classics – Killer Kitsch Designs

b-movie, bmovies, classics, comedy, horror, killer b cinema, movies, sci-fi

KILLER B CINEMA PRESENTS: SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS AND SILENT NIGHT BLOODY NIGHT

November 20, 2017November 20, 2017 Lizzie Violet

Killer B Cinema presents Silent Night, Bloody Night and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians! Two killer B-movies to start the festive season off right and for the low, low price of $5. That’s right FIVE DOLLARS! And there will be trivia with prizes!

This month we will also be having a Krampus Raffle! Everyone who attends our movie night will get a raffle ticket for a prize pack AND for each tacky Xmas themed item you are wearing (ugly Xmas sweater, tinsel or garland accessories, over the top poinsettia hair flowers… you get it), you get an extra raffle ticket for the draw!

Doors (back performance space) open at 8 pm and the movies begin at 8:30 pm.

Link to Invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/529603940721676/

Silent Night, Bloody Night
Running Time: 85 minutes

Silent Night, Bloody Night (also released as Night of the Dark Full Moon and Death House[1]) is a 1972 American horror film directed by Theodore Gershuny and co-produced by Lloyd Kaufman. The film stars Patrick O’Neal and cult actress Mary Woronov in leading roles, with John Carradine in a supporting performance. The plot follows a series of murders that occur in a small town on Christmas Eve after a man inherits a family estate which was once an insane asylum.

Santa Claus Conquers The Martians
Running Time: 81 minutes

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is a 1964 American science fiction comedy film directed by Nicholas Webster, written by Paul L. Jacobson based on a story by Glenville Mareth, stars John Call as Santa Claus, and features an eight-year-old Pia Zadora as one of the Martian children. The film also marks the first documented appearance of Mrs. Claus in a motion picture (Doris Rich plays the role), coming three weeks before the television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which also featured the character.

Each month join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a double bill of B-moves from the 1940s to 1970s!

Thank you to the Imperial Pub and their staff! They make our monthly event extra amazing!

We hope to see you at The Imperial!

killer-b-cinema-poster__dec-2-2017

1940s, 1950s, classics, music, rock and roll, rockabilly, Uncategorized, wanda jackson

Rock-a-long To That Rockabilly Sound

October 23, 2017October 23, 2017 Lizzie Violet

A sad thing that has been happening in Toronto over the last few years. The arts/music scene has been taking a hit due to the crazy surge in rental and housing prices. Many bars are closing and it is getting harder and harder to survive in Toronto as an artist of any level due to this. One thing I truly love about this city is or should I say did love about this city was its artistic diversity. Sadly for Toronto, much of that has up and moved to Hamilton (amazing for Hamilton). Not only does Hamilton have a growing artists community, it also has a growing Rockabilly scene, something that used to be a much larger scene here in T.O. Don’t get me wrong, our Rockabilly scene is still here and it’s still amazing, but it needs to receive the love it once did. Let’s start giving it back the attention it deserves.

Anyone who is or was into that scene will recognize the bands and places I have listed below. By no means are the lists below complete, but they are the popular choices and I wanted to give you a saucey taste of what is out there. If we start supporting these artists, stores, and venues again, the way we did in the late 90s and early 2000s, we will help them survive and bring them back to the popularity they had back then! We could start a revival!

I used to head out to the Cadillac Lounge or The Dakota to catch bands such as the Royal Crowns, Ginger St. James and Alistair Christl on the regular. I would be at the Black Dice Cafe on many occasions and I loved spending a steamy night at a burlesque show. Like many, and I’m not sure why I did, I’m just as guilty, as I stepped away from that scene. I’ve been feeling nostalgic for it again. I’m not sure if it’s due to all of the Wanda Jackson albums my fella brings home or that my love for vintage everything has peaked again. Either way, I would love to see this scene thrive again, as it used to. We recently saw Wanda and I was actually surprised that there wasn’t more of a Rockabilly presence in the crowd.

I would love to see the Rockabilly scene in all its glory again! Get your poodle skirt and saddle shoes on. Get that pompadour high and let’s get ourselves out to a night of squealing and dancing to that killer Rockabilly sound!

