VideolTV: Humor/Comedy Hollywood to Astoria with Cartoons That Time Forgot: Face to Face: Actresses of Hecht and MacArthur The Van Beuren Studio the Silent Screen This highly entertaining retrospective is "Will you acceptthree hundred per week to Between the years 1928 and 1936 the now 1 Silent screen acting was part pantomime, comprised ofmore-than50 video works in work forParamountPictures? Allexpenses nearly forgotten Van Beuren Studio pro- part seduction, part magic act. Thanks to which comedy and conceptual art merge paid. The three hundred is peanuts. Mil- duced some of New York's most eccentric the dramatic power of the closeup, the to take on a variety of forms. The tapes, by lions are to be grabbed out here and your and extraordinary animation. Directors power to magnify emotion, the screen some four dozen artists, span more than a only competition is idiots. Don't let this get George Rufle and George Stallings, layout image became an icon, anda new genera- decade-virtually the entire history of the around." Thus Herman J. Mankiewicz sum- man Joseph Barbera, and animators Izzy tion of faces defined a new style ofperfor- video art form-and range from the tech- moned BenHecht to Hollywood, launching Klein, Frank Tashlin, BillLittlejohn, Shamus mance. Drama and melodrama, comedy nologically primitive but conceptually ele- one of the most phenomenal careers in Culhane and Jack Zander were only some and romance: everything on the silent gant work of pioneers William Wegman and screenwriting. Soon much of Hecht's best of the animation greats who passed screen depended on the human face. Willie Walker to more recent pieces which work was being done in collaboration with through, but the ravages ofre-distribution Norma Desmond was right: they didn't play upon the conventional forms ofbroad- his old writing partner Charles MacArthur, by home movie releasers and TV syndica- need sound. This glamorous panorama of cast TV. VIDEO/TV:HUMOR/COMEDY was and together they mastered the Hollywood tors effectively eradicated the Van Beuren silent performance features ten of the most curated by John Minkowskyand is distrib- idiom. But when their imaginations out- Studio from popular memory. Yet the work famous screen actresses ofthe 1920s. Stay uted by Media Study/Buffalo with support grew the West Coast studios, they set up of the Van Beuren cartoonists intersected tuned for part two of our survey (great from the National Endowment for the Arts their own production unit at Astoria. Here, intriguingly with therapid innovations that actors of the silents) next season. and the New York State Councilon theArts. half a century ago, the team wrote, pro- were sweeping through the burgeoning Screeningsat Astoria are the onlyNew York duced anddirected fourofthe most outra- sound-cartoon industry. The approximately Piano accompaniment arranged and played by City presentation of this unusual and very geous pictures everassembled. Our Fifti- sixty films collected in this four-part redis- Curtis Salke. special series. Each evening's program is eth Anniversary tribute brings backall four covery are like unearthed "missing links"in approximately two hours long. and pairs each with one oftheir best Holly- animation history. Programmed by Greg wood efforts. Ford with special thanks to Jan Kucik. Each program approximately 100 mins.

