Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

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Bruce Calvert
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Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

Postby Bruce Calvert » Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:20 pm

http://www.nilesfilmmuseum.org/november_10.htm

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Novemver 13th
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum
Edison Theater
37417 Niles Blvd. Fremont, CA
$5 admission

Vernon Dent Book Release Screening
SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923, Ince) Madge Bellamy, Cullen Landis, Noah Beery and Vernon Dent
With shorts:
HOPPING BELLS (1920, Hank Mann) Hank Mann, Vernon Dent
HIS MARRIAGE WOW (1925, Sennett) Harry Langdon, Vernon Dent

Bruce Loeb at the piano

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Re: Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

Postby Paul F Etcheverry » Sat Nov 13, 2010 4:55 pm

Reiterating Bruce's posting (and preachin' to the choir):

Vernon Dent, best known as the "sultan of scorn" in more Three Stooges comedies than a sober mathematician can count, gets a long overdue evening in the spotlight tonight. Author Bill Cassara, whose book on Edgar Kennedy was quite an enjoyable read, will be on hand to sign copies of his new biography of Mr. Dent.

One wonders if Vernon and fellow Columbia 2-reeler mainstay Bud Jamison appeared in literally every 1920's and 1930's comedy short ever produced. At Sennett and other studios, he filled in expertly wherever, however, whenever anyone needed a comic, bad guy or straight man or character role (recalling the very different but equally skilled Phil Hartman in more recent memory) and may well have even played an old geezer when Andy Clyde was not available.

Vernon also was an excellent singer, as his vocalizing in Hooks And Jabs (1933, Educational) and Good Morning Eve (1934, Vitaphone) will attest.

Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum http://www.nilesfilmmuseum.org/
Hopping Bells http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248879
His Marriage Wow http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015916
Soul Of The Beast http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0014496

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Re: Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

Postby Gary Johnson » Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:12 pm

I've never really warmed up to the appeal of Vernon Dent. All I ever hear is that he is versatile and prolific. For me his versatility consists of scowling at Harry Langdon, scowling at Billy Bevan or scowling at the Three Stooges. And the fact that he was so over abundant in film appearances may account for his status among comedy buffs. "Look!! It's Vernon!!" People love pointing out the obvious.

It's not that I find him inept in any sense of the word, it's just that his screen appearances rarely move me beyond what the star comedian is already doing - unlike, say....Jimmy Finlayson, who could go toe-to-toe with Laurel & Hardy or have a walk-on in a big budget film like THE TOAST OF NEW YORK (1937) and command the screen equally. That's my idea of a top supporting player.

Gary J.

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Re: Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

Postby Paul F Etcheverry » Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:00 pm

Dent and Finlayson are together in the following Clark & McCullough short:




While Vernon Dent proves a superior customary sultan of scorn here, Jimmie Finlayson's skirt-chasing police commissioner is hilarious.

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Re: Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

Postby Ed Watz » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:16 pm

Gary Johnson wrote:I've never really warmed up to the appeal of Vernon Dent. All I ever hear is that he is versatile and prolific. For me his versatility consists of scowling at Harry Langdon, scowling at Billy Bevan or scowling at the Three Stooges. And the fact that he was so over abundant in film appearances may account for his status among comedy buffs. "Look!! It's Vernon!!" People love pointing out the obvious.

It's not that I find him inept in any sense of the word, it's just that his screen appearances rarely move me beyond what the star comedian is already doing - unlike, say....Jimmy Finlayson, who could go toe-to-toe with Laurel & Hardy or have a walk-on in a big budget film like THE TOAST OF NEW YORK (1937) and command the screen equally. That's my idea of a top supporting player.

Gary J.


Just found this old post after perusing the old threads.

Gary, I've never, EVER, encountered anyone who didn't appreciate Vernon Dent's talent before. He's an essential ingredient to the overall success of so many Stooge two-reelers; take Vernon Dent out of the equation and The Boys' shtick could become unbearably silly. Not many years after their inception, most of the Columbia shorts product ran a paltry 15 or 16 minutes at best. I can't imagine anyone else whose presence could so quickly establish the scene for The Stooges to deflate law/order/dignity and ensure that the laughs would flow. And the man's timing owed nothing to anyone. To imply that Vernon Dent was not a welcome and wonderful addition to any comedy short he appeared in is akin to calling Margaret Dumont a nondescript actress.

Comparing what Vernon Dent does onscreen to what James Finlayson does onscreen is about as helpful an evaluation as comparing Fin to Bud Abbott. Some people are straightmen, others are eccentrics. If they're good at what they do and add to the overall enjoyment of the film, it shouldn't matter if they are star comics, second bananas, or bit players. Anyhow, that's my take on Vernon Dent.
"Of course he smiled -- just like you and me." -- Harold Goodwin, on Buster Keaton (1976)

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Re: Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

Postby Richard M Roberts » Tue Apr 03, 2012 9:26 pm

Just found this old post after perusing the old threads.

Gary, I've never, EVER, encountered anyone who didn't appreciate Vernon Dent's talent before. He's an essential ingredient to the overall success of so many Stooge two-reelers; take Vernon Dent out of the equation and The Boys' shtick could become unbearably silly. Not many years after their inception, most of the Columbia shorts product ran a paltry 15 or 16 minutes at best. I can't imagine anyone else whose presence could so quickly establish the scene for The Stooges to deflate law/order/dignity and ensure that the laughs would flow. And the man's timing owed nothing to anyone. To imply that Vernon Dent was not a welcome and wonderful addition to any comedy short he appeared in is akin to calling Margaret Dumont a nondescript actress.

Comparing what Vernon Dent does onscreen to what James Finlayson does onscreen is about as helpful an evaluation as comparing Fin to Bud Abbott. Some people are straightmen, others are eccentrics. If they're good at what they do and add to the overall enjoyment of the film, it shouldn't matter if they are star comics, second bananas, or bit players. Anyhow, that's my take on Vernon Dent.




Ed, you're wasting your time on a guy who has an allergy to Columbia Comedies in general. I know.........we still let him hang around anyway.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

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Re: Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

Postby Ed Watz » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:51 am

Richard M Roberts wrote:
Ed, you're wasting your time on a guy who has an allergy to Columbia Comedies in general. I know.........we still let him hang around anyway.


RICHARD M ROBERTS


It is extremely fortunate for Gary that he can no longer incur the dreaded Wrath Of Dent...

Angry_Dent.jpg
Angry_Dent.jpg (153.36 KiB) Viewed 20020 times
"Of course he smiled -- just like you and me." -- Harold Goodwin, on Buster Keaton (1976)

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Re: Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

Postby Gary Johnson » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:35 pm

Ed Watz wrote:Gary, I've never, EVER, encountered anyone who didn't appreciate Vernon Dent's talent before.


And yet....you have now. And about time!

I appreciate the Columbia Cracker Factory for it's attempts to continue the fine traditions of visual comedy but what Richard says is true. I've never met a Columbia short where I didn't feel it was time to step out for a smoke (and I don't even smoke).

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Re: Fremont, CA: SOUL OF THE BEAST (1923), HOPPING BELLS (1920),

Postby Ed Watz » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:54 pm

Gary Johnson wrote:
Ed Watz wrote:Gary, I've never, EVER, encountered anyone who didn't appreciate Vernon Dent's talent before.


And yet....you have now. And about time!


"Better late than never!" --Vernon Dent, THE TOOTH WILL OUT
"Of course he smiled -- just like you and me." -- Harold Goodwin, on Buster Keaton (1976)


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