ravished armenia , also known as auction of souls , is a 1919 american silent documentary film based on the autobiographical book ravished armenia by arshaluys ( aurora ) mardiganian , who also played the lead role in the film .

the film , which depicts the 1915 armenian genocide by the ottoman empire from the point of view of armenian survivor mardiganian , who plays herself in the film , survives in an incomplete form .

ravished armenia ( film )

film posters and stills from ravished armenia courtesy of the armenian genocide museum - institute .
the evening will consist of a screening of oscar apfel ' s ravished armenia ( 1919 ) , followed by a lecture about the film with author and film historian anthony slide . the evening will also include a book signing of the book , ravished armenia and the story of aurora mardiganian .
ravished armenia , full title ravished armenia ; the story of aurora mardiganian , the christian girl , who survived the great massacres is a book written in 1918 by arshaluys ( aurora ) mardiganian about her experiences in the armenian genocide .
query one : has anyone encountered this black and white “ravished armenia” image in any other contemporary magazine ? ( not newspapers . )
[ 24 ] urltoken ; words = ravished + armenia + ravished the late lindy v . avakian in his “the cross and the crescent” ( 1965 ) , which is full of photographic reproductions , used a crucifixion still from the “ravished armenia” film on the back cover of his paperback . the source is not given ; whether he got it from contemporary ads is not known .
video jacket of an early ‘release’ of the film fragment of “ravished armenia . ” upon inquiry , the original source was not , or could not be disclosed , by the vendor .
the first film about the genocide of armenians was shot in 1918 , three years after the bloody events . documentary shots were used in the film of american film director oscar apfel “ravished armenia . armenian survivor aurora ( arshaluys ) mardiganian , who plays herself in the film , tells about armenian genocide by the ottoman empire .
massis post – abril bookstore’s armenian film society will present a screening of ravished armenia , with a special lecture by film historian , anthony slide and book signing reception on friday , april 1 , at abril bookstore in glendale , ca .
ravished armenia is a case example of early re - enactments of human suffering captured on film specifically for the purposes of promoting humanitarian action . but it was not the last time an eyewitness to genocide would be involved in a film about the event .
here are several films that were finished in 2015 ; they have already been demonstrated in armenia and at different film festivals .
because originals of the initial edition of ravished armenia are not readily available , we present for easy reading , in full , a re - typed version of that foreword as an appendix at the end of this paper . [ 26 ] this foreword certainly adds a more personal face to the “ravished armenia” scenario story .
[ 33 ] aurora mardiganian , ravished armenia ( astoria , n . y . : j . c . & a . l . fawcett , 1990 ) .
in anthony slide’s book there is a copy of the title page of the first edition of the book ( freshly re - set in type – not a photo reproduction of the page ) . it is simply entitled “ravished armenia . ” the subsequent american printing states ‘ravished armenia” or “the auction of souls” ( see fig . 12 ) .
[ 30 ] anthony slide , ravished armenia and the story of aurora mardiganian , filmmakers series no . 57 ; ( lanham , md : scarecrow press , 1997 ) .
title page of the initial american edition of ravished armenia released late 1918 . access to the copy from which this scan was made is courtesy of the apkarian and russell archives .
torchin , l . “ravished armenia : visual media , humanitarian advocacy , and the formation of witnessing publics” . american anthropologist 108 . 1 ( 2006 ) : 214 - 220 .
the first semi - official notice that the film “ravished armenia” was about to be released appeared in the news bulletin of the american committee for armenian and syrian relief in its november 1918 issue ( volume 2 no . 6 ) . it reads :
title page and frontispiece photograph from the ‘1918’ ( ‘first’ edition of “ravished armenia” ) . access to the copy from which this scan was made is courtesy of the apkarian and russell archives .
filmed without the intervention of major studios , “ravished armenia” was shown in thirteen us states , as well as several latin american countries , france , and great britain . a significant portion of the revenue from the film was donated to survivors of the genocide . sadly , since its initial release most copies of “ravished armenia” have been lost . it was only recently that a fifteen minute segment was found in argentina and spread widely over the internet .
the english edition title page shown above further states formerly printed in america for private distribution only as “ravished armenia . ” but that statement presents yet another problem . the ‘second’ us edition printed in 1919 title page states “ravished armenia” or “auction of souls” etc . ( see fig . 12 for the title page to the 1919 us edition . nora waln is credited for her foreword . )
in 1918 , the book “ravished armenia” based on her story was published in usa . then , by the plot of this book , the first feature film about the armenian genocide was produced in hollywood , where she came up as a screenwriter and actress .
query two : does anyone know anything more about two possible ‘screenplays’ for “ravished armenia” ? is it realistic to entertain a notion that there might be two re - discovered film fragments , one retrieved from some place or other in armenia by eduardo kozanlian and another possibly by richard kloian ? they might be somewhat different , or ordered differently and thus could be utilized to reconstruct a bit more of the film . [ 29 ]
a hollywood film based on it was filmed in 1919 under the title auction of souls ( which also became to be known as ravished armenia , based on the book it was adapted from ) . all known complete copies of the film have since been lost , but mardiganian ' s account is still in print . [ 1 ]
[ 32 ] while visiting pamela apkarian - russell and her husband christopher russell the subject of the film and book “ravished armenia” came up . this discussion unexpectedly led to our seeing and examining and scanning images from their hitherto unknown to us copy of this rare book .
it is to be hoped that additional fragments , even all of the movie “ravished armenia / auction of souls” will be found . years ago , we embarked on a fruitless effort to track down the film after encountering what seemed an unlikely ( and hence enticing ) reference to “ravished armenia” made on pg . 545 in volume 2 of richard hovannisian’s the republic of armenia . from versailles to london , 1919 - 1920 . as it turned out no film was to be found among the british archival materials referred to . apparently there never was any film with the materials , i . e . it was not ‘lost . ’ undoubtedly , many individuals have sought to locate the film , following many leads . the quest should never end so far as we are concerned .
glendale , ca – abril bookstore’s armenian film society will present a screening of ravished armenia , with a special lecture by film historian , anthony slide and book signing reception on friday , april 1 , 2016 at 7 : 30pm at abril bookstore – 415 e . broadway , glendale , ca . admission is free . reception to follow .
republic of armenia yerevan 25 , alex manukyan 5 tel . 00 37410 570970 fax 00 37412 570007
what emerges from the legacy of ravished armenia is a lesson about the potential for dramatizations of genocide and mass atrocities to both inspire public action and yet continue the dehumanization of victims in a very gendered way .
throughout his various business ventures , including building the world’s largest hotel several times over , investing in film production companies and claiming a stake in the american auto industry , kerkorian gave over $ 1 billion in charity to armenia through the lincy foundation helping to rebuild northern armenia after the devastating 1988 spitak earthquake , renovating cultural institutions and financing the highway connecting armenia to nagorno - karabakh .
let’s back up a few decades - this isn’t the first time a film has been made about the armenian genocide . there’s been “ravished armenia” ( 1919 ) , “ararat” ( 2002 ) and fatih akin’s “the cut” ( 2014 ) . there was also elia kazan’s classic , “america , america , ” ( 1963 )
scan of a rare softbound / paperback edition of ravished armenia with aurora mardiganian on it . this is from the ‘1918’ first edition . access to the copy from which this scan was made is courtesy of the apkarian and russell archives .