PROGRAM I: Friday, March 23, 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 6, 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 9, 7:30 p.m. CRIME WITHOUT PASSION (1934) INTRODUCTION: THE VAN BEUREN Mae Murray in THE MERRY WIDOW Alla Nazimova in SALOME (1922) and VIDEO PIONEERS and and GUNGA DIN (1939) IRREGULARS (1925) Alice Terry in THE MAGICIAN (1926) MUSICAL/COMEDY PROGRAM 11: Saturday, March 24, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 7, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28, .307 p.m. Saturday, May 12, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1% 7:30 p.m. ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (1934-36) "AESOP'S FABLES" AND Lillian Gish in THE SCARLET LETTER Gloria Swanson in ZAZA (1923) PARODY: CULTURAL TV STATION and BARBARY COAST (1935) THE EARLY BLACK-AND-WHITES (1926) and Greta Garbo in A WOMAN and Pole Magri in FORBIDDEN OF AFFAIRS (1928) PARADISE (1924) PROGRAM III: Friday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 13, 7.30 p.m. Friday, May 4, 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 16, 7:30 p.m. THE SCOUNDREL (1935) and THE ODD AND THE OUTRAGEOUS Marion Davies in JANICE MEREDITH LIKELY STORIES and THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (1934) (1924) THE MAGIC BOX Friday, April 14, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5, 7:30 p.m. Prints courtesy of MCAAlniversal, RKO General Pictures, Columbia PROGRAM IV: Saturday, March 31, 7:30 p.m. Pictures Industries, the American Film Institute, MGM/UA, the George Saturday, March 17, 7:30 p.m. SOAK THE RICH (1.435-36) and "RAINBOW PARADES" AND LATER Clara Bow in IT (1927) and Joan Eastman House, the Library of Congress, and William K . Everson . VARIATIONS Crawford to OUR DANCING SHORT TAKES, ONE-LINERS AND THE FRONT PAGE (1931) All programs subject to change without notice . TALKING HEADS and DOCUCOMEDY DAUGHTERS (1928)

PROGRAM 111: Astoria with Soglow's pantomimic LITTLE KING. This caval- Hate, will introduce the film and discuss Stroheim's VideolTV: Humor/Comedy Fri . Mar. 16, 7:30 p.m . Hollywood to cade ofstarsfeatures Van Beuren's ambitious Tech- handling of stars like Murray and Swanson . 1: PROGRAM LIKELY STORIES nicolor projects including Fontaine Fox's Toonerville Saturday, April 24 7:30 p.m. Fri. Mar. 9, 7:30 p.m. Hecht andMacArthur Folks Mitchell Kriegman Likely Stories . Lillian Gish in THE SCARLET LETTER (1926, VIDEO PIONEERS Friday, March 23, 7:30 p.m. Tony Oursler The Weak Bullet Saturday, April 7 7:30 p.m. 80 mins.) and Greta Garbo in A WOMAN OF Nam June Paik The Selling of New York CRIME WITHOUT PASSION (1934, 72 mins .) "AESOP'S FABLES"AND THE EARLYBLACK- AFFAIRS (1928, 108 mins") Directed bySwedish Willie Walker Lure Detour Maniacal triallawyer Claude Rains gets his comeup- William Wegman The Best of William Wegman AND-WHITES These are the best of Van Beuren's import Victor Seastrom, Miss Gish delivered one of pance in this stylishtale ofmurderand mayhem . Also ambience, easy muta- hermost elegant and understated performances in Ant FarmITR . Uthco The Eternal Frame FABLES, with a nonsensical THE MAGIC BOX GUNGA DIN (1939, 117 mins.) Often seen in bility and haphazard supernaturalism thatparalleled thisrarelyseen Hawthorne classic. Soon after, Garbo severely cut prints, this is the first showing of the Alan Lande From Your Radiation the Fleischers' TALKARTOONS and BETTY helped redefine the image of an MGM star when MUSICAL/COMEDY American Film Institute's newly restored version . Clarence Brown directed her in this