Well known musicians

Christian DeArmond — https://christiand.ca/

Dodge Fiasco — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVljgXcCsSA

Ginger St. James — http://www.gingerstjames.com/

Hellbent Rockers (Hamilton, but play Toronto) http://hellbentrockers.com/live.html

The Greasemarks — https://www.facebook.com/Greasemarks/?fref=mentions or http://www.greasemarks.com/

The Hellbent Rockers — http://hellbentrockers.com/

The Millwinders — https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/The-Millwinders-333439737373/

The Royal Crowns — http://www.theroyalcrowns.ca/

The Swingin’ Blackjacks — https://www.facebook.com/swinginblackjacks/

Rockabilly Bars (or bars that hold Rockabilly events)

Burdock — http://burdockto.com/

Cadillac Lounge — http://www.cadillaclounge.com/

Castros Lounge — http://castroslounge.com/

Cherry Cola’s Rock n’ Rolla Cabaret Lounge — https://www.facebook.com/cherrycolasrocknrolla/

Disgraceland (Bar and Grill) – https://www.disgraceland.ca/

Grossman’s Tavern — www.grossmanstavern.com/

Gun, Rod and Barbers — rodgunandbarbers.com/

Horseshoe Tavern — http://www.horseshoetavern.com/

Junction City Music Hall — www.junctioncitymusichall.com/

Revival Bar — www.revivalbar.com/

The Black Dice — http://www.blackdicecafe.com

The Dakota — thedakotatavern.com/

The Hole in the Wall — https://www.facebook.com/HoleInTheWallTO/

The Local — www.thelocalpub.ca/

The Monarch Tavern — http://www.themonarchtavern.com/

Tiki Bars

Bill Hicks Bar – 946 Queen Street East

Bovine Sex Club – 542 Queen Street West

Miss Thing – 1279 Queen Street West

Shameful Tiki Room — 1378 Queen Street West

The Shore Leave -1175 Danforth Avenue

Where to buy clothing

Black Daffodil — 3097 Dundas Street West
Doll Factory by Damzels — 394 Roncesvalles Avenue
Rosie the Rebel — 604 Queen Street West

Social Media Pages

Toronto Rockabilly — https://www.facebook.com/torontorockabilly/

Toronto Rockabilly/Surf/Burlesque Community —

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1075214662489029/?fref=ts

RnR Dancing in Toronto and beyond — https://www.facebook.com/groups/120849821417387

Vintage Society — http://www.vintagesociety.ca

1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, classics, independent, movies, pre-code, rep theatre, silent films, silent movies, Uncategorized, vintage

Why Rep Theatres Are Important To The Vintage Culture and Community

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017 Lizzie Violet

I am a huge, HUGE classic movie nerd. Especially Silent Movies, Pre-code movies and 1950s Sci-fi. As a child, many Saturday mornings were filled with watching these movies and I have many fond memories of Saturday Night at the Movies with Elwy Yost. I grew up loving black and white classic cinema. Living in Toronto I am beyond fortunate that there are rep theatres that still show these movies on the regular or have themed movie afternoons/evenings. My fella and I have become regulars at the 4 pm Sunday show at the Carlton. $6 gets you a movie, popcorn, and a drink. Each month is themed. We are also a stone throw from The Revue and are found there often, especially during the Toronto Silent Film Festival. Why do I think these types of theatres are important, let me tell you.

History. The history of the theatre and the history that comes along with the movies that are shown. Sadly, with the condo boom, many of Toronto’s beloved architecture, including old movie houses are being torn down. I don’t want to make this piece about that, I do want to raise how important it is to keep some of old Toronto still alive and intact. This includes our original movie theatres. There is so much incredible history in these buildings. Imagine the movies that were shown in these beautiful structures. Everything from The Silents of the early 1900s to the gritty movies of the 1970s. The people that would have walked across the thresholds. Buildings that allowed you to take refuge from the heat, the cold, the depression, the war or the general world outside. A place where you could escape to another world via celluloid. I often dream of being a child, jaw open while being mesmerized by a Silent Film, a sassy teen being inspired by the Flappers gracing the screen or a twenty-something being tantalized by a Pre-code bit of raunch. Witnessing a time in history and film-making when the creators cared about the story and the presentation.