( 2009 ) a noventa años de “armenia violada”y “subasta de almas . ” march 4 : p . 8 .
we never deliberately sought out a copy of the first edition of the book “ravished armenia . ” this is because we thought we had access to one in the form of a paperback reprint put out in 1990 by fawcett . [ 33 ]
over time , copies of the film were lost , destroyed or deteriorated — not an untypical fate for the films of that era . no known remaining full copy exists today . and the history books on the early silent - film era have mostly ignored “ravished armenia / auction of souls . ” what had been a pioneering movie attended by many influential persons is now mostly ignored . however , it has not fallen into total obscurity : canadian - armenian film - maker atom egoyan and armenian genocide scholars continue to search for missing footage of this landmark film .
the film is now mostly lost ; the original film , which was originally nine reels and approximately 90 minutes in length , now exists as a 24 - minute film that was restored and edited by the armenian genocide resource center of northern california . this version is based on a rare surviving reel of the film .
armenia is not one of the most advanced countries in the movie industry and it does not tend to develop . the point is that there is no cinematography law in armenia and it has no state film studio either . the stake is mainly placed on small private studios and on joint production with foreign companies .
the film ravished armenia ( known as auction of souls in the uk ) starring a real - life refugee aurora madriganian playing her then 16 year old self was released in 1919 . it was directed by hollywood figure oscar apfel , produced by colonel william selig , with acasr - ner publicity secretary nora waln as the screenwriter .
“long return ( film director shavarsh vardanyan ) is a film about love of the french doctor and a girl from artsakh against the background of the karabakh war .
as such , these images in particular are the icon associated with the film .
. he is the host and producer of the arthur lyons film noir festival in palm springs , california , and director - treasurer of the film noir foundation .
fig . 4a fremiet’s “gorille” from l’ art , revue bi - mensuelle illustrée volume 42 ( 1887 ) pg . 79 ; fig . 4b , reproduction of a movie marquee poster entitled “ravished armenia” – perhaps more than one was released . [ 21 ]
while the complete film itself may be missing , the text of the sub - titles survives , along with some stills and fragments of the movie . the armenian genocide museum in yerevan , armenia has an important section of its exhibition devoted to aurora mardiganian , her memoirs and the film .
some time back we bought by mail a vhs video tape copy of the re - discovered 15 minutes - long segment of the film “ravished armenia” from an armenian - run bookstore in los angeles . the case had a color copy of the poster adorning it , along with a write - up stating a bit about the film . notice was given on the back jacket of the remarkable sleuthing of eduardo kozanlian of buenos aires , argentina and his role in retrieving it from some place or other in armenia . [ 12 ] ( see fig . 3 ) .
in what follows , we seek to place some of the “ravished armenia” materials such as the “ravished armenia” movie marquee poster in a more human - interest context , as well as to provide readers with some overlooked citations to the literature relevant to a better understanding of the poster . last but not least , we wish to raise a few questions that readers might be able to answer . there is undoubtedly much information that is available in private hands . it is hoped that this communication will allow some additional insights or materials to emerge .
“ravished armenia” was the first of a number of films of carrying length made or sponsored by the committee ( s ) . regular and irregular news bulletins , magazines , and brochures of varying size were issued . in short , every conceivable approach was invoked . [ 8 ]
parenthetically , the foreword ( re - typed ) is also published in anthony slide’s work “ravished armenia…” on pgs . 27 - 31 . it may again be found re - typed in the 1990 reprinting ( not facsimile ) by fawcett ; in that reprint – the foreword pages are unnumbered .
an amusing anecdote about nora waln in connection with “ravished armenia” appeared in the new - york tribune february 19 , 1919 pg . 18 . it reads : “miss nora waln is a philadelphia girl . moreover , she is publicity secretary for the committee directing the $ 30 , 000 , 000 campaign for armenian relief . after giving a newspaper reporter some information about the propaganda film play , “ravished armenia” ( she wrote the scenario ) a few days ago , miss waln said to the departing young man : “thank thee for coming . ” “thou art some kidder , ” returned the reporter , and would have said more had not h . f . hancock who is handling the film’s publicity dragged him into the hall whispering , “nix , nix ; the lady’s a quaker . ”
the film was first screened in london under the title auction of souls and in 1920 was shown twice daily for three weeks at the royal albert hall to obtain support for the protection of national minorities . [ 10 ] this showing of the film , which contains depictions of the flogging of women and their nude crucifixion , was authorized with cuts to five scenes that had been agreed to by the film producers without the film ' s formal submission to the british board of film censors , which never certified the film for general viewing in the united kingdom . [ 10 ]
the film “the silence of vardapet ( film director vigen chaldranyan ) tells about last years of life of komitas , when a composer , who witnessed crimes of 1915 , assumed vow of silence .
“the last resident ( film director jivan avetisyan ) is about the residents of a village , who were dispelled from it as a result of the karabakh war . the film presents human tragedies .
her book - length account , initially titled “ravished armenia : the story of aurora mardiganian — the christian girl who lived through the great massacres , ” was serialized in the hearst newspapers and later published as a book in 1918 . there were several editions , with over 300 , 000 copies eventually sold .
, survive today . as its film reels perished , so too would the public’s memory of the starving armenians . but hollywood does not soon forget box - office numbers ; and the vast success of ravished was still fresh in studio minds when franz werfel’s novel ,
the armenian film society is a monthly event that meets on the first friday of each month at abril bookstore . lead by armen and mary karaoghlanian , the evenings will be composed predominantly of film screenings and discussions , with occasional lectures , workshops , classes , and other types of activities relating to film with an element of armenian culture and / or involvement . the purpose of the film society is to bring together people of all backgrounds and expose them to the rich cinema of armenia , as well as talented filmmakers with an armenian background .
yet another critical reference missing from ms . karlins’ note is an insightful article by leshu torchin entitled “ravished armenia : visual media , humanitarian advocacy , and the formation of witnessing publics” american anthropologist 108 , march 2006 pgs . 214 - 220 . [ 22 ] dr . torchin states “ravished armenia is a significant case , not for its technical excellence – indeed , it received little more than tepid reviews and its success beyond the ner fundraising campaign is uncertain – but as an example of the convergence of international humanitarian activism and entertainment practices at the turn of the 20 th century” ( cf . torchin 2006 pg . 214 . )
the american film institute catalog says that “the film’s working titles were ravished armenia and armenia crucified . it may also have been known as an armenian crucifixion ( see afi catalog of feature films , 1911 - 1920 ; f1 . 0146 ) . the film opened originally in various cities at $ 10 a seat , the proceeds going to the committee for relief of the near east and the armenian war relief association . sources disagree concerning the scenarist . records from the selig collection credit frederic chopin ( sic , read chapin ) , while publicity pamphlets produced by the armenian war relief association credit both chopin [ chapin ] and nora waln , a member of the committee . shots representing mt . ararat were actually filmed at mt . baldy , ca . ” [ 31 ]
in the early days of cinema , film for humanitarian action was sidelined by the desire to entertain .
