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"7th Heaven" (1927) was the first of twelve pairings of Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. They were, without question, the most popular pairing in film from this moment to the middle of the 1930s when Myrna Loy and William Powell became that qualifying pair. Now, you'd have to have a heart made of titanium not to feel the romantic power of this film. It was one of three different films in the original 1927-8 Oscar nominations that won for Janet Gaynor the "Best Actress" award. And - deserve it, she did! Frank Borzage won the award for "Best Director". And he deserved it as well! The acting, the direction, the photography, nearly everything, are all nearly perfect. Most of the film is done in a limited number of sets, but the story itself propels itself along at a good clip for just a couple of minutes shy of two hours.

Farrell is a sewer worker in Paris, Gaynor and her sister (Gladys Brockwell) each sometime prostitutes who live in the squalor of the poorest area of Paris. Farrell and Gaynor meet in the direst of positions, with Brockwell literally whipping and strangling her sister right at a sewer cover. Farrell puts a stop to Brockwell's sadistic behavior and practice; Gaynor is taken to Farrell's loft at about seven stairwells up. Gaynor considers it Heaven compared to what she's been used to. One thing leads to another and they fall in love. Meanwhile, Farrell is "promoted" to street washer, out of the sewers. Eventually Farrell and Gaynor marry. You'll have to watch to see what this "maneuver" means. It's a glorious scene. But - just as it's happening, WWI is declared and Farrell and his male friends are instantly called up to duty. They have fifteen minutes to get to the station and leave. Yes, just as he's marrying Gaynor! WWI occurs... Will Farrell and his buddies survive? Will all end in the same romantic way that the progress has been going? The ending may be a bit much for some today only because it happens too rapidly. It has to be considered that the film was originally 12 reels, but released at only 9 reels. That's about 30-35 minutes, and I'm certain that there were scenes leading up to the finale that compensated for the quickness which now concludes the show. Still, it's a WOW...

I haven't watched this in over 35 years. I am SO-O-O glad I watched it again. It's a 10 out of 10. A beautiful film. I think it's Borzage's finest film. Yes, there are definitely dated things about all of it. It's 1927, for Pete's sake! For that year in the history of film-making, it's a piece of genius. Not just highly recommended - a must see.

Everybody else in the film does a superlative job and are wonderful to watch. Other main characters are played by George E. Stone, Ben Pard, David Butler, Albert Gran, Marie Mosquini, and Emile Chautard. Just two years later, Butler went on to direct Gaynor and Farrell in "Sunnyside Up". For the record, too, Frank Borzage's entire family participated in 7th Heaven - as actors and co-director - five more of those Borzages!

Back in 2012 Nitrateville had a thread entitled "George O'Brien in The Lone Star Ranger". It was started for its discussion of talkies also released as silents. Well, "The Lone Star Ranger" (1929-30) also had a third version released, which is what I watched last night. Because of its history during the transition of silent to sound, the film is nearly as interesting for its release history as for the film itself, which, for the record, was a big success for O'Brien. It's also fascinating that a critic before the release asked incredulously how "a California beach life-guard could possibly do a Western!" Evidently, because it was 1929 already, he'd forgotten that O'Brien had done "The Iron Horse" (1924), "Three Bad Men" (1926), and "Rustling for Cupid" (1926) before this film, all well-respected Westerns. Also for the record, however, "The Lone Star Ranger" within 5 minutes of its opening has O'Brien rescuing Sue Carol and others from a runaway stage after it had been robbed, and O'Brien is shirtless and might as well have been a life-guard in the desert! Sue Carol certainly appreciated the fact. Remember, O'Brien's nickname was "The Chest". The film was given a release officially probably 5 January 1930. It was O'Brien's first talkie. For those theaters not wired yet for sound, a silent version was also released. Neither of these versions survive. However, an international release was also made, most of it evidently from alternate takes, with a relatively good music overlay and lots of sound effects (good ones) and even three minor talkie scenes of about 5 to 8 seconds each. Of course, for modern audiences it will seem a strange medley of things, perhaps very strange.

The film is from one of Zane Grey's novels, and is actually second in sequence after Last of the Duanes. O'Brien also made "Last of the Duanes", but it wasn't released until August of 1930, so sequentially out of order, as if anyone would know. "The Lone Star Ranger" stars O'Brien (as Buck Duane), Sue Carol, Russell Simpson, Warren Hymer, Walter McGrail, Roy Stewart, and many others, including in one small, but interesting, scene, Ward Bond dancing with Sue Carol. The dance is called the Grizzly Bear, and it's a take on modern dances Carol learned when she was back in New York in the film. The scene's a hoot because Bond is about 6'2" and Carol about 5'2" or so, and with Bond towering over her and swirling and bobbing around all this looks comical as can be.

The film is definitely grade "A", though many of the "B" Western tropes follow through the whole. Simpson is Carol's uncle (though the IMDb says he's her father!), and he's the judge, the sheriff, the law of this little hamlet. He's also the leader of a gang of rustlers who are stealing cattle from Colin Chase and others. The gang, on its own, is robbing stages and now robbing banks, both of which have the potential of killing involved, and neither of which is sanctioned by baddie Simpson. The story is put together well, and the cinematography by Daniel B. Clark is simply spectacular! Filmed in gorgeous Monument Valley, the scope of shots in the film against the actors is monumental in itself for the day. What's equally memorable, and now historical, is the filming of Rainbow Arch, one of the most beautiful natural formations in the United States - - - which collapsed in 2018. So what is captured here is a filmic piece of history. A large scene filmed here has O'Brien ask an Indian who lives in the region for the reason it is called Rainbow Arch and he gives them a fascinating legend.

