Today is the anniversary of the release date of the original, silent version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1928), considered one of THE great lost films of our time. The 1953 musical version with Marilyn Monroe you undoubtedly know is an adaptation of a Broadway stage show based on the original Anita Loos novel and this earlier picture, also penned by Loos. (Many claims have been made about whom the original model for Lorelei Lee was, including Mae Clarke and Peggy Hopkins Joyce). This silent version is SO tantalizing, directed by Mal St. Clair, and featuring the talents of Ruth Taylor (Buck Henry’s mother), Alice White, Mack Swain, Ford Sterling, Trixie Friganza and Chester Conklin. The thought that it is gone for good is kind of maddening. Can’t even find a one minute clip!
For more on silent comedy don’t miss my new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, just released by Bear Manor Media, also available from amazon.com etc etc etc
(Travalanche) 