An escape. The world we live in is a harsh place to be in. It’s equally complicated by the all too convenient ability to pull out your phone to see or read the news, check social media, watch hours of youtube or stream whatever content you want and almost never be left to use your imagination if even for a short period of time. It’s why I write in complete silence. Going to a movie theatre, where you have to put your phone away is a wonderful feeling. To spend one to two hours being swept into another world, another time. To see films about a period of history, shot during that actual time. The music, clothes, sets — the story. Is it wrong that I still have crushes on Jimmy Stewart or Clara Bow?

Most importantly, supporting independent businesses. Most of these theatres are independently owned. I would much rather support independent or family-owned businesses. I don’t only go to rep theatres to see the classics, I would much rather see the latest blockbuster in them. Yes, it means waiting a few extra weeks to see it, but if it means the money is going to a small business, I will wait.

Please, check out your local rep theatre. The more we frequent them, the longer they stay alive.

MOVIE THEATRES :

Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (The Annex) – 506 Bloor Street West, Toronto 416-637-3123 — http://www.hotdocscinema.ca/

Carlton Cinema – 20 Carlton Street at Yonge, Toronto, 416 – 494-9371 — https://imaginecinemas.com/cinema/carlton-cinema/

Fox Theatre – 2236 Queen Street East, Toronto, 416-691-7330 — www.foxtheatre.ca

Humber Cinemas – 2442 Bloor Street West — http://www.humbercinemas.com/

Kingsway – 3030 Bloor Street West — http://kingswaymovies.ca/

Regent Theatre – 551 Mount Pleasant Road — http://regenttoronto.com/

Revue Cinema – 400 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada M6R 2M9 — http://revuecinema.ca/

Royal Cinema – 608 College Street, Toronto, 416-466-4400 — www.theroyal.to

1920s, classics, movies, silent cinema, silent films, silent movies, Uncategorized

Silent Cinema

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017 Lizzie Violet

As a child, I would spend hours watching silent movies. I was also that same child who not only wanted to be a flapper but insisted that her mother dress her like one. Fritzi Kramer runs a site called Movies Silently. You will always find incredibly informative posts about Silent Cinema from all over the world and because of Movies Silently, I have discovered silent movies I had never seen. I’m so thankful that so many silents have been preserved.

The queen of Egypt loves her Romans and so she falls for Mark Antony… What? You mean you know this one? Well, anyway, we’re looking over one of the very first feature-length Cleos with Helen Gardner in the title role. Home Media Availability: Released on DVD. Taking command A quick note before getting started. This…

via Cleopatra (1912) A Silent Film Review — Movies Silently

1930-1934, 1930s, classics, movies, old hollywood, pre-code

If you love Pre-code movies

October 16, 2017 Lizzie Violet

If you are like my fellow redhead (and Redhead Revue partner Heather Babcock) and I, both of which are obsessed with Pre-code movies, you should be subscribing to pre-code.com. Their website is filled with so much pre-code amazing information and movie lists that you will be beyond delighted and inspired to watch the movies. I learn new something new every post I read.

Wilber Bert Wheeler Tarzana Raquel Torres Alexander Robert Woolsey Released by Columbia | Directed by Edward F. Cline Run time: 61 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “Hey! Come back here, you jackass!” “Oh see those Afri-cans.” “Virgin trees? Huh! They look pretty wild to me.” locusts eat the clothes off the duo, leaving…

via So This Is Africa (1933) Review, with Wheeler & Woolsey and Raquel Torres — Pre-Code.Com

1920s, 1930s, 1940s, classics, harlow darling, vintage, vintage life, vintage reproduction, vintage style

Favourite blog: Harlow Darling

September 7, 2017September 7, 2017 Lizzie Violet

Imagine a beautiful dream that takes place during the 1940s and you are having a picnic, under an apple tree, with a stunning blonde. That is Harlow Darling. Her stunning #OOTD (outfit of the day) always blow me away. Harlow Darling is an incredible vintage style icon, whose fashions are from the 1920s to the 1940s. When someone like Harlow Darling is able to make you feel as if you just stepped out a time machine, they have done it right! You can subscribe to her via email. Her Instagram account is just as breath-taking.

Photo is from the website.

1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, classics, knitting, sale, vintage, vintage knitting, vintage knitting patterns, vintage pattern

SALE!!!

