#G.A. Smith

[silentlondon]

Le Giornate del Cinema Muto 2023: Pordenone Post No 5

Pordenone changes a person. I don’t just mean in the way that my bloodstream is now 80% espresso. It changes your aspirations. My dream now is to live in an apartment designed by Sonia Delaunay, watching Peter Elfelt’s dance films (they are playing before several of the screenings) all day. For loungewear, I would choose the louche shawl-collared robe sported by Jaque Catelain in Le Vertige, and…

[carbone14]

Six pilotes canadiens du 416 'City of Oshawa' Tactical Fighter Squadron – Angleterre – 30 mai 1944

©Royal Canadian Air Force

©Colorisation de Canadian Colour

Une semaine avant le jour J, les six pilotes se sont battus contre six avions ennemis, en détruisant quatre et en endommageant un, sans aucune perte à déplorer.

En haut de gauche à droite : adjudant Patterson de Kelowna (Colombie-Britannique), lieutenant W.F. Mason de Smiths Falls (Ontario), lieutenant G.A. Borland de Guelph (Ontario)

En bas de gauche à droite : Officier pilote W.H. Palmer de Kamloops et Salmon Arm (Colombie-Britannique), lieutenant R.D. Forbes-Roberts de Vancouver (Colombie-Britannique) et lieutenant A.R. McFadden de Springdale (Alberta)

[fibula-rasa]

Christmas Films of a Century Past

(updated!)

For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to watch somewhere 50-60 Christmas and Christmas-adjacent silent films from before 1920 to put together a playlist for you all. 

I chose these as a representative selection. My general criteria were:

Christmas should be central to the story

The plot should be novel to a modern viewer or something a modern viewer would be surprised to see so early on film 

The list on the whole should have a variety of settings and narrative structures

Here’s a direct link to the YouTube playlist, if you want to watch them all in one go. (They are all shorter than feature length!)

Two quick presentation notes: 

Some of the videos have music and some don’t, so you may want to check your volume level. 

The intertitles for some of these films are not in English, so be sure you have captions turned on for English translations.

READ ON BELOW!

1. Santa Claus (1898) (UK)

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Directed by George Albert Smith 

Short and sweet, this film sees children put to bed by their nanny on Christmas Eve and Santa Claus coming down the chimbley to fill their dutifully hung stockings. Director G.A. Smith used his own patented technique of double exposure to show Santa’s arrival without cutting away from the children’s room. Santa Claus might not pack the punch of a Méliès trick film, but it’s a fun novelty and is purportedly the first appearance of Santa Claus on film.

2. The Little Match Seller (1902) (UK)

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Directed by James Williamson 

This one’s a quick but effective adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson tragedy featuring impressively well-coordinated superimpositions.

3. The Christmas Angel (1904) (FR)

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Directed by George Méliès for Star Film Company

The Christmas Angel follows an impoverished girl driven into the city to beg on a snowy winter night. First she’s chased away from a church by more seasoned beggars; then she’s thrown out of a poultry seller and harassed by police. On the verge of falling asleep in the snow, a rag-and-bone man rouses her and offers her help. Later, the girl passes out beside a road but is luckily spotted by a wealthy couple on a car ride. When they learn of her plight, they bring her home along with food and gifts. 

Though not as fantastical as some of Méliès’ more famous works, The Christmas Angel is still highly stylized (and stylish) and features special effects that are photographed beautifully. It’s also worth noting that the version of the film included here is the American cut. The original French cut, titled Détresse et Charité (Distress and Charity), did not include the sequence with the wealthy couple and instead ends with the girl dying in the snow. 

4. The Night Before Christmas (1905) (US)

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Directed by Edwin S. Porter for Edison Manufacturing Company

This is the first time the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” was put on film. Loosely following the poem, we see Santa Claus prepare for his yearly trek while a middle-class family prepares for his visit. When Santa heads out, we are treated to an extended panning sequence with a fully painted backdrop for a mini Santa and his reindeer to glide across. When Santa arrives at the family home, he chaotically dumps presents and decorations around their living room and makes a large, decorated tree appear out of thin air. (Across many of the movies I watched to put this post together, this seems to be a favored scenario for the jolly fat man around this time—and it’s delightful.) The family then wakes to find their gifts and the film closes with Santa directly wishing us a Merry Christmas. 

5. A Little Girl Who Did Not Believe in Santa Claus (1907) (US)

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Directed by J. Searle Dawley and Edwin S. Porter for Edison Manufacturing Company

Even at the risk of this list being too Edison heavy, I couldn’t leave this great short out. While walking with his mother, a rich little boy encounters a poor little girl alone in the cold. They take her home to play and warm up. When the boy learns that the girl doesn’t believe in Santa because apparently Santa doesn’t visit poor children, he hatches a scheme. On Christmas Eve, the boy holds a stake out near the fireplace and takes Santa hostage, tying him up and holding him at gunpoint. The boy then forces Santa to visit the girl—going so far as shimmying down the chimney himself to let Santa in the front door. When the girl wakes up to a beautifully decorated tree, new toys, and a full stocking, she can finally believe in Santa Claus. While I’m generally not so into stories about supposedly benevolent rich people, I do love the implications this story has on how Santa Claus works and I also find the means with which the boy gets his way hilarious.

