Selfie Swednesday (Also, go see #HeroesOfDirt in theaters September 4!)

Last night at the Heroes of Dirt premiere! Jewelry thanks to @Rocksbox. I'm obsessed!! Use code AntoniaCarlottaXOXO to get your first box free! #rocksbox

Interview with #WeFilmLA re: legacy, studios, Universally Me, and making it happen for yourself!

Laemmle and Einstein: BFFs 5Ever

One of my favorite facts about my Uncle Carl is that he knew Albert Einstein. I don’t think they were close by any means, but I know they met on at least one occasion, and that’s enough for me! I imagine they got along famously, discussing the many ways they’d each change society and culture (yet only one of them gets their face on t-shirts these days…)  There’s one picture of the two I’ve seen repeatedly. It’s the one I’ve used in this post. I kind of assumed that was all that existed…until I found an actual video of the two of them speaking! Through my Aunt Carla’s Facebook page, I was linked to an article that states the picture was taken January 11, 1931, when Einstein went to visit Universal Studios. I wish I knew exactly what they were setting up to film! Supposedly, following this meeting Carl offered Einstein quite a bit of money to appear in a Universal movie, which Einstein refused. Could you imagine a world where Einstein’s name is listed along with the likes of Clark Gable, James Dean or Brad Pitt?! He may have really missed his calling…

Enjoy!

Editing! Can't believe there's actual footage of Uncle Carl and Albert Einstein talking. (at Universal Studios Backlot)

Going CRAZY for this set piece from #AmericanHorrorStory! (at Universal Studios Property Warehouse)

Nosferatu Remake in the Works

In news that I can't tell if I'm happy about or not: A remake of Nosferatu is officially in the works. 

The 1922 German Expressionist film was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and was almost lost when a court ruling ordered all copies of the film be destroyed after Stoker's heirs sued. A few copies survived, however, and today it is a classic. It was originally directed by F. W. Murnau, and starred Max Schreck as vampire Count Orlok. It is frequently shown in film classes and around the world as an extremely important and influential piece of work. 

The remake is being done by Studio 8 and will be written and directed by Robert Eggers. No word yet on whether the film will be called Nosferatu or if it will receive a new name. 

I can't help, though, but wonder what the point of a remake of this film is. While I'm happy Hollywood is reimagining vampires as they originated (i.e. not glittering vegetarians) part of what makes the original so creepy is the silence and the black and white, which I can't imagine the new one including. I just don't see how this could hold a candle, cinematically or culturally, to the original. 

Sunday Comic

Behind the Scenes: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

The Bride of Frankenstein is one of the best Universal horror films ever...posssssibly even better than Frankenstein itself. Boris Karloff reprises his role as the Monster, Colin Clive is back as Henry Frankenstein and the Bride and author Mary Shelley are both played by actress Elsa Lanchester. The film is really well written, has quite a bit of action, and of course features the legendary lines, "Yes. Go. You Live!...You stay. We belong dead." which always gets a tear or two out of me. 

This movie has some great behind the scenes shots -- I think it's because I love the contrast of the intricate costumes with mundane, everyday activities -- so I went around and collected a few for you.

Makeup artist Jack Pierce and an assistant touch up the Monster's face between takes.

Director James Whale makes some adjustments.

Elsa Lanchester fixes her own makeup. 

Boris Karloff having a cuppa tea on break.

Everyone's chillin'

Does smoking still kill if you're already dead?

Dance break!

Okay, okay, so maybe this last one isn't for real. But come on, it kills me every time!

Roald Amundsen

How Movies Came to Hollywood

   When one thinks of movies, they picture Hollywood and Beverly Hills, glitz and glamor, bright lights and movie stars. But the film industry had a much different start, much less extravagant than what we know today. “Before there was Hollywood, there was Fort Lee,” boasts the Fort Lee Film Commission’s website. The film industry’s origins lie in the small town that led a relatively quiet existence, perhaps due to Thomas Edison’s proximity to the location, whose importance I’ll expand upon later. Mack Sennett, DW Griffith, Charlie Chapin, Mary Pickford, Will Rogers and the Barrymores all spent their early film days in New Jersey. Unfortunately, things were not so peaceful as they once appeared, and it resulted in a move West that would leave Fort Lee all but forgotten. 

    The start of the film can be attributed in great part to Thomas Edison. Yes. That Thomas Edison. In 1897, after inventing the kinetograph, a motion picture camera, he filed patents to protect his work. He failed, however, to patent a second invention - his “peep hole” machine - which left the door open for the Lumiere Brothers to create a similar, yet more portable “Cinematographe” inspired by Edison’s own work, but improved upon in that it included a projecting device.  Edison, though, continued his work and acquired the rights to an American projector so he himself could begin to film and exhibit moving pictures. Because of Edison’s patents, he was able to charge other filmmakers who were looking to make their own projects. He ultimately obtained more than 2,000 patents worldwide in his lifetime. 