steamyMichael Willie Walker Life With Video BOOPS. Rare AESOP'S FABLES like FAMILY Pier Marton Guitar Piece Directed by George Stevens. SHOE and ANIMAL FAIR, and Tom and Jerry's Arlen adaptation. John Gilbert co-stars. Michael SmithlMark Fischer Secret Horror Kit FitzgeraldlJohn Sanborn Ear To The Ground Saturday, March 24, 7:30 p.m. diverse careers as Egyptologists (MAGIC cap Friday, May 4, 7:30 p.m. Songs for Swinging Larvae Mitchell Kriegman Turkey Dinner ONCE INA BLUE MOON (1934-36, 68 mlnsJ MUMMY) and baby-sitters (PUZZLED PALS) Marion Davies in JANICEMEREDITH (1924, Graeme WhiflerlRenaldo off this compendium of strange black-and-white and the Loaf Brad Stensberg Video Rover Chaplinesque clown Jimmy Savo leads a circus 118 minsJ William Randolph Hearst saw Marion the Russianrevolution . cartoons. Twinart Instant This/Instant That Ed Tannenbaum Prov. Video Dating Service troupe through the middle of as the ideal heroine of period romance, and pro- This very strange film, once denounced as unreleas- a series ofelaborate costumes forher athis One Minute Movies James Hartel Captured Tool Friday, April 13 7:30 p.m. duced Graeme WhiflerlThe Residents able, has an elaborate musical score by George OUTRAGEOUS Tonight's 127th Street studio. Here Marion helps George Willie WalkerITR. Uthco The Real Long Ranger THE ODD AND THE Julia Heyward Intimate Parade Antheil. Also BARBARYCOAST (1935, 97mins.) program presents cartoons that are truly bizarre, Washington andPaul Revere wintheAmerican Revo- Ernest Gusella Art Punks; Scale Flop A lustytaleofold San Francisco, pairing Miriam Hop- sometimes astonishing for theiroffhand surrealism lution (Hearst style). Exquisite period design by PROGRAM IV: kins andEdward G. Robinson underthe direction of Kenn Beckmanl"Blue" Song of the Street of the (the airborne boats, trains and barnyard beasts of Joseph Urban. Sat . Mar. 17, 7:30 p.m . Howard Hawks. their ethnic and racial stereo- Gene Tyranny Singing Chicken SKY SKIPPERS); Saturday, May 5, 7:30 p.m. SHORT TAKES, ONE-LINERS AND TALKING HEADS types (the astounding Jewish and Chinese carica- Laurie AndersonlDavidson Gigliotti Language Is A Virus Friday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. Clara Bow in IT (1927, 72 mins .) and Joan Tim Maul/Davidson Gigliotti Soho ; Empire State THE SCOUNDREL (1935, 75 mins .) Noel Cow- tures of LAUNDRY BLUES); their unbridled sex- DAUGHTERS Tony Oursler Till Ye Know Me chasing afteragiggly bevy Crawford in OUR DANCING Teddy Dibble Secrets I'll Never Tell; Admiration; ard slithers through the worldof the shallow and the ualcontent (the Little King (1928,97 minsJ Hollywoodstudios helped define Michael SmithlDavidson Gigliotti Giddi Up Travel Agent The Role Model superficial. An occult viewoflife among the literati, ofharem girlsin SULTAN PEPPER); theirunusual bypromoting heroines in PENCIL the "newwoman" ofthe 1920s Dale Hoyt Dancing Death Monsters ; spiked with fashionable cynicism and sentiment . design motifs (cartoons-within-cartoon whose sexualitywas vibrant and aggressive. Clara Teddy DibblelPeter Keenan The Cough The Deviant MANIA); and their freakish fantasy locales (the out- The Kipper Kids Eight Days a Week Also THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (1934, 91 Bow spoofs her own image in this dime-store-to- Louie Grenier Pass Debris ; Caught; I Play Real minsJ Director Howard Hawks breezes through landish gnomic HolyWarsofJoys"versus "Glooms" Well ; Winners/Losers yacht-club free for all. Joan Crawford, among the Hechtand MacArthur's essay in egomania, powered in