6. Il Natale di Cretinetti / Foolshead’s Christmas (1909) (IT)

[& Come fu che l’ingordigia rovino il Natale di Cretinetti / How Greediness Spoilt Foolshead’s Christmas (1910) & Il Natale di Cretinetti (1911)]

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Directed by Andre Deed for Itala Film

This entry is a three-for, which I hope you’ll excuse, but I couldn’t decide which Cretinetti Christmas to share! Cretinetti, the comedic persona of filmmaker Andre Deed, is an absolute agent of chaos. 

In the 1909 film, Cretinetti attempts to bring a tree home for a Christmas party. The destruction escalates wildly, culminating in an entire building falling to pieces. 

If you can believe it, the stakes are even higher in the 1910 film, when Cretinetti can’t resist sneaking out of bed on Christmas Eve to snack on the candy decorating the tree. When Santa sees what Cretinetti has done, he chides him and takes him back to his workshop—which is apparently in heaven. Destruction ensues. Cretinetti then proceeds to cause havoc for Saint Peter, annoying god so much that he calls the devil to come get Cretinetti. Cretinetti is then chased to hell where demons try to cook him alive. Thankfully, spoiler alert, it was all a bad dream and he wakes up on Christmas morning with a terrible stomach ache. 

The 1911 film returns to localized chaos. Cretinetti has a run-in with a mail carrier and his Christmas packages get mixed up with one of the carrier’s parcels. The parcel contains three bottles of ether which then begin to emit gasses in the middle of the family Christmas party. 

I wasn’t familiar with Cretinetti before reviewing films for this list, but I’m definitely going to seek out more of Deed’s movies. Each of these films had well-executed chaotic slapstick; over-the-top in all the right ways.

7. Making Christmas Crackers (1910) (UK)

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Produced by Cricks & Martin Films for Clarke, Nickolls, & Coombs Confectionery

To start, if you’re not sure what a Christmas cracker is, it’s a colorfully decorated paper tube that makes a cracking noise as you pull it open. Inside the tube is a paper hat, a joke, and/or a small toy. It’s a traditional part of UK Christmas celebrations.

This short starts as a documentary of the workers at Clarke, Nickolls, & Coombs constructing the crackers. It’s a fun thought that as early as 1910, people were interested in watching how mass-produced consumer goods were made. It’s also fun to see these skilled workers ply their trade so deftly (even though wages and working conditions were likely less than ideal). The film ends with a family celebrating around a Christmas tree topped with a functional giant cracker.

8. A Christmas Carol (1910) (US)

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Directed by J. Searle Dawley for Edison Films Manufacturing Company

There are so so so many film adaptations of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol made before 1920 that it was hard to choose which one to include on this list. In the end I chose this 1910 version for its economy of storytelling, fluid use of special effects, and for Marc McDermott’s great performance as Scrooge.

9. Broncho Billy’s Christmas Dinner (1911) (US)

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Directed by Gilbert M. Anderson (Broncho Billy) for The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company

Gilbert M. Anderson was an incredibly prolific and popular filmmaker and star of early American film, particularly in his role as Broncho Billy. As was typical for Anderson, he’s pulling triple duty on Broncho Billy’s Christmas Dinner as the star, director, and producer. The film features a simple and heartwarming story. 

On Christmas, Billy comes across a young woman in peril as her horses got startled and are now pulling her cart along wildly. Billy manages to wrangle the horses and in gratitude she invites him to Christmas dinner at her parents’ home. Unfortunately, her father happens to be the sheriff. But, all is well, as it turns out that Broncho Billy’s been given a pardon and the sheriff welcomes him to the table gladly. 

The enduring appeal of outlaws or criminals getting into the Christmas spirit is fascinating to me and it’s cool to see such an early instance of the story!

10. Le Noel de la princesse / The Little Princess’s XMas Gift (1911) (FR)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Produced by Société Générale des Cinématographes Éclipse

In all honesty, this is the least Christmassy (but also probably most christian-y) of all the films I included here, but its style and novelty stood out. The sets, costuming, and production design are lush. It might also be one of the weirdest Christmas stories I’ve even encountered.

After Lord Othberg passes away, the conniving Otto plans to assassinate the baby prince in order to inherit the lordship himself. He poisons the baby, but the princess prays for her baby brother to come back to life as her Christmas gift. An angel appears to her and they summon Jesus, who resurrects her baby brother. Of course, they then place the revivified baby in the castle’s nativity scene, to the joy of all but Otto.

11. Ida’s Christmas (1912) (US)

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Directed by Van Dyke Brooke for Vitagraph Company of America

With a more classic Christmassy story, Ida’s Christmas tells us of a family who are facing hard times. Ida (played by a very small Dolores Costello) has her eyes on a pricey doll. Meanwhile, her mother seeks out employment with a wealthy family. The matriarch of the wealthy family overhears Ida’s wish and decides to buy the doll for her as a surprise. Later, Ida is distraught to find that the doll has been purchased but comes across a wallet that someone has dropped. She considers taking the money, but chases down the owner instead. The old man gives her some reward money for returning the wallet. Ida rushes to see if she can buy the doll, but has second thoughts when she thinks about how much her family could use the money. She arrives home with the money just in time for a Santa-esque old man to show up bearing packages and an assurance that the wealthy family has work for her father. The film ends with the family celebrating an unexpectedly Merry Christmas. 

It’s a sweet story that hits so many beats of what we now consider traditional Christmas tales.

