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Dear Silent Hall of Fame Users:

    You have come to this website, because you like silent films and silent movie stars.  There are many places like this.  But unlike other sites, here at Silent Hall of Fame you can make a real difference.  You can help us show for the first time many films featuring your favorite silent stars that have not been seen in generations.  This will bring their names back into the public discourse.  But you can do much more than that: you can help your favorite silent stars receive belated recognition and glory.

    Until now there has never been an organization with the purpose to place a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for movie personalities from a century ago.  Silent Hall of Fame is this historic organization.  Silent Hall of Fame is the only organization of its kind.  We will make history and we invite you to become a part of history by sponsoring a silent movie star for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  All contributions are tax deductible.

   Please use this button for a one-time donation. Use the button on the right-hand side for a recurring donation.

 

Rare Gems on DVD

Our users have spoken, and we have listened. You want to see rare and hard to find films, and we have created for you the Silent Gems Collection, available on eBay. This DVD collection includes rare and for the first time available films with our stars, as well as other silent masterpieces. These are high quality films that are hard to find anywhere else. Please click on this link to see the collection: Silent Gems Collection

Important Update:

You don't have to leave our website in order to obtain the films from our Silent Gems Collection. These gems are now available to our users as a reward for donation. For details click here.

 Out Yonder 1919The Woman God Forgot 1917That Model from Paris 1926For Better for Worse 1919Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall 1924

 

OUR DOCUMENTARY

    We are proud to present to all silent film lovers our multiple award-winning documentary! In March 2015 it won the distinction "Award of Merit" at the San Francisco Film Awards. In May it won the Silver Award at the 2015 International Independent Film Awards. In September 2015 it won the Award of Recognition at the Accolade Global Film Competition. Of equal merit is the inclusion of the documentary in the Official Selection of the San Jose International Short Film Festival in October 2015. In December the documentary won the extremely prestigious Diamond Award at the 2015 California Film Awards. The amazing run of recognition for our documentary continued in 2016. In February it was included in the Official Selection of the Buffalo Niagara International Film Festival.

 San Francisco Film Awards newInternational Independent Film Awards newAccolade Global Film Competition Award newSan Jose International Short Film Festival newCalifornia Film Awards small new

 Marceline-Day-and-George-Arthur-and-Carl-Dane-in-Rookies-poster

    A nice poster for the film starring Marceline Day

 

Directed by              Sam Wood
Written by               Joe Farnham, Bryan Morgan
Starring                    Karl Dane, George K. Arthur, Marceline Day
Cinematography      Ira H. Morgan
Distributed by          Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date              April 30, 1927
Running time           70 minutes
Country                     United States
Language                   Silent, English intertitles

 

"Rookies" is a classic comedy.  We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Marceline Day.

 

Warner Bros. keeps a copy of the film locked in their vaults.  They do not plan to release it on DVD.  They have also refused our multiple requests to make a copy of the film available to Silent Hall of Fame, so we can show it to the public.  Until and if that happens, we have to rely on newspaper articles about the film from the 1920ies.


Here are just a few of the reviews for this film:

Much pertinent humor and several sequences that turned out riotously funny judging from the capitol audience.  (Film Daily)
 
The super comedy-drama of the year, "Rookies," featuring the screen idols Karl Dane, George K. Arthur, with Marceline Day.  The story tells of the doings at a citizens military training camp, and centers  round the adventures of a raw trainee and a very tough sergeant, who tread on each other's corns at every possible moment in their endeavours to "get square"' with each other.  It is crammed full of screamingly funny incidents, a particularly good thrill.  Betty Wayne, a piquant little sundae shopkeeper, is largely responsible for the unsoldierly antagonism.  Marceline Day is in the role of the girl, whom all the boys adore. (Cairns Post)

"Rookies" is a genuine comedy. The action moves smoothly, for "Rookies" is not an assembly of "gags," but a coherent story. 
 
There is nothing sentimental or finicky about "Rookies".  The humor is that of the boys in the tents, and the horseplay, bullying and fun which goes on is all shown with startling realism.  Mr. Dane and Mr. George K. Arthur present a remarkable contrast as a comedy team, both in appearance and method, and Miss Marceline Day is the nice girl of the story who has a sense of humor. (The Advertiser)

 
If you want to treat yourself to an hour's side-splitting laughter, and incidentally to see the oddest pair of comedians ever filmed, make a special point of seeing "Rookies," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's contribution to the classics of film comedy.  It is crammed full of screamingly funny incidents, a particularly good thrill being provided by a balloon ascent wherein the raw rookie proves that the heroes are sometimes wrapped up in small and funny parcels. (Northern Argus)
 
Karl Dane and George K. Arthur, aided by Marceline Day, were responsible for many an aching side, when they took the big parts in that intensely funny screen comedy, "Rookies," the big audience - the hall was full in every part - being kept in roars of laughter right through the long film, every foot of which was a foot of humour.  The adventures of the irresistible pair of soldier boys was a regular scream, and it is quite safe to say that not for many years has such continuous laughter been heard for a solid hour as that which accompanied the showing of "Rookies". (Southern Argus)
 
The little hero calls into play a circus trick, and manages to save the party, win the girl, and crushingly humiliate the bullying sergeant.  Each player in "Rookies'' has performed well, and the general judgment of the comedy cannot be other than eulogistic. (The Register)


Click to enlarge:

 

 Marceline-Day-and-George-Arthur-in-Rookies-2

    Marceline Day with George K. Arthur 

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