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News from December 1, 1923 (The Buffalo News, via Newspapers.com™)
New Films with Daring Narratives Hit the Theaters
News from Los Angeles in late 1923 shed light on daring forays into unchartered narrative territories by filmmakers. They were undeterred by societal disapproval and censor boards.
One such instance was the release of Charlie Chaplin’s “A Woman of Paris.” This film that told the story of a woman cohabitating with a man to whom she wasn’t married, faced censorship. Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois decided to bar the film from screening.
Another film that held the audience’s intrigue was “Anna Christie,” a film adaptation by Thomas H. Ince. The narrative followed the struggles of a woman ensnared in vice. The film’s intention was not to glorify vice but to present the steep cost of a life in sin.
Acknowledgement came for the artistic quality of “Anna Christie.” The film treated audiences to a performance of a lifetime by Blanche Sweet who played the title character’s role without excessive sentimentality.
In the same year, audiences were treated to the film “Maytime”, a successful adaptation of a stage play. Another film, “The Man from Wyoming,” starring Jack Hoxie, drew attention with an exciting western-centric story filled with swift movement, hard riding and fighting.
Learn more about December 01, 1923 through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.