12. Рождество обитателей леса / The Insect’s Christmas (1913) (RU)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Directed by Władysław Starewicz for Khanzhonkov

Fair warning, if you thought The Princess’s XMas Gift was odd, you might need to ready yourself for this one. Stop-motion virtuoso Władysław Starewicz (Ladislas Starevich) spins a tale about a tiny ornament of Santa/Ded Moroz coming to life on Christmas and going out into the wild to bring Christmas joy to creatures small and smaller, including a frog and a ladybug. Starewicz’s animation is as impeccable as ever and the short is imaginative and quirky.

Honorable Mention:

Dance of the Seasons (1900)

Christmas Dream (1900)

Christmas Eve (1913)

A Christmas Carol (1914)

Snow White (1916)

A Winter Straw Ride (1906)

[botanyone]

Tree Gene Supercharges Plant Growth in Changing Light

Tree Gene Supercharges Plant Growth in Changing Light https://ift.tt/ZTsaD3H You know that leaves photosynthesise best in sunlight. Some leaves are lucky enough to be in sunlight, some are less productive in shade. Some have a problem that they can be in sun and shade, depending on how whatever’s casting a shadow moves. And each time they move from dark to light, or light to dark, leaves waste energy adapting to their new conditions. Now Feyissa and colleagues have discovered a gene they call BOOSTER (BSTR) that helps plants cope with changing light. It’s found in poplar trees, but the team found that other plants like Arabidopsis can also use it, and when they do it’s like a supercharger for photosynthesis. The magic of the BOOSTER gene is that it helps plants manage light energy through improving non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) responses. Effectively, when a leaf moves from dark to light, it gets more light than it can cope with. NPQ helps a plant cope with bright light, by converting it to heat that the plant can radiate away. This prevents excessive light from damaging the plant. The problem is that turning NPQ on or off takes time and energy. The BOOSTER gene speeds up this process, allowing the plant to spend more effort turning light into food. The BOOSTER gene is only found in poplar trees, but Feyissa and colleagues wondered if it could work in other plants. They tested BOOSTER by putting it into Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant used for examining genes. They found that Arabidopsis plants with the BOOSTER gene grew three times bigger than standard plants, and produced 50% more seeds. The success of the gene in a distantly related plant shows that BOOSTER could benefit many more plants than just poplar. The study was the result of examining over seven hundred different poplar trees. The scientists watched how the trees grew in natural conditions and then analysed them to see which trees had more active BOOSTER genes. Feyissa and colleagues selected the most promising trees to study in detail in both field sites and greenhouses, where researchers tracked everything from photosynthesis rates to growth patterns. Plants lose a surprising amount of energy moving between sun and shade. Quenching can persist for many minutes after a leaf is shaded, cutting the rate of photosynthesis and with it the potential for growth. Many plant scientists see photosynthesis as a critical step to improve the efficiency of crops. However, previous genetic approaches haven’t worked consistently across species. BOOSTER’s broad effectiveness could suggest new research that could make much more nutritious crops. Feyissa, B.A., de Becker, E.M., Salesse-Smith, C.E., Shu, M., Zhang, J., Yates, T.B., Xie, M., De, K., Gotarkar, D., Chen, M.S.S., Jawdy, S.S., Carper, D.L., Barry, K., Schmutz, J., Weston, D.J., Abraham, P.E., Tsai, C.-J., Morrell-Falvey, J.L., Taylor, G., Chen, J.-G., Tuskan, G.A., Long, S.P., Burgess, S.J., & Muchero, W. 2025. An orphan gene BOOSTER enhances photosynthetic efficiency and plant productivity. Developmental Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2024.11.002 Cross-posted to Bluesky & Mastodon. Cover image: Canva. The post Tree Gene Supercharges Plant Growth in Changing Light appeared first on Botany One. via Botany One https://botany.one/ January 30, 2025 at 09:00AM

[lboogie1906]

Tyrone “Tye” Tribbett (January 26, 1976) is a gospel music singer, songwriter, and keyboardist. He is choir director and founder of the Grammy-nominated and Stellar Award-winning gospel group Tye Tribbett & G.A.(short for ‘Greater Anointing.’)

He was born in Camden, New Jersey. He was raised in an Apostolic Pentecostal church in Camden, New Jersey. His father is Bishop Thomas Tyrone Tribbett, a former pastor, and his mother is Neicy Tribbett, a minister as well as a disc jockey in the Philadelphia and New York area.

He toured with Faith Hill in 2000, leading to work with Will Smith, Usher, Don Henley, Justin Timberlake, and Sting. He has since released five albums. The album “Greater Than” earned him two Grammy awards. In 2017, he released “The Bloody Win”.

Tribbett and Shanté, his wife, pastor the Live Church in Orlando.

He is married to Shanté Tribbett and they have two daughters together. He has a brother, Thaddaeus, who is part of the band “Soundcheck” and is now gigging for various artists. He has two sisters; DeShantel Tribbett-Robinson and, DeMaris Tribbett-Toy, who sang in Greater Anointing. He loves to spend time with his family and engage in upper-body workouts.

He sent a message to people during the coronavirus pandemic with the song “We are gon’ Be Alright”, he fused Kendrick Lamar’s hit track Alright into the song.

