A few loose ends ...

"Eating my vegetables"

Follow-up on the supposed lost Technicolor segments from The Gaucho, seems to point toward an all too familiar likelihood. There are numerous Technicolor references tied to this film, among them, no less than the AFI silent film catalog listing. After consulting several experts, including a Fairbanks biographer, what I have discovered is a lack of any real documentation to support these references. Furthermore, I was told that Fairbanks gave an interview four weeks into production of The Gaucho and stated the film would not be in color! Confusing? The Gaucho may have been tinted, toned, or theaters may have used colored lights projected onto the screen, all commonly used effects at that time. This may be another case of misinformation spreading to a point when eventually it becomes accepted as fact.

Defending the defender …
…. and the value of originality.

Golden Delicious … or Pink Lady?

Once again, I find myself offering a detailed (is this really necessary?) defense of Douglas Fairbanks, his significance in film, popular culture and American history, this time, in response to a comment posted to my preview for Robin Hood. The only requirement for understanding my point-of-view is to watch the films, study them, see them in a theater, with an audience and their value will become unmistakable. If this fare is not to your liking, why waste your time? Some folks simply enjoy an arguement, and a poke in the eye is all they're after. On the other hand, if you know and love action adventure, these films are the foundation of the genre and the best, most original stuff anyone in Hollywood ever dreamed up!