in an interview with deadline , esrailian talked about executing the film after kerkorian passed away in 2015 .
it should be noted that the international avrora prize has been set up in armenia and it will be awarded to people , who save human lives .
the book that started the film preservation movement - in case you non - nerds didn ' t know .
but having learned again and again that one needs to verify everything , especially in this kind of research , we believe that it should not be taken for granted that crucifixions occurred akin to those with which we are most familiar , namely that of jesus christ . there was more than a little discussion and attention given to the manner of crucifixion versus what is more accurately described as “impalement” in the aftermath of screening the “ravished armenia” film .
mention has been made in an endnote that a digitized copy of the library of congress’ holding ( 1 st edition 1918 ) of “ravished armenia” may now be found on the internet . we had never taken the trouble to track down a first edition , however we came across it by chance while visiting some friends . [ 32 ]
initially titled “ravished armenia , ” the movie was later renamed “auction of souls . ” it was , in all likelihood , the first major hollywood picture to portray genocide . either way , it was a pioneering film : to cast a genocide survivor as the lead actress was a rare deed . as a post - ww i film , it challenged conventional mores by containing themes of violence , rape , nudity and mass crucifixion . it also raised the issue of censorship based both on public morals and politics . turkish opposition in later years reinforced the latter .
the court finds it a fact and a question of law that there is nothing in the scenes which make them sacrilegious , obscene , indecent or immoral , or such nature as to tend to debase or corrupt morals . viewing the picture as a whole , the court finds as a fact that it is educational in nature . it is not only a vivid portrayal of the story ravished armenia , but it is also a picture of conditions as they existed in armenia a few months ago . [ 11 ]
ms . karlins’ note on her study of the “ravished armenia” poster published in the journal of the society for armenian studies is based on an original in the armenian library and museum ( alma ) in watertown , massachusetts donated by retired pharmacist carl zeytoonian . a copy of the poster is reproduced in her paper in black and white . [ 11 ]
though only a fragment of ravished armenia ’s original 8 , 000 feet of film still exists , the controversy surrounding its release is well documented . the film premiered in invitation - only venues in both the united states and britain , hosted by philanthropists and politicians with definite agendas . the allies had just won the war and the ottoman war crimes trials were about to get underway in turkey , under pressure from great britain . supporters of the film believed — wrongly , as it turned out — that the dramatic portrayal of the massacres on screen would result in the prosecution of turkish perpetrators for what were called “crimes against humanity” against armenian , greek , and assyrian civilians during the war .
because of the film ' s subject matter , distributors often scheduled limited showings of the film to community leaders prior to releasing it to local theaters . still , in some states there were attempts to ban or censor the film . for example , after the pennsylvania state board of censors banned the film , the distributors sued and overturned the state agency decision in court . in reversing the board ' s ban , the decision of the judge stated :
cleveland , authority control , cecil b . demille , the squaw man ( 1914 film ) , edison manufacturing company
. he has been awarded the william k . everson award for film history by the national board of review . he teaches film history at the university of miami and lives in west palm beach with his wife , lynn .
this study looks at the preservation process : newsreel , television , and color preservation ; the often controversial issue of colorization ; and commercial film archives . it provides detailed histories of the major players in the preservation battle including the international museum of photography at george eastman house , the american film institute , the museum of modern art , the ucla film and television archive , and the library of congress . this first historical overview of film preservation in the united states is also highly controversial in its exposure and criticism of the politicization of film preservation in recent years , and the rising bureaucracy which has often lost sight of preservation and restoration as the ultimate purpose of film archives .
at the venice film festival this year , turkish - german director fatih akin presented his newest film called “the cut” . the historical drama tells the story of a man who is searching for his children in the aftermath of the armenian genocide . starting in october , the film began its tour of european theaters and will soon make its way to russia and armenia . until then , it’s worth it to remember the few foreign feature films that , one way or another , refer to the tragic events of 1915 .
superior to “ravished armenia” , it can be said that henri verneuil’s “mayrig” was the first serious film that touched upon the events and consequences of the armenian genocide . it’s rather symbolic that henri verneuil ( born ashot malakian ) , chose to address his family’s past only when he was a well - established figure in the world of french cinema . he first approached the topic with a book and then committed the plot to film . since verneuil was somewhat of a legend in the 1980’s , it was no surprise that two renowned actors , claudia cardinale and omar sharif , agreed to star in his film . “mayrig” was first shown to armenian audiences in the early 1990s and was received with much awe and admiration .
like the makers of the promise , the team behind ravished armenia also sought to foster public support by mobilizing celebrities and assembling a cast of respected actors , which included mardiganian herself . william selig bought the rights to produce mardiganian’s story and employed well - known director oscar apfel . though detractors couldn’t pan the film as immediately as their counterparts can now , over twitter , they certainly didn’t keep silent . the british foreign office kept a file of letters from those who believed that the film was explicitly anti - muslim , “a work of fiction” that constituted “an indecent exhibition . ” no doubt these letters — some from prominent political figures — influenced the decision to edit the film and limit its run in british theaters .
indeed ! ? the film institute catalog reads : - “viscount bryce’s official report and ex - ambassador henry morgenthau’s official story were additional sources for this film . the book was serialized in the hearst publications . the film and the book are based on true incidents in the life of aurora mardiganian… . ” ( for a bit more see also urltoken ) .
access to a fair range of newspapers available online through library of congress’ in its chronicling america newspaper archive suggests that the “ravished armenia” image in black and white printed full page at no cost to the committee thanks to some “national advertiser” in the saturday evening post in 1919 did not appear in many papers either serializing or advertising the film . the vast majority of advertisements and articles encountered upon searching this site indicate an unspectacular ( to us at least ) advertising approach for the film . they usually are rather small ads and have no or little imagery . see fig . 6 for one that does show some pictures .
no mention was made in richard kloian’s write - ups about the involvement of eduardo kozanlian in the discovery of the film fragment . to be more exact , nothing appears in the write - up that he provided us along with the dvd . there was an attractive new cover on the dvd case . included with the dvd as an additional insert , was a copy in color of the “ravished armenia” poster showing the infamous ‘terrible’ , ‘unspeakable turk’ abducting a subdued or struggling a girl . [ 15 ]
but regardless of misleading and confused official directives , the film continues to be shown in special screenings around the world by groups who are interested in it precisely because it is about the armenian genocide . in london , the premiere was held in soho — right around the corner from where the british version of ravished armenia was shown almost 100 years ago . in attendance at the recent screening of the promise was a group of distinguished members of the armenian community and celebrities , including george and amal clooney .
the film was released in paris on december 11th 1919 , salle gaveau . it was sponsored by the dukess of rohan urltoken
in 1993 , auschwitz survivor branko lustig would also win an academy award as the producer for the holocaust film schindler’s list .
we thank the staff of stony brook university libraries for their ongoing and generous help . we again thank pamela apkarian - russell and chris russell and the apkarian and russell archives for having made their copy of the softcover first edition of “ravished armenia” available for scanning . we thank vartan matiossian for having communicated with us years ago on the involvement of eduardo kozanlian on his discovery of fragment of the ‘lost’ “ravished armenia” footage . we thank the university of wisconsin special collections for allowing us access to their collection of their ‘new near east’ materials . we are grateful to the archives staff at swarthmore college for checking on the waln materials . last but not least , we thank john gulbankian , mary k . rodgers and dr . daniel j . tanner for reading the manuscript before submittal .
the entire revenue of the film , 30 million american dollars , was provided to 60 thousand armenian orphans in the middle east .
anthony slide has published over fifty pioneering works on film history , among them the first volumes dealing exclusively with early american cinema , the vitagraph company , and film preservation . in 1990 , he was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters by bowling green university .
accomplished what no “successful” film can . it identified the armenian genocide as something much deeper and more significant than a popcorn sob story .