The Come Up with Tye Tribbett” is an energetic and inspirational one-hour daily radio show designed for R&B/Hip Hop, Rhythmic, and Gospel/Inspirational stations, featuring the biggest hits from artists such as Jonathan McReynolds, LeCrae, The Hamiltones, and more. The show is distributed by SupeRadio. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[aneddoticamagazinestuff]

G.A. Smith: Santa Claus (1898)

New Post has been published on https://www.aneddoticamagazine.com/g-a-smith-santa-claus-1898/

G.A. Smith: Santa Claus (1898)

Made in 1898, G.A. Smith’s ‘Santa Claus’ is a film of considerable technical ambition and accomplishment for its period. It uses pioneering visual effects in its depiction of a visit from St. Nicholas. A former magic lanternist and hypnotist, Smith was one of the first British film-makers to make extensive use of special effects to create fantastical scenes. It comes as little surprise that Smith corresponded with the French pioneer Georges Méliès at about this time, as the two men shared a common goal in terms of creating an authentic cinema of illusion. (Michael Brooke) All titles on the BFI Films channel are preserved in the vast collections of the BFI National Archive.

  To find out more about the Archive visit http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collect…

[exitrealtycentral]

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[bikinibottomdayz]

APRIL 25 2023 RELEASE

All my masters can be found here, full release under the read more!

The haul today is: Phantom of the Opera, Leopoldstadt, Death of a Salesman, 1776, Chicago tour, Hamilton (tour)

1776 December 23, 2022 (M) | Broadway | 4K MP4 (10.93GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Kristolyn Lloyd (John Adams), Dawn L. Troupe (s/b Benjamin Franklin), Carolee Carmello (John Dickinson), Lulu Picart (u/s Edward Rutledge), Becca Ayers (s/b Stephen Hopkins), Nancy Anderson (s/b Thomas Jefferson), Oneika Phillips (u/s John Hancock), Eryn LeCroy (Martha Jefferson/Dr. Lyman Hall), Allyson Kaye Daniel (Abigail Adams/Rev. John Witherspoon), Shawna Hamic (Richard Henry Lee), Brooke Simpson (Roger Sherman), Tiffani Barbour (Andrew McNair), Gisela Adisa (Robert Livingston), Shelby Acosta (s/b Samuel Chase), Sushma Saha (James Wilson), Gwynne Wood (s/b George Read), Grace Stockdale (s/b Col. Thomas McKean), Sav Souza (u/s Charles Thomson), Imani Pearl Williams (s/b Joseph Hewes), Salome Smith (Courier), Ariella Serur (s/b Dr. Josia Bartlett) Notes: Excellent 4K capture of a huge set of understudies, including Dawn's debut as Franklin! Some heads are visible on the bottom of wideshots and there is some wandering and unfocusing. Includes curtain call, audio is fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAktH4 | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR TRADING / SHARING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

CHICAGO March 29, 2023 | Eighth National Tour (Detroit, MI) | 4K MP4 (9.07GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Logan Floyd (Velma Kelly), Katie Frieden (Roxie Hart), Jeff Brooks (Billy Flynn), Brian Kalinowski (Amos Hart), Megan Campbell (u/s Matron "Mama" Morton), G.A. James (Mary Sunshine), Liz Lester (Hunyak), Sammy Tuchman (Go-To-Hell Kitty), Asher Van Meter (s/w Judge), Tony Carrubba (Doctor), Evy Vaughan (Mona), Michelle Attardo (s/w Liz), Robert "Shapiro" Garris (Sergeant Fogarty), James Vessell (Bailiff), Tony Carrubba (Court Clerk), Jess Diforte (June), Ed Gotthelf (Fred Casely), Lincoln Belford (Aaron), Jasmine Janae (Annie), Robert "Shapiro" Garris (Martin Harrison), Tal Kedem (Harry), James Vessell (The Jury) Notes: Great 4K capture of the new 25th anniversary tour! A bit messy in terms of filming, more wandering and unfocusing than usual due to a new camera. Increased washout in wideshots due to the lighting. Audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAxQXQ | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR TRADING / SHARING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

DEATH OF A SALESMAN December 26, 2022 (M) | Broadway | 4K MP4 (16.51GB) | bikinibottomday’s mastering Cast: Sharon D. Clarke (Linda), Melvin Abston (u/s Willy Loman), McKinley Belcher III (Happy), Khris Davis (Biff), André De Shields (Ben Loman), Blake DeLong (Howard Wagner / Stanley), Lynn Hawley (The Woman / Jenny), Grace Porter (Letta / Jazz Singer), Kevin Ramessar (Musician), Stephen Stocking (Bernard), Chelsea Lee Williams (Miss Forsythe), Delaney Williams (Charley) Notes: Okay 4K capture of this stunning revival. The first act is filmed from very close to the stage, and has significant obstruction on both sides, though action in the center is captured fairly well. Act Two is filmed from the left orchestra and only sometimes misses action on the very far left. Brief blackouts throughout. Includes curtain call, audio is fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAkRRT | ASKING $15 USD NOT FOR TRADING / SHARING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

