JUST DESERTS(2)!!! >>> • LOST ATLANTIS ( - aka L'ATLANTIDE/L'ATLANTIDA)
(1920) • SON OF THE SHEIK (1926), [excerpts]) • I DREAM OF JEANNIE
(196?), [excerpt] • THE LOST VALLEY (1963-1966?) •

SPLODGE! NOTES: 3rd. Mon. AUGUST (19/08/02)
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ON THE FIRST AND THIRD MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH

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Unusual films of discernment, still presented in convivial
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3rd. Quartile

SEPTEMBER
AD 2002

Monday, 2nd.

Registration: 7.30 - 8.00 pm
Screening: >>>>> 8.00 (*EIGHT*!!!!) pm <<<<<


JUST DESERTS(2)!!!


*LOST ATLANTIS ( - aka L'ATLANTIDE/L'ATLANTIDA ) (1920),
Two Foreign Legionaires, Captain Morhange and Lieutenant de Saint-Avit
(Jean Angelo & Georges Melchior, resp.), in that now-clichéd'
lost-in-the-desert-on-the-verge-of-delirium' situation, are lead to a
secret oasis in the Sahara, where they discover the (in this instance)
city of ATLANTIS, lost between the desert sands, and fall under the
spell of its evil, immortal, femme fatale Atlantean Queen, Antinéa
(Stacia Napierkowska) ( - in French she has been referred to as "une
vamp sensuellement viperine", and I couldn't have put it better in
English - ), whom all men adore. The Queen has been in the habit of
capturing men to be her lovers, but when she tires of them, or they are
driven to suicide, they are transmuted, as in HERCULES CONQUERS
ATLANTIS, 1961), into mummified statues of gold ('gilded' - gelded?),
and kept in coffins for display in her trophy room (!) The underground
city is used as the setting for a tragedy stemming from the passion,
jealousy and love awakened by Antinéa in Lieutenant Saint-Avit.

This popular adventure-fantasy - (Belgian) director Jacques Feyder's
first feature film, based on the 1919 Ferdinand Marie Pierre Benoit
(1886 - 1962) post-war beststeller, L'ATLANTIDE - was the first
large-scale production for French cinema. At the time it was France's
most expensive ( - made for 2 million francs - ) film ever, but it
went on to great commercial success at home and abroad, playing in
Paris for a year. The cost doubtless resulted from the fact that it
was actually filmed partly on location, in the Algerian Sahara desert,
North Africa - truly one of the highlights of the film - (and in
colour!), which was, to say the least, unusual for the period.
Unfortunately, our print is Black and White and is listed to run for 95
minutes.

L'ATLANTIDE inspired as many as four film versions, another realised in
1931 by G.W. Pabst, QUEEN OF ATLANTIS (HERRIN VON ATLANTIS) (1931),
starrring BRIGITTE HELM, and was parodied in TOTÒ THE SHEIK / TOTÒ
SCEICCO (1950). The Atlantis story had been addressed as early as 1913
in August Blom's production, ATLANTIS (1913). Feyder belonged to
and identified with the Impressionist generation, but ironically from
the start his films were characterised by heavy realism. With its
striking visuals, his is probably the best of the four.

The novel L'ATLANTIDE is a classic "lost-race-of..." novel. It was
published in two separate translations in 1920: in the U.S. as
ATLANTIDA and in England as ATLANTIS. In France, Benoit's novel became
embroiled in controversy, since Queen Antinéa was recognized by just
about everyone as H. Rider Haggard's SHE (...Who-Must-Be-Obeyed),
though fewer recognized the plot-line was derived from Haggard's THE
YELLOW GOD (1908).

At the insistence of Louis Aubert, who financed the film, the end
result had to achieve the spectacular status of the Italian
blockbusters of the period, such as CABIRIA (1914) or QUO VADIS?
(1912). The production was a troubled one: the choice to shoot the
exteriors in the Algerian Sahara, in order to achieve a realistic
effect, resulted in a litany of dangers, such as attacks by nomads, to
the extent that the company demanded armed protection. The oppressive
heat brought on illness, and the budget blew out. The whims of the diva
Stacia Napierkowska, a famous dancer in her own right, and already
famous for her acting performance in Louis Feuillade's ( - with whom
Feyder had previously worked as an actor and assistant - ) LES VAMPIRES
(1915), detracted - so said of the commentators of the time - from her
fascination and talent.

At the time, exhibiters initially suspected, and critics thought the
film excessivly long and repetitious - a defect that might diminish
appreciation of the cinematography and the attention to historical
reconstruction - and which would dampen the dramatic tension.

The real scoop on this film is that it appears to have been originally
shot in colour (I gather not tinted or toned, but the actual process is
unknown). It is variously reported around the WWW that the Nederlands
Filmmuseum has discovered a virtually complete (running for 196 mins.),
original colour print and has given it the restoration treatment.
Previously surviving prints have been listed as running for 110, 140
and 125 minutes. In colour, the film is said to be absolutely different
from all previous versions around in B&W, because Feyder's used the
colour pallette in a very conscious way.

