Written by Imogen Sara Smith The pleasures of Trapped (1949) are as simple, as short and sharp, as its one-word title. That word says it all: there will be no escape, the tunnel is a dead end, the jaws […]
First there was the crash, then there was the novel, and then there was the film… In 1882, the Union Générale bank collapsed, which subsequently led to the French stock market to crash, causing the worst economic crisis of […]
Written By Scott Holleran “The Descendants”, featured during Turner Classic Movies’ 10th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood on April 12, 2019, included Dyan Cannon’s and Cary Grant’s daughter, Jennifer Grant, Hasna Muhammad, daughter of Ossie Davis (Do […]
Recently, our Flicker Alley media team was able to interview our Producing Partners for Flying Clipper, Busch Media Group. We found out that it is no small feat to restore film negatives in 4k! What inspired you to restore […]
Flicker Alley, The Blackhawk Films Collection® and Lobster Films have been producing partners in classic film production and releases for about sixteen years. Recently, one of our Flicker Alley staff members was able to interview the boss of both […]
Flicker Alley is very pleased to partner with the Mary Pickford Foundation in releasing newly -restored and newly -scored editions of two classic Mary Pickford films—Little Annie Rooney and Fanchon the Cricket. A screen legend both in front […]
We admit it… we (along with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival) are still reeling—pun intended—from last month’s announcement of Behind the Door (1919) being named Best Single-Disc Release at the Il Cinema Ritrovato DVD Awards in Bologna, Italy. In […]
Documentaries capture reality — or, to be more precise, a cinematic version of reality. The earliest films by the Lumière brothers are, in fact, short documentaries focused on daily occurrences. As Auguste and Louis Lumière realized, audiences can learn a lot […]
The Cinevent Classic Film Convention is held every Memorial Day weekend in Columbus, Ohio. This four-day event (Thursday-Sunday, May 24-May 27) features almost 50 hours of film screenings and thousands of square feet of vendor space with all manner […]
People have amazing stories from their first time watching This is Cinerama and Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich. Flicker Alley decided to share a few memories to celebrate Cinerama titles. “Shortly before Windjammer was completed, famed English […]
By Nigel Dreiner Silent films can be a difficult sell to younger audiences. Attempting to “turn” your friends onto silent cinema will often become a frustrating experience; one ends up trying to “defend” a silent film instead of simply […]
The VCS Radio Conservatory recently utilized Flicker Alley’s A Trip to the Moon. What is the VCS Radio Conservatory, you ask? The VCS Radio Conservatory is the arts and broadcasting department at Vacaville Christian Schools. It’s a music studies program! […]
In celebration of This is Cinerama and Windjammer being re-released, Flicker Alley invites you through a brief tour of Cinerama’s history. “Cinerama was an ultra-widescreen process…where the screen ideally curved around to cover the viewer’s peripheral vision and give them a […]
Composing for film can be incredibly tricky. The soundtrack makes or breaks the film, sometimes even surpassing the action onscreen. Where would 2001: A Space Odyssey be without Strauss? The Dark Knight without Zimmer? The Lord of the Rings without Shore? […]
THE DIRECTOR: Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau was born December 28th, 1888. An openly gay German director, he is best known for his work on the film Sunrise, widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. Here’s a Roger Ebert […]
To celebrate both Halloween and Georges Méliès (who enjoyed a costume or two himself), Flicker Alley held a costume contest to win copies of our now out-of-print Digipak edition of Georges Méliès: Encore – New Discoveries (1896-1911). The rules: Dress up […]
Flicker Alley would like to take this opportunity to highlight one of the archival elements included in our bonus feature image gallery of The Lost World Deluxe Blu-ray edition. Thanks to the generous contribution by our friend and colleague […]
“The cinema of today resembles a melody without orchestration.” —Abel Gance. In celebration of Abel Gance’s birthday (OCT 25th!), here’s a look into the French director’s history. An influential and early director, he is most famous for his films, J’accuse (1918), La […]
Last month in celebration of Lobster Films’ critically-lauded restoration of The Lost World, Flicker Alley announced its first animated video contest. Fans were encouraged to submit short animated videos inspired by Flicker Alley titles in order to compete to […]
Did you know The Lost World was supposed to have a sequel? When it premiered in 1925, there was no doubt that Harry O. Hoyt’s film was a Jurassic hit. The Herald Tribune called it “a fascinating picture,” while […]
Flicker Alley just received our first shipment of The Lost World Blu-rays! All preorders will be going out in the next few days and we’ll have limited stock available at this weekend’s Cinecon Classic Film Festival in Hollywood! You […]
Win a free Blu-ray edition of The Lost World from Flicker Alley! Before it disappeared from circulation in 1929, The Lost World was heralded for its groundbreaking stop-motion effects. Animator Willis O’Brien created dozens of prehistoric monsters to tower […]
Your complete guide to the early Charlie Chaplin shorts at Keystone, Essanay and Mutual! Signing a contract with Keystone Studios in 1913, Charlie Chaplin left the vaudeville to begin what would become a legendary career on the silver screen. After […]
To every child of every land, Little Sister, Little Brother, As in this book your lives unfold, May you learn to love each other. These are the words of Madeline Brandeis, recognized in 1929 by the League of Nations [...]
