Richard Blank, Film&Light Richard Blank (*1939) studied Philosophy in Cologne, Vienna and Munich. He wrote radio plays, published several books (amongst others: Sprache und Dramaturgie, Jenseits der Brücke – Bernhard Wicki, ein Leben für den Film) and made documentaries for televisi- on. Since 1978 he has been writing and directing movies for televisi- on and cinema. His movie Prinzenbad, in which Bernard Wicki played his last major role, was the only German entry at the Venice Film Festival in 1994. Richard Blank Film&Light The story of Film is the story of Light Including a DVD with Film Quotations Alexander Verlag Berlin This is a reading copy for the London Book Fair 2009 and shall not be sold! World rights available through Alexander Verlag Berlin:
[email protected] All rights reserved. © by Alexander Verlag Berlin 2009 Alexander Wewerka, Fredericiastrasse 8, D-14008 Berlin, Germany World rights available www.alexander-verlag.com TABLE OF CONTENTS An Explanatory Note Subject matter Dilettantism The Rules The glass studio – Hollywood before 1915 Ways to the ‘classical style’ – Hollywood from 1915 through 1925 Charlie Chaplin “The Champion”, 1915, “The Gold Rush”, 1925 David Wark Griffith “The Birth of a Nation”, 1915, “Intolerance”, 1916 Cecil B. DeMille “The Cheat”, 1915, “Joan the Woman”, 1916 “Old wives for new”, 1918, “Manlaughter”, 1922 Fred Niblo “Ben Hur”, 1926 The ‘classical’ style Irritation Robert Siodmak “Tumultes”, 1931 Failure David Wark Griffith “Way down East”, 1920 Maurice Tourneur “The Blue Bird”, 1918 5 Emigrants