August 9, 2017August 11, 2017 Lizzie Violet

I’m having a sale in my store! All Summer vintage knitting downloadable patterns are 50% off until Sunday! https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/KillerKitschDesigns

1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, classics, edwardian, food, music, tiki, victorian, vintage

Living Vintage in Toronto

August 7, 2017August 8, 2017 Lizzie Violet

Why do I love vintage clothing, purses, jewelry, and movies so much? I think I have always been in love with everything vintage. When I was a little girl, I would beg my mother to dress me up as a flapper. My earlier teen years I was obsessed with dressing in a 1950s style and later teens and early twenties, I was a blend of goth, Edwardian and the 1920s. These days it is a mix from the 1920s to the 1950s. I don’t recall a time when I wasn’t dressing or in love with vintage.

Over the years I have been influenced by many and lately, it has been Miss Lemon, Miss Fisher, Clara Bow and every single movie from the 1930s I’ve been watching. I adore the 1930s and every single year of that decade.

When I was a teenager and growing up in a small town, it was hard to find vintage clothing, so I made my own and I even learned to sew on a Treadle sewing machine. Between that and learning to knit, I didn’t have to rely on stores or mail order catalogues. My mother even relented at one point and gave me her purses from the sixties. Purses I sadly don’t have any longer as I wore them out. Having those skills today is also a benefit. As a curvy girl, it is harder to find sizes in a lot of vintage clothing. I tend to lean towards vintage reproduction or making my own using and resizing vintage patterns. At the moment I have a growing pile of fabric that needs my attention. I have patterns from the 1930s to the 1950s ready to be drafted and my knitting WIP includes sweaters from the 1930s and 1940s. I recently also started making my own hat pins.

1940s-shoes I am always on the hunt for vintage clothing and antique stores, diners, events, and music. I often envy places like England, where there is a wealth of vintage everything and wish that Toronto had more vintage events. As our own vintage community grows, I hope events and flea markets do as well. I have decided to start a list of what we currently have in Toronto and by no means is this list complete. These are places I’ve been to, shopped at, eaten at, events I’ve attended or generally know about. I also have had input from friends as well. If you see something that needs to be added, please let me know. I would love to keep this list up to date. 🙂

Neighbourhoods great for vintage and antique stores
Roncesvalles Avenue
The Junction
Parkdale (Queen Street — Roncesvalles to Dufferin)
Liberty Village
The Annex (Spadina to Christie)
Bloordale (Dufferin to Landsdowne)
Bloorcourt (Christie to Dufferin)
Ossington Avenue (College to Queen)
Kensington Market
Leslieville

Stores — Vintage and Antique
Dufferin/Dupont area
Vintage Studio 342 — 342 Westmoreland Avenue

Roncesvalles
Mrs. Huizenga — 28 Roncesvalles Avenue

Queen Street
Kind Exchange – 611 Queen Street West
Pearls and Pockets — 672 Queen Street West
House of Vintage — 1239 Queen Street West
Three Fates — 1394 Queen Street West
In Vintage We Trust — 1580 Queen Street West
Frou Frou Vintage — 1616 Queen Street West

Dundas West
Penny Arcade 1177 Dundas Avenue West
Door Number 2 — 2792 Dundas West
Smash Vintage — 2880 Dundas West

College Street and area
Print Vintage — 834A College Street
Arts Market – Dufferin Grove, 846 College Street
I Miss You Vintage — 63 Ossington Avenue

Kensington Market
Breathless Vintage — 9 Kensington Avenue
Courage my Love – 14 Kensington Avenue
Space Vintage — 34 Kensington Avenue
Exile Vintage — 60 Kensington Avenue
Vintage Depot — 70 Kensington Avenue
Winsome Vintage — 146 Augusta and 4 Kensington Avenue
Bungalow Vintage – Kensington Market, 273 Augusta Avenue

Bloor Street and The Annex
Monarch Vintage —897 Bloor Street West
Siberia Vintage — 955 Bloor Street West
Ransack the Universe — 1207 Bloor Street West
Puddin’ and Pie Vintage — 1248A Bloor Street West
Jellyfish Emporium — 1586 Dupont Street
Gadabout Vintage — 1300 Queen Street East
Rewind — 577 Mount Pleasant Avenue

Blackbird Vintage Finds — 11 Trinity Street
Gypsy Found Objects — 762 St Clair Avenue West

