Underground Films: The Story of Silent Serials (1914) 8mm/Music | Berkeley

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Underground Film Night: Obscure Super 8 & 16mm Movies | Berkeley

The Berkeley Underground Film Society (BUFS) is an all ages club for collectors, researchers, and film enthusiasts in the East Bay and San Francisco area.

Their goal is to review and share a selective film history of movies on film.

Every Sunday, they screen buried, rarely projected, or otherwise obscure 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm prints from their collection.

Sunday, January 6, 2013
The Story of Silent Serials | Underground Film Night: Obscure Super 8 & 16mm Movies | Berkeley

The early serials were dominated not by husky heroes but by ladies, the “Serial Queens”. The very first in 1912 was Mary Fuller, followed by the most well-known Pearl White and later, Helen Gibson, and Ruth Roland. The screen was later infused with skilled entertainers such as Herbert Rawlinson, Red Garange, and the great illusionist, Harry Houdini.

Among some of the highlights from the earliest serials are The Shielding Shadow, Officer 444, Queen of the Northwoods, King of the Congo, The Eagles Talon, The Lightning Raider, and various Pathe cliffhangers.

We also take a look at two short films by J.P McGaowan;, The Grit of the GIrl Telegrapher (1912) and Part 9 from the Hazards of Helen serial; The Leap from the Water Tower (1914). We end the program with the first installment of Pearl White’s The Perils of Pauline (1914) Through Air and Fire.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.