Ted Eshbaugh's legendary two-color opus THE Charlestons the nightaway in PROGRAM II: MAKERS) . mightyover at MGM, Louie Grenier/Davidson Gigliotti Risk; Squark Hooks by John Barrymore's greatest comic performance. SUNSHINE the most famous of flapper melodramas. Sat. Mar. 10, 7:30 p.m. Michael SmithlMark Fischer Driving PARODY: CULTURAL TV STATION Saturday, March 31, 7:30 pm. Saturday, April 14 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. Dan Boord Wit and Its Relationship to SOAKTHE RICH (1935-36, 87 mlnsJA vicious "RAINBOW PARADES" AND LATER VARIA- in SALOME (1922,44 mins.) Alan Lande Selections from 13 Changes and directorof THETHREE Alla Nazimova the Unconscious lampooning ofcollege radicals, this wild farcejug- TIONS In 1934 Burt Gillett, and Alice Terry in THE MAGICIAN (1926, 77 Your Radiation (interspersed LITTLE PIGS, was hired to orient the Van Beuren throughout program) gles small items like anarchy and Marxism-hot mins .) Two rare examplesofthe fantastic anderotic THE studio toward Disney-type technique. A morereality MascatellolDavidson Gigliotti Snuff DOCUCOMEDY potatoes even for an Astoria picture. Also in American silent film . Producer-actress Nazimova Tony FRONT PAGE (1931, 103 minsJ Hecht and basedsense ofmovementand a greater sentimen- her sets, costumes, and general atmosphere Dale Hoyt Who Shot M.M.? immediately evident in ALONG CAME A takes Tom Adair/Kenneth Robins Live From Lunds Mar-Arthur's classicplay made itto thescreen nearly tality are of decadence straight from the work of Aubrey Alan Lande The Big Apple DUCK and a whole variety of Technicolor "RAIN- Peter Brownscombe The Longest Poem in The World intact in this first and fastest of three film versions. Beardsley. Terry, in THE MAGICIAN, ispursued for Bob & Bob - Tuesday Morning Bobs Lewis Milestone directs. BOW PARADES Ths eccentric Molly Moo Cow necromancer General Idea Test Tube ." TOONERVILLE TROL- her virgin's bloodbyan expressionist Doug Hall Game of the Week and the offbeat rustics of played by Paul Wegener. Husband Rex Ingram Laurie McDonald The Dying Swan LEY and TOONERVILLE PICNIC, however, Ilene Segalove What Is Business Cartoons That Time Forgot: directed at their studios in Nice. Jeff Strate Godzilla Ballet retained a good measure of the sheerweirdness that been the hallmark of Van Beuren. . Generic Video Art The Van Beuren Studio seemed to have Saturday, May 12, 7:30 p.m Laurie McDonaldlTom Sims Gloria Swanson in ZAZA (1923, 78 mins.) and William Wegman Man Ray, Man Ray Friday, April 6 7:30 p.m. Face to Face: Actresses of Pole Negriin FORBIDDEN PARADISE (1924, Howard Fried Making A Paid Political INTRODUCTION: THE VAN BEUREN IRREG- 83minsJ They were Paramount's reigning royalty, Announcement ULARS The wittily self-parodic MAKING 'EM the Silent Screen Negri on the west coast and Swanson in the east. Jules BackuslSkip Blumberg The First International MOVE kicks offa cross-section ofnearly all the stu- ZAZA was Gloria's firstAstoria production, a Paris- Whistling Show dio'sprincipal characters. Onthe bill are looks at the Friday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. ianromance intended to put Hollywoodin theshade. black and white AESOP'S FABLES, TODDLE Mae Murray in THE MERRY WIDOW (1925, Pola retaliated with FORBIDDEN PARADISE, a Ferris Butler Leather Weather,, Mental Illness TALES, CUBBY BEAR, TOM AND JERRY (a 111 minsJ "The girlwith the bee-stung lips"fought delicious Ernst Lubitsch concoction . And the battle Kit Fitzgerald/John Sanborn Don't Ask homo-sapiensshort-tall duo, not to be mistaken for tooth and nailwith director Erich won Stroheim over continued. Pola was Billy Wilder's first choice for MGM's cat and mouse), AMOS'N'ANDY (voiced conflicting interpretations of this silent operetta . Norma Desmond, before he thought of Gloria. by the original radio broadcast team), and Otto Richard Koszarski, author of The Man You Lovedto