Thrifter Sisters, Aurora — https://www.facebook.com/thriftersisterscanada/

Stores — Vintage Reproduction
Black Daffodil — 3097 Dundas Street West
Doll Factory by Damzels — 394 Roncesvalles Avenue
Rosie the Rebel — 604 Queen Street West

Vintage Markets, Flea Markets, Fairs — Toronto
Arts Market at 846 College St — https://www.vintageb.com/
Geary Avenue Flea —www.gearyaveflea
St. Lawrence Market Antique Market —http://www.stlawrencemarket.com/pages/about_the_market_gallery_and_antique_market
Vintage Clothing Show and Sale (Exhibition Place) — http://www.torontovintageclothingshow.ca/
Wychwood Vintage Clothing Show and Sale — https://www.facebook.com/VintageShowTO/
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Vintage Markets, Flea Markets, Fairs — Close to Toronto
Freelton — http://freeltonantiquemall.com/
Pickering Flea — http://www.pickeringmarkets.com/

Vintage Collections/Collectors (online or at shows)
Union Label Vintage — @unionlabelvintage (instagram)

Events — Regular
Lindy Hop — http://www.torontolindyhop.com/
New Orleans Connection Allstars at Grossman’s Tavern (Every Sunday)
Spadina Museum — https://www.facebook.com/spadinamuseum/
Toronto Burlesque Festival — http://torontoburlesquefestival.com/
Toronto Silent Film Festival – http://www.torontosilentfilmfestival.com/
Toronto Vintage Crawl — http://www.vintagecrawltoronto.com/
Vintage Prom — https://www.facebook.com/VintagePromToronto/

Bars and Restaurants

Restaurants
Apache Burger — 5236 Dundas Street West
Aunties & Uncles — 74 Lippincott Street
Bloor Jane Restaurant — 2434 Bloor Street West
Bus Terminal Diner — 1606 Danforth Avenue
Cardinal Rule — 5 Roncesvalles Avenue
MARS FOOD — 432 College Street
Skyline Restaurant — 1426 Queen Street West
The Ace — 231A Roncesvalles Avenue
The Lakeview Restaurant — 1132 Dundas Street West
The Senator Restaurant — 249 Victoria Street

Vintage Toronto Diners — https://www.facebook.com/Vintage-Toronto-Diners-1384779678460763/?fref=ts

tiki Tikibars
Bill Hicks Bar – 946 Queen Street East
Bovine Sex Club – 542 Queen Street West
Miss Thing – 1279 Queen Street West
Shameful Tiki Room — 1378 Queen Street West
The Shore Leave -1175 Danforth Avenue

Bars
Cadillac Lounge – 1296 Queen Street West
Cherry Cola’s Rock n’ Rolla Cabaret Lounge — 200 Bathurst Street
Disgraceland (Bar and Grill) – Dovercourt, 965 Bloor Street West
Gun, Rod and Barbers — 2877 Dundas Street West
Reservoir Lounge (Jazz + Swing) – 52 Wellington Street East
Swan Dive — 1631 Dundas Street West
The Black Dice — 1574 Dundas Street West
The Hole in the Wall — 2867 Dundas Street West
The Local — 396 Roncesvalles Avenue
The Rex Hotel (Jazz + Swing) – 194 Queen Street West

Websites and Blogs
Cabaret Vintage — www.CabaretVintage.com
Chronically Vintage — http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/
Fashion in Motion — http://fashioninmotion.wordpress.com/
Leslieville Flea Blog – Mod Mad — http://leslievilleflea.com/mod-mad-party-madcap-recap/
Petite Plus, Meow! Blog — http://petiteplusmeow.wordpress.com/
Suzanne Carillow — www.suzannecarillo.com
Swing Toronto — http://swingtoronto.com/
The Vintage Inn — http://www.vintageinn.ca/toronto-vintage-society-events/
Toronto Vintage Society — http://www.torontovintagesociety.ca/
Yesterday’s Prints — http://yesterdays-print.com/search/canada

Instagram Accounts To Follow
@bellafloravintage
@Retrouverbiz
@victoryvintagegirl
@Wildthingvintage

Musicians (not a complete list, some of my favourites — this list will grow)
Alistair Christl — http://www.alistairchristl.ca/
Christian D — https://christiand.ca/
Ginger St. James —http://www.gingerstjames.com/
Luau of Die — http://www.luauordie.com/
New Orleans Connection Allstars — http://torontojazz.com/artist/new-orleans-connection-all-stars
The Royal Crowns — http://www.theroyalcrowns.ca/

