It’s summer time, vacation time for many, and that means visiting relatives. Visits from the relations were common in silent era comedies and for good reason: some people we love more at a distance!
This month will be all about films featuring visiting family, some long-lost, some they just wish were lost. And since many of these films are about characters crossing international borders for their visits, we will also be exploring cultural stereotypes.
To whet your appetite, here are some films I have already covered:
East and West (1923): Molly Picon stars as a precocious American girl who visits the old country with her father. Chaos and an accidental marriage ensue. The earliest known surviving Yiddish language feature film.
Putting Pants on Phillip (1927): Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were teamed but not yet in character and play an uncle and nephew. Ollie is horrified to discover that his Scottish charge insists upon wearing a kilt.
A Woman of the World (1925): A European countess goes to stay with her Midwest cousin in order to forget a painful love affair. The characters are played by Pola Negri and Chester Conklin respectively. Absolutely delightful confection.
L’enfant du Carnaval (1921): A playboy finds a baby– his?– on his doorstep and is thrust unexpectedly into fatherhood.
I hope you will enjoy the upcoming selections!
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Movies Silently 