Jamie
@vanjpes.bsky.social
Tired enthusiast. I write weird things. Mostly here to post about old television shows, films, comedy, books, and horror.
Rambles and tangents on culture here: https://arowofopengraves.co.uk/
Rambles and tangents on culture here: https://arowofopengraves.co.uk/
More Chaplin tonight: The Star Boarder (1914, dir George Nichols). A slight, but enjoyable farce which has Chaplin the focus of his landlady's awkward affections. Preferred at the boarding house, he gets special treatment. Her husband isnt so enamoured. Ends in a fight, of course.
November 24, 2025 at 10:54 PM
More Chaplin tonight: The Star Boarder (1914, dir George Nichols). A slight, but enjoyable farce which has Chaplin the focus of his landlady's awkward affections. Preferred at the boarding house, he gets special treatment. Her husband isnt so enamoured. Ends in a fight, of course.
Separated from his developing Tramp character, Chaplin gets to act (and *overact*, it's a farce after all) and it's a course correction after the pretty miserable His Favorite Pastime.
November 24, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Separated from his developing Tramp character, Chaplin gets to act (and *overact*, it's a farce after all) and it's a course correction after the pretty miserable His Favorite Pastime.
Next up in the Chaplin filmography: the pretty decent Cruel, Cruel Love (1914, dirs. George Nichols and Mack Sennett). Charlie (here no tramp but a well-heeled gentleman) gains and immediately loses a fiancée, becomes despondent, imagines himself in hell, and then everything ends in a wild fight.
November 24, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Next up in the Chaplin filmography: the pretty decent Cruel, Cruel Love (1914, dirs. George Nichols and Mack Sennett). Charlie (here no tramp but a well-heeled gentleman) gains and immediately loses a fiancée, becomes despondent, imagines himself in hell, and then everything ends in a wild fight.
Certainly deserves much better than the crappy copy I could find. Pacing is off throughout and yet still, it's a great mix of outlandish (in one instance offensive, FYI) characters, straight murder mystery and arch, purposefully overwrought black comedy. Tashman lays it on beautifully. A good time.
November 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Certainly deserves much better than the crappy copy I could find. Pacing is off throughout and yet still, it's a great mix of outlandish (in one instance offensive, FYI) characters, straight murder mystery and arch, purposefully overwrought black comedy. Tashman lays it on beautifully. A good time.
Murder by the Clock (1931, dir. Edward Sloman) is a macabre mystery that while not technically good (early talkie and it shows) is *huge* fun. Crypts, murders, an old dark house, hidden passages, fabulously fake cemeteries. And Lilyan Tashman having an absolute ball as the scheming Laura Endicott.
November 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Murder by the Clock (1931, dir. Edward Sloman) is a macabre mystery that while not technically good (early talkie and it shows) is *huge* fun. Crypts, murders, an old dark house, hidden passages, fabulously fake cemeteries. And Lilyan Tashman having an absolute ball as the scheming Laura Endicott.
It's Boris Karloff's birthday today (BOTD as William Henry Pratt in 1887), so here he is with some canine pals at home in 1936, just because
November 23, 2025 at 2:58 PM
It's Boris Karloff's birthday today (BOTD as William Henry Pratt in 1887), so here he is with some canine pals at home in 1936, just because
My occasional prod to say I wrote a book of short horror stories, and they're really fucking good (said by other people with inarguably exceptional taste)
Shitty people get what's coming to 'em. But also, cannibalism! Ghost children! Revenge! Grave robbing! You know, the fun stuff.
Links below
Shitty people get what's coming to 'em. But also, cannibalism! Ghost children! Revenge! Grave robbing! You know, the fun stuff.
Links below
November 23, 2025 at 11:02 AM
My occasional prod to say I wrote a book of short horror stories, and they're really fucking good (said by other people with inarguably exceptional taste)
Shitty people get what's coming to 'em. But also, cannibalism! Ghost children! Revenge! Grave robbing! You know, the fun stuff.
Links below
Shitty people get what's coming to 'em. But also, cannibalism! Ghost children! Revenge! Grave robbing! You know, the fun stuff.
Links below
The Unholy Three (1930, dir. Jack Conway) stars Lon Chaney in a sound remake of a film he made with Tod Browning 5 years before. A blackly comic crime melodrama, it was Chaney's only talkie before he passed away. What a loss to sound pictures, too: he's *fantastic* in it, the film itself great fun.