HAMILTON December 3, 2022 (M) | Second US Tour (Detroit, MI) | 4K MP4 (11.11GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Kameron Richardson (s/b Alexander Hamilton), Nikisha Williams (Eliza Hamilton), Jared Dixon (Aaron Burr), Ta’Rea Campbell (Angelica Schuyler), Marcus Choi (George Washington), Warren Egypt Franklin (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Desmond Sean Ellington (Hercules Mulligan/James Madison), Elijah Malcomb (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Jen Sese (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds), Neil Haskell (King George III), Tyler McKenzie (s/w Philip Schuyler / James Reynolds / Doctor), Allie Jordan Butcher (s/w), Cyndal Gilmore (s/w) Notes: Great 4K capture of Kameron Richardson as Hamilton! There is an obstruction on the bottom right that may block some action, but is usually worked around well. Scenes on the top right (such as Schuyler Defeated) are partially blocked by lighting fixtures but still visible. There are a bit more moments of wandering and unfocusing than usual. The start of “What’d I Miss,” before Jefferson’s entrance, is missed. The audio mixing in this theatre wasn’t great. Includes curtain call and BC/EFA speech. audio is fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAhMi3 | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR TRADING / SHARING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

LEOPOLDSTADT December 24, 2022 (E) | Broadway | 4K MP4 (10.05GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Betsy Aidem (Grandma Emilia), David Krumholtz (Hermann), Sarah Killough (u/s Eva), Faye Castelow (Gretl), Brandon Uranowitz (Ludwig & Nathan), Jenna Augen (Wilma & Rosa), Aaron Neil (Ernst), Colleen Litchfield (Hanna), Drew Squire (Pauli), Aar on Shuf (Young Jacob), Romy Fay (Young Sally), Pearl Scarlett Gold (Young Rosa), Gina Ferrall (Poldi), Sara Topham (Jana & Sally), Arty Froushan (Fritz & Leo), Eden Epstine (Hermine), Seth Numrich (Jacob & Percy Chamberlain), Tedra Millan (Nellie), Jesse Aaronson (Aaron & Police 1), Daniel Cantor (Kurt & The Mohel), Matt Harrington (Zac & Police 2), Japhet Balaban (Otto), Wesley Holloway (alt Young Leo), Anthony Rosenthal (Young Nathan), Reese Bogin (alt Young Mimi), Ava Michele Hyl (Bella), Calvin James Davis (Heini), Corey Brill (Civilian) Notes: Great 4K capture of this amazing play! Most of the video is in wideshot due to the nature of the play, and on the far left there is a head obstruction that blocks off action. Heads are consistently visible on the bottom of shots and there are moments of wandering and unfocusing. Includes curtain call, audio is fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAkBi8 | ASKING $18 USD NOT FOR TRADING / SHARING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA December 22, 2022 (M) | Broadway | 4K MP4 (9.53GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Ben Crawford (The Phantom of the Opera), Emilie Kouatchou (Christine Daaé), Paul A. Schaefer (Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny), Raquel Suarez Groen (Carlotta Giudicelli), Craig Bennett (Monsieur Firmin), Scott Mikita (u/s Monsieur André), Maree Johnson (Madame Giry), Carlton Moe (Ubaldo Piangi), Carly Blake Sebouhian (s/w Ballet Chorus), Clarie van Bever (s/w Ballet Chorus), Greg Mills (s/w), Lindsay Roberts (s/w) Notes: Okay 4K capture of the show. There is some major head and railing obstruction that is worked around well. Most of the action is captured, though some wideshots don’t get everything and some action on the far left is missed entirely. Includes curtain call, audio is fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAkjCN | ASKING $18 USD NOT FOR TRADING / SHARING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

If interested, please contact me at bikinibottomtrading@gmail.com!

[notabled-noodle]

hi!! ik you've read the communist manifesto and I plan to compile a list of books like it for my own reading, so do you have any recs?

hi! thank you so much for asking! this is going to be a kind of long post if that’s okay, because I want to give a little synopsis of each book so that you know what you’re getting into. but if you want a straight-up reading list:

Discourse on Inequality — Rousseau

Vindication of the Rights of Women — Wollstonecraft

Wealth of Nations — Adam Smith

Prison Notebooks — Gramsci

Neo-colonialism — Nkrumah

The Accumulation of Capital — Luxemburg

Why Not Socialism? — Cohen

so, first you’ve got the three main influences of Marx and Engels: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Adam Smith.

Rousseau wrote about the general will, and how the concept of “civil society” is unnatural. Rousseau is… pretty unpalatable to most modern audiences, and he’s hard to read, so only read him if you’re really curious about where Marx was coming from.

Wollstonecraft wrote about gender — how women aren’t naturally weak-willed and men aren’t naturally strong. she came up with the idea that people become what society expects them to become. for her, the way out of this was free and equal access to education (abolishing private schools and single-sex schools)

Smith wrote Wealth of Nations, which is essentially the capitalist manifesto. you won’t find a lot of socialists recommending it because it’s very much not a socialist text. but I think it’s important because it tells us what communism/socialism is responding to, and why people thought that capitalism was a good idea in the first place

then there are the socialists/communists who came after the Communist Manifesto. my favourites are Gramsci, Nkrumah, and Luxemburg

Gramsci’s focus is less on the economic side of capitalism, and more on the social and cultural sides. he figured out that the communist revolution would have to come along with a lot of cultural change, because capitalism is really good at convincing people that capitalism is good and right

Nkrumah wrote about colonialism, and how the dynamic of capitalism is different in colonised nations than in coloniser nations. this is a really important piece of the puzzle that a lot of socialists ignore (which we really shouldn’t)

Luxemburg was killed by the unionists by being too radical, and if you read her work you'll see why. she thought that the introduction of the welfare state was a ploy by the bourgeoisie to appease the masses, and that real communists should be against anything that encourages people to support capitalist institutions. it goes way too far for my liking, but it's an interesting read

