors tie him to a stake and prepare him for death by fire. Keaton moves with the stake as the Indians try frantically to place the firewood around him. When he survives the flames due to his fire-resistant clothes, Keaton is made a member of the tribe and named Little Chief Paleface. He then foils the scheme of unsavory oil speculators to steal the land from his Indian companions.

Shy, nerdy university student becomes a sports star to impress a girl with an eye for athletes.

City-educated college student returns home and must earn the respect of his father, a country-bred, no-nonsense riverboat owner who is embarassed by his son.

Keaton’s first feature film is a parody of Griffith’s “Intolerance” as he searches for true love in prehistoric, ancient and modern times. Dir. Buster Keaton.