Take it Easy Man....

Dennis Hopper

May 17th, 1936 - May 29th, 2010

Janet Gaynor, John Barrymore and Jackie Chan?

Some screenshots from a few recently viewed films...

I am kinda stuck in silent film mode lately! Within the last 2 weeks I've watched "Seventh Heaven" and "Street Angel" both directed by Frank Borzage and starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell and "Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and "Tempest" starring John Barrymore...

"Seventh Heaven" is a must-see for silent film lovers! It pours on the sentiment REAL heavy and Charles Farrell is about as subtle as a sledge-hammer but it's very well done and Janet Gaynor is just so amazing one gets caught up in their story instantly!

Chico is a "very remarkable fellow"!

"Chico....Diane....Heaven!"
To give any more away would be unthinkable!

Janet Gaynor in "Street Angel", this was one of 3 films that got her the first Oscar for best actress....the others being "Sunrise" and "Seventh Heaven".

The print I saw was really in bad shape but I enjoyed it anyway!

The 2 barrymore films were well-worth seeing but not on par with these Borzage films, and since I dont wanna get too stuck in a rut it was time for something different...

Jackie Chans' "Legend of Drunkenmaster", one of the most unbelievable martial arts films I've ever seen! The first action scene takes place underneath a train and a pier!

The second fight sequence is where Jackie hilariously goes into "Drunken Boxing" mode!

Another action sequence has Jackie and a pal take on an axe gang in a restaraunt! This scene has to be seen to be believed, it is mind boggling!

Same scene, Jackie wreaks havoc on about 3 dozen guys with this bamboo staff, all very gracefully I may add, but then what would one expect from a martial artist whose idols are Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Buster Keaton!

The final incredible fight scene takes place in a metalworks and at one point Jackie, the screens most endearing masochist, gets thrown onto a bed of hot coals! The outtakes show that this was not faked at all as he was immediately doused with fire extinguishers!

Jackie never takes things too seriously!

hmmmm, what next? "300" and "Bringing Up Baby"?

The Duke!

John Wayne - May 26th, 1907 - June 11th, 1979

New Artwork...

Been a long time since I posted anything of my own here....that it's following on the heels of a Frazetta post means either I have guts or I'm an idiot!

Title: "Burn - Clara Bow Opus 7"

I've been working on this steadily for nearly 2 months now and just finished it this past Sunday. Ths is actually the 3rd version of this pose I've tried within the last 8 or 9 years but the other 2 just never came out right to me. I knew i'd go for it again someday and I think I finally have this picture out of my system!

Colored pencil and neocolor II crayons (b/g only) on 22" x 28" museum board.

As for the nasty watermark, you can thank the dipshit who decided to repost entire years of my blog without giving me credit for it!

One More Time...

Last of the Frazetta's for now...

"Rogue Roman"

"The Destroyer", my fave of all his Conan paintings!

"Winged Terror"

"The Hun"

"Death Dealer", arguably Frank's most iconic image.

More Frazetta...

Some more of Frank's mind boggling oil paintings...

"Cat Girl"

"Dark Kingdom"

"Death Dealer II"

"Man-Ape" - another intense Conan Painting!

"Neanderthal"

Frank Frazetta...

Some of my fave Frazetta pieces...

Frank's pencil and watercolor masterpiece "Golden Girl"

"Egyptian Queen"

One of his career-defining, genre-defining, pop culture defining Conan oil paintings.

"The Moon Maid"

Another oil masterpiece, "The Silver Warrior"

to be continued...

Frank Frazetta...

1928 - 2010

Thank you for changing my life.

Patricia Ellis...

Putting the spotlight on one of my fave Warner Bros. starlets of the early 1930's...

Perhaps some of you remember her from "The Picture Snatcher" or "The St Louis Kid" with James Cagney or "Snowed Under" or "Stranded" with George Brent? All totalled, lovely Patricia appeared in 42 films in a 7 year period! Her early appearances were small uncredited roles in films like "Three on a Match" and "42nd Street" but soon after she was co-starring with Cagney, Brent, Paul Muni and others. She was especially good in "The St Louis Kid", proving quite a worthy adversary to Cagney and looking good doing it too!

This weekend I watched 2 films that she made towards the end of her short career, "Postal Inspector", a rather forgettable B-picture co-starring Ricardo Cortez and Bela Lugosi and "Back Door to Heaven", a fascinating, exceedingly downbeat but worthwhile drama starring the great character actors Wallace Ford, Aline MacMahon and Van Heflin. Patricia gives an earnest performance and its a shame she only made 1 more film after this one. The pic above is a vintage 5" x 7" promo picture I picked up several years ago. The signature is a fascimile.

However the one above is authentic! I found this autograph book tear out on ebay for a song. Rosemary Lane's signature is on the reverse side!
So already I have 2 "new to me" films in the can this weekend and it's only Saturday, woo hoo!

"Lucky Star"

I've been slacking terribly in my movie watching again but tonight I stepped away from the art table and treated myself to "Lucky Star" a simple and beautiful silent film directed by Frank Borzage at Fox studio in 1929 and starring frequent co-stars Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell.

I dont like "spoilers" myself, so I wont go into the story but I will say this was really a treat, a beautifully realized production on every level and I recommend it very highly to silent film lovers!

Some wonderful touches of humor throughout the picture, like this scene when adorable but filthy little hayseed Janet Gaynor FINALLY gets her hair washed but good!

Janet Gaynor, a fantastic actress, silent or sound.

They did indeed have faces then...