Attending to details so that the bigger picture can emerge.
“Whither goest thou?” asks the Latin title to one of world cinema’s earliest blockbusters, “Quo Vadis?” When it comes to the film studio that made “Quo Vadis?” back in 1912, however, the question becomes not where was it headed but … Continued
No place on Earth had more regard for the power of celebrity than Hollywood in the 1920s. As Fascist strongman Benito Mussolini wrested control of Italy, his name frequently popped up in entertainment columns alongside Chaplin and Fairbanks. Il Duce, … Continued
It’s a sad failing of silent film history that there isn’t more documentation of events in Italy during MGM’s first location shoot of “Ben-Hur.” Judging from the little that survives in memoirs, budget sheets, studio memos, and in a smattering … Continued