November 22, 2025 at 9:01 PM
The Unholy Three (1930, dir. Jack Conway) stars Lon Chaney in a sound remake of a film he made with Tod Browning 5 years before. A blackly comic crime melodrama, it was Chaney's only talkie before he passed away. What a loss to sound pictures, too: he's *fantastic* in it, the film itself great fun.
"It's alive! It's alive!" Happy birthday to Frankenstein (1931, dir. James Whale), which scared US box offices from this day in 1931
November 21, 2025 at 7:39 AM
"It's alive! It's alive!" Happy birthday to Frankenstein (1931, dir. James Whale), which scared US box offices from this day in 1931
The Troublesome Secretaries (1911, dir. Ralph Ince) is a very slight but charming, fun short in which John Bunny doesn't want his secretary falling in love with his daughter, played by Mabel Normand. His replacements don't work out, due to her meddling. Normand and Bunny work well together.
November 20, 2025 at 11:07 PM
The Troublesome Secretaries (1911, dir. Ralph Ince) is a very slight but charming, fun short in which John Bunny doesn't want his secretary falling in love with his daughter, played by Mabel Normand. His replacements don't work out, due to her meddling. Normand and Bunny work well together.
The Tyburn thing really suggests a revisit to The Creeping Flesh is needed
November 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
The Tyburn thing really suggests a revisit to The Creeping Flesh is needed
Billie Ritchie*: a music hall performer who also had a 'tramp' character in silents, starting in 1914...
Much of what made it into films was not new (like the drunken chaos of early Chaplin shorts). Abbott and Costello weren't the only act to do Who's on First?
*Born William Hill (for UK people)
Much of what made it into films was not new (like the drunken chaos of early Chaplin shorts). Abbott and Costello weren't the only act to do Who's on First?
*Born William Hill (for UK people)
November 20, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Billie Ritchie*: a music hall performer who also had a 'tramp' character in silents, starting in 1914...
Much of what made it into films was not new (like the drunken chaos of early Chaplin shorts). Abbott and Costello weren't the only act to do Who's on First?
*Born William Hill (for UK people)
Much of what made it into films was not new (like the drunken chaos of early Chaplin shorts). Abbott and Costello weren't the only act to do Who's on First?
*Born William Hill (for UK people)
Peggy Pearce plays opposite Chaplin in His Favorite Pastime. Not everyone had the career of Mabel Normand, so it's fun (for me, anyway) to have to hand a mammoth book like Slapstick Divas (Steve Massa), 600+ pages which seeks to recognise the contributions of as many women as possible to early film.
November 20, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Peggy Pearce plays opposite Chaplin in His Favorite Pastime. Not everyone had the career of Mabel Normand, so it's fun (for me, anyway) to have to hand a mammoth book like Slapstick Divas (Steve Massa), 600+ pages which seeks to recognise the contributions of as many women as possible to early film.
His Favorite Pastime (1914, dir. George Nichols) is a needlessly mean-spirited disaster. Chaplin's physical clowning and some location filming are the only high points in a short that otherwise demands a high tolerance for finding alcoholism, overt and casual racism, and stalking amusing.
November 20, 2025 at 8:36 AM
His Favorite Pastime (1914, dir. George Nichols) is a needlessly mean-spirited disaster. Chaplin's physical clowning and some location filming are the only high points in a short that otherwise demands a high tolerance for finding alcoholism, overt and casual racism, and stalking amusing.
Charlie Chaplin, Roscoe Arbuckle and Ford Sterling all feature in Tango Tangles (1914, dir. Mack Sennett), an improvised farce in which they all bid to be the suitor of choice for a young woman. It's mostly ten minutes of them larking around, full of violence and a barely subtextual homoeroticism.
November 19, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Charlie Chaplin, Roscoe Arbuckle and Ford Sterling all feature in Tango Tangles (1914, dir. Mack Sennett), an improvised farce in which they all bid to be the suitor of choice for a young woman. It's mostly ten minutes of them larking around, full of violence and a barely subtextual homoeroticism.
Scorsese gave deliberate homage to it with that last shot of Goodfellas, resurrecting Tommy DeVito for one last shock
November 19, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Scorsese gave deliberate homage to it with that last shot of Goodfellas, resurrecting Tommy DeVito for one last shock
Porter's film *is* ruthlessly efficient, and includes matte effects, pans, and studio and location shots mixed together. Also manages (in its 12 minutes) to squeeze in an enjoyably odd 'comic' relief sequence in which locals force an out-of-towner to dance while shooting at his feet.
