October 16: Lotta Coin's Ghost (1915)

 

Lotta Coin's Gold (alternatively Lotta Coin's Ghost) was a short supernatural spoof released 1915 from Kalem.  This was one of the studio's Ham and Bud comedies. The Ham and Bud duo was made up of Lloyd Hamilton and Bud Duncan. The comic pair lasted for 3 years at the company from 1914 to 1917; almost none of the films are known to have survived.  This little comedy at least has a number of very detailed descriptions that describe the action from start to finish. It had Ham and Bud attempting to steal a nearly priceless necklace from a safe, and in the process getting spoofed by the heiress to whom the necklace belongs. Upon realizing that there are intruders in her home, she decides to don an all white sheet and scare the bejeezus out of them. The plan works so well that they flee the house in chaotic fright, and in doing so, Bud accidently gets himself entangled in another white sheet on a clothesline. Ham sees this and gets terrified all over again. As soon as he realizes the ghost is actually his side-kick, he chases after him and the film ends. Ham and Bud were early versions of comic duos that appeared in horror like comedies all the way up through the 1960's. Good examples can be found in the Abbott and Costello Universal monsters films of the 1950's. 

Born Today March 24: George Francis Train

1829-1904

Ecentrentic industrial millionaire George Francis Train was born on this day in Boston, Mass.  His family soon relocated to New Orleans.  The vast majority of his immediate family, including both of his parents and at least 3 siblings died there from a yellow fever epidemic.  He was then sent back to Boston to be raised by very strict Methodist grandparents, who very much wanted him to become a minister.  He instead went into the mercantile trade, and soon became a wanderer--and adventurer.  It is possible that reports of his crossing the planet by many transportational modes was the inspiration for Jules Verne's Around The World In 80 Days.  He was considered "different" from early adulthood, a trait that would only increase as he aged.  Thought many thought him insane, many of his actions and speeches, especially in the realm of politics and individual rights, may have had a "method in their madness" (he was, for example a financial supporter of Susan B. Anthony, but also once stood for "dictator of the United States").  More of his decidedly colourful life can be found in the links below.  The reason for his presence on a silent movie blog stems from one sole film that featured him and one other person dating from 1898.  Billed as "Citizen George Frances Train" and "Professor Mike Donovan," the short "mockumentery" Train vs. Donovan was produced by American Mutoscope was probably a spoof on an earlier film by the Edison Corp. Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph, which was shot 4 years earlier.  It was filmed at the New York Athletic Club.  Train lived for nearly 5 years after the film was shot, dying on the 5th of January 1904 at the age of 74 in New York City.  He was buried in the historic Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.  He is entombed in his well off father-in-law's mausoleum there.

For More:

Wikipedia

Smithsonian article on Train's support of Susan B. Anthony's publication

New England Historical Society

Leave Virtual Flowers @ Find A Grave

IMDb