1 . this was found on youtube , but given the unofficial nature of the uploader , it may not be the full film with its original soundtrack and / or title cards . however , it gives us a sufficient impression of what the original film was like .
the armenian film society is a monthly event that meets on the first friday of each month at abril bookstore . lead by armen and mary karaoghlanian , the evenings are composed predominantly of film screenings and discussions , with occasional lectures , workshops , classes , and other types of activities relating to film with an element of armenian culture and / or involvement . the purpose of the film society is to bring together people of all backgrounds and expose them to the rich cinema of armenia , as well as talented filmmakers with an armenian background . upcoming screenings include a piece of sky , the river ran red . . . . also look forward to special lectures and presentations by filmmakers such as erik nazarian , carla garabedian , roger kupelian and many more . armen karaoghlanian is a writer , filmmaker and the co - founder and editor - in - chief of interiors , a film and architecture publication . he currently teaches film studies at woodbury university . mary karaoghlanian works as a producer and production manager for interiors .
interrogated by a customs officer , a young man recounts how his life was changed during the making of a film about the armenian genocide .
after witnessing the deaths of her family members who had been brutally murdered in front of her eyes , fourteen years old arshalouys was tortured and ravished by german officers , as well as at harems of turkish officials and kurdish tribesmen .
internationally known director carla garapedian follows the rock band system of a down as they tour europe and the us pointing out the horrors of modern genocide that began in armenia in 1915 up though darfur today .
“don’t tell me the boy was mad – a film by french film director of armenian origin , robert gedikyan , was demonstrated at the festival . the film tells about emotional stresses , anguishes and problems of the grandchildren of armenians , who were affected by the genocide . this film is actually about the inherited problems . the eternal dilemma whether to respond to the use of force by force , by blood to blood , by sward to the raised sward , is in the essence of the film . a new generation of armenians , residing in europe , tries to preserve recollections of their predecessors and follow the example of soghomon tehlirian , who revenged to those , responsible for orchestrating the genocide of armenians .
[ 28 ] see anthony slide for some well - reproduced photographs associated with the film provided him through the academy of motion pictures and sciences’ margaret herrick library in beverley hills , california . a wider range of photographs than many suppose exist since we have seen many scattered throughout the early literature . see for example , the illustrated london news nov . 8 , 1919 pg . 713 which shows four scenes that are neither in the 1919 book “ravished armenia” nor among those provided by anthony slide in his work published in 1997 . a full compilation of the imagery would be informative .
in the early days of cinema , when you had to coax audiences out of their homes and into screening venues , the filmmakers made orientalist aesthetic choices . in one of the posters below the film is described as a “tremendous spectacle” , further demonstrating the “entertaining” nature of the film .
4 . the opening weekend’s box office sales are critical in securing a long theatrical run for this film and the continued impact it can have .
an eight reel photo - play will be released by the american committee for armenian and syrian relief in january entitled ravished armenia . this production tells the authentic story of aurora mardiganian which has been appearing serially in the sunday supplement of several daily papers . [ see fig . 2 for a photograph of miss mardiganian which appeared in the september issue of the news bulletin of the committee for armenian and syrian relief vol . 1 no . 16 1918 . ]
when antonia arslan’s novel was adapted for the screen by prominent italian film makers paolo and vittorio taviani , there was real hope that the result would be a worthy historical representation of the genocide . “la masseria delle allodole” or “the lark farm” had a ten million dollar budget and was selected as the opening film for the golden apricot film festival in 2007 . however , the movie did not receive any awards and passed away without much recognition . later arslan wrote a sequel to her novel , yet there has been no talk of there being made a second film to follow “the lark farm” .
[ 4 ] even conan o’brien’s hilarious episode in yerevan , armenia , annoyed some armenian viewers because the only people he seemed to interact with , in the hour - long final cut , were homely beyond reason .
the crime with centennial history , reconsidered at the state level , was depicted in films of different genres and different quality . just a few years ago , the national cinema center of armenia – the movie production state fund , announced a contest for armenian genocide - related film projects . the fund was to select the best projects and render financial assistance to them .
the film ' s proceeds are slated to go to the elton john aids foundation ( ejaf ) as well as other human rights and humanitarian groups .
“the film…really wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for kirk , ” esrailian said . “we talked about the film as a concept for several years and he was overexcited about somebody doing it . during his life it was something that he was thinking about , and he put the ball into motion . ”
in her “brief assessment” of the movie marquee poster drawn for the film “ravished armenia” author amber karlins [ 9 ] provides from her perspective a context for , and details on a now fairly well - known poster . the poster shows the ‘terrible’ or ‘unspeakable turk’ in a still - more terrible and unspeakable light . see fig . 1 . the poster image may also be seen on internet on sites such as that of the university of minnesota center for holocaust & genocide studies ‘virtual museum . ’ [ 10 ] just how many original posters are still in existence is not known of course but there are at least a few .
is a success . it has gratified armenian viewers a great deal . it has dissatisfied film critics in the best possible way — moving them to assert in newspapers across america that even a $ 100 million film cannot live up to the enormity of the armenian genocide . best of all , it has forced the often cleverly disguised turkish denial campaign into comic visibility , in the form of a premature hack attack on the film’s imdb score ( a method perfected against
this was a liberty not available to atom egoyan when he got the chance , in 2001 , to make a film about the fate of his ancestors .