Flicker Alley presents the third installment of our blog series "Today's Women Filmmakers on Early Women Filmmakers," in which talented directors of today champion the groundbreaking women who paved the way. Follow the campaign with hashtag #EarlyWomenFilmmakers. Here is Ally Acker, filmmaker and [...]
Flicker Alley presents the second installment of our blog series "Today's Women Filmmakers on Early Women Filmmakers," in which talented directors of today champion the groundbreaking women who paved the way. Follow the campaign with hashtag #EarlyWomenFilmmakers. Here are Julia and [...]
Flicker Alley is proud to announce our blog series "Today's Women Filmmakers on Early Women Filmmakers," in which talented directors of today champion the groundbreaking women who paved the way. Follow the campaign with hashtag #EarlyWomenFilmmakers. First up is director Catherine Stratton [...]
Bob Birchard (1950-2016). Photo by Roger Karnbad. Flicker Alley would like to honor the memory of film historian and friend, Robert S. "Bob" Birchard, who passed away a little over a year ago on May 30, 2016. In his [...]
Flicker Alley is proud to present this guest essay by Dr. Sabina Stent on avant-garde directors Germaine Dulac and Maya Deren. La Cigarette and La Souriante Mme. Beudet by Dulac and Meshes of the Afternoon by Deren are featured are Early Women [...]
Did you know that more women worked in the film industry during its first two decades than at any time since? Or that a woman created some of the first narrative films ever made? Or that in 1916, the [...]
By Sarah Bastin Flicker Alley is proud to present this exclusive interview with Kate Saccone, Project Manager of the Women Film Pioneers Project at Columbia University and author of the booklet essay for Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology. [...]
By Sarah Bastin Mike Mashon Flicker Alley fans know that many of our releases are made possible through film elements stored at the Library of Congress. Our latest release, Behind the Door (1919), is no exception. The new restoration [...]
By Sarah Bastin The 8th annual TCM Classic Film Festival came to a close on Sunday. The festival, affectionately referred to as TCMFF, took place April 6–9 in Hollywood, and featured classic film screenings, special events, and appearances by film […]
Today, we celebrate the release of Behind the Door (1919), now available on Blu-ray/DVD. Flicker Alley is proud to present this essay by Marc Wanamaker, in which he discusses the history of Behind the Door and his personal experience meeting its director Irvin [...]
Dorothy Arzner Today, March 26, 2017, is the 90th anniversary of Dorothy Arzner's credited directorial debut, Fashions for Women (1927). Arzner was the only woman director employed in Hollywood's studio system during the 1930s and '40s, and to this day she remains the [...]
Flicker Alley and a group of amazing sites for fans of silent and classic film are proud to bring you this giveaway for Behind the Door (1919) on Dual-Format Edition Blu-ray/DVD. Giveaway Hosted By: Flicker Alley Co-Hosted By: Nitrateville [...]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Robert M. Fells on the life and career of Hobart Bosworth, star of Behind the Door (1919), available to pre‑order now on Blu‑ray/DVD for release on April 4, 2017. […]
Please click the name of each director and film to learn more, including running times and composers. Alice Guy Blaché Les Chiens Savants (1902) Une Histoire Roulante (1906) La Barricade (1907) Falling Leaves (1912) Making an American Citizen (1912) [...]
