Underplayed Gems

The Blot (1921)

The Blot poster
Directed by
Phillips Smalley, Lois Weber
Genre
drama film, silent film, romance film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 31m
Rating
6.3 of 10 from 26 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A silent drama about a family struggling with genteel poverty. It shows their quiet hardship and the disconnect between their respectable appearance and their real financial strain.

quietpoignantobservationalrestrainedsympatheticgrounded

What happens

The Blot is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Lois Weber, who also co-wrote (with Marion Orth) and produced the film (with her then-husband, Phillips Smalley). The film tackles the social problem of genteel poverty, focusing on a struggling family. It stars Philip Hubbard, Margaret McWade, Louis Calhern, and Claire Windsor. Weber filmed in real locations, using as much natural lighting as possible. Scenes were filmed on location around Los Angeles, particularly at the old University of Los Angeles campus, now Los Angeles City College. Many supporting roles were given to non-professionals. The Blot was restored by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill for British television. Brownlow singles out the film for praise in his book Behind the Mask of Innocence (1990). The Blot screened at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in 2002. It was released on DVD in 2006 with expert audio commentary by film historian Shelley Stamp. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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