John Bunny

Pioneer filmmaker J. Stuart Blackton was intrigued by the idea of a film about the history of the movies as early as 1915. He finally released a 52-minute feature called The Film Parade that was shown in New York and favorably reviewed by "Variety" in 1933. He continued tinkering with the film for the rest of the decade, and later filmmakers and distributors used Blackton's footage for stock or to produce their own variously titled and truncated versions. -UCLA Film & Television Archive

Although not the first feature-length animated film, as is sometimes thought, it was the first cartoon to feature a character with an appealing personality. The appearance of a true character distinguished it from earlier animated "trick films", such as those of Blackton and Cohl, and makes it the predecessor to later popular cartoons such as those by Walt Disney. The film was also the first to be created using keyframe animation.

Fatty comes up with a plan to prank his cowboy buddies. He announces that his sister Kitty is coming to visit, but it's not at all what his friends expected.

LOST FILM. A comedy in which Johan has no desire to meet the unmarried Sarah, and so has his friend Freddy pretend that he is Johan.

A frustrated, protective father tries to stop his secretaries from falling in love with his charming daughter, Betty. He hires two secretaries— only for them to be in on the practical jokes Betty plays on her father.

Harry Burton's sister and her husband are suddenly called away for a few days on business and telegraph him to come to their home and take care of their two little boys, "Toddie and Budge." He at once complies, and is soon with the children, assuming his duties as "governor." Helen Manton, stopping in the same town, thinks a great deal of Harry Burton, and naturally he of her.

This domestic comedy depicts a woman who stops her husband's gambling habit by having her cousin stage a fake police raid on the weekly poker game.

A compilation of early-day silent films that serves as a glimpse back to the formative days of the movie industry as a salute to Hollywood's Golden Year, so proclaimed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as 1953.

Mr. Bolten is hoping to woo the dancer Céleste and invites her for coffee. Her answer is that she will wait for him in hotel "Des imbeciles' in New York. He obviously cannot find the hotel, and to make matters worse he is robbed by a pickpocket. As a consequence he cannot pay his restaurant bill and is arrested. Luckily for him, a friend pays his bill so he can return home. There he picks up a dictionary and sees what "imbécile" means.

Bunny and Marsh attend a show and both fall in love with a charming danseuse.

John and Flora meet at a ball, but neither can do these modern dances, so they sit out… and run into each other later at a dance studio. Bunny exudes his usual Pickwickian charm. Miss Finch gets involved in a nice bit of physical comedy when her gawkiness makes the dance lesson less than successful.

An early film version of the Charles Dickens classic about the French Revolution and its subsequent Reign of Terror.

Betty is away at college when her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Bunny, come to visit. Mr. Bunny goes for a stroll while Mrs. Bunny looks at Betty’s furnished room, which she finds unsatisfactory. Mr. Bunny meets boarding house owner Mrs. Sweet and goes to her home for a bit of harmless flirtation. Meanwhile Mrs. Bunny insists Betty move and by happenstance they head to Mrs. Sweet’s. Mr. Bunny tries to hide from them and many comic situations ensue.

Old Von Shultz, the first violin, finds as he grows older a longing for companionship. Hurrying from the theater the old musician finds little Helen sleeping on the steps of the stage door. He picks her up and takes her to his comfortably furnished home. The old man even grows childish, he is so pleased with the little tot's presence and he gives her the love with which his heart abounds. The next day he learns from the morning papers that Helen's mother and father were lost in a fire. He spends many happy hours with her, playing with her toys. He takes her to rehearsals with him, where she is the pet of the musicians. One year later Helen shows an aptness for the stage. This delights the old musician and the child grows nearer and dearer to his heart. A sad blow, however, comes to him when the Children's Society take the little girl away from him and once more he finds himself a lonely old man.

This short features clips from silent films (mostly unidentified) of the 1910's, accompanied by humorous commentary. Highlighted are early appearances of stars still recognized today (e.g., Lionel Barrymore, Norma Shearer), as well as stars whose careers did not extend to the sound era (e.g., John Bunny, Edith Storey).

An old doctor hires a young new doctor to join his practice, particularly to attract women for more business.

In early 19th century England, ambitious and ruthless orphan Rebecca Sharp advances from the position of governess to the heights of British society.

A silent comedy in which a jealous woman wants to catch her husband in the act of infidelity.

A John Bunny comedy short featuring his usual leading lady Flora Finch. Confusion over a stolen ticket puts Finch in jail.

Farce in which two neighbouring couples test each other's jealousy. The women decide to make the men jealous and vice versa. The men buy horse hair to make the women believe it is hair of another woman; the women pretend to have received love letters. Final match result: women seem more jealous than men.

A widower becomes infatuated with his daughter's governess, to the displeasure of the child and her nurse.

Bunny's niece has a beau who is so addicted to drink that her father will not permit her to marry him. He has given the lad a chance, but when he comes upon him drink again, he orders his daughter to break it all off. She goes to Uncle Bunny, who thinks up a scheme to cure the drunkard. In pursuance of this, he brings the lad, so drunk that he can't see straight, to his home and by dressing up in woman gear, and by borrowed kids, makes him think he has married a fat widow with many children. The poor lad is so greatly worried that when he wakes up next morning, he really swears off. So. in the end, the lovers are happy.

The Craigs and Smiths, next-door neighbors, are the best of friends until Smith builds a chicken house. Their two gardens are connected and their children fraternize as if all belonged to one large family. Sidney Craig manages to set loose Smith's chickens, who get into Craig's garden and work havoc among his pet seedlings.

While Flora Winslow, a widow is engaged to Bunny, she attends a lecture on eugenics and decides that her intended husband is too fat. She tells him he must reduce, and as she wishes to become stouter, they agree to attend Dr. Sweatem's Sanitarium.