    As a leader in the film industry, Edison was able to use his clout to create a group of companies called “The Trust.” The Trust was made up of the film companies Vitagraph, American Pathe, Essanay, Selig Polyscope, Kalem Company, Star Film Paris, Lubin Manufacturing, and world’s largest raw film distributor, Eastman Kodak. Any filmmakers not in this group were forced to pay exorbitant fees to produce their own project, as well as use Edison’s own equipment, and then rent his patented projectors in order to screen their work. Additionally, he fixed admission prices to theaters which left auteurs reluctant to spend money make quality films. They were simply churning out uninspired piece after piece. Anybody who attempted to create films outside of “The Trust” would face dire consequences. Not only would Edison bog them down with lawsuits to drain their time and resources - he would also send his lackeys to harass and intimidate them, and destroy their work. Akin to a scene from an old mob flick, Edison’s men would smash cameras, destroy film, batter projectors and occasionally burn theaters to the ground to get their message across. It was obviously a time of high stress, high control and high cost, and it was keeping the industry stagnant. 

    That all changed when a man named Carl Laemmle decided to take a stand. Laemmle was a German Jewish immigrant who came to the United States in the 1880s after seeing ads promoting the great living conditions and opportunities abroad. Coupled with his older brother’s raving letters from Chicago, Illinois, young Carl simply couldn’t resist making the journey. He was just seventeen years old and had only fifty dollars to his name. Carl Laemmle entered the states through Castle Gardens in New York — this was before Ellis Island was open — and immediately went to work. He didn’t speak English and worked an array of low-paying jobs before finally moving to Chicago, and then Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he managed a clothing store. He married, had two children, and seemed all but settled, but the entrepreneurial spirit and dream of opportunity was still alive within him. After asking for a raise at work, and being fired, he took the long train ride back to Chicago to figure out what to do with his life. It was then that he saw his first Nickelodeon, where you would pay a nickel to see a movie picture. He took note of the crowd waiting, did the math, and realized film had to be his next big venture. He immediately took his life’s savings and invested it in a theater in Chicago. Over the next few years, Laemmle would foray into distribution and then production itself — which is what led to his ultimate run in with Thomas Edison. 

    As Edison’s monopoly endured in New Jersey, he continued to rule the film world with an iron fist. In 1909, Carl Laemmle, who was looking to expand his business, attempted to go independent, despite threats from Edison and his men. Laemmle created his own production company, which he facetiously named, the Independent Motion Picture Company — shortened to IMP. It was a play on both himself, for he was only 5’2, and a dig at Edison for the mischief Laemmle was making. Laemmle acquired his film equipment from abroad and even moved to Cuba for a short time to make his movies. Upon returning, Thomas Edison had filed 289 lawsuits, intending to bog Carl Laemmle down in paperwork and attorney fees. It cost nearly a third of a million dollars to fight, and Laemmle was not going to wait around in New Jersey as it happened. Carl had consolidated a handful of local independent studios to create what would become known as Universal Pictures. He had a studio in Fort Lee, but he was in constant danger as he produced independent film after film, circumventing Edison’s Trust. Carl realized the best way to avoid Edison and his thugs would be to simply get as far away as possible. This was a time before internet and commercial airlines. Edison simply wouldn’t be able to enforce his patents from such long distance. Laemmle spoke with a few colleagues, packed up, and moved west. 

    Carl did not go alone. He convinced Adolph Zukor of Paramount, William Fox of the Fox Film Corporation, and a few other contemporaries to make the move as well. They settled in Los Angeles, opened their studios around town, and a movie-making city was born. Carl Laemmle opened Universal Studios in California on March 15, 1915. A master of publicity, he created an entire Universal City around the studio and promoted “The strangest city in the world” in every newspaper and magazine he could. Finally, he went back to New York, got on a train, and rode it all the way back to Universal City, picking up excited patrons along the way. This helped alter the narrative as Hollywood was becoming the new place to make a movie. 

    In the meantime, Carl Laemmle’s cases were being heard in the courts. On January 12 and 15, 1917, the Supreme Court heard Motion Picture Patents Co. v. Universal Film Co. and on April 9, 1917, they decided in Carl Laemmle’s favor. Thomas Edison, they said, was abusing his patent rights and exhibiting control far beyond his legal ability. This case was important, and extended far beyond the film world. It set the precedent for patent misuse disputes still used today. 