For curiosity's sake, Elizabeth Patterson has a small rôle in the picture, but I never saw her. I suppose for this international release, some of the footage for the other two versions is not here, and there may be other footage here that isn't in those. Anyway, a very enjoyable film with a superb performance by O'Brien and all the others involved. Very highly recommended, but remember, it's a silent with sound effects and basically about twenty five spoken words, intercut with intertitles inserted.

This was the 3rd version of 4 of this film. The original 1919 version starred William Farnum, the 1923 version Tom Mix, and another later sound version starred 'Jarrin' John Kimbrough who went on to play professional football for the Los Angeles Dons. Both Russell Simpson and even William Farnum were also in this last version.

LIONS AND TIGERS AND...ELEPHANTS... AND A GORILLA... SEVERAL OTHER KINDS OF EXOTIC CATS... AND...AND...AND... A DINOSAUR!

I just kept thinking (or was I singing?), as I watched this mad, mad, mad, mad world, of the song in "The Wizard of Oz". How many places in the African continent do you know of where this assortment of fauna exist? Well, in the darkest part of Kongo these all exist together, along with an assortment of ivory poachers, general thieves, gangs who go after anything and everything (including a cache of jewels in a huge, dirty sack), lost fathers who may not be exactly "lost", a secret service agent who is looking for another secret service agent who's the first mentioned secret service agent's brother who is looking for an international ivory smuggling gang's leader, and, finally, a woman who's looking for her long "lost" father who lives in the area, raised by a priest nearly since she was born, and who has spent most of her time living around a native tribe called the Wahili and knows their leader and their ways extremely well. Oh, and all this is near the ancient place called Nuhalla, a gigantic palace of yore that is fallen into ruin, but is extensive enough to have miles of tunnels and thousands of rooms, and secrets and secrets and secret passageways, dungeons, and whatnots!

Well, this is what is contained in "King of the Kongo" (1929), a ten part serial newly restored by Eric Grayson from 9 different film sources in several millimeters and at least 4 different sound sources, with some voice overlay in places that are missing the sound discs done by modern voice over actors. I must admit that after the first chapter I didn't know what had hit me!! Was this for real? It was so far out, so off the charts, so biologically impossible, so not quite altogether past silent film, so part-sound, so when are they going to learn how to act in this new medium?, so, so, so... It was, for a modern viewer, so bad that's it's not good, but...GREAT! Well, I couldn't wait for chapter 2...and chapter 3. I watched over a period of 4 nights. I couldn't wait to get to the last chapter - - - also to see if things that weren't logical would turn out to be logical in the end. But, nope! There were coincidences and a few parts or incidences that weren't and aren't. So what! This has to be one of the most fun films I've ever watched!

Starring Jacqueline Logan and the King of Serials, Walter Miller, the baddies (and, oh, are they bad) Boris Karloff and Larry Steers, and their gang of crooks (one of the aforementioned baddies is worse than the others, and he may not be exactly the person you think he is). Along for the ride, and they may not be exactly what they appear at first to be, are Lafe McKee, Richard Tucker, Harry Todd, Richard Neill, and J. Gordon Russell. A very tall black actor named Robert Frazier (not to be confused with Robert Frazer) plays the native chief of the tribe.

I wasn't familiar with Larry Steers...or so I thought. He's a good looking actor and he dressed nattily throughout (up to a point). However, the IMDb has him in 616 films during a very long career, mostly uncredited parts much like Bess Flowers, an actress who appeared in well over 1000 films! I've seen Lafe McKee for years and years in hundreds of "B" Westerns and the like. Here he actually has a substantial part. Harry Todd played baddies and the like for decades, too. He plays a character here that appears to be "simple", but by today's classifications is more like an autistic character. He has the most ambiguous, if not ambivalent part, and plays it quite well. Richard Tucker is only in the first chapter, and is the chief of the Secret Service, or one of its main chiefs, anyway.

Don't be put off by the first few minutes. They're awful acting-wise by today's standard. But, trust me, the show doesn't just grow on you, it sucks you up and doesn't spit you out. As for logic, well, one of the first things you learn is that if you find the gorilla you find the King of the Kongo. What does that mean? Well, I'll not give spoilers, but...if you're a logical sort you'll wonder when it's all over just how did the Secret Service learn this point. It's an impossibility if you think about it. I'll not tell why. Anyway, don't worry about logic and don't worry about some continuity that's, well...

Oh, did I mention the dinosaurus? Yes, that's what one character calls it. And how many dinosaurs have you seen roaming around sites lately? None, you say. Well, in the deepest, darkest part of Kongo you might find one around Nuhalla. For the record, Nuhalla uses travelogue scenes from Angkor Wat in Cambodia. They are actual scenes of the ruined palace, though there are scenes with characters in the film shown there. Obviously, even that was a trick of the camera in 1929. Though scenes were filmed there at some time, the actors weren't there. The chapter beginnings all mention that the scenes of the palace were filmed in Cambodia.

Eric, you outdid yourself. Putting all this together had to be monumental! Excellent job. To all fans of the serial genre, to all those interested in the part-talkies, to all interested in the transition from silent to sound, to all fans of a really fun time at the movies, this is your ticket. Highly recommended!

One last thing, Boris Karloff makes this serial tick! Catch that sport coat he wears, torn and shredded and filthy dirty. The mise-en-scene he makes happen. He's also the only one who can act. Indeed, he's wonderful to watch. Now, notice I mention the torn coat. In a couple of scenes it's NOT torn. Hummmmm... Where was the person in charge of continuity. Who cares!!