T McGuire, Dina Merrill & Cliff Astoria Foundation: By car Staff: The Astoria Motion Picture and Television Foundation is TheAstoria Motion Picture and Television Foundation grate- MCA Foundation, John How to reach the MGMIUA Entertainment Take the Queensborough Bridge to Queens (lowerroadway) Rochelle Slovin Executive Director building the first museum in the United States devoted to fully acknowledges generous supportofitsprograms from Robertson, LuEsther T. Mertz, By subway Rupert Murdoch, The and follow Northern Blvd. to 35th Street, Turn left on 35th Virginia Strull Development Director the art, technology andhistory ofmoving image media. The thefollowingpublicagencies: theCity ofNewYork Depart- Company, William Morris Agency, Take theRR train to Broadway inAstoria, Queens, walk east Foundation, Glenn Ralston, Steve Street andcontinue to theAstoria Studio building-located Amy Waterman Public Information Foundation sponsors exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, mentofCulturalAffairs, the New YorkCity Public Develop- May& Morris Newburger on Broadway 4 blocks to 35th Street. Turn rightand walk J. Ross, William Shea, Herbert on 35th Street between 35th Avenue and 34th Avenue. Cas RuellDowden Development Intern publications, acommunity filmmakingcenter andindustry mentCorporation, the New YorkState Councilon the Arts, Roland, Mr andMrs. Steven along 35thStreet 1112 blocks totheAstoria Studiobuilding. Irwin YounglDuArt Film JoAnn Hanley Program Director related conferencesand seminars, andis actively seeking the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National J. Seigel, Jerry Weintraub, Laboratories. TaketheE orF train to Queens Plaza. Across platform take Take the Thborough Bridge to Queens. Turn rightat the 31st Nancy Greystone Program Intern artifactual materials forits permanent collection. Endowment for the Humanities. theGGorNtrain 2stops toSteinway Street. Walkwest along Street exit-last exit before Grand Central Parkway-and Anthony Bruni Box Office We are deeply grateful for the generosity andencourage- Koszarski Chief CuratorlHistorian Board of Directors: John T McGuire, President. Henry of the Astoria Motion Pictureand Television Foun- 34th Avenue 4blocks to 35thStreet. Turnleft on35th Street follow 31st Street to 35th Avenue. Turn left andgo 4 blocks Richard ment of Home Box Office. Programs to the Astoria Studio building. to 35th Street. The Astoria Studio building is locatedon 35th Ellin Burke Levin Production Design Auffarth, Bob Balaban, William Bernstein, Fredda Briant, dation have also been made possible through the continued Street between 35th Avenue and 34th Avenue. Curator/Director of David Brown, Ellin Delsener, Vinicio Donato, Cliff Frazer, In 1982, The Founders Circle was established to provide supportof corporations, foundations, unions andguilds. W4 Take theGG to Steinway Street.'Walk west along34th Ave- Exhibits Linda LeRoyJanklow, LarryKeith, George Kennelly, Arthur vitaloperating fundsfortheFbundationanditsefforts tocre- are deeply appreciative of contributions of $1,000 or more nue 4 blocks to 35th Street. Turn left on 35th Street to the From Eastern Queens andLongIsland take theGrandCen- Daniel Ochiva Associate