Author Archive: Retro

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.

After killing her treacherous step-father, a girl tries to escape the country with a young vagabond. She dresses as a boy, they hop freight trains, quarrel with a group of hobos, and steal a car in their attempt to escape the police, and reach Canada.

Cecil B. DeMille epic: biblical Exodus story and modern morality tale.

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.

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.

Railroad tycoon sends his cowboy-obsessed son Fairbanks to the West to check on a railroad deal and cure him of his preoccupation, but Doug soon finds himself in the middle of train holdups, Indian raids and kidnappings; there’s even a heroine named Nell!. Written by Anita Loos and Horace P. Carpenter.

Valentino as a Russian Robin Hood is out to avenge the murder of his father and to outwit the Czarina. Young Cossack lieutenant becomes the masked “Black Eagle” to avenge his father’s murder. Delightful romantic costume picture is referred to by some as one of Valentino’s finest performances. Based on a story by Alexander Pushkin. Original music score by Blaine L. Gale. Dir. Clarence Brown