Books by John Bengtson
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Top Posts & Pages
- How Harold Lloyd Filmed Safety Last!
- Leave it to Harold (and Beaver) at the Long Beach Pike
- How Harold Lloyd Filmed Safety Last (the parts on the ground)
- How Charlie Chaplin filmed The Kid
- The Artist Locations Part 2, Roger Rabbit, and Buster Keaton's Debut - One Week
- Keaton location to be demolished - photo help?
- Buster Keaton Tours
- About Silent Locations
- Leave it to Skokie, and Beaver, and Ward's Joke Letter
- The Artist Locations Part 4, Bradbury, Chaplin, and Lloyd
Author Interviews – Reviews
- Academy Interview July 2011
- AMPAS Lecture on The General
- City Brights SF Gate Review
- Publishers Weekly Review
- KPCC Interview
- Interview on Movie Mom
- Philadelphina Inquirer
- Los Angeles Times interview
- Los Angeles Magazine Review
- MOMI article on New York and Speedy
- New York Times (see page 5)
- Author’s Modern Times Program
- Wall Street Journal
- Associated Press
- Examiner – Best 2011 Silent Film Books
- The Commentary Track
- Leonard Maltin Movie Crazy
- LA Observed
- Film Forum New York
- New York Times – Keaton Review
- 2013 Club TCM in Hollywood
- LA Times 2013
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Recent Posts
- Leave it to Harold (and Beaver) at the Long Beach Pike
- How Charlie Chaplin filmed The Kid
- On the Fence – Keaton’s stunts in Cops and Our Hospitality
- Keaton location to be demolished – photo help?
- How Harold Lloyd Filmed Safety Last (the parts on the ground)
- Douglas Fairbanks, Edge of Doom, and Film Noir
- Buster’s Paramount Backlot Plunge
- Author Appearance at TCM Classic Film Festival – Free Tour
- Cops and Safety Last! – the Cosmo Alley Connection
- Keaton – Seven Chances Filmed Close to Studio
- Leave it to Skokie, and Beaver, and Ward’s Joke Letter
- Chaplin – Keaton – Lloyd – One Block in Silent-Era Hollywood (update)
- Keaton – Wings – Noir – and the SP Depot
- Silent Cameos of the lost Southern Pacific Depot
- Front and Back Cameos – 100 years of a Hollywood landmark
- Keaton’s Short Fuse – Cops, Musso & Frank, and enduring Hollywood history
- Harold Lloyd – Film Noir – Criss Cross and the Hill Street Tunnel
- Buster and the Three Stooges at the Columbia Ranch – Part 3
- Harold Lloyd – By the Sad, Santa Monica Waves
- Buster Keaton – Three Stooges – LAPL Author Lecture
- Charlie Chaplin – The Kid’s Tearful Olvera Street Reunion
- Charlie Chaplin, Ron Swanson, and Parks and Recreation
- Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. Hollywood Vault (with Harold Lloyd too)
- More Buster in Manhattan – The Cameraman, Part II
- The Artist Locations Part 8 – the Paramount Backlot
- Buster Keaton’s The Cameraman
- The Artist Locations – Part 7 – Uggie and Peppy Save the Day
- Chaplin’s Studio Pay Day
- Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin – Four Silent Jailbreaks
- Two Hollywood Stunts – Lloyd and Keaton
- Chaplin, Arbuckle and The Rounders
- A Tale of Two Train Wrecks (and One Airport) – by Buster Keaton
- Bones of the Past – the Bones TV Pilot and Buster Keaton
- Hollywood 1926 – The Big Picture and How the Pieces Fit
- How Harold Lloyd Filmed Girl Shy on Bunker Hill
- Keaton – Cops – and the First Baptist Church of Hollywood
- Harry Langdon – The Strong Man Part 2
- Help Please? – Silent Jailbreak – SOLVED
- How Harold Lloyd Filmed the Girl Shy Trolley Stunts
- Keaton’s Highland Goat Garage
- The Office – Film Noir – and Harold Lloyd
- How Harold Lloyd Filmed Safety Last!
