Event 13
Lost Worlds of British Silent Cinema
Presented by 2nd Festival of British Cinema
– Booth's Bookshop
Writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet presents his brief guide to the lost worlds of British silent movies, with a bill of two timeless pictures. Rescued by Rover (1905) is a deceptively simple film about a dog that rescues a baby from a kidnapper – it’s one of the most important films ever shot, and is the foundation of almost every Hollywood action picture being made today. The main feature, Shooting Stars (1928) offers a scorching satire on the film business set in a studio populated by vain stars and vapid gossip columnists.
Critic Matthew Sweet will be talking about his passion for early British silent film. We are delighted to have the films accompanied by Neil Brand on the piano.
Rescued by Rover
One of the most important films in the history of cinema, this chase drama was shot 105 years ago on the streets of Walton-on-Thames, and was a huge hit all over the world – so popular that the film had to be reshot twice because the negatives kept wearing out. Blair, the canine star of the picture, is arguably the world’s first film star.
Directors: Lewin Fitzhamon, Cecil Hepworth. UK 1905. 7 minutes
Shooting Stars
There’s blood spilt under the klieg lamps as a love triangle between the star turns in a British film studio turns nasty. Donald Calthrop excels as the Chaplin-like clown who falls for a married leading lady. The directorial debut for Asquith, one of Britain’s most important directors.
Directors: AV Bramble, Anthony Asquith. UK 1928. 72 minutes
This event has taken place
