Category Archives: Silent Films

The Fairy Tale Blogathon: Cinderella (1914)

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Annmarie Gatti

And they Lived Happily Ever After… Ah, Cinderella! What little girl didn’t grow up hearing, in some version or other, the classic tale of Cinderella?  As for me, it first came in the form of a dazzling, illustrated oversized storybook … Continue reading →

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Silent Chicago: Murder in the Windy City: The Story Behind “Chicago”: The Chicago Silent Era (Part 8)

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Janelle Vreeland

  Murder in the Windy City: The Story Behind “Chicago” The story of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly has been told time and time again in the form of musicals, Broadway shows and films, but it began as a play … Continue reading →

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Silent Chicago: The Diamond from the Sky: American’s Crown Jewel: The Chicago Silent Era (Part 7)

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Janelle Vreeland

  The Diamond from the Sky: American’s Crown Jewel The serial film was nothing new when the American Film Manufacturing Company released “The Diamond from the Sky” in 1915. In fact, just months before, the Thanhouser Film Corporation had wrapped … Continue reading →

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Silent Chicago: Flying High With Flying A in the Windy City -The American Film Manufacturing Company: The Chicago Silent Era (Part 6)

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Janelle Vreeland

  Flying High With Flying A in the Windy City: The American Film Manufacturing Company Formed by Samuel Hutchinson and Charles Hite, the American Film Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1910 and held the distinction of being the only independent … Continue reading →

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Silent Chicago: The Little Colonel Meets Poe: Henry B. Walthall at Essanay: The Chicago Silent Era (Part 5)

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Janelle Vreeland

  The Little Colonel Meets Poe: Henry B. Walthall at Essanay Henry B. Walthall is widely remembered today for his performance as The Little Colonel in D.W. Griffith’s controversial “The Birth of a Nation,” and for his work under Griffith … Continue reading →

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Silent Chicago: S & A and the Windy City: The Chicago Silent Era (Part 4)

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Janelle Vreeland

  S & A and the Windy City Though not the first film studio to be built and based in Chicago, Essanay grew to be one of the largest and most popular of the Chicago-based studios. The sheer number of … Continue reading →

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Silent Chicago: Lions and Tigers and Colonel Selig: The Chicago Silent Era (Part 3)

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Janelle Vreeland

  Lions and Tigers and Colonel Selig In the early days of silent cinema, Chicago was responsible for 20% of the total output of the US film industry. One of the biggest contributors to this staggering statistic was Chicago’s own … Continue reading →

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Silent Chicago: The Selig Polyscope Company and the Birth of Film in the Windy City: The Chicago Silent Era (Part 2)

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Janelle Vreeland

The Selig Polyscope Company and the Birth of Film in the Windy City “Colonel” William Selig By the time William N. Selig died in 1948, he had produced thousands of films via the Selig Polyscope Company, discovered a number of … Continue reading →

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Silent Chicago: Before there was Hollywood, there was Chicago: The Chicago Silent Era (Part 1)

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Janelle Vreeland

  Before there was Hollywood, there was Chicago Dancing Annabelle Whitford The city of Chicago and the film industry have shared a connection since the days of Thomas Edison. Chicago-based dancer Annabelle Whitford was chosen as one of Edison’s first … Continue reading →

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Silent Chicago: A Star is Born – Gloria Swanson at Essanay

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Janelle Vreeland

  A Star is Born – Gloria Swanson at Essanay “You ought to screen wonderfully, if you don’t screen terribly,” the director challenged the young woman touring the studio. The petite young girl was not intimidated. “Try me,” she fired … Continue reading →

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