- The Artist Locations – Part 6 – Uggie Saves The Day
- The Artist – Locations 1 of 5, Chaplin, and Pickford (repost)
- Mr. Keaton’s Neighborhood
- New York, Harold Lloyd, and Adam Sandler?!
- The Artist Locations Part 5 – Chaplin’s City Lights
- Chaplin’s Modern (Los Angeles) Times
- The Artist Locations Part 4, Bradbury, Chaplin, and Lloyd
- The Artist Locations Part 3, Harold Lloyd, and Safety Last!
Categories
- Angels Flight
- Brooklyn
- Bunker Hill
- Buster Keaton
- Chaplin Studio
- Chaplin Tour
- Charlie Chaplin
- Chinatown
- City Lights
- College
- Columbia
- Cops
- Daydreams
- Duck Soup
- Exposition Park
- Film Noir
- For Heaven's Sake
- Girl Shy
- Hal Roach Studios
- Harold Lloyd
- Harry Langdon
- Hollywood Tour
- Hot Water
- Keaton Studio
- Keaton Tour
- Keystone Studio
- Laurel and Hardy
- Lloyd Studio
- Lloyd Thrill Pictures
- Lloyd Tour
- Los Angeles Historic Core
- Manhattan
- Modern Times
- New York
- Oliver Hardy
- One Week
- Roscoe Arbuckle
- Safety Last!
- Seven Chances
- Sherlock Jr.
- Speedy
- Stan Laurel
- Steamboat Bill, Jr.
- The Artist
- The Cameraman
- The Freshman
- The General
- The Goat
- The Kid
- The Office
- The Strong Man
- Three Stooges
- Uncategorized
- USC
- Venice
Archives
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
Silent Locations – Chaplin – Keaton – Lloyd (and more)- Leave it to Harold (and Beaver) at the Long Beach Pike
- How Charlie Chaplin filmed The Kid
- On the Fence – Keaton’s stunts in Cops and Our Hospitality
- Keaton location to be demolished – photo help?
- How Harold Lloyd Filmed Safety Last (the parts on the ground)
- Douglas Fairbanks, Edge of Doom, and Film Noir
- Buster’s Paramount Backlot Plunge
- Author Appearance at TCM Classic Film Festival – Free Tour
- Cops and Safety Last! – the Cosmo Alley Connection
- Keaton – Seven Chances Filmed Close to Studio
Author Archives: John Bengtson
Leave it to Harold (and Beaver) at the Long Beach Pike
In a prior post I wrote how an idyllic Skokie, Illinois street once stood in for Mayfield on Leave it to Beaver. Although that episode has no connection to silent movies, I was surprised to see that the Season 5, … Continue reading
Posted in Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Uncategorized
Tagged Al St. John, Beaver Cleaver, Cyclone roller coaster, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood, Leave it to Beaver, Loff Hippodrome, Long Beach Pike, Number Please?, roller coaster, Roscoe Arbuckle, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, Silver Spray Pier, The Cook, then and now, Wally Cleaver
1 Comment
How Charlie Chaplin filmed The Kid
In an early post I uploaded a PowerPoint presentation highlighting some of the historic settings in Chinatown and the Plaza de Los Angeles where Chaplin filmed his early masterpiece The Kid (1921). You can download the 60 MB file here. … Continue reading
Posted in Charlie Chaplin, Chinatown, The Kid
Tagged chaplin films, Chaplin Locations, Chaplin Tour, charles chaplin, Charlie Chaplin, Chinatown, How Chaplin filmed The Kid, Olvera Street, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, The Artist, The Kid, then and now
1 Comment
On the Fence – Keaton’s stunts in Cops and Our Hospitality
In a recent post I showed how Buster Keaton staged his daring waterfall rescue from Our Hospitality (1923). In honor of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s presentation of Our Hospitality this June 8 at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus, … Continue reading
Posted in Buster Keaton, Cops
Tagged Buster Keaton, Cops, Hollywood, How Buster filmed Cops fence stunt, How Buster filmed Our Hospitality waterfall stunt, How Buster Keaton filmed fence stunt, How Buster Keaton filmed waterfall stunt, Keaton Locations, Keaton Studio, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, then and now
5 Comments
Keaton location to be demolished – photo help?