November 19, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Porter's film *is* ruthlessly efficient, and includes matte effects, pans, and studio and location shots mixed together. Also manages (in its 12 minutes) to squeeze in an enjoyably odd 'comic' relief sequence in which locals force an out-of-towner to dance while shooting at his feet.
Despite the legend that built around it, not the first Western, narrative film, etc, The Great Train Robbery (1903, dir. Edwin S. Porter) is still a heady concoction of various film techniques and violent action that ends with one of cinema's iconic shots as Justus D. Barnes appears in close-up.
November 19, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Despite the legend that built around it, not the first Western, narrative film, etc, The Great Train Robbery (1903, dir. Edwin S. Porter) is still a heady concoction of various film techniques and violent action that ends with one of cinema's iconic shots as Justus D. Barnes appears in close-up.
A Film Johnnie (1914, dir. George Nichols) puts Chaplin centre stage for a story in which he (as the titular Johnnie) becomes entranced by cinema, visits the Keystone Studios, and causes mayhem. More in common with the casual chaos of Kid Auto Races at Venice than previous short, the better for it.
November 18, 2025 at 10:23 PM
A Film Johnnie (1914, dir. George Nichols) puts Chaplin centre stage for a story in which he (as the titular Johnnie) becomes entranced by cinema, visits the Keystone Studios, and causes mayhem. More in common with the casual chaos of Kid Auto Races at Venice than previous short, the better for it.
It's very stagey, for obvious reasons, and only Browning's first sound picture, but Margaret Wycherly works hard as La Grange to provide the emotional centre, it manages a memorably macabre finish and Lugosi, though struggling with English, dominates the cast (Wycherly excepted) with sheer charisma.
November 18, 2025 at 8:53 PM
It's very stagey, for obvious reasons, and only Browning's first sound picture, but Margaret Wycherly works hard as La Grange to provide the emotional centre, it manages a memorably macabre finish and Lugosi, though struggling with English, dominates the cast (Wycherly excepted) with sheer charisma.
The Thirteenth Chair (1929, dir. Tod Browning) is a dark house mystery film of murder, seances and secrets. A famous stage play, it has little Browning flair BUT get beyond the opening half hour and you're gifted with the answer to 'What if Bela Lugosi played Columbo or Poirot?' and it's good fun.
November 18, 2025 at 8:47 PM
The Thirteenth Chair (1929, dir. Tod Browning) is a dark house mystery film of murder, seances and secrets. A famous stage play, it has little Browning flair BUT get beyond the opening half hour and you're gifted with the answer to 'What if Bela Lugosi played Columbo or Poirot?' and it's good fun.
West of Zanzibar (1928, dir Tod Browning) is a wildly inappropriate, grotesque, lurid Lon Chaney exploitation flick (all compliments). Magician Phroso follows the man who ruined his life down to Africa and executes a slow, ruthless revenge. Chaney is phenomenal, the entire thing deeply suspect fun.
November 17, 2025 at 10:12 PM
West of Zanzibar (1928, dir Tod Browning) is a wildly inappropriate, grotesque, lurid Lon Chaney exploitation flick (all compliments). Magician Phroso follows the man who ruined his life down to Africa and executes a slow, ruthless revenge. Chaney is phenomenal, the entire thing deeply suspect fun.
Between Showers (1914, dir. Henry Lehrman) has poor Emma Clifton just wanting to cross a waterlogged road and getting caught in a petty war between Ford Sterling's wildly over-the-top mugging and Chaplin's deeply weird, chaotic desperate malevolence. Fascinating to see a character slowly evolving.
November 17, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Between Showers (1914, dir. Henry Lehrman) has poor Emma Clifton just wanting to cross a waterlogged road and getting caught in a petty war between Ford Sterling's wildly over-the-top mugging and Chaplin's deeply weird, chaotic desperate malevolence. Fascinating to see a character slowly evolving.
As the UK enters a cold snap, be mindful of this energy fuel plan from 1944, via Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, delivered by anthropomorphic appliances in a house unsettlingly empty of humans: 'Turn that wireless off if you're not listening to it...'
November 17, 2025 at 7:39 AM
As the UK enters a cold snap, be mindful of this energy fuel plan from 1944, via Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, delivered by anthropomorphic appliances in a house unsettlingly empty of humans: 'Turn that wireless off if you're not listening to it...'
"It's a game of two halves" on the ol' Letterboxd this weekend
November 16, 2025 at 8:50 PM
"It's a game of two halves" on the ol' Letterboxd this weekend