Film Dictionary: Feb 13, 1970

February 13, 1970

Top 10 Films of 1923

1. "Safety Last!" (Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor, Pathe)

2. "A Woman Of Paris" (Charles Chaplin, United Artists)

3. "La Roue" (Abel Gance, France)

4. "The Hill Park Mystery" (A.W. Sandberg, Denmark)

5. "Our Hospitality" (John G. Blystone, Buster Keaton, Metro)

6. "The Ten Commandments" (Cecil B. DeMille, Paramount)

7. "The Hunchback Of Notre-Dame" (Wallace Worsley, Universal)

8. "The Extra Girl" (F. Richard Jones, Sennett)

9. "The Street" (Karl Grune, Germany)

10. "Why Worry ?" (Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor, Pathe)

Other great films:

Flaming Youth

The Hell Ship (Sweden)
Little Red Devils (Soviet Union)

Merry-Go-Round

The Sign Of Four (UK)

The Three Ages

The Village Shoemakers (Finland)

Short Top 10:

1. "It's A Gift" (Hugh Fay, USA)

2. "Au secours!" (Abel Gance, France)

3. "Le Retour à la raison" (Man Ray, France)

4. "The Pilgrim" (Charles Chaplin, First National)

5. "The Dare Devil" (Del Lord, Sennett)

6. "Dogs Of War" (Robert F. McGowan, Roach)

7. "The Balloonatic" (Eddie Cline, Buster Keaton, First National)

8. "White Wings" (George Jeske, Roach)

9. "The Love Nest" (Eddie Cline, Buster Keaton, First National)

10. "Kill Or Cure" (Scott Pembroke, Roach)

Other great shorts:

Kosuzume Pass (Japan)

Prezydent Wojciechowski w Gdyni (Poland)

Cartoon Top 10:

1. "Felix In Hollywood" (Otto Messmer, Winkler)

2. "Bed Time" (Dave Fleischer, Winkler)

3. "Felix The Ghost Breaker" (Otto Messmer, Winkler)

4. "La Voix du rossignol" (Wladyslaw Starewicz, France)

5. "Trapped" (Dave Fleischer, Winkler)

6. "Felix Gets Broadcasted" (Otto Messmer, Winkler)

7. "Rhythmus 21" (Hans Richter, Germany)

8. "One Hard Pull" (Paul Terry, Pathe)

9. "Alice's Wonderland" (Walt Disney, Winkler)

10. "Lulu" (Segundo de Chomon, Italy)

Weak films of 1923:

Coeur fidele (France)
The Covered Wagon
La Souriante Madame Beudet (France)
Salome
Scaramouche
Shock
Suzanna
Warning Shadows (Germany)

Weak shorts:

Glumov's Diary (Soviet Union)
Man About Town
The Noon Whistle
Oranges And Lemons
Roughest Africa
Save The Ship
Scorching Sands
The Soilers
Sunday Calm

Weak cartoons

Smart Salesman

Safety Last! (1923) *****

Harold Lloyd's best film, famous for its building-climbing sequence. Co-directed by Fred Newmeyer and Sam Taylor.

A Woman Of Paris (1923) ****

One of Charles Chaplin's best efforts, a superb comedy of manners. A masterpiece of silent cinema, very different from all his other films.

The Hill Park Mystery (1923) ****

Excellent murder mystery from Denmark. Funny, exciting and surprising.

The Ten Commandments (1923) ***

Very different from the 1956 remake, this silent epic (also directed by Cecil B. DeMille) consists of two segments: the first (shorter) part is set during the Exodus of Jews from Egypt, the second (longer) part is set in 1920's America. The latter story cleverly integrates almost every commandment into a tale of a carpenter who covets his brother's wife.