[ 14 ] we believe that we are justified in placing the word ‘restored’ in single quotes since we do not think the film was digitized from a / the ‘master’ such as may exist . the video case states “this newly restored 24 minute segment of ravished armenia was produced by the armenian genocide resource center of northern california for the april 28 , 2009 screening at the san francisco public library . it includes a music score , an introduction and 125 subtitles and a slideshow of production stills . ” distributed by heritage publishing , richmond , california . ” the music score used is barber’s adagio just as was used in the la vhs tape .
nora waln , “author , journalist , speaker” etc . deserves at least a few more words here . in the foreword to the initial publication of the book “ravished armenia , the story of aurora mardiganian” etc . ( see fig . 8 for the title page ) dated as written december 2 , 1918 , miss waln identifies herself as the ‘publicity secretary , american committee for armenian and syrian relief” – located at one madison avenue , new york city ( cf . pg . 17 ) .
the second american release copy of the book “ravished armenia” ( dated 1919 ) that we own is a presentation copy complete with handwritten inscription by h [ enry ] . l [ eyford ] . gates ( 1880 - 1937 ) to boyd gurley ( the editor of the indianapolis times , a progressive newspaper ) . it reads : “to my faithful friend boyd gurley who probably wont believe all that’s written within . h . l . gates new york 1919” ( see fig . 16 ) .
surviving fragments of the first genocide film with armenian survivor in lead role . directed by oscar apfel ( 1919 ) . presented by dr donna - lee frieze .
this study looks at the preservation process : newsreel , television , and color preservation ; the often controversial issue of colorization ; and commercial film archives . it provides detailed histories of the major players in the preservation battle including the international museum of photography at george eastman house , the american film institute , the museum of modern ar
we have not checked the city directory records for philadelphia in that period to see where in philadelphia miss waln resided , but since the saturday evening post was published in philadelphia it seems probable that a connection existed that enabled the promotional poster for the film and the $ 30 , 000 , 000 drive to be carried free of cost to the committee . this is consistent with the notice given earlier on in this communication describing the highly co - ordinated and co - operative campaign to raise $ 30 , 000 , 000 . the post apparently had a weekly circulation of more than a couple of million and was considered the most important general - interest magazine in america at that time . nora waln was certainly active in the promotion of the film “ravished armenia” and she is clearly credited as a philadelphian with having written the scenario to the 8 reel film using information gained directly from aurora mardiganian ( see e . g . evening public ledger ( philadelphia ) january 27 , 1919 – chronicling america , library of congress ) .
founded by martin scorsese in 1990 , the film foundation has helped restore over 800 films , making available classic and independent films thought to be lost . in 2007 , scorsese expanded the film foundation ' s work globally , creating the world cinema project , which has preserved , restored , and distributed over 30 films from over 20 countries .
such cinema network does not allow making profit out of demonstration of armenia - produced films . very often armenian movies are shot as pieces of art , having a certain authorship , but not as business - projects . their “charm is often doubtful .
[ 12 ] the salvaged film had been transferred to tape and set to the music of samuel barber’s adagio for strings , op . 11 . our enquiry soon after purchase as to the origin of the tape met with no success . the source of the item offered for sale seems to have become ‘lost . ’ communication with a friend of mr . kozanlian in america but formerly from buenos aires informed us by email that a newspaper article in spanish published in buenos aires presented some details of the film fragment’s discovery . unfortunately , no copy of the issue of the newspaper , the major argentine daily named clarin , 21 april 1996 with the publicity article is available in the united states so far as we have been able to ascertain . copies of clarin are electronically archived , but not for the period in question . note : this information was kindly supplied some long time back by vartan matiossian who is a friend of eduardo kozanlian . he has recently communicated that at anthony slide’s suggestion he is writing an article describing eduardo’s role in finding the fragment of the ‘lost’ film . this should provide a better understanding of how and from where and by what means the film fragment of “ravished armenia” was salvaged .
the film is mostly lost . in 2009 a 24 - minute reconstruction was released , incorporating stills , title cards and the only reel of footage known to have survived .
this ‘restored’ film fragment has been shown relatively recently in various places nationwide , primarily to audiences with armenian roots or connections , and has been not unexpectedly well - received .
producer eric esrailian is the man kerkorian entrusted with his wish . esrailian told an audience at the toronto international film festival that the promise took almost seven years to make .
anthony slide has authored more than seventy books on the history of popular entertainment , beginning in 1970 with early american cinema . anthony slide is noted for his pioneering and groundbreaking efforts to document lesser - known areas of film history , including early women directors , fan magazines , hollywood extras , and , of course , aurora mardiganian and the making ofravished armenia , about which he first wrote in 1997 . in 1990 , he was awarded a honorary doctorate of letters by bowling green university , and at that time , was hailed by lillian gish as “our pre - eminent historian of the silent film . ”
access to a copy of the slightly later publication of “ravished armenia” gave us some additional insights , and opened yet another path for our studies . first of all , the ‘first’ 1918 edition states on its inside cover “copyright 1918 , by kingfield press , inc . new york . ” the next edition states on its inside cover , “copyright , 1918” followed by “copyright 1919 , by international copyright bureau , new york . ” of considerable interest is that the illustrations reproduced in 1918 from photographs taken in historical armenia showing various aspects of the “massacres” have been fully replaced in the 1919 edition’ with , and we quote , “sixteen illustrations from the stupendous photo play , “auction of souls” and map . ” [ 28 ] compare figs . 9 , 10 and 11 to see the extent and evolution in credits .
anthony slide has authored more than seventy books on the history of popular entertainment and is noted for his pioneering and groundbreaking efforts to document lesser - known areas of film history .
a varied background helps add perspective to glenn ' s reviews ; from the ucla film school he worked in special effects , and then moved on to tv commercial work , and trailers for the cannon group . a long stint with mgm / ua home video led to editing large - scale dvd extras and other special projects . he began writing for the web in 1997 as ' mgm video savant . ' working with the film curators at mgm , glenn helped detect and produced the restoration of the original ending of the film noir classic
[ 16 ] according to the police records vol . 56 . jan . 1 , 1919 to dec . 31 , 1919 . boston , mass . we read : - “the applications of the following named persons for amusement licenses were forwarded to his honor the mayor approved : - …louis h . mudgett – to have a moving picture entitled “ravished armenia” in symphony hall located at the corner of huntington and massachusetts avenue on the afternoons and evenings of january 27 , 28 and 29 , current . ” for access to pg . 95 with this information go to urltoken
this film recounts henri verneuil ' s relationship with his father who had brought his armenian family to marseille , france , in order to escape from the armenian genocide in the ottoman empire .
“the film’s theme # keepthepromise can be interpreted as keeping the promise to remember and learn from the atrocities of the past , as well as keeping the promise to end aids , ” elton john recently told the hollywood reporter . “at ejaf , we are committed to # keepthepromise and raise awareness about this powerful film that uses classic storytelling to inspire people to take action today . ”
the strong public interest in aurora’s life story attracted the interest of hollywood , and the memoir was turned into a film script . the resulting historically - based 85 - minute movie was a silent film ( with sub - titles ) that vividly portrayed the mass deportations , rapes and massacres of armenians . it had a young attractive female lead character in aurora mardiganian , playing herself .
turner classic movies is proud to honor our late host , robert osborne , with the creation of the robert osborne award . this annual award will be presented at the tcm classic film festival to an individual whose work has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic films alive and thriving for generations to come . osborne served as the host of turner classic movies for 23 years , and his passion for film and wealth of knowledge as a film historian helped preserve the legacy of classic film . for the inaugural award , tcm will celebrate world - renowned filmmaker director martin scorsese and his longtime dedication to preserving and protecting motion picture history at the ninth annual festival . this presentation will be made as part of the official opening night gala at the tcl chinese theatre imax .
