It's Danse Macabre Monday

Danse Macabre (1922)

Starring: Adolph Bolm, Ruth Page, and Olin Howland

Director: Dudley Murphy

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

Young lovers (Bolm and Page) try to escape Death in what is essentially a music video made in the days when film had no sound.

"Danse Macabre" is a spectacular short film, with excellent special effects and starring professional ballet dancers that was made to be precisely timed to the Camille Saint-Saens composition of the same name. The film was meant to be marketed to high-end theaters with full orchestras, where it did indeed play to critical acclaim. It was also popular in less elaborate venues where pianists or smaller ensembles provided the score.

 
Director/producer Dudley Murphy announced plans for an entire series of these sorts of pictures--he called them Visual Symphonies--but at the time it was impractical. They would only be successful if the music they were made for was performed precisely timed to what was happening on screen, by talented, well-rehearsed musicians. Although some movie theaters would have that capacity, many (most even) would not. 

Big hair of 1982 was nothing compared to big hair of 1922

"Danse Macabre" was, as far as I can determine, the only one completed. By the time synchronized sound arrived (bringing audiences things like the Sing-Along series from the Max Fleischer Studio), Murphy had moved onto other ventures, so one can only imagine what he might have come up with if he hadn't been too far ahead of the technological curve.

This, being Halloween, seemed like a perfect time to share this film with you, synced to a roughly contemporaneous recording of "Danse Macabre". Maybe enjoying this great, mostly forgotten masterpiece of early cinematic horror will awaken the Halloween Spirit within you! (There are going to be more "Danse Macabre"-centric posts here at Shades of Gray today. So please check back again later!)

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Ruth Page (1899 - 1991) was a top ballerina and trailblazing choreographer whose career in American dance spanned almost 40 years, and whose impact on the art is still felt to this day. You'll probably see more of her here, during a future observation of International Dance Day!

It's a Danse Macabre Monday

Halloween is here, the ghouls and goblins are dancing and the witches and wraiths are flying! To get the most fun celebration of darkness off to a good start, we bring you this great music video for Camille Saint-Saens's immortal classic "Danse Macabre" constructed of clips from (and even a complete) from silent films!

It's a Mohammed Monday (and it's Halloween)!

THIS WEEK WITH JESUS & MO

Musical Monday with Danse Macabre

 Danse Macabre was, as far as we can tell, a one-man, goth rock outfit that released one album in 1991, Bad. But Not Bad. Here's "She Believes", which was the 10th track and only video and single from the album that we can find any reference to/trace of.

We hope this atmospheric song and chilling video will strengthen your Halloween Spirit on this, the most macabre of Musical Mondays!

Friends don't let friends miss Halloween parties!

When Jack Russell heard that his old pal Vampirella had been captured by a mad scientist bent on "curing" her of vampirism, and that she wouldn't be able to make it to his Halloween party, he immediately leapt into action. He fought his way into the villain's lair and liberated her. Because that's what friends do.

 Friends do whatever friends can do for each other to make sure they can't attend Halloween parties. Most of us will just offer to be the designated driver, but sometimes a rescue mission or some other form of intervention might need to be undertaken!

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Can Betty Soothe the Savage Beast?

Betty Boop's Penthouse (1933)
Starring: Mae Questel, Jack Mercer, and Billy Murray
Directors: Dave Fleischer and Willard Bowsky

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Betty Boop is enjoying a quiet day of gardening and frolicking and singing in her penthouse garden when she attracts the lecherous attention of the proprietors of a mad science lab, Bimbo and Koko, in a neighboring building. Unfortunately, while the pair admire Betty, an experiment goes awry and a monster gets loose!

"Betty Boop's Penthouse" isn't the strongest of the Boop cartoons, but it's noteworthy for being one of a handful of times where Fleischer stars Bimbo, Koko, and Betty all appeared in the same short film. It has its moments, but the music is so-so and there's only one gag that is truly hilarious. Nothing here falls flat or is particularly bad--this just isn't as strong an effort as the best Boops.

I think Bimbo and Koko make a good pair of mad scientists, and I like the way they get their come-uppance... but the film seems to run out of steam in its final minutes, as the unleashed product of mad science goes after Betty. The ending is bad, but it lacks punch. In that way, I suppose it's matches everything else in this short--it's not bad but it's not particularly good either--but I still wanted more.