It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of David Shepard: A dear friend, mentor, loyal colleague, and guiding force behind so many of our projects and publications. David’s passion for film heritage was an inspiration to […]
Enjoy these production materials from Children of Divorce (1927), a revealing look into the original shooting schedule, cast salaries (Clara Bow, Gary Cooper, Esther Ralston, Einar Hanson, Hedda Hopper), wardrobe costs, and more. You can see by the end […]
Flicker Alley is giving away FIVE pairs of tickets to the CHAPLIN COMES ALIVE film series at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA, courtesy of American Cinematheque! Enter using the giveaway form below for a chance to win! […]
Our thanks to everyone who voted in the 2016 Flicker Alley Awards! Voters were entered to win a $10 FlickerAlley.com gift code. The randomly generated winner is... Jeffrey W.! Congratulations, Jeffrey! Please check your inbox for your gift code! [...]
It’s that time of year again! As 2016 comes to an end, we’d like to hear from you about your 2016 favorites in all sorts of fun Flicker Alley-related categories! We’ll reward one lucky winner with a $10 gift […]
By Sarah Bastin Catharine Burton Deely is the granddaughter of American writer Owen Johnson (1878-1952), who penned the 1927 novel Children of Divorce and worked on the manuscript for its film adaptation. Deely spent twenty years in Los Angeles as an executive […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Karie Bible. Karie Bible is the in-house tour guide at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and has been there since 2002. She also co-wrote the books “Location Filming in Los Angeles” […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Nora Fiore. As “The Nitrate Diva,” Nora Fiore celebrates classic cinema on her blog, Twitter, and Tumblr. Note: This essay contains spoilers about the plot of Children of Divorce. […]
By Sarah Bastin Mary Louise Miller (1924–2003) had a brief but indelible career as a child star during the silent film era. Her film career began when she was just six months old and ended at the age of […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Beth Ann Gallagher. Film fanatic Beth Ann Gallagher lives on a California island, where she writes her blog Spellbound by Movies. Being a retro buff, her blog celebrates silent […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Jeff Lundenberger. A graduate of Thomas Edison State University, Jeff Lundenberger is an ardent classic film fan who is a regular contributor to blogs, printed publications, and classic film […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Robert M. Fells. Robert M. “Bob” Fells is an independent film historian and author. An attorney and trade association executive in the Washington, D.C. area, Bob has been collecting […]
By Sarah Bastin Today, September 30, 2016, is the 64th anniversary of the debut of Cinerama, when This Is Cinerama premiered in theaters in 1952. In honor of this anniversary, Flicker Alley presents the following interview! Film historian […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Robert M. Fells. Robert M. “Bob” Fells is an independent film historian and author. An attorney and trade association executive in the Washington, D.C. area, Bob has been collecting […]
By Sarah Bastin Film historian and preservationist David Shepard is the founder of Film Preservation Associates, the owner of Blackhawk Films® Collection and the producer of many Flicker Alley titles, including Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970, Chaplin’s […]
Our Los Angeles fans have the chance to see Wild and Woolly (1917), featured on Douglas Fairbanks: A Modern Musketeer, on screen this Saturday! Enter below! [contesthopper contest=”4897″] For more giveaways, exclusive essays, film preservation […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Kendahl Cruver of A Classic Movie Blog, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Too Late for Tears (1949) and Woman on the Run (1950) are […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by John Grant/Noirish, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Too Late for Tears (1949) is available NOW on Blu-ray/DVD! Order today! John Grant is an award-winning […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Kim Luperi of I See a Dark Theater, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Too Late for Tears (1949) is available on Blu-ray/DVD tomorrow, May […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Mary Mallory. Mary Mallory is a photograph archivist, historian and the co-author of the recent books Hollywood Celebrates the Holidays and Hollywoodland. She blogs on Los Angeles and film […]
By Sarah Bastin Last week, Flicker Alley sat down with Serge Bromberg, film preservationist and founder of Paris-based Lobster Films, before his presentation at the TCM Classic Film Festival on Friday, April 29, entitled “Amazing Film Discoveries.” Bromberg is […]
[contesthopper contest=”4691″] For more giveaways, exclusive essays, film preservation news and special discounts, sign up for the Flicker Alley Newsletter.
