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Review: Ben Model's "Accidentally Preserved"
There's been a lot of discussion lately about the guarantees that come with pledging a Kickstarter campaign. While some campaigns have failed to live up to their intended end products, Ben Model's...
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Dorothy Dwan: The Accidental Westerner
By the time Dorothy Dwan was 23, she had been married twice, played leading lady to the likes of Larry Semon and Tom Mix, and faced her own father in court. She had a complicated and interesting life,...
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Richard Headrick: The Little Minister
Little Richard Headrick’s golden curls and beyond-his-years acting ability began winning over filmmakers and just the age of 2. Although he quickly became a fan favorite and fan magazine darling, in...
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Richard Travers: The Man About Town
Richard Travers was once described by Motion Picture Classic as a doctor, soldier of fortune, warrior, and a man about town. A man known for his daring, his willingness to take all kinds of risks and...
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Adrienne Kroell: The Selig Coquette
Adrienne Kroell was dubbed one of the most beautiful women in filmdom, and had a beauty contest trophy to support it. At one point, she was named the most engaged girl in all of Chicago, as she was...
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Mae Hotely: The Woman Who Made People Laugh
Mae Hotely was respected as a comedienne, a dramatic actress, and a versatile character actress. She was once referred to as “The character actress who makes things happen in Lubin films,” and she...
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Winifred Greenwood: 'Versatile Artist of the Silent Drama'
Winifred Greenwood toured in vaudeville, performed in musical comedies, and did dramatic stock work before joining the film world. She was versatile, consistent and a hard worker, helping her work...
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Myrtle Stedman: The Girl with the Sweet Contralto Eyebrows
She had many nicknames during the height of her fame. The Voiceless Prima Donna. The Venus of the Movie World. The Girl with the Search-light Eyes. The Selig Girl. Yet the one Myrtle Stedman liked the...
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Review: Wild Bill Hollywood Maverick
By the time William A. Wellman was 36 years old, he had just as many films under his belt. He had also survived a war, four failed marriages, and some of the tougher aspects of the Hollywood studio...
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Marguerite Clayton: The Broncho Girl of the Essanay Company
Marguerite Clayton never quite eclipsed her famous leading man G.M. “Broncho Billy” Anderson, but she managed keep a respectable film career alive for 15 years before retiring right around the...
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Edna Mayo: The Best Dressed Woman on the Screen
Although she was a popular leading lady with the Chicago branch of Essanay, Edna Mayo’s fame and stardom were brief, as was her film career. She was in the public eye for less than five years, but she...
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Peerless Annabelle: A Symphony in Yellow Hair
On her 80th birthday, Annabelle Whitford was on top of the world. She'd received jams, jellies, flowers, phone calls and telegrams from well-wishers across the country, and had entertained several...
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Vedah Bertram: A Career Cut Short
The death of Essanay star Vedah Bertram marks one of the earliest tragedies the film industry had to deal with. When she died at just 20 years old, she had already traveled across the country to follow...
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Mary MacLane: A Correct Reflection of a Peculiar Woman
Mary MacLane had been causing a stir for nearly 20 years by the time she joined the ranks at Essanay, and the sensation she caused helped bring the studio new attention. Unfortunately, the product of...
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Save Essanay!
Virginia Valli in front of the historic Essanay Studios entranceFor a few months now, I've had the opportunity to work closely with a wonderful group of people still firmly entrenched in the world of...
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Open House Chicago Gives Chicagoans an Inside Look at Essanay
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of volunteering at Essanay Studios’ Open House event as part of Open House Chicago. The 2-day event gives Chicago residents the opportunity to get exclusive...
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Charlie Chaplin at Essanay
Charlie Chaplin Essanay advertisementThanks to my recent work with Essanay, I was given the exciting opportunity to pen a series of blog posts for the wonderful Classic Movie Hub site. I'm honored and...
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Gilbert M. Anderson and the Rise of the Western Star
G.M. "Broncho Billy" AndersonThanks to my recent work with Essanay, I was given the exciting opportunity to pen a series of blog posts for the wonderful Classic Movie Hub site. The second post is live,...
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A Star is Born – Gloria Swanson at Essanay
Young Gloria SwansonThanks to my recent work with Essanay, I was given the exciting opportunity to pen a series of blog posts for the wonderful Classic Movie Hub site. The third post is live, and all...
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Jeanne Iver: Elinor Glyn's "Find" from Akron, Ohio
A decade before Elinor Glyn declared Clara Bow the It Girl, she hand-picked another rising star to bring her original stories to the big screen. When the tradepapers reported that Jeanne Iver...
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