THEN there are the “no bullshit Marxists”. these people are a lot more modern (some of them are still alive). the main guy died in 2009 though, G.A Cohen. Cohen was a supporter of the Universal Basic Income, as a way to bridge the gap between unhealthy levels of capitalist competition and the true socialist nature of most people. his work does a really good job at deconstructing common counter-arguments to socialism, and while I may not agree with him on everything, I think it's a worthwhile read

BASICALLY there are lots of books, articles, and essays out there. it's up to you how deep you want to go down the socialist/communist rabbit hole. I wish you all the best in reading the Communist Manifesto (it's definitely a bit dense in parts!), and I hope that this long mess of an answer is helpful

[godvantas]

FIGURE I'LL START THIS OFF ON THE RIGHT FROND STUMP BY REVIEWING ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITES, HITCH.

(FOR THE ALTERNIANS OUT THERE, THAT'S THE SUBPAR HUMAN VERSION OF T.4.G.A.9.5.M.S. WITH TROLL WILL SMITH.)

I'M GOING TO BE SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE FUCKING TRAVESTY THAT IS HUMAN CINEMATOGRAPHY. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, "WHAT COULD THEY POSSIBLY BRING TO THE TABLE THAT WE DON'T ALREADY HAVE?" AND THE ANSWER SHOULD PROBABLY BE "NOOKFUCK NOTHING."

BUT IT'S NOT!

THIS FILM IS ONE OF THE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE THAT IS "HUMAN CINEMA IS TRASHY, CONFUSING, AND GENERALLY JUST A STEAMING BUCKET OF FESTERING DISCHARGE."

BASICALLY WILL SMITH PLAYS A GUY WHO PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDS THE THEORY OF QUADRANT COURTING WITHOUT ACTUALLY GRASPING THE FINER NUANCES OF ROMANCE. HE MAKES QUICK CASH BY TEACHING DUDES HOW TO SCORE. (I SHOULD PUT A DISCLAIMER SOMEWHERE IN HERE, MOST HUMAN MOVIES ARE HETEROSEXUAL DUE TO BREEDING COMPLICATIONS.)

I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND SPOIL THE PLOT FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO WATCH, BUT I WILL SAY THIS:

BETWEEN THE SASSY FEMALE LEAD, THE CLEVER DIALOGUE, WILL SMITH'S UNIVERSALLY CONSTANT IMPECCABLE ACTING, FLESHED-OUT SUBPLOTS, AND BOUTS OF WELL-TIMED SLAPSTICK HUMOUR, THIS FILM IS 100% WORTH THE WATCH.

I GIVE IT FIVE OUT OF FIVE CRABS.

[gaherzogconstruction]

When you are looking for Brownsburg Kitchen Remodeling Company? Contact G.A. Herzog Construction & We've provided Bathroom design and remodeling services to Central Coast homeowners and deliver the absolute best value in Bathroom remodeling.

[fibula-rasa]

12 Christmas Films of a Century Past

For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to watch somewhere around 50 Christmas and Christmas-adjacent silent films from before 1920 to put together a playlist for you all. So, I hope you enjoy!

I chose these twelve as a representative selection. My general criteria were:

Christmas should be central to the story

The plot should be novel to a modern viewer or something a modern viewer would be surprised to see so early on film

The list on the whole should have a variety of settings and narrative structures

Here’s a direct link to the YouTube playlist if you want to watch them all in one go. (They are all shorter than feature length!)

Two quick presentation notes: 1. Some of the videos have music and some don’t, so you may want to check your volume level. 2. The intertitles for some of these films are not in English, so be sure you have captions turned on for English translations.

See the whole list BELOW THE JUMP!

1. Santa Claus (1898) (UK)

Directed by George Albert Smith

Short and sweet, this film sees children put to bed by their nanny on Christmas Eve and Santa Claus coming down the chimbley to fill their dutifully hung stockings. Director G.A. Smith used his own patented technique of double exposure to show Santa’s arrival without cutting away from the children’s room. Santa Claus might not pack the punch of a Méliès trick film, but it’s a fun novelty and is purportedly the first appearance of Santa Claus on film.

2. The Little Match Seller (1902) (UK)

Directed by James Williamson

This one’s quick but effective adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson tragedy featuring impressively well-coordinated superimpositions.

3. The Christmas Angel (1904) (FR)

Directed by George Méliès for Star Film Company

The Christmas Angel follows an impoverished girl driven into the city to beg on a snowy winter night. First she’s chased away from a church by more seasoned beggars; then she’s thrown out of a poultry seller and harassed by police. On the verge of falling asleep in the snow, a rag-and-bone man rouses her and offers her help. Later, the girl passes out beside a road but is luckily spotted by a wealthy couple on a car ride. When they learn of her plight, they bring her home along with food and gifts.

Though not as fantastical as some of Méliès’ more famous works, The Christmas Angel is still highly stylized (and stylish) and features special effects that photograph beautifully. It’s also worth noting that the version of the film included here is the American cut. The original French cut, titled Détresse et Charité (Distress and Charity), did not include the sequence with the wealthy couple and instead ends with the girl dying in the snow.