Prod Co: Thalman & Cie. Société générale pour le Développernent
international et commercial de la Cinématographie. Dir: Jacques
Feyder. Wr: Jacques Feyder, from the novel of Pierre Benoit. Phot.
Georges Specht, Amédée Morrin. Cast: Stacia Napierkowska (Antinéa),
Jean Angelo (Captain Morhange), George Melchior (Lieutenant de
Saint-Avit), Marie-Louise Iribe (Tanit-Zerga), Andre Roanne (Lieutenant
Massard), Paul Franceschi (the librarian), Génica Missirio (Captain
Aymard), Rene Lorsay (Lieutenant Ferrières), Abd El Kader Ben Ali
(Segheir-Ben Sheik), Mohamed Ben Noui (Bou-Djema), Emile Daltour (the
colonel), Barber (the major), Irma Perrot, Christiane Mancini,
Chatelain. 91 mins. @ 24fps. NFVLS.

plus: Quickie Theatre returns(!) with:

*SON OF THE SHEIK (1926), [excerpts]
Why sit through the entire sixty-six (count-'em) minutes of the real
thing when you can get the message outta this splendid 1960 rehash in
under thirty? Well, of course, you should, but as rehashes go, Turrell
and Killiam's History of the Motion Picture series is an excellent
primer to whet your appetite for some really memorable highlights of
silent cinema, and probably has them presented in better condition than
you'll otherwise be likely to see them, at least projected onto a
screen.
In a nutshell, Ahmed, (the son of The Sheik), falls in love with
Yasmin, a dancer and the daughter of a renegade Frenchman who leads a
troupe of mountebanks and thieves. When Ahmed is captured by Yasmin's
father and held for ransom, he is led to believe that she has tricked
him; and, when freed, he abducts her, taking her to a desert camp. He
is
about to force her to submit to him when his father, The Sheik, barges
into the tent and frees the girl. Later, Ahmed learns that it was not
she but, rather, her jealous admirer who betrayed him. He follows
Yasmin
to a dance-hall, where a bitter fight with knives takes place. Ahmed
emerges victorious, unscathed and with the girl in his arms. Based on
the novel by E.M. Hull. Dir. George Fitzmaurice. Prod. Des. WILLIAM
CAMERON MENZIES. Wr. Frances Marion, Fred de Gresac. Cast: RUDOLPH
VALENTINO, VILMA BANKY. Prod Co: Gregstan Enterprises. Prods: Saul J.
Turell, Paul Killiam. Dir: Saul J. Turell. Narr. Paul Killiam. 25 mins.
ALC.


*I DREAM OF JEANNIE, (196?), [excerpt]
Excerpt from random episode of the popular TV series. Dir. Hal Cooper.
~? mins. NFVLS.


*THE LOST VALLEY (1963-1966?),
An episode of THE WORLD OF COMMANDER McBRAGG, the pathetically
far-fetched tales of a retired British RAF (it would appear) officer, a
self-proclaimed adventurer and world-traveler, spinning Baron
Munchausen-style ramblings and tall tales from his trophey-laden
library ("There I was, surrounded by cannibals when..."). Each of
McBragg’s stories depicted his use of extraordinary means to extract
himself from inescapable situations, so extraordinary, in fact, that
even his animated listeners found him hard to believe. When his
veracity was questioned, McBragg was unfazed. He would simply clear his
throat and mutter, “Quite.” The gist of his style was encapsulated in
the show's signature tune:

THE WORLD OF COMMANDER McBRAGG, (W. Watts Biggers, Treadwell D.
Covington, Joseph Harris & Chester Stover).
"This is the World of Commander McBragg
Your hair will curl in the World of McBragg.
He fights monsters galore
And then asks for still more
Or so says the brag of McBragg.

When on the hill the marines plant a flag
They may be led by Commander McBragg.
With a cannon in hand
He can beat any band
Or so says the brag of McBragg.

Fencing and fighting and round table knighting
And slaying of dragons, too.
Shipping and sailing and great harpoon whaling
There's nothing McBragg can't do.
Hunting and trapping and gold miner mapping
And flying to Timbuktu.
Roping and riding and Indian guiding
Commander McBragg comes through.

This is the World of Commander McBragg
Your head will whirl in the World of McBragg.
He can do anything
In his world he's a king
Or so says the brag of McBragg."

(wav file):
http://members.fortunecity.com/toonaverse/mcbragg.html

THE WORLD OF COMMANDER McBRAGG came from TOTAL TELEVISION, the studio
that produced KING LEONARDO & HIS SHORT SUBJECTS, TENNESSEE TUXEDO &
HIS TALES, and THE UNDERDOG SHOW, and included in various packages with
Jay Ward's THE ADVENTURES OF HOPPITY HOOPER, THE BULLWINKLE SHOW AND
DUDLEY DORIGHT AND FRIENDS.