Curator, Moving Kent, Diahn McGrath, Lome Michaels, Therese Molloy, ate the Museum of the Moving Image. Kb thank the mem- received sinceJuly 1, 1983 from: Benton & Bowles, Chase Astoria Studio building. tral Parkwayto the Hoyt Ave. exit. Left on 31st St. to 35thAve. Image Technology Thomas R. O'Donnell, Joseph Olewitz, Michael Porcoco, bers ofthe Founders Circle for theircontributions of$1,000 Manhattan Bank, Chemical Bank, Con Edison, Exxon, Left on to 35th Ave. Go 4 blocks to 35th Street. TheAstoria Eleanor J. Mish Registrar Martin Poll, Glenn Ralston, Samuel Robert, Domingo Rodri- or more : Larry Abrams, DavidAlter, Bryan BantrylBryan Screen Actors Guild, andtheVidorFoundation. Inaddition, Studio building is locatedon 35th Street between 35th Ave- John Carpenter Curatorial Volunteer quez, Dan Sandberg, Jonn Springer Margaret Swezey Saul Bantry Productions, DavidBegelman, Folly Bergen, Norma we wish to thank the following donors of $250 or more: nue and 34th Avenue. Marguerite Lorenz Curatorial Volunteer Turell, Leonard Wasser Bess Myerson, Patricia-Reed Scott, Bergerac, William Bernstein, Ken Blancato, Mr. and Mrs. Actors Equity Association, Atlantic Bank of New York, Ber- Ruth Turkin Curatorial Volunteer Ex-Officio. Claire Shulman, Advisor Albert Broccoli, David Brown, Ronald R. CohenlCohen key K&L Custom Services, the Conference of Motion Pic- d Bonnie Prives Business Manager Insurance, Kevin Conway, Marvin Davis, Ellin Delsener, tures and TV Unions, Janus Films, Martin E. Segal Com- m Jennifer Woolcock Office Manager Embassy Television, TimothyC. Forbes, Barbara Goldsmith pany, and the Motion Picture Studio Mechanics Local 52 . N Sharon Doane Receptionist & Frank Ferry; Harry and Margaret Goz/Goz Enterprises a Albert Bido Administrative Intern Inc., Jim Henson, Chick HymanlCamera Mart, Stanley R. Jaffe, Linda LeRoyJanklow, QuincyJones, Robert Kafiban, Prints courtesy of MCAlUniversal, RKO General Pictures, 0 Film Institute, c Mr and Mrs. George S Kaufman, Lawrence Keith, The Columbia Pictures Industries, the American Mathilde&Arthur B KrimFoundation Inc., Mr. andMrs. A.R. MGMIUA, the George Eastman House, theLibrary of Con- m Martin, gress, and William K. Everson. 0 Landsman, David J. Mahoney Foundation, Dean

Astoria Motion Picture t and Television Foundation 34-31 35th Street Astoria, NY 11106 (212) 784-4520

Curated by Bob Harris . On view in the gallery Admission isfree with film program ticket. $2.00 Video in the Gallery prior to each Friday and Saturday's film program . for video program only. PERFORMANCE OTHER CULTURES Fri. 3/23, Sat. 3/24 Fri. 4/27, Sat. 4/28 6:30-7.30 6:30-7.30 Shirley Clarke Tongues Juan Downey Moving Yanomami Nam June Paik Tribute to John Cage Alan Eisner & Jamie Newman Monk Cycle Edin Velez Meta Mayan PORTRAITS Fri. 3/30, Sat. 3/31 REFLECTIONS 6:30-7.30 Fri. 5/4, Sat. 5/5 R_ii Kanzaki Forbidden Rebels 6:30-7:30 Skip Blumberg Pick Up Your Feet : The Double Joan Jonas Glass Puzzle Dutch Show Dan Reeves Smothering Dreams

NARRATIVES ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES: Fri. 4/6, Sat. 4/7 VIDEO PRESERVATION 6:30-7:30 Fri . 5/11, Sat. 5/12 _Mitchell Kriegman My Neighborhood__ 6:30-7:30 Tony Oursler Son of Oil Shirley Clarke Teepee Videospace Troupe (excerpt) Michael Smith Down in the Rec Room Raindance Pre Proto People Proto Pre-Type (excerpt) SPACE/TIME Aldo Ta_mbellini Black Video Fri. 4/13, Sat. 4/14 William Wegman Pre Reel #1, CV 6:30-7:30 Davidson Gigliotti After Montgolfier Bob Harris _ Principia Y" Steina - - Photographic Memory Bill Viola Ancient of Days