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Film Noir of the Week, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Woman on the Run (1950) is available on Blu-ray/DVD May 10! Pre-order today! It’s […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Vince Keenan, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Too Late for Tears (1949) is available on Blu-ray/DVD May 10! Pre-order today! Vince Keenan is the […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Silver Screenings, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Woman on the Run (1950) is available on Blu-ray/DVD May 10! Pre-order today! We just discovered a […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Elyce Rae Helford, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Too Late for Tears (1949) is available on Blu-ray/DVD May 10! Pre-order today! Elyce Rae Helford, […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by EverythingNoir.com, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Ann Sheridan stars in Woman on the Run (1950) and Lizabeth Scott stars in Too Late for Tears […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by BNoirDetour, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Woman on the Run (1950) is available on Blu-ray/DVD May 10! Pre-order today! Note: This essay contains spoilers […]
[contesthopper contest=”4516″] Remember to pre-order Too Late for Tears and Woman on the Run and save 25% off MSRP while the sale lasts! For more exclusive essays, film preservation news, and special discounts, sign up for the Flicker Alley […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry of Shadows and Satin, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Actor Arthur Kennedy stars in Too Late for Tears (1949), available on […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Andy Wolverton of JOURNEYS IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Woman on the Run (1950) is available on Blu-ray/DVD May 10! […]
Come be a part of Flicker Alley’s first-ever Blu-ray/DVD release party screening! Flicker Alley and the Film Noir Foundation are proud to present Too Late for Tears at NOIR CITY: HOLLYWOOD, the 18th Annual Los Angeles Festival of Film Noir! The screening […]
Flicker Alley is proud to present the following essay by Laura Grieve of Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, written for Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Actor Dennis O’Keefe stars in Woman on the Run (1950), available on Blu-ray/DVD […]
In order to celebrate our upcoming Blu-ray/DVD releases of Too Late for Tears (1949) and Woman on the Run (1950), Flicker Alley is hosting Detectives and Dames: A Flicker Alley Noir Blog-a-Thon! Every week until the films’ release on May 10, […]
Flicker Alley is proud to announce a new bonus feature to our upcoming Blu-ray/DVD Combo Edition of Woman on the Run: “Woman on the Run Locations Then and Now.” CitySleuth of ReelSF.com leads a virtual tour around San Francisco, […]
Ballet Mechanique (1923-24) by Fernand Léger and Dudley Murphy is hailed as a masterpiece of early avant-garde filmmaking. The opening credits features a title card with the phrase "Charlot présente le ballet mécanique" along with a cutout figure all modern movie-goers [...]
When filming L'Inhumaine (1924), director Marcel L'Herbier endeavored to assemble an artistic team of visual and plastic vanguards. Who better then to provide sculptures for this cutting-edge production than avant-garde artist and pioneer of modern sculpture, Joseph Csaky? Born [...]
We'd like to say a hearty thank you to the 230+ fans who voted in the first ever Flicker Alley Awards. Thank you for helping us celebrate the unprecedented number of films we released in the past year. As we celebrate [...]
French filmmaker Marcel L'Herbier's groundbreaking contributions to cinema helped to define the country's "first" avant-garde or "Impressionist" movement, which began to take shape in 1917. While his futuristic fairy tale L'Inhumaine (1924) is lauded as an Impressionist masterpiece, in a way the [...]
The Tramp character that Charlie Chaplin created at Keystone, developed at Essanay, and perfected at Mutual has the incredible ability to transcend circumstance, bringing much-needed laughter to the most unexpected of places. Author Aviva Stein recounts her moving firsthand experience attending […]
All My Babies: A Midwife's Own Story is the story of "Miss Mary" Coley, an African-American midwife more than half a century ago in rural Georgia. Its production sponsored by the Georgia Department of Public Health as a demonstration [...]