4. The Night Before Christmas (1905) (US)

Directed by Edwin S. Porter for Edison Manufacturing Company

This is the first time the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” was put on film. Loosely following the poem, we see Santa Claus prepare for his yearly trek while a middle-class family prepares for his visit. When Santa heads out, we are treated to an extended panning sequence with a fully painted backdrop for a mini Santa and his reindeer to glide across. When Santa arrives at the family home, he chaotically dumps presents and decorations around their living room and makes a large, decorated tree appear out of thin air. (Across many of the movies I watched to put this post together, this seems to be a favored scenario for the jolly fat man around this time–and it’s delightful.) The family then wakes to find their gifts and the film closes with Santa directly wishing us a Merry Christmas.

5. A Little Girl Who Did Not Believe in Santa Claus (1907) (US)

Directed by J. Searle Dawley and Edwin S. Porter for Edison Manufacturing Company

Even at the risk of this list being too Edison heavy, I couldn’t leave this great short out. While walking with his mother, a rich little boy encounters a poor little girl alone in the cold. They take her home to play and warm up. When the boy learns that the girl doesn’t believe in Santa because apparently Santa doesn’t visit poor children, he hatches a scheme. On Christmas Eve, the boy has a stake out near the fireplace and takes Santa hostage, tying him up and holding him at gunpoint. The boy then forces Santa to visit the girl–going so far as shimmying down the chimney himself to let Santa in the front door. When the girl wakes up to a beautifully decorated tree, new toys, and a full stocking, she can finally believe in Santa Claus. While I’m generally not so into stories about supposedly benevolent rich people, I do love the implications this story has on how Santa Claus works and I also find the means with which the boy gets his way hilarious.

6. Il Natale di Cretinetti / Foolshead’s Christmas (1909) (IT)

and Come fu che l’ingordigia rovino il Natale di Cretinetti / How Greediness Spoilt Foolshead’s Christmas (1910)

and Il Natale di Cretinetti (1911)

Directed by Andre Deed for Itala Film

This entry is a three-for, which I hope you’ll excuse, but I couldn’t decide which Cretinetti Christmas to share! Cretinetti, the comedic persona of filmmaker Andre Deed, is an absolute agent of chaos.

In the 1909 film, Cretinetti attempts to bring a tree home for a Christmas party. The destruction escalates wildly, culminating in an entire building falling to pieces.

If you can believe it, the stakes are even higher in the 1910 film, when Cretinetti can’t resist sneaking out of bed on Christmas Eve to snack on the candy decorating the tree. When Santa sees what Cretinetti has done, he chides him and takes him back to his workshop, which is apparently in heaven. Destruction ensues. Cretinetti then proceeds to cause havoc for Saint Peter, annoying god so much that he calls the devil to come get Cretinetti. Cretinetti is then chased to hell where demons try to cook him alive. Thankfully, spoiler alert, it was all a bad dream and he wakes up on Christmas morning with a terrible stomach ache.

The 1911 film returns to localized chaos. Cretinetti has a run-in with a mail carrier and his Christmas packages get mixed up with one of the carrier’s parcels. The parcel contains three bottles of ether which then begin to emit gasses in the middle of the family Christmas party.

I wasn’t familiar with Cretinetti before reviewing films for this list, but I’m definitely going to seek out more of Deed’s movies. Each of these films had well-executed chaotic slapstick; over-the-top in all the right ways.

7. Making Christmas Crackers (1910) (UK)

Produced by Cricks & Martin Films for Clarke, Nickolls, & Coombs Confectionery

To start, if you’re not sure what a Christmas cracker is, it’s a colorfully decorated paper tube that makes a cracking noise as you pull it open. Inside the tube is a paper hat, a joke, and/or a small toy. It’s a traditional part of UK Christmas celebrations.

This short starts as a documentary of the workers at Clarke, Nickolls, & Coombs constructing the crackers. It’s a fun thought that as early as 1910, people were interested in watching how mass-produced consumer goods were made. It’s also fun to see these skilled workers ply their trade so deftly (even though I’m sure wages and working conditions were less than ideal). The film ends with a family celebrating around a Christmas tree topped with a functional giant cracker.

8. A Christmas Carol (1910) (US)

Directed by J. Searle Dawley for Edison Films Manufacturing Company

There are so so so many film adaptations of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol made before 1920 that it was hard to choose which one to include on this list. In the end I chose this 1910 version for its economy of storytelling, fluid use of special effects, and for Marc McDermott’s great performance as Scrooge.

9. Broncho Billy’s Christmas Dinner (1911) (US)

Directed by Gilbert M. Anderson (Broncho Billy) for The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company

Gilbert M. Anderson was an incredibly prolific and popular filmmaker and star of early American film, particularly in his role as Broncho Billy. As was typical for Anderson, he’s pulling triple duty on Broncho Billy’s Christmas Dinner as the star, director, and producer. The film features a simple and heartwarming story.

On Christmas, Billy comes across a young woman in peril as her horses got startled and are now pulling her cart along wildly. Billy manages to wrangle the horses and in gratitude she invites him to Christmas dinner at her parents’ home. Unfortunately, her father happens to be the sheriff. But, all is well, as it turns out that Broncho Billy’s been given a pardon and the sheriff welcomes him to the table gladly.

The enduring appeal of outlaws or criminals getting into the Christmas spirit is fascinating to me and it’s cool to see such an early instance of the story!

10. Le Noel de la princesse / The Little Princess’s XMas Gift (1911) (FR)

Produced by Société Générale des Cinématographes Éclipse

In all honesty, this is the least Christmassy of all the films I included here, but its style and novelty stood out. The sets, costuming, and production design are lush. It might also be one of the weirdest Christmas stories I’ve even encountered.