But you can take a few minutes to see whether I'm judging this cartoon too harshly by clicking below and watching it from this very post. (And if you have even more time, you can let me and everyone else know what YOU think of it, in the comments section!)

We're getting the perfect Halloween ready!

At Shades of Gray, we're pulling out all the stops to ensure the perfect staff party for Halloween!

First, we had a staff meeting and gathered input from those working onsite, as well as remotely.

Then, Clara Bow made sure the Halloween Spirits were properly summoned...

... and Elizabeth Montgomery took point in getting the pumpkins carved and ready...

... while Mother Hubbard and Judy Garland made sure the famous Shades of Gray Halloween Punch (because it wouldn't be a party without it) was brewed properly with the right amount of pumpkin spice, almond milk, and spirits!

Finally, as a service to all of our readers, we dispatched Vera-Ellen to visit with rain gods and goddesses Raijin, Tohil, Shala, and Bunzi. We hope she'll get them to make the weather friendly for the trick-or-treaters!

 

A Night at the Museum: 1930s Hollywood Style

Hollywood on Parade (A-8) (1933)
Starring: Eddie Borden, Bonnie Poe, Gayne Whitman, Bela Lugosi, Charlie Murray, George Sidney, Dorothy Burgess, Charles Murray, Marie Prevost, and Rex Bell

Director: Louis Lewyn

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Wax figures of actors in their famous roles from the late 1920s and early 1930s come to life, and comedian Eddie Borden (Borden) tries to rescue Betty Boop (Poe) after she is attacked by Dracula (Lugosi).

"Hollywood on Parade" was an anthology series produced by Paramount to be shown in theaters before the main features. Some episodes were newsreel-style mockumentaries, others were mini-variety shows, and some, like the one we're featuring today is a series of related comedy skits tied together by a fanciful central story concept. Features that were present in each and every installment, however, were actors appearing as themselves or fictionalized versions of them based on their public image or whatever character they've portrayed that was most famous. The series also relied heavily on contemporary cultural and film references that would be well-known to audiences but may be very obscure to many modern viewers.

This is the first time we're featuring a "Hollywood on Parade" episode on this blog, and we think it's perfect not only for this forum, but for this time of year. Several of the actors featured are in films that have been reviewed and/or can be viewed in posts here at the blog. Even if some of the specifics of some references in this film may not be clear in their origins to many modern viewers, the genres and foibles they are having fun with are general enough in classic films and fiction that the jokes still work. Plus, given how often Betty Boop and Dracula are featured in posts around here, this is a perfect bit of fun as the Halloween festivities here at Shades of Gray approach their high point.

Click below and sit back. We think you'll like this film... and we think you LOVE it if you're into Pre-Code films, Betty Boop cartoons, and Universal's Dracula flicks!

Halloween is coming... will the dancers be safe from the creatures?

On International Dance Day 2022, the ballerinas ran off into the wild. We're trying to keep track of them, and we'll try to bring you updates on the last Wednesday of each month until International Dance Day 2023.

Halloween is almost here, and we were starting to get worried. Could the ballerinas defend themselves against the Creatures of the Night, not to mentions various ghouls and hobgoblins? How will they survive?

Some are going to try to blend in with the zombies...

... some are going to try to blend in with the ghosts...

... others are going to play dead until the danger has passed....

... but most of them are going to bravely confront the creatures.

Because they have legs that can kick holes in stone walls.

None of the monsters stand a chance!

Come Slow Danse with the Dead on a Tuneful Tuesday

Slow Danse with the Dead makes a second appearance during the 2022 Halloween festivities with the video for "Say Goodbye". We almost held this to be the final post for the line-up on the 31st, but we decided we'd share it to show that even the Shades of Gray Back-Up Easter Bunnies appear to be getting in on the Halloween action.

In all seriousness, this lead single off Slow Danse with the Dead's recent EP, Strangers in the Dark, is supported by a neat video. Both in, and the song, are worth your time... and will help spark that Halloween Spirit! Click and enjoy the dark vibes!