zgórniak’s richly illustrated , and heavily referenced work is crucial to a full appreciation of the thematics connected with the “ravished armenia” poster . emmanuel fremiet was a contemporary of auguste rodin ( 1840 - 1917 ) , the famous french sculptor . in france , fremiet was reputedly a fine animalier [ 19 ] second only to the master antoine - louis barye ( 1796 - 1875 ) . ( we believe that any serious museum goer will recognize some of their works even though they may not know the names of the artists . these artists are by no means obscure figures known only to art experts . )
if you ' re of armenian descent and you haven ' t been living under a coffee cup , you ' ve heard of the promise - or at least the buzz surrounding the film .
tcm members and supporters get 20 % off the entry fee and special arrangements have been made for the films to be produced under the sag - aftra short film agreement . discount code : tcm2018
reproduction on full or in part is prohibited without reference to public radio of armenia . for more information and questions concerning our website contact us on the following address [ email protected ] if you like to insert an advertisment into our website write on the following address [ email protected ]
, a nine - reel film directed by oscar apfel , first screened in new york city in 1919 , it was primarily for the purposes of fundraising and “a wider consciousness - raising campaign” . it was based on the testimony of 19 year old aurora mardiganian , a survivor of the armenian genocide ( 1915 - 1923 ) , who plays a pivotal role in this film based on her book
according to a contemporary new york times article , the first half of the film shows
armenia as it was before turkish and german devastation , and led up to the deportation of priests and thousands of families into the desert . one of the concluding scenes showed young armenian women flogged for their refusal to enter turkish harems and depicted the turkish slave markets .
[ 2 ] the story was adapted for the screen by henry leyford gates , who also wrote the book . [ 3 ]


the three godfathers is a 1916 american silent film featuring harry carey .

the film was remade in 1919 as marked men , which also starred carey .

the three godfathers

the screen in review ; john wayne , harry carey jr . in ' three godfathers , ' metro western , at the capitol
we’d love your help . let us know what’s wrong with this preview of the three godfathers by peter b . kyne .
the screen in review ; john wayne , harry carey jr . in ' three godfathers , ' metro western , at the capitol - the new york times
with the headline : the screen in review ; john wayne , harry carey jr . in ' three godfathers , ' metro western , at the capitol .
3 godfathers ( 1948 ) starring : john wayne , pedro armendariz , harry carey jr . - three movie buffs review
originally a novel written by peter kyne , the three godfathers explores the concept that dignity in mankind can be found in even the most lost individual . . . .
we don ' t have enough data to suggest any movies based on the three godfathers . you can help by rating movies you ' ve seen .
( 1948 ) . ford chose to remake peter b . kyne ' s story of
the three godfathers .
harry carey , sr . had starred in two different silent versions of the story ,
the pt boat unit motor torpedo boat squadron three defends the philippines from japanese invasion during world war ii .
three fugitives risk their lives to bring a newborn baby out of the desert to safety .
the story is already beloved by film buffs thanks to the many adaptations for the big screen , including the 1948 john ford / john wayne collaboration and the 2003 japanese anime tokyo godfathers . but here is the original 1913 novelette in all its warm humanity and humor . three bank robbers on the run in the frontier american west happen upon a birthing mother who begs the me
three outlaws rob a bank in arizona and make their escape through a desert . near a dry water hole they come upon a wagon . inside is a woman about to give birth . pedro ( pedro armendáriz ) , the only father of the trio , helps deliver the baby . the dying mother elicits a promise from the three outlaws to save her baby . before she dies she names her son robert william pedro after his three godfathers .
is a 1936 western that was based on a novel by peter b . kyne called
the three godfathers ,
published in 1913 . the novel is apparently based on kyne ' s own short story ,
bronco billy and the baby ,
which appeared in
nominally ,
three godfathers ,
which came to the capitol yesterday , is based on a very early novel of the prolific peter b . kyne . but actually the sentimental story that is told in this handsome western film stems directly from the format and the literary style of bret harte . view full article in timesmachine »
this film is john ford ' s second version of peter b . kyne ' s western about three outlaws who adopt and care for a baby they find in the desert . the three outlaws are on the run from the law , yet they risk their lives to bring the baby to the nearest town .
three outlaws on the run discover a dying woman and her baby . they swear to bring the infant to safety across the desert , even at the risk of their own lives .
tcm celebrates the 100th anniversary of a musical legend with three nights of programming devoted to some of leonard bernstein ' s . . . more
the religious mentioning and biblical readings are mere distractions from a plot stretched very thin over a mere hour and a half . patrick wrote in his second paragraph that three men rob a bank and then find a pregnant woman about to give birth . although he gives an honest description , the three men do not find her until after a third of the way into the film . we then get to watch long stretches of these three men walking across the desert trying to get the newborn to a safe haven . i disagree with patrick about one thing . lots of scenes of three men walking through a hot desert is not fast paced .
four outlaws come to new jerusalem , a town full of courteous and religious people , to rob the bank . after shooting the president of the bank , only three make it out of town followed by the posse . by the time they get to the second desert water hole , they find it dry and also find a wagon with a dying mother and baby . when the horses are dead the next morning , the three outlaws have no choice but to try to walk back to new jerusalem and only two want to take the baby .
four outlaws come to new jerusalem , a town full of courteous and religious people , to rob the bank . after shooting the president of the bank , only three make it out of town followed by the . . . see full summary »
four outlaws ride in new jerusalem on christmas eve to rob a bank but only three leave town . after being finding a destroyed water hole , the three bank robbers stumble upon a dying woman who gave birth to a boy . after their horses die , low on water , two of them promise the woman to return the baby to safety . the third wants nothing to do with the baby .
the description on the netflix envelope calls 3 godfathers allegorical . it never says what it is allegorical to . as patrick wrote , it has some vague similarities to a very old religious story , but as scott mentioned it also has plenty of differences . the allegory is so slim that you could erase it entirely just by changing the name of the town they take the baby to .
the kid ( carey jr . ) points to a bright star in the sky and tells them they must go to new jerusalem just like in the bible . so the three wise men ( i mean outlaws ) set out to cross the desert and deliver robert william pedro to safety even at the risk of their own lives and freedom .
three outlaws fleeing a posse through the desert come upon a dying woman and her baby in a wagon . before she passes away , she makes the men promise to take care of her baby and get it safely through the desert .
a modern adaptation of the classic 1913 novella by peter b . kyne . three bank robbers on the run in american southwest come upon a terrible car accident where a mother begs the men to watch . . . see full summary »
director john ford ' s second version of peter b . kyne ' s biblically oriented western features john wayne , harry carey jr . , and pedro armendaria as three good - hearted outlaws who discover a baby in the desert and dedicate themselves to saving its life . the three leads work well together , and ford ' s stock company adds grit to the sentimental story .