Artists (not a complete list, some of my favourites — this list will grow)
CheapTrills Co. — https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/CheapThrillsCompany
Vintage Love (light switches) —http://www.vintagelove.ca/

Events near Toronto
Elvis Festival — Collingwood — https://collingwoodelvisfestival.com/
Vintage Car Show — Wasaga — https://www.wasagabeachcruisers.org/
Vintage Film Festival — Port Hope — https://www.vintagefilmfestival.ca/

1920s, 1930s, classics, joan crawford, movies, old hollywood, silent films, silent movies, vintage

Silent Movies Are Good For the Soul

April 20, 2017 Lizzie Violet

Ever since I can recall, I’ve wanted to be a Flapper and even to the point, as a young child I would often ask my mother to dress me like one. In my early days of high school, I would mix styles of punk, Edwardian and Flapper. A look that made a fourteen-year-old stick out in the hallways, clashing with her fellow, small town, plaid wearing classmates. I would be seen wandering the halls with books on ghosts and a notebook to write in. When I was home, I would either be in my room writing, doing art, or sewing or watching classic movies, especially silents. No one understood why I would want to do this, no one really got me. Why would a teenager, be so intrigued by silent movies or prefer reading the 1927 Eaton’s Spring and Summer catalogue replica she inherited from her grandfather? Shouldn’t she be out running amok in the streets or listening to that rock and/or roll music?

At some point in grade ten, my love of German Expressionist film started. Unfortunately, being in a small town, my only options for silent movies was TVO or rentals. At that time I didn’t have a huge selection and unlike here in Toronto, our public library didn’t have a huge selection of rentals. I was able to get my hands on Metropolis and Nosferatu from our local rental place. I watched both of these movies so many times, I could have shadowcast them. When I moved away from that small town and to Toronto, my world opened up. Not only did I have access to places like the Toronto Reference Library and Blockbuster, but there were groups and organizations that also loved silent movies. Pre-Facebook (yes there was a time before Facebook) I was able to find meet-ups via the classifieds in Now Magazine or posters, found on the telephone poles along Queen street.

My fourteen-year-old self would be beside herself today if she had those options. Social media has helped bring together large groups of silent film aficionados and like-minded, dames and fellas. Every April in Toronto, there is a Silent Film Festival. Sadly, I’m not able to see all of the movies at the festival (if only there was more time), but my dream is to one day get a pass and see every — single — one. This year we were able to see some ‘found’ movies and serials such as Sherlock Holmes, a Buster Keaton short and the 2nd reel from an epic pie fight brought to you by Laurel and Hardy called ‘The Battle of the Century’. It truly was the greatest pie fight in history. I have included a YouTube video below of a shorter version of the video. If you can, you should see the restored longer version. Side note: at 3:22 mark, I still drool over how stunning the outfit, worn by the woman who lands fanny first on a pie. I’m so glad her dress missed the pie!

I have an ever growing collection of silent movies on DVD. I fantasize often about owning a projector and film on reels, but due to the condition of most original silent films, this may remain a fantasy and a whole other blog post. Fortunately for me, a streaming service called FilmOn has a silent film and classic movie channel. I have discovered films I’ve never seen and also get to re-watch and fall in love again with, old favourites. I will never grow weary of watching the Barrymores, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Clara Bow, Mary Pickford, Errol Flynn, Valentino or Joan Crawford. Joan Crawford you say? Absolutely. She got her start, on the big screen, in the silents. There is something so delightful in watching her in Our Dancing Daughters.

As I continue to watch silents, I am finding new favourites. Recenty I watched ‘The Married Virgin (1918) – Rudolph Valentino‘. As soon as Valentino walks into a scene, you can see why women swooned over him. As I watch Valentino and other stars like Clara Bow, Jean Harlow and Joan Crawford, I often wonder what it would have been like to have been alive in the 1920s and 1930s. It would have been incredible to see these movies, for the first time, in the cinemas of those eras. We are fortunate for festivals such of The Toronto Silent Film festival, but if I could hop into a time-machine, I would set the dial to that era.

What are your favourite silent films?

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