The First Movies Silently Podcast!

Podcast by Movies Silently

It’s here. My much-teased podcast. I hope you enjoy it!

The first episode of the Movies Silently Podcast with host Fritzi Kramer and special guest Christopher Bird. I am being hosted over at The 25th Frame, which has a lot of wonderful, geeky podcasts and you can also click that “subscribe” button if you want to be informed specifically of my new podcasts.

Also, Patreon backers get early podcast access and other exclusive goodies.

Special thanks to William Remmers for Jazz Vampire, Evgeniy for helping with Russian pronunciation and Felicitas for helping with German. Be sure to get in touch if you are interested in offering pronunciation help as well!

Updates:

Post-interview, Chris did some checking and there were TWO nitrate fires at the venue. Also, he asked around and there are indeed new chemically tinted prints still being made right now, which is incredibly exciting. Finally, the Queen documentary Chris is co-directing was officially announced yesterday, so we can share a few more details. It’s called The Show Must Go On and American viewers can catch it on ABC in April.

Mentioned:

I tried to keep this in the order that they came up in the podcast.

Our Film Picks:

Michael Strogoff (1926)

The Lucky Devil (1925)

Warning Shadows (1923)

More Content:

The 25th Frame

Chris’s YouTube Channel

The Czar’s Ball in Michael Strogoff:

20 Comments

  1. David Steere

    Good luck with this podcast, Fritzi. I hope you get lots of positive responses. I tried again to listen but it is hopeless with my hearing issues. I’m sure you’ll let us know here (and/or via Patreon to backers such as myself) if and when your podcast has closed captions via YouTube. Sorry to miss hearing this. I don’t know what you discussed re: DAVID HARUM. I feel guilty that the version I ordered of the silent DAVID HARUM is from one of the really bad players–I didn’t know that at the time of ordering. I also just acquired the sound version with the delightful Will Rogers. To be honest, Will blew William Crane out of the water.

  3. Steven K. Hill

    Hi Fritzi–congratulations of your first podcast–I look forward to many more of them in the future.
    Note–for decades, the UCLA Film & Television Archive has tinted many of its silent restoration prints by cutting up the final prints into “tinting rolls” which are dipped in a chemical dye bath of the appropriate color using formulas from the 1920s. Even with years of experience, it’s still a trial and error process, but the results are often breathtaking. Tinting and toning are essential to the silent film viewing experience–I can’t imagine why anyone would choose to watch a black and white print instead.

    1. Fritzi Kramer

      How exciting! Thanks for sharing. Yes, I feel the same way. These tints were part of the narrative in many cases, so why would you want to see anyone sneaking out under the cover of afternoon when fine blue tints are for the asking?

  4. Randy Cox

    Fritzi, this was terrific! I have some problems reading so being able to listen to the discussion and comments was most appreciated!

  6. David Steere

    Fritzi, I know this is way off topic. Forgive me. Just wanted to say “thanks” for your recommendation of HIS PEOPLE. I bought the 35-mm based DVD from the National Center for Jewish Film. Delightful movie in every way. Mostly superb performances. Nice also to see Kate Bruce again and Edgar Kennedy. I so liked this film that I immediately ordered two more of their silents: HUNGRY HEARTS (1922) and BREAKING HOME TIES (1922). As a relatively poor non-profit at Brandeis, they couldn’t afford to commission a score in 2006 for HIS PEOPLE. So, it is truly silent. I wonder what a Kickstarter campaign might have been able to accomplish to pay for a score and further restoration. BREAKING HOME TIES was filmed at Lubin’s Betzwood Studios in Pennsylvania. Turns out Betzwood, PA, is a short hop from where I grew up outside Philadelphia and an even shorter hop from where my sister lives now. I never once heard about Betzwood Studios as I grew up. Small world. See https://library.mc3.edu/friendly.php?s=betzwood/home where there are free silents to stream. Thanks…again.

  8. Kay Lapping

    Hi I really enjoyed your podcast, it’s great! Good fun and interesting, and well done. Have just finished listening to it and had to jot down the recommendations. Looking forward to hearing the next one. Congrats!

  9. Keith S.

    Great stuff, Fritzi. This is the first podcast I have ever listened to as my tired old brain previously couldn’t work out what a podcast is.
    Your voice is just as I had imagined when reading your articles!!

  10. Le Magalhaes

    I loved this first podcast!
    One thing: what is the name of the Brazilian guy working at BFI? I only caught the last name “Oliveira”.
    Congratulations!

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