Category: Articles | The Midnight Palace

Eddie Green: A Pioneer’s Contribution

July 22, 2017Gary

Special thanks to Eddie’s daughter, Elva Diane Green, for this article. Edward (Eddie) Green was born in 1891 to William and Janie Green in East Baltimore, Maryland, in a poverty-stricken neighborhood to which Blacks were relegated. Through talent and determination… Continue Reading →

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Max Linder, Father of Film Comedy

July 7, 2017Gary

Once upon a time, a little more than a century ago, the graceful silhouette of Max Linder reigned the silver screens, his top-hatted charmer held as the very symbol of mirth to millions across the continents. Tragic though his life… Continue Reading →

The O Canada Blogathon: Michael Sarrazin’s Reincarnation

October 7, 2014Gary

Canadian actor Michael Sarrazin began his career in the 1960s, taking small television roles in Toronto before scoring a contract with Universal midway through the decade. His first bit of work found him in a variety of westerns, though he… Continue Reading →

The Great Villain Blogathon: Olga Baclanova in Freaks

April 26, 2014Gary - Admin

As any film enthusiast knows, certain characters adhere themselves to memory; as any classic film aficionado is aware, some of them live nearly 100 years in the past. The history of cinema is a long and tumultuous road of plots… Continue Reading →

The Influence of German Expressionism

June 20, 2013Gary

All artists, be they painters or musicians, have likely been influenced by the work of another. Rarely does one create without purpose; and in the historical realm of filmmaking, the imagery painted across the screen is often indicative of that… Continue Reading →

Stepin Fetchit: The First Black Superstar

June 20, 2013Gary

Hollywood has never been short on stereotypes. Modern day filmmakers are no less to blame than their predecessors, propagating beauty as an image defined by six packs, blonde hair, and features usually associated with the Caucasian race. Segregation in film… Continue Reading →

Jean Harlow: The Platinum Wonder

June 20, 2013Gary

Jean Harlow was the face and personality of a generation. On-screen, she usually portrayed the kind of woman who could make a man fall to his knees. She had a devil may care attitude like the rebellious flappers who kicked… Continue Reading →

A Woman’s War: The Female Experience in World War II

June 20, 2013Gary

There is an old adage that behind every successful man is a good woman. If throngs of successful men are responsible for the most significant events throughout history, it stands to reason that women played an integral role in the… Continue Reading →

The Shadows of Film Noir

June 20, 2013Gary

Fleeing the mobsters he has double crossed, Harry Fabian runs through a virtual obstacle course of London’s back streets and alleys during a night in which the shadows seem to grow darker with his every footstep. The night itself seems… Continue Reading →

The Other Harrison Ford

June 20, 2013Gary

Background While the name Harrison Ford conjures images of Indiana Jones and Han Solo for most moviegoers, there was another actor by the same name who worked in films from 1915 until 1932. Ford was a major star of the… Continue Reading →