Saturday, June 11, 2011

Max Linder On TCM

This weekend's edition of "Silent Sundays" on Turner Classic Movies features Max Linder, one of my very favorite silent film comedians. (Read about him here.)

From TCM's website:

Seven Years Bad Luck (1921)
In this silent film, a man's attempts to avoid bad luck after he breaks a mirror lead straight to it. Dir: Max Linder Cast: Max Linder, Thelma Percy, Alta Allen. BW-62 mins, TV-G

This was one of a handful of films Linder made in America. Although he had been a huge success in Europe before World War I, he wasn't able to crack the American market and he soon after returned to France where he and his wife committed suicide.

I haven't seen Seven Years Bad Luck but I plan to set the recorder.

And if you don't feel like sitting up to midnight Sunday, you can still get your silent comedy fix at 8 p.m. when TCM shows Buster Keaton's classic The General. If you've never seen a silent film, this is the one I would start with.

3 comments:

Chris Ulliott said...

I decided a few days ago after watching a documentary on early Hollywood that I would watch a silent film, I haven't watched one since I was little with my Granny. Will definitely check out The General. And thank you for adding me to your bloglist.

Douglas Fairbanks said...

Chris: May I respectfully suggest you *bag* the suggestion of The general, and see a real silent classic? Oh, I don't know, perhaps



The Thief of Bagdad
?!?


It's brilliant, exciting, moving. In sum: perfect.

My best to you and your film career,
--D

Douglas Fairbanks said...

No disrespect to Keaton intended, of course; he was one'a the good ones. . . .


In fact, I helped him get his start.



Oh, hell. I'll admit it: his The General is an amazingly good movie.