#william farnum

[thursdaymurderbub]

Screenland magazine, June 1941

[gatutor]

Betty Hilburn-William Farnum "Heart strings" 1920, de J. Gordon Edwards.

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Supernatural (1933) Victor Halperin

September 28th 2024

[diioonysus]

history ━ 1937 fox vault fire

the 1937 fox vault fire occurred on july 9th, 1937 in a 20th century-fox storage facility in new jersey. in new jersey, gases produced by decaying film, combined with high temperatures and inadequate ventilation, resulted in spontaneous combustion. one death and two injuries resulted from the fire, which also destroyed all the archived film in the vaults, resulting in the loss of most of the silent films produced by the fox film corporation before 1932. films lost to the fire include pictures starring theda bara, shirley mason, william farnum, and etc. for some, it destoryed all their movies like valeska surratt, who has no existing films left. this incident spurred an interest in fire safety, and so by the 1950s, the use of nitrate film in the united states had been essentially eliminated.

[cursemewithyourkiss]

Ranking the Sydney Cartons

My ranking of the different portrayals of Sydney Carton in six major adaptations of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, based on accuracy and performance. I have not included A Tale of Two Cities (1911) because of how short it is.

6. Dirk Bogarde in A Tale of Two Cities (1958).

Dirk Bogarde had not read the book and you can tell. He is witty and charming as Sydney, and his performance is a fairly engaging one, but unfortunately, whoever he is playing, it's not Sydney. One may blame some script choices—Sydney is placed in a lot of scenes where he does not appear in the book—but the way he acts is distinctly unlike Sydney too. Instead of lurking in the background, Bogarde's Sydney is forward, flirtatious and extremely chatty, and while he keeps insisting he's lazy, he is constantly doing things. Besides, he doesn't look the part at all.

Accuracy: 4/10.

Performance: 6/10.

Average: 5.

5. James Wilby in A Tale of Two Cities (1989).

Because of his blond hair, James Wilby does not really look the part; he also lacks some bite, and there are some strange writing choices here and there that feel out of place. Wilby's characterisation is fairly on point otherwise though and his occasional moments of strong emotion still make his portrayal worthwhile and more moving than some.

Accuracy: 7/10.

Performance: 8/10.

Average: 7.5.

4. Chris Sarandon in A Tale of Two Cities (1980), the film.

Once again we are met by some baffling writing choices—including Sydney asking Lucie to a cricket match!—but overall Chris Sarandon's performance as Sydney is one of the most accurate out of all of them. Unlike in many other adaptations, he is not at the forefront too much, or too charming. He looks the part as well. Unfortunately Sarandon does comes across as rather stale and never quite reaches the emotional weight the role desires.

Accuracy: 9/10.

Performance: 6/10.

Average: 7.5.

3. Paul Shelley in A Tale of Two Cities (1980), the series.

Paul Shelley captures Sydney's cynicism and ill manners as perhaps no other; when Sydney is at his worst, Shelley is at his best. This adaptation also does a good job at emphasising Sydney as an outsider to the affairs of the other characters, with some shots being reminiscent of Phiz's original illustrations. Like several of the other Sydneys, however, he never quite becomes the tragic character of the novel, lacking the amount of emotional depth required.

Accuracy: 9/10.

Performance: 7/10.

Average: 8.

2. William Farnum in A Tale of Two Cities (1917).

While William Farnum may have been a bit too old when he played Sydney, he does get points for having both long and dark hair. It is not just his looks though that cause this Sydney to excel in accuracy, for in terms of his characterisation this version rarely strays. The film's length bars Farnum from ever truly making the same impact as his counterparts, but he certainly makes an impression with his wonderfully expressive face.

Accuracy: 9/10.

Performance: 8/10.

Average: 8.5.

1. Ronald Colman in A Tale of Two Cities (1935).

Ronald Colman had loved the book since he was a child and had been telling interviewers for years that he wanted to play the part. When he got it, he was overjoyed. Whatever he lacks in accuracy—he doesn't quite look the part, having short hair and being somewhat too old, especially in contrast to Charles, and he brings a gentleness to the character that isn't entirely suitable—he completely makes up for by his excellent performance. He is utterly convincing as an embittered man, and his portrayal is full of depth and emotion, especially in those haunting eyes. Colman's Sydney may not be as exact as could be, but he captures the soul of the novel, and in such a way as to move one to tears.

Accuracy: 8/10.

Performance: 10/10.

Average: 9.

[erstwhile-punk-guerito]

[michigandrifter]

Boss of Hangtown Mesa 1942

[coopmillandmarch]

William Farnum, Gary Cooper, and Tom Santschi on the set of The Spoilers, 1930.