Rudolph is Not Bald! Says Mrs. Valentino

During a 1923 interview, Claire Windsor discussed the male "vamps" she knew in Hollywood.

When the interviewer mentioned her former flame Charlie Chaplin, she exclaimed, "Oh, he is the most insidious of all! He is the most dangerous he-vamp in the world!"

She explained, "There is no deep feeling under it all. Any little thing can change him toward you in a moment! But he can seem so thoroughly in love for the time being!"

She concluded, perhaps diplomatically, "I really believe he is capable of deep friendship, though."

(Movie Weekly, "Male Vamps I Have Known, By Claire Windsor," article/interview by Grace Kingsley, July 28, 1923, page 30.)

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Now I've got to dig up this issue, and see how her baby made Mae Marsh a better actress.

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Ah, Movie Weekly. One of my favorites.


There were plenty of fan magazines during the silent era, but Movie Weekly was something special. During its early-'20s heyday, this tabloid offered absolutely nothing of substance. But every all-too-thin issue was packed with gossipy stories beneath loopy headlines.

Those irresistible headlines get me every time. Here are some of my favorites:


"Are Bow-Legs a Barrier to the Screen? YES! Says George Melford" (January 26, 1924)
"Why the Public Does Not Mind Bad Pictures," by director John S. Robertson (July 7, 1923)
"Hollywood is a Hick Town, Says Conrad Nagel" (April 7, 1923)
"Why a Prudish Girl Can’t Be Popular," by Claire Windsor (June 2, 1923)


"Lying in Wait to Shoot Up Harold Lloyd," by still photographer Gene Kornman (July 15, 1922)
"Does a Comedienne Make a Good Wife? NO! Says Louise Fazenda" (July 7, 1923)
"You Use Too Much Rouge! Says Lillian Gish" (July 21, 1923)
"Why I Love Money," by Mae Murray (June 9, 1923)


"Are All Women Gold Diggers? YES! Says Hope Hampton" (October 13, 1923)
"Why Was Thomas Meighan Stoned in Chinatown?" (January 19, 1924)
"Lewis Stone Tells How Women Can Be Fooled" (February 24, 1923)
"Rudolph is Not Bald! Says Mrs. Valentino" (January 19, 1924)

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"Movie School Students Forced to Endure Petting"?! Come on... how could you NOT want to read that article?


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A lot of the fan magazines had regular "Answer Man" columns, where fans could ask how tall May McAvoy was, or whether Theda Bara was married. Movie Weekly did that too, but what set it apart from the rest was its willingness (its eagerness, even) to give out the private home addresses of the stars. Here are a few examples:

Tom Mix: 5841 Carlton Way, Hollywood
Madge Kennedy: 82 Riverside Drive, New York, NY
Jack Mulhall: 5857 Harold Way, Hollywood
Jack Hoxie: 1325 North Hobart Boulevard, Hollywood
Wesley Barry: 4634 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles
Norman Kerry: 1745 McCadden Place, Los Angeles

Kenneth Harlan: 1327 Le Moyne Street, Los Angeles
Buck Jones: 1954 Crasena Drive, Los Angeles
Irene Rich: 703 North Gramercy Place, Los Angeles.
Dorothy Davenport: 8327 De Longpre Avenue, Hollywood
Jack Mulhall: 5857 Harold Way, Hollywood
Colleen Moore: 7119 South Grand View, Los Angeles

(Movie Weekly, September 29, 1923, page 26 and January 5, 1924, page 22.)

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Between screenings at Cinecon a couple of years ago, I went on a little tour of silent star homes. One of the addresses on my list (thanks, Movie Weekly!) was Tom Mix's house. Here's how it looked back in the day:

I turned my car onto the correct block of Carlton Way, and was delighted to see that both sides of the street were packed with vintage houses. I found a spot to park, then doubled back on foot, scanning the house numbers.

Today, Tom Mix's house has something in common with most of his 1920s silent films: it's gone.

Look:

Hollywood's traditional monument to its past.

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The Charmingly Suggestive Photo of the Week

Allene Ray, durable beauty of Pathe serials all through the 1920s.

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Plugola

The morning mail brought a copy of a new book, Silent Lives: 100 Biographies of the Silent Film Era, by Lon Davis, published by Bear Manor.

I wish this book had been around back when I was first getting interested in silents. It's a fine introduction to just about every key star, director and producer, and there are plenty of great photos. A lot of these photos have never been published before (and the best ones came from Cole Johnson's collection, leaving me seething with envy). If you're already well-versed in silent film history, you'll still love the book for these photos alone; everyone else will learn the basics about the era's major figures. Actually, since the book includes less-familiar performers like Babe London and Mary MacLaren, there's plenty of material here for everybody.

I might add, though, that here and there I'd disagree with the text; the piece on Harry Langdon in particular. And in the interests of full disclosure, I should confess that the book lists my name in the acknowledgements. But my contribution was actually pretty worthless, just barely substantial enough to get me a free copy. I'd still recommend the book to you either way.

And for that matter, everybody out there with a new book or DVD to promote is warmly encouraged to send me a free copy. I love getting free stuff, and it just might result in a passage of glowing praise from America's fearless voice of silent movie bloggery. Just send the swag to me at P.O. Box 5272, South San Francisco CA 94083, and thanks!

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Centenary: Marceline Day

Born April 24, 1908

Died February 16, 2000

Her leading roles began with B-westerns of the silent era, and ended with B-westerns of the talkie era. But in between, she was featured in films like The Beloved Rogue, London After Midnight, and Buster Keaton's The Cameraman.

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Once again, we're at the end of the reel. See you next weekend!

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