After Lord Othberg passes away, the conniving Otto plans to assassinate the baby prince in order to inherit the lordship himself. He poisons the baby, but the princess prays for her baby brother to come back to life as her Christmas gift. An angel appears to her and they summon Jesus, who resurrects her baby brother. Of course, they then place the revivified baby in the castle’s nativity scene, to the joy of all but Otto.

11. Ida’s Christmas (1912) (US)

Directed by Van Dyke Brooke for Vitagraph Company of America

With a more classic Christmassy story, Ida’s Christmas tells us of a family who are facing hard times. Ida (played by a very small Dolores Costello) has her eyes on a pricey doll. Meanwhile, her mother seeks out employment with a wealthy family. The matriarch of the wealthy family overhears Ida’s wish and decides to buy the doll for her as a surprise. Later, Ida is distraught to find that the doll has been purchased but comes across a wallet that someone has dropped. She considers taking the money, but chases down the owner instead. The old man gives her some reward money for returning the wallet. Ida rushes to see if she can buy the doll, but has second thoughts when she thinks about how much her family could use the money. She arrives home with the money just in time for a Santa-esque old man to show up bearing packages and an assurance that the wealthy family has work for her father. The film ends with the family celebrating an unexpectedly Merry Christmas.

It’s a sweet story that hits so many beats of what we now consider traditional Christmas tales.

12. Rozhdestvo obitateley lesa / The Insect’s Christmas (1913) (RU)

Directed by Władysław Starewicz for Khanzhonkov

Fair warning, if you thought The Princess’s XMas Gift was odd, you might need to ready yourself for this one. Stop-motion virtuoso Władysław Starewicz (Ladislas Starevich) spins a tale about a tiny ornament of Santa/Ded Moroz coming to life on Christmas and going out into the wild to bring Christmas joy to creatures small and smaller, including a frog and a ladybug. Starewicz’s animation is as impeccable as ever and the short is imaginative and quirky.

[uwmspeccoll]

A Henty a Week

A what? A Henty! Today, we start a new series featuring the many G.A. Henty books held with our Historical Curriculum Collection.

George Alfred Henty (1832-1902) was a prolific 19th-century English novelist and most of his over 120 books were historical adventure fiction stories for children. Before becoming a writer, G. A. Henty was enlisted in the British army during the Crimean War and after this was a special correspondent for the Standard. Inspired by his extensive travels, he turned to writing children’s books which became popular as both educational and virtuous stories for boys during the highly regimented Victorian period. In fact, Henty was referred to as “The Boys’ Historian.” Notably, Henty’s books saw a resurgence of popularity among Christian home-schoolers in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. More recently scholars have identified Henty “as a central figure in the inculcation of British imperialism” and the ”the most imperialist of imperialists.” For those interested in a critical investigation of Henty’s stories and their ideological suppositions, we recommend these articles:

McMahon, D. H. (2010). “’Quick, Ethel, Your Rifle!’: Portable Britishness and Flexible Gender Roles in G.A. Henty’s Books for Boys.” Studies in the Novel 42(1), 154-172. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Crane, Ralph, and Lisa Fletcher. 2012. “Picturing the Empire in India: Illustrating Henty.” English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 55 (2): 155–75.

Schmidt, Nancy J. "The Writer as Teacher: A Comparison of the African Adventure Stories of G. A. Henty, Rene Guillot, and Barbara Kimenye." African Studies Review 19, no. 2 (1976): 69-80.

Today's feature is In Greek Waters: a Story of the Grecian War of Independence (1821-1827). This is the first American edition, published by Charles Scribner’s Sons in 1892 (Scribner’s published it again in 1902 at the Caxton Press). The typography was done by J.S. Cushing & Co with presswork by Berwick and Smith. There are twelve illustrations by W.S. Stacey and a map of the Grecian Archipelago, as well as floriated initials and chapter headpieces.

While this is the first in our new Henty A Week series, you don’t have to wait until next Sunday to see another of Henty’s books—we’ve previously featured The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt as the subject of one of our Caturday posts.

– Katie, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[septentrionsea]

Hello, I'm G.A, Pisces. I'm wondering if you could do a one card draw to tell me how K.H, Leo feels about me? :)

G.A., Pisces, Thanks for writing. This reading was done with the standard Raider Waite-Smith [1910]. Where as Tarot cannot tell you how someone feels about you, that person can. So very appropriately, the Knight of Cups--Reversed came forward. 

At first glance, the Knight of Cups is quite a Prince Charming figure. They are astride a white horse (representing purity, not unlike Key 13′s horse). And unlike the other Knights, the Knight of Cups is not charging or in action. Merely, carrying the grail like a dream come true from an Arthurian legend.  But the card comes to us in Reversed. The Knight is the Mutable junction of water and air. Have you ever seen a waterspout in a storm upon the ocean? Like anything water, it touches our emotions and it could be volatile. The card suggests that the Knight is out of touch with reality regarding their emotions, or perhaps you are with yours?  In addition to that, the cup is reversed, spilling out. Upright, it is a gift, an offering - look at the two of cups, that ideal merging relationship. What I mean to say is, that if you want to know how K.H. Leo feels, ask them. We have to fill, and pass the cup with our emotional currency for anything to be true and real. If they do not respond well, or they seem disconnected from the truth you are seeking, you have the answer you want.