Author Archive: Retro

When a bottle of hair tonic renders him bald, Jimmie is mistaken for a famous French beautician and is called upon to demonstrate his skills.

A disfigured young woman with two beautiful sisters is courted by a blind man. Will he still love her when his sight is restored?

Bess True’s father wants her to marry a real man, but Bess prefers Bobby Ray, who must fight boxer Glen Cavender in this standard but funny short comedy.It’s a common enough type of story for short comedy in this era, but Ray, who had become a screen comic in 1915 as “Alkilai Ike, Jr.” and who would later become a second unit director, is more than up to the challenge. While fans of silent comedy will recognize a lot of gags and locales that many other comedies used (I must have seen a hundred comedies in which some one gets tossed over that cliff by the ocean), Bobby Ray’s mild but game character and Cavender’s tough handle the gags very well. In addition, fans will be pleased to see Pete the Pup in an early role.

This picture is intended to portray the evil of the gangster in New York. The first scene shows New York’s other side. The poor musician is engaged to be married to a young woman and leaves for another city to accept an engagement whereby to improve his condition monetarily.While he is away the little one is forced to work at sewing to support her invalid mother and herself. Later on, in going to deliver some of her work, she meets “Snapper Kid” who is the chief of one faction of the gangsters of Pig Alley in the slum quarters. There are two factions of these gangsters. Like the musketeers of old, they go about, each side alert that they will not be taken unawares by the other. About this time the little girl’s mother dies and she finds herself alone, but the musician returns with replenished purse to become the protector of the little orphan. [...]

Pietro “Beppo” Donnetti, a happy young gondolier, is in love with Annette Ancello, daughter of Trudo Ancello. Roberto Gallia, a wealthy merchant, is also in love with her. Roberto is a dilapidated old dandy at whom Annette laughs. Her father, however, gives Pietro a year to make good and furnish Annette with a home and, if at the end of the year, he can not do it, Annette’s hand is to be given to Roberto. The latter, hoping to get rid of Beppo, tells him of all the advantages and wonders in America for an immigrant, and, fired with ambition, Beppo sails for America, There, he opens a bootblack stand and, within a year, is able to send for Annette. They marry and a year late a son is born and is the joy of Beppo’s life. But during an intense heat wave that hits New York City, the child is taken ill and the [...]

“The Little Pest” is an enjoyable little silent comedy starring Neely Edwards. In many ways, it’s like a Charley Chase short–and Neely looks a bit like him. The film begins with a newlywed couple getting a visit from her obnoxious family. They ask if they can leave their little boy with them for a while and they agree–not knowing that the child is a pest. Throughout the rest of the day, the boy destroys everything, is very rude and blames it all on his new uncle.

The story of Ireland and her fight for Home Rule, as seen through the experiences of Father Tom Murphy, a patriot with a price on his head, and the famous Irish leader Robert Emmet.