Film director Jacques Feyder: Hollywood’s starmaker from—once again—Elsene, Brussels

European film directors at work in Hollywood silents, early 20th century. It was pretty common, and there were […]

Garbo was shy, insecure. She felt that, as a person, she actually had nothing special or unusual for others to make a fuss over. Jean Negulesco

Film history: Focus on “The Hollywood Ten”

In 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) held the first series of hearings into alleged communist propaganda […]

Nostalgia: It’s not what it used to be

By using vintage postcards, old black and white stills and archival photographs, these books recreate the past of […]

Film history: Focus on The Roaring Twenties

Richard Dyer MacCan (b. 1945) is a British academic and author of several film books and essays who […]

I went to [producer-director] Thomas H. Ince and said, 'I would like some retakes.' Retakes are costly, and when he pointed that out, I said, 'Yes, I know that, Tom, but I still want the retakes.' Now, Tom liked to gamble. I did, too. So I said, 'I'll tell what I'll do, Tom. Heads or tails. If you win, okay, then I pay for the retakes. If I win, you pay.' He said, 'Fine,' and he tossed. I felt that Tom would take chances, but I didn't think he would cheat, and he didn't. He never did. It was my week's salary for or against the retakes. And I won. Actress Blanche Sweet about film pioneer Thomas H. Ince during the making of "Anna Christie" (1923)