COMMANDER McBRAGG was modeled after Sir C. Aubrey Smith, that fine old
English character actor (and one-time legendary British cricketer) from
the 30s and 40s, a member of what came to be known as the "Hollywood
Raj". He was always to be seen in the club, sipping a brandy before the
fire, talking about his days battling the savages for "The Empire". The
"Hollywood Raj" was an improbable collection of English actors living
in self-imposed exile among the palm trees and Spanish Mission
architecture of Hollywood in the 1930s. RONALD COLEMAN, DAVID NIVEN
GEORGE SANDERS, BORIS KARLOFF, and a dozen others, like Melville
Cooper, Reggie (Reginald) Gardner, and STAN LAUREL convened regularly
for socializing, gin-and-tonics on the lawn, and even polo. They were
presided over imperiously by Aubrey Smith. Their presence incited the
(notoriously) Anglophilic Hollywood producers to impersonate the life
of the English country squire, building lavish, fake Tudor
manor-houses, taking riding lessons, and sending their children to
exclusive private schools. A veritable squadron of the British actors
were joined by a kind of auxiliary, who also loved to play at being
members of the gentry. There was the South African John-Ford-regular
Victor McLaglen, Aussie ERROL FLYNN– to say nothing of Montanan GARY
COOPER and Nebraskan Darryl F. Zanuck, the latter of whom
ostentatiously took up polo to further the illusion. DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS,
Jr. took it all very much to heart, too, cultivating a Colmanesque
English-sounding accent, befriending the nobility, serving the British
gallantly in World War II, and in general playing the part of the
English lord so effectively that he was finally knighted in 1949(!).

The presence of this anachronistic community-within-a-community made it
possible to make ‘British’ movies in America - more self-consciously
British than those made in London’s studios. THE RAINS CAME (1939), THE
LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER (1935), DISRAELI (1929), CAVALCADE (1933),
CLIVE OF INDIA (1935), THE LIGHT THAT FAILED (1939), CAPTAINS
COURAGEOUS (1937), FOUR SONS (1940), SUSPICION (1941), DAVID
COPPERFIELD (1935), LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY (1936), THE CHARGE OF THE
LIGHT BRIGADE (1936), ANTHONY ADVERSE (1936), WEE WILLIE WINKIE (1937),
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) and so on - the list is virtually
endless. The catalogue of every British author from Dickens through
Noel Coward to J.B. Priestley was ransacked for stories of British
pluck, wit, and grace. ( Wunna these days we'll run a COLONEL HEEZA
LIAR, and then you'll be sorry! )
Lost Valley: http://www.bcdb.com/bcdb/detailed.cgi?film=8367
Prod. Co. Total Television. Character Voices: Kenny Delmar (Commander
McBragg), Delo States (Stanley Livingston). ~3 mins. NFVLS.


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Splodge!-lite mailing-list, just give us a "'hoy" here at
splodgeburger!

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Minor programme changes may occur due to unforseen
circumstances.
Feature runs last; shorts order may vary from listing.

* Acknowledging ACMI Inc. ;) *

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CASUAL VISITORS are MOST WELCOME and admitted WITHOUT CHARGE
up to TWO times!!!!

OTHERWISE, ADMISSION IS RESTRICTED TO MEMBERS & THEIR GUESTS!
(SO WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU ATTEND AS A CASUAL VISITOR!)
THIS IS A FILM SOCIETY SCREENING OPEN TO MEMBERS

BUT IF YOU WISH TO BECOME A MEMBER, THE JOINING FEE IS SO LOW,
IT *MIGHT AS WELL BE FREE*!

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MEMBERSHIP RATES:
Quarterly*:
Generally Socially-Advantaged: $7.00

Generally Socially-Oppressed: $6.00

*annual and half-yearly memberships available on request

If you wish to join on the night, we strongly advise you to
arrive well-prior to the time listed for the screening to
commence!

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714 NICHOLSON STREET (CNR. NICHOLSON & SCOTCHMER STREETS),
NORTH FITZROY. PHONE 04 25 74 28 01


LOCATION MAP:
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ACCESS BY #96 TRAM (TRAM-STOP #21, SECTION 7):
-To > (FROM city):
http://www.yarratrams.com.au/timetable/ebru/96se1p.htm
-From < (TO city):
http://www.yarratrams.com.au/timetable/ebru/96es1p.htm

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Attachments:

Pics for: -WorldOfCommanderMcBragg63.jpg (4K)
-LostAtlantis20Antinéa.jpg (55K)
from:
JACQUES FEYDER; Ford, Charles; Cinema Of Today; Seghers;
1973.

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