I just discovered where Keaton filmed a scene from Cops (1922), as Big Joe Roberts retrieves his wallet from Buster (but not its cash contents) by leaning out to grab it from a passing taxi. The scene was filmed at … Continue reading
How Harold Lloyd Filmed Safety Last (the parts on the ground)
The alleys at the SE corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga are certainly the most historically significant silent film locations in town. The yellow arrow above marks the alley entrance from which Buster Keaton grabs a passing car one-handed in … Continue reading
Posted in Buster Keaton, Cops, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, Lloyd Thrill Pictures, Safety Last!
Tagged Buster Keaton, Cops, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood, Hollywood Tour, Keaton Locations, Lloyd Studio, Lloyd Thrill Pictures, Man on the Clock, Safety Last!, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, Stunt Climbing, then and now
5 Comments
Douglas Fairbanks, Edge of Doom, and Film Noir
During Douglas Fairbanks’ 1916 short comedy The Mystery of the Leaping Fish, a police van races from HQ down a quaint, post Victorian era Los Angeles street. Thirty-four years later, the same setting appears in the bleak film noir drama … Continue reading
Posted in Film Noir, Harold Lloyd, Los Angeles Historic Core
Tagged Douglas Fairbanks, Edge of Doom, film noir, film noir locations, Harold Lloyd, Los Angeles Historic Core, Mystery of the Leaping Fish, Never Weaken, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, then and now
3 Comments
Buster’s Paramount Backlot Plunge
Now that Buster’s complete silent film oeuvre is available from Kino on Blu-ray, and more historic Hollywood photos become available for study, we continue to learn more and more about how Buster crafted his amazing comedies. One fun discovery is … Continue reading
Posted in Buster Keaton
Tagged Buster Keaton, Hard Luck, Hollywood Tour, How Buster filmed Our Hospitality waterfall stunt, How Buster Keaton filmed waterfall stunt, Keaton Locations, Our Hospitality, Our Hospitality waterfall stunt, Paramount Studios, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, then and now, waterfall stunt
5 Comments
Author Appearance at TCM Classic Film Festival – Free Tour
Attached to this post is a self-guided tour to Hollywood silent film locations and studios that I have prepared in connection with the “Hollywood’s Silent Echoes” presentation I will be giving April 28, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. at Club TCM … Continue reading
Posted in Chaplin Tour, Hollywood Tour, Keaton Tour, Lloyd Tour, Uncategorized
Tagged Buster Keaton, Chaplin Locations, Chaplin Tour, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood, Hollywood Tour, Keaton Locations, Keaton Studio, Lloyd Studio, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, then and now
4 Comments
Cops and Safety Last! – the Cosmo Alley Connection
We learn early in Safety Last! (1923) that Harold Lloyd’s roommate Bill Strother can climb tall buildings when we watch him escape from a policeman by scaling a four-story apartment building (left). [NOTE: “Skip,” a resourceful and eagle-eyed reader, was … Continue reading
Posted in Buster Keaton, Cops, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, Safety Last!
