National Film Registry Adds 25. How Many Have You Seen?
Thursday, December 18, 2014 at 12:37PM Ah the National Film Registry inductees! One of the most important December cinematic traditions that I always forget about. I wish it were in March each year -- since it's not any kind of "year in..." since film works aren't eligible for induction until they're ten years old. Placed it March it would also serve as a nice salve to the sometimes wounding notion that the Oscars are the only barometer for American movies that are deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" I wish too that this annual honor were more practical (restoration, anyone?) and less symbolic in nature.
THE TWENTY-FIVE 2014 INDUCTEES
Which have you seen and which will you be seeking out?(presented in chronological order)
Bert Williams Lime Kiln Club Field Day(1913)
The oldest surviving film featuring African-American actors. But no title cards, credits, or script has survived.
Shoes (1916)
Directed by Lois Weber, a female film pioneer. This one is about a desperate girl trying to support her parents and brothers who sells her body for a pair of shoes!
Unmasked (1917)
Another female silent director Grace Cunard who also acted in the short with co-director Francis Ford
The Dragon Painter (1919)
A US/France coproduction
More films after the jump filled with Satan-worshipping neighbors, chocolate rivers, and rugs that tie the whole room together...