Feminist, rebellious, and a close friend of Marcel L’Herbier’s, famed opera singer Georgette Leblanc shared the director's artistic vision for L'Inhumaine (1924). In the film, Leblanc plays Claire Lescott, the "inhuman woman" who lives on the outskirts of Paris where she draws important men [...]
With the intention of capturing the trends of the time in the field of artistic creation, director Marcel L'Herbier surrounded himself with exceptional collaborators on the film L'Inhumaine. One of these collaborators was future filmmaker Claude Autant-Lara, whose first [...]
The Library of Congress has announced its annual selection of 25 films to be named to the National Film Registry, and we’re proud to announce that three of the films honored have been published by Flicker Alley! The Mark […]
Stan Brakhage had a voracious appetite for visionary experience in all forms. Not only did Brakhage pursue a radical approach to filmmaking between 1953 and 2003, he also lectured widely and wrote on the history of cinema, art, literature and aesthetics, […]
In the midst of drafting his 1899 stage adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, William Gillette sent Arthur Conan Doyle the following cable: “May I marry Holmes?” To which Conan Doyle famously responded, "You may marry him, murder him, or do [...]
What role should film play in the classroom? Are movies a distraction or a tool that can be used to enhance children’s learning experience? These questions that educators grapple with today are anything but new. Take this excerpt from the April 11, […]
By Dan Kamin, performer and author of The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin: Artistry in Motion Mr. Chaplin threw up his hands. “I have been in the Essanay Studio just fifteen minutes,” he said, “and I don’t know anything about anything.”[1] […]
Bruce Baillie is one of the great figures in American avant-garde filmmaking. Since 1960, he has produced a body of films unsurpassed for their lyrical sensuality, expressive honesty and formal inventiveness. His 1966 film, Castro Street (The Coming of Consciousness) transforms a walk down a […]
One of the many rare bonus features included on the Sherlock Holmes Blu-ray/DVD set is an HD transfer of ‘Interview with Arthur Conan Doyle’ from the Fox Movietone Collection. In this excerpt, Conan Doyle explains how his frustration with […]
“It is quite a three pipe problem,” Sherlock Holmes tells Dr. Watson in The Red-Headed League, “and I beg that you won’t speak to me for fifty minutes.” While that short story was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle […]
Tonight, David Arquette kicks off his tour as Sherlock Holmes in the play Sherlock Holmes: A New Theatrical Adventure. He’ll join the long tradition of stage and screen actors who have embodied the quick-witted detective – all beginning with the […]
Experimental filmmaker and artist Lawrence Jordan is known as a maverick spirit in the avant-garde world. A key figure in San Francisco’s avant-garde art scene in the 1950s-60s, Jordan also played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Film Department […]
As the original Sherlock Holmes on stage and screen, William Gillette made sartorial choices with a lasting impact. His plush dressing gown and curved pipe have influenced the way the detective has been portrayed by both professional actors and […]
Launched in 1999, The Chaplin Project brings together a consortium of international archives with Lobster Films in Paris and the Cineteca di Bologna in Italy to restore all of Charlie Chaplin’s short films and features. Serge Bromberg, founder of […]
The National Board of Review’s Committee on Exceptional Motion Pictures reviewed three experimental films by Maya Deren for their March 1946 issue of New Movies magazine, including Meshes of the Afternoon, part of Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film […]
In this Flicker Alley exclusive, Donald Sosin describes his journey to becoming one of today’s leading silent film composers and his method behind creating new scores for four of the films included in Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970: Manhatta, The […]
by Charles Epting The community of Niles, California is synonymous with Charlie Chaplin. The town hosts an annual Charlie Chaplin Days festival, antique store windows are lined with images of the iconic actor, and a life-sized statue of the […]
Daughter of acclaimed independent filmmaker Shirley Clarke, Wendy Clarke grew up immersed in the avant-garde art film culture of New York in the 1960s. Her wedding is the focus of the “Wendy’s Wedding” vignette in Jonas Mekas’ Walden: Diaries, Notes and […]