Tagged Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood, Hollywood Tour, Keaton Locations, Lloyd Locations, Lloyd Studio, Lloyd Thrill Pictures, Safety Last!, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, Stunt Climbing, then and now
14 Comments
Keaton – Seven Chances Filmed Close to Studio
Now that the Keaton films are all available on Blu-ray, I not only continue to make new discoveries, but to my great satisfaction I am also increasingly able to place these filming locations into a broader context. As we will … Continue reading
Leave it to Skokie, and Beaver, and Ward’s Joke Letter
This post has nothing to do with silent movies, but I’ve really been enjoying watching Leave it to Beaver on Netflix instant streaming. When they showed this idyllic small town main street during a scene from “Beaver’s Fortune” (Season 3:Episode … Continue reading
Chaplin – Keaton – Lloyd – One Block in Silent-Era Hollywood (update)
The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga Boulevard was a popular film setting for silent-era comedies. At the far end of this post is a link to download an animated 15 MB PowerPoint presentation showing thirteen (but not all) Chaplin, … Continue reading
Posted in Buster Keaton, Chaplin Tour, Charlie Chaplin, Cops, Girl Shy, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, Hot Water, Keaton Studio, Keaton Tour, Lloyd Studio, Modern Times, Safety Last!, The Cameraman
Tagged Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood, Hollywood Tour, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, then and now
1 Comment
Keaton – Wings – Noir – and the SP Depot
Wings, a 1927 World War I fighter pilot movie, was the first production to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. To capture realistic point of view shots of the actors engaged in aerial dog fights, the two leads Charles … Continue reading
Posted in Buster Keaton, College, Film Noir
Tagged Act of Violence, angles flight, Buddy Rogers, bunker hill, Buster Keaton, film noir, film noir locations, Harold Lloyd, Los Angeles Historic Core, Richard Arlen, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, Southern Pacific Depot, SP Depot, Wings
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Silent Cameos of the lost Southern Pacific Depot
Before the beautiful downtown Los Angeles Union Train Station opened in 1939, built on the site of the original Chinatown, the various railroads serving L.A. each operated from their own stations. Union Station helped to reduce downtown noise and congestion … Continue reading
Posted in Girl Shy, Hal Roach Studios, Harold Lloyd, Los Angeles Historic Core, Stan Laurel
Tagged Arcade Depot, Be Reasonable, Douglas Fairbanks, Girl Shy, Harold Lloyd, Just Neighbors, Los Angeles Arcade Depot, Los Angeles Historic Core, Los Angeles Southern Pacific Depot, Los Angeles Train Stations, Los Angeles Union Station, Mother's Joy, Santa Fe Depot, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, Southern Pacific Central Depot, Stan Laurel, then and now, When the Clouds Roll By
7 Comments
Front and Back Cameos – 100 years of a Hollywood landmark
Toberman Hall has stood at 6410-6414 Hollywood Boulevard (each oval above) since 1907. Its original two-story neighbor to the left, at the southwest corner of Cahuenga and Hollywood Boulevard (pictured in the black & white images above) was replaced with … Continue reading
Posted in Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, The Goat
Tagged Buster Keaton, Chaplin Locations, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Hollywood Tour, Keaton Locations, Lloyd Locations, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, then and now
9 Comments
Keaton’s Short Fuse – Cops, Musso & Frank, and enduring Hollywood history
At one point during Buster Keaton’s most famous short film Cops (1922), Buster finds himself and his newly acquired horse-cart full of furniture in the middle of the annual Policeman’s Day Parade. After politely tipping his hat in recognition to … Continue reading
Posted in Buster Keaton, Cops, Hollywood Tour
Tagged American Cinematheque, Buster Keaton, Cops, Egyptian Theater, Grauman's Egyptian Theater, Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood History, Hollywood Tour, Keaton Locations, Musso & Frank, Silent Comedians, Silent Comedies, Silent Movie Locations, Silent Movies, then and now
3 Comments
Harold Lloyd – Film Noir – Criss Cross and the Hill Street Tunnel
Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and many other silent comedians filmed stunt comedy sequences by building sets on Court Hill overlooking the south end of the former Hill Street Tunnel. As shown at left, filming a set against the street far … Continue reading
Buster and the Three Stooges at the Columbia Ranch – Part 3
As discussed in prior posts, Buster Keaton and the Three Stooges nearly crossed paths in Cops (1922) and Soup To Nuts (1930) (see HERE), and did cross paths in Neighbors (1920) and Soup To Nuts (see HERE), before filming their … Continue reading
Harold Lloyd – By the Sad, Santa Monica Waves
During Harold Lloyd’s 1917 short film, By The Sad Sea Waves, Harold pretends to be a beach life guard in order to impress the ladies. Filmed where David Hasselhoff would film Baywatch many decades later, By The Sad Sea Waves … Continue reading
Buster Keaton – Three Stooges – LAPL Author Lecture
I want to thank everyone for attending my Silent Footsteps lecture held September 15 at the Los Angeles Public Library Taper Auditorium, hosted by Photo Friends. Using archival photographs, vintage maps, and then and now comparison photos, I led a … Continue reading