3 godfathers is more a story of redemption than of christ ' s birth . these 3 men commit a criminal act , and then sacrifice to save a stranger ' s child . the irony of the story is that if they had not committed the crime they would have not gone on the lam and found the pregnant woman . their crime , in a sense , saved the baby ' s life . the baby in return , saved their souls .
this clever and very short novel ( 83 small pages - - does that make it a novella ? ) from 1913 is the source for several films , including the john ford / john wayne
3 godfathers
from 1948 . good tale . ok , maybe 3 . 5 stars
peter bernard kyne was an american novelist who wrote between 1904 and 1940 . many of his works were adapted into screenplays starting in the silent era , particularly his first novel , the three godfathers , which was published in 1913 and proved to be a huge success . he is credited in 110 films between 1914 and 1952 . when still under 18 , he lied about his age and enlisted in company l , 14th u . s . infa
my favorite moment in the film is whenever wayne refers to the baby as
robert
. carey jr . corrects him and says ,
robert william .
pedro then corrects them both ,
robert william pedro .
the film ' s best moments are between the three friends interaction . i would have liked to have known but the script never gives any back story on how these three different men met and became friends . more scenes of them verbally bouncing off each other would have added greatly .
when 3 outlaws on the run find a dying woman and her newborn baby in the desert they vow to save the child .
wayne as the prodigal son delivering the christ child seemed a bit of a stretch .
while this is the story of three men who who follow a star and find a baby , it ' s not a direct allegory for the story of the three wise men . mary didn ' t die and leave jesus to the magi , although i ' m pretty certain that if she had , they would have known how to feed him . it ' s more a story of redemption than it is a symbolic retelling of the bible story . it ' s also told with a good natured humor and a few more guns than you ' ll generally find in the bible .
i loved this little book . written a century ago , its style would be perfect for a read - aloud ( not for young children , but for grownups - - i could picture the adults in a family settling down to enjoy it together after the small children were asleep . the prose was lyrical and carried the reader through the story of the three bad men who , on the run in the southwestern - us desert after the fourth in their number was killed in a bank robbery gone wrong , encounter a young widow in labor - - but no wat
this sentimental western with religious overtones is twice over the type of movie they don ' t make anymore . when was the last time a major hollywood movie star appeared in a story so blatantly and unironically christian ? nowadays you ' d probably be laughed out of a producer ' s office just for suggesting it . the old fashioned air this brings to 3 godfathers just adds to its charm .
this is just a great movie that ' s both fun and well made . it must be the first john wayne / john ford movie in color and it ' s truly beautiful to look at . while it ' s a premise that certainly could have become corny , it doesn ' t and manages to have a great message . the chemistry between the three bank robbers is one of the many qualities it has , friendship is such a powerful theme in this . while it draws parallels with the three wisemen , it definitely doesn ' t steal and is extremely original and fresh .
[ but i hope the last godfather gets to raise the bairn himself . ( hide spoiler ) ]
oh did i forget to mention that this takes place on christmas eve ? after some lighthearted moments with the three outlaws figuring out how to care for a newborn infant , they must face the direness of their predicament . they have very little water and only a few cans of milk .
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in a town called new jerusalem , bandits bob sangster ( chester morris ) , doc underwood ( lewis stone ) and gus barton ( walter brennan ) hold up a bank . after a gun battle with the townspeople , the three robbers retreat into the scorching desert . there , they happen upon an ill woman stranded with her child . as the mother dies , she begs the men to take care of her infant . the fugitives want to save the baby - - but to do so , they ' ll have to travel back to new jerusalem , where they are wanted men .
john ford really knew how to tell a story . this one moves along quickly . it builds to a dramatic climax that packs an emotional punch . despite the obvious religious symbolism ford never gets preachy and the drama is well balanced with humor . granted his range was limited but john wayne was a much better actor than he was ever given credit for and 3 godfathers is one of his best roles .
the bible used as a prop has marginal cross - references , but the bible pages used in the close - up shot , as read by bob , do not .
in the old west , a man becomes a sheriff just for the pay , figuring he can decamp if things get tough . in the end , he uses ingenuity instead .
was produced by the decade ' s greatest production studio , metro - goldwyn - mayer , even though mgm wasn ' t known for producing westerns . the fact that the studio made
, was released during a relatively strange era for westerns . the early 1930s saw a huge surge in the quality and quantity of b - movie western productions , but the opposite was true for major studios ' westerns , remaining so for most of the decade . in fact , the big budget western didn ' t experience a renaissance until the 1939 release of john ford ' s
is also unique because it takes place in the arid and desolate heat of the american southwestern desert . mgm usually eschewed such a setting for its movies , preferring instead the controlled confines of a studio indoor set or faraway exotic locales , such as the jungles of
, starring the great western star harry carey . director john ford then collaborated with carey on yet another version of the same story entitled
this list was published in november 2016 by cowboys & indians ,
the premier magazine of the west .
references to tv series…
frequent john wayne costar ward bond plays the sheriff leading the posse in pursuit . he also happens to be the infant’s uncle . his wife is played by mae marsh a veteran actress of hollywood whose career stretched all the way back to griffith’s intolerance and even before . mildred natwick has the small but important role of robert william pedro’s mother . familiar faces jane darwell and guy kibbee round out the cast .
ford chose john wayne and mexican star pedro armendariz to co - star with harry carey , jr . in the tale of three bad men who find redemption in a barren land . ford ' s treatment of actors on his set was legendary . from john wayne to supporting players , ford ' s behavior was often nothing less than harsh . an unfortunate recipient of this abuse on the set of
is all the more remarkable in that it was produced during a time when big budget westerns weren ' t popular and the great depression severely strained studio bank accounts , thus making risky ventures all the more rare .
. until that time , the major studios virtually ignored westerns . but during this dry spell for the western , there were some noteworthy titles .
two young drifters guide a mormon wagon train to the san juan valley and encounter cutthroats , indians , geography , and moral challenges on the journey .
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( 1932 ) . ethel barrymore , making her first appearance in a sound film , knew boleslawski from the new york theatre world , and had insisted on the change of directors .
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scott mentioned how it was clear that a doll was often used as a baby stand it . i would like to ad that this is one agreeable infant . he rarely cries . most babies cry often , for any number of reasons . this child is wrapped in blankets in scorching heat , starved and falls to the ground three different times while in a different man ' s arms . we rarely hear a peep out of him . can anyone explain why they were supposed to put grease on the baby ?
i loved this show ! ! ! all the characters did a fine job with their performance ! i am a big fan of old movies especially old westerns . i loved the . . .
at fort apache , an honorable and veteran war captain finds conflict when his regime is placed under the command of a young , glory hungry lieutenant colonel with no respect for the local indian tribe .
robert taylor and eleanor parker star as a kentucky backwoodsman and the woman who will not let anything interfere with her plans to marry him in this humorous romantic adventure through the american frontier of 1798 .
dunson leads a cattle drive , the culmination of over 14 years of work , to its destination in missouri . but his tyrannical behavior along the way causes a mutiny , led by his adopted son .
one of my only problems with wayne ' s performance is that he doesn ' t carry a baby very convincingly . there are plenty of times where the bundle in his or the other two men ' s arms is clearly not a real baby . on several occasions one of the men falls over while carrying the baby and it almost always look fake or as if the baby is dead because of how little it moves . i should hasten to add that this is a very minor quibble , but i did notice it .
a growing source of silent era film information . this listing is from the progressive silent film list by carl bennett . copyright © 1999 - 2018 by carl bennett and the silent era company . all rights reserved .
a marksman is drafted in world war i and ends up becoming one of the most celebrated war heroes .