    With their Supreme Court victory, you may think the filmmakers would have been eager to move back to Fort Lee, New Jersey, where films were centered. However, in the few years since their move, Hollywood became a booming city, and the new film magnates found themselves settling quite nicely. They enjoyed the good weather year round, and the access to many different types of land — deserts, forest, beach, snow — all within a few miles. Additionally, the city of Los Angeles offered some great tax incentives to keep the filmmakers happy and working. The world had found it’s new film capital: Hollywood. 

    Today, every major motion picture studio has roots in Hollywood. The originals, such as Universal, Paramount and Fox, but also Sony, Warner Brothers, Disney, Weinstein, Lionsgate, and hundreds of smaller companies. Thomas Edison ceased film production in 1918 due to financial hardship after the disbanding of The Trust and films continued in New Jersey for just a short time. Because of Carl Laemmle and his colleagues, Hollywood now defines the film industry, while Fort Lee still stands, a distant memory.

Emmy Nominations: Loves and Snubs

This year flew by so quickly, I can't believe it's already Emmy time! I love Awards Season...mostly because I'm competitive and I love to make bets with friends and see who can predict the most winners. (Usually I do.) To be honest, I was way out of the loop this year, I hadn't even started thinking about who might or might not be nominated. So essentially, I was going into the morning's nominations totally blind. But that doesn't mean I can't still have a few ... feelings ... about some of the choices and some of the snubs. So here they are, in no particular order.

LOVE

TATIANA MASLANY (LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA) YASSS!! It's about time my girl Tati got a nomination! Girl plays six entirely different characters in every single episode (she's a clone,) not even counting other clones that come and go all the time. And she plays them well! I've been waiting for her nomination for years now. So much talent.

SNUB

GINA RODRIGUEZ The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. I hardly even got to celebrate Tatiana Maslany before I found out Gina wasn't nominated. She WON the Golden Globe! What kind of oversight?!

LOVE

TARAJI P. HENSON (LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA) Taraji P. Henson, along with Viola Davis, just made history as the first time two African American women have been nominated in this category at the same time. (I also just found out that from 1995-2013 not a single African American was nominated for Lead Actress in a Drama at all. WTF.) Empire came out of nowhere this year, and Taraji is by far the most entertaining part of the show. 

SNUB

BROAD CITY The critically acclaimed show is in its second season on Comedy Central, and it's hilarious but somehow it still didn't land a nomination this morning. Luckily Abbi had a good sense of humor about the whole thing, but I'm not so willing to just let it go...

LOVE

TITUSS BURGESS (SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY) This was such a pleasant surprise! Tituss had me laughing so hard in every episode of Kimmy Schmidt, and "Peeno Noir" is kind of one of my favorite songs. It's just too bad he can't celebrate with his co-star. Which brings me to my next snub...

SNUB

ELLIE KEMPER I suppose this is just a testament to how truly talented the pool of women is this year for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy, but it still hurts my heart a little that Ellie wasn't nominated. Her cheery optimism and adorable naivety were a big part of what kept me watching each week. (And when I say "each week" I really mean all day the one day it took me to watch the show.)

LOVE

AMERICAN CRIME (LIMITED SERIES) This show gives me all the feels. I'm happy, I'm confused, I'm furious, I'm devastated. To be honest, I don't know many people who actually watched this series, so I wasn't sure how much of a contender it was. I know it got great reviews, but the fact that it got an Emmy nomination as well...well now I'm just hoping it actually wins.

SNUB

THE AMERICANS This is one the few truly good, consistent shows on television these days, and it got snubbed almost across the board. I just don't get it...

LOVE

JESSICA LANGE (LEAD ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE) Because Jessica Lange.

Hollywood & Vine

My Uncle Carl had a few different properties around Los Angeles over the years. One that I wish so much I could have seen was his building at Hollywood and Vine. It blows my mind to think he once had a building at one of the most famous street corners in the world! 

Carl bought the space in 1925 for 350,000 dollars and, according to the LA Times, the original plan was for a 900 seat movie theater. After the Depression hit, though, that idea was quashed, and instead, Carl turned the space into a popular, open and airy lunchroom, with the help of architect Richard Neutra.  After my Uncle died in 1939, however, the owner of the Pig 'n' Whistle, Sidney Hoedmaker, turned it into The Melody Cafe, and renovated pretty much the entire thing. This is a shame for many reasons, but mostly because in 2008, when a mysterious fire was set to the building, the fact that Neutra's architecture had been basically erased, allowed developers to demolish the building. 

And today it's a parking lot. 

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Uncle Carl and Me #tbt (at Universal Studios Hollywood)

My grandmother, Carlotta Laemmle, on her 4th birthday.