Expert: DM - 12/26/2007

Question
Do you know if the 1927 silent film Chicago is on DVD or VHS? If so where can I order it. Thanks

Answer
Thank you for asking such an important question. Long before the musical and long before the musical film, this property had a successful run in three incarnations - first as a Broadway play in the mid-1920s, then as a silent film in 1927, and finally, as the sound motion picture titled ROXIE HART, which starred Ginger Rogers.

The 1927 film does still exist. UCLA owns a copy, although I do not find it listed in their online database. Also, the George Eastman House of Photography in Ithaca, NY, owns a copy. Both UCLA and the Eastman House allow private viewings of their films only through pre-arranged appointments with researchers. One wishes that either of these institutions would license the film to be released on DVD, but it does not seem to be currently available in any format for private screening or purchase.

Please visit www.thegreatstars.com for other rare films and recordings of great stars in great performances. There, you will find the only existing performances of Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse, Laurette Taylor, and many others on new CDs and DVDs.

Sincerely,
David Menefee


P.S. The second edition of the book, Sarah Bernhardt in the Theater of Films and Sound Recordings, is now in print.

Exhaustive research in every major archive around the world has created this compilation of information and images focusing on Bernhardt's films and early wax-cylinder and disc recordings. Detailed analyses of the motion pictures include plot synopses, casts, production notes, and contemporary reviews. Complete records of Bernhardt's work on stage, in films, and recordings are annotated and indexed. The book is over-filled with more than 150 rare photographs, many unseen for the past 80 years, and all painstakingly restored to their original pristine condition.

The book includes such rare items as dramatic readings by Bernhardt on wax cylinders and 78 rpm. For the first time, in this book each of Sarah's recordings has been painstakingly transcribed word-for-word in the original French, and then translated into English side-by-side on each page, allowing you to fully enjoy her performances, just as she did when providing French / English play translations to audiences viewing her on-stage during her many American tours.

Another rare and unique feature is the revelation for the first time of Sarah's previously unknown film depicting the death scene from the 1921 Daniel, a motion picture none of her previous biographers knew to exist. The film of Daniel is revealed in this new book for the first time ever, with a story synopsis and a number of one-of-a-kind frame enlargements from the actual film scenes.

The book can be obtained from McFarland Publishing:
www.mcfarlandpub.com
or by mail to:
McFarland Publishing
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640, USA.
Telephone (336) 246-4460. Fax (336) 246-5018
or toll free Telephone Order (800-253-2187).

Also conveniently available from:
www.amazon.com (free shipping)
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.borders.com
www.walmart.com

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Also popular this year is The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era:

Rediscover the fascinating lives and pioneering achievements of 15 women who dared to venture into early motion pictures, an industry dominated by men, and who not only succeeded but became the focal points of the industry. Each star earned a position at the height of her profession, and though many are largely forgotten today, made a lasting and significant contribution to early cinema. This entertaining and informative volume reveals these women and their signature roles, drawing on many original sources to show us how such actresses as Theda Bara, Sarah Bernhardt, Dorothy Gish, and Norma Talmadge were received in their time, and the many ways in which their influence remains important today.
Each profile contains a biographical treatment, an analysis of key films from her career, a discussion of the actress's influence on the medium, and selected filmography. Each also includes two photographs, most often one of the actress herself and a still from a film.

Chapters include Theda Bara, Beverly Bayne, Sarah Bernhardt, Pauline Frederick, Carol Dempster, Gene Gauntier, Janet Gaynor, Dorothy Gish, Mae Marsh, Mae Murray, Alla Nazimova, Constance Talmadge, Norma Talmadge, Laurette Taylor, and Pearl White.  

Order on-line from Greenwood Publishing at:

http://www.greenwood.com

Also conveniently available from
Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com
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For the film buff on your Holiday gift list, please consider the new book, The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era.

The captivating lives and groundbreaking accomplishments of fourteen men who dared to gamble their reputations by appearing in the first motion pictures are explored in this richly researched book. At a time when other actors in the "legitimate theater" scorned the industry, these amazing men not only defied the odds of success but also received a place at the heights of a fascinating business that was a new form of art. Each made an enduring and important contribution to early cinema, although some are forgotten today. Exhaustive research in every major archive of the world has created this compilation of information and images. In this engaging and educational volume, the author reaches into the vaults of history to withdraw countless, unusual details that tell how these men, their roles, and their influence were received in their time, and how their powerful impact still lingers today. The book includes 114 rare scene photos, portraits, reproductions of full-page film advertisements, and lobby cards.

Actors include: John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Richard Barthelmess, John Bunny, Francis X. Bushman, Lon Chaney, Jackie Coogan, William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Antonio Moreno, Jack Pickford, Wallace Reid, Rudolph Valentino, and Crane Wilbur.

The publisher has prepared a Limited-edition hard cover version (only 250 copies) and a soft cover version that is widely available.

Obtain this new book now from the publisher, Bear Manor Media, at this link:

http://bearmanormedia.bizland.com/id131.html

Also conveniently available from:

www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.borders.com
www.walmart.com