( horse thieves ) are in studio records for their roles , but they were not seen in the movie .
army despatch rider hondo lane discovers a woman and young son living in the midst of warring apaches and becomes their protector .
in 1900 , a young widow finds her seaside cottage is haunted . . . and forms a unique relationship with the ghost .
initially , i was expecting a well - produced but hollow adaptation . what makes the 1936 version so astonishing it is how fatal it is . no matter what they do to save the child , redemption may still be out of reach . salty and seething with that alkaline…
john ford , who had shot this popular tale as a silent , remade it with john wayne , emphasizing even more the religious symbolism .
in occupied berlin , an army captain is torn between an ex - nazi café singer and the u . s . congresswoman investigating her .
he last reel , with wayne explicitly identified as the prodigal son and a general collapse into mawkishness , might almost have strayed in from another movie .
we are continually improving the quality of our text archives . please send feedback , error reports , and suggestions to archive _ feedback @ nytimes . com .
i agree with scott that wayne ' s best scenes are when they first have to take care of the baby . when going through the dead mother ' s chest of baby stuff , carey jr . pulls out a sleeper with a frilly collar and blue ribbons . wayne snaps ,
he ' s not wearing that !
when they finally get the baby some milk , wayne observes .
he takes to it like a drunkard at a 4th of july barbeque .
was his first and only western , and a remarkable departure from his usual studio fare . boleslawski was hired by irving thalberg and came to mgm to work as a screenwriter , based on the strength and reputation of his former literary career on the new york stage . boleslawski was eventually assigned to replace charles brabin as director of
this was prolific director john ford ' s first technicolor film and he makes the most of it . the camera sweeps across salt flats and sweeping desert vistas . naturally there ' s a sandstorm , as there always seemed to be in these old westerns , but it ' s as well filmed as everything else in this beautifully shot western .
in 1863 , a union outfit is sent behind confederate lines in mississippi to destroy enemy railroads but a captive southern belle and the unit ' s doctor cause frictions within ranks .
the cheyenne , tired of broken u . s . government promises , head for their ancestral lands but a sympathetic cavalry officer is tasked to bring them back to their reservation .
this is just a little book sitting behind the counter at work so , being a quite monday morning , i read it through within 45 minutes . so cute and sweet ,
wow , what a story ! i watched the second remake starring john wayne after this ( i don ' t often watch two versions of the same story so close together ) and knew it had a lot to live up to . didn ' t quite achieve it , but that one ' s good too . ( see my review for it )
this story could take place anywhere . brennan always gets on my last nerve , but stone is the heart and soul of this film . always look forward to this . . .
as you said patrick , the story mixes drama and humor nicely . those looking for more obscure and religious themed holiday fare would do well to look no further than this old fashioned classic .
captain nathan brittles , on the eve of retirement , takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive indian attack . encumbered by women who must be evacuated , brittles finds his mission imperiled .
a cavalry officer posted on the rio grande must deal with murderous raiding apaches , his son who ' s a risk - taking recruit and his wife from whom he has been separated for many years .
while i enjoy the john wayne / john ford movie collaboration , this book is totally different and inspiring . it ' s a compelling story of god ' s grace , hope and provision . well done .
cast : john wayne ( robert marmaduke sangster hightower ) , pedro armendariz ( pedro roca fuerte ) , harry carey jr . ( william kearney , the abilene kid ) , ward bond ( perley
buck
sweet ) , mae marsh ( mrs . perley sweet ) .
cast : harry carey [ bob sangster ] , stella razetto [ ruby merrill , ‘the mojave lily’ ] , george berrell [ tim gibbons ] , frank lanning , joe rickson [ rusty connors ] , hart hoxie ( jack hoxie ) [ sheriff pete cushing ] , frank lanning [ bill kearney ] , mr . briscoe [ johnny pell ]
and its disappointing box office returns instigated a change of direction in ford ' s career . from then on , he relied on westerns to sustain a healthy career . and since argosy , ford ' s production company co - owned with merian c . cooper , was then on the brink of bankruptcy , another western seemed like a good bet . this western project eventually became
at mgm under another old lion of hollywood , studio chief louis b . mayer . ford made it clear though that he would not defer to mgm ' s unfriendly policies towards maverick directors . in september 1947 , before the project took root , carey , a life - long mentor and friend to ford , died of a coronary thrombosis . to pay homage to carey , ford decided to give his son , harry carey , jr . , a proper launch for his budding acting career with a starring role in
references : edmonds - bigu pp . 81 , 104 ; hirschhorn - universal pp . 20 , 35 , 67 : website - afi .
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are you ready for skyscraper ? we are ! see which other movies and tv shows we ' re excited about .
comedy subtly dealing with moral issues such as racial bigotry , corporate greed , american belief of societal superiority and hypocrisy .
a biography of navy flier - turned - screenwriter frank w .
spig
read .
texas ranger jake cutter arrests gambler paul regret , but soon finds himself teamed with his prisoner in an undercover effort to defeat a band of renegade arms merchants and thieves known as comancheros .
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explore popular sci - fi movies and tv shows available to stream with prime video .
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leonard maltin classic movie guide , copyright 2005 , 2010 . used by arrangement with penguin group ( usa ) inc .
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were bright spots , but they were largely shot on a backlot , with relatively low budgets .
is equally noteworthy for its director , richard boleslawski ( aka boleslawsky , aka boleslavski ) .
screenplay : peter b . kyne ( story ) , edward e . paramore jr . , manuel seff
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75 % or higher after a set amount of reviews ( 80 for wide - release movies , 40 for limited - release movies , 20 for tv shows ) , including 5 reviews from top critics .
it ' s phoney , it ' s bunk - - and it might just persuade you of a beautiful lie .
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we waste our money , so you don ' t have to .
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this one has everything . it ' s a very serious , gritty movie , but with walter brennan in it , you know there will be a few laughs here and there . ; ) this one is really about redemption , especially for morris ' character , who is one mean hombre !
since last last year ' s wild west summer was such a smash ! , let ' s try it again this year . who wants to…
hotel transylvania 3 : summer vacation stars plan their dream summer getaways to some memorable movie settings .
mr . wolf ' s big list of forgotten , overlooked and underappreciated films .
two strangers share a sweepstakes ticket and then embark on an
imaginary
honeymoon with their
winnings
.
judge roy bean , a self - appointed hanging judge in vinegarroon , texas , befriends saddle tramp cole harden , who opposes bean ' s policy against homesteaders .
a free - spirited parlor maid and a czech refugee surprise an english village with their unconventional ways .
man tries to help a woman trap a husband so she can adopt a child , but he falls for her himself .
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screenplay : laurence stallings , frank s . nugent , peter b . kyne ( story )
digi - sleeve , 24 - bit digitally remastered , . . . more info
john wayne , dan dailey , and maureen o ' hara . . . more info