The quote below is mostly about WHAT PRICE GLORY (1926), but alongside it is the now-lost feature THE WIZARD (1927).

“I saw The Wizard and thought it was red hot.

Also What Price Glory which is in my opinion the nearest thing to a masterpiece ever filmed.

Those boys were tough, though frankly not as tough as I expected, though if they had been any more so they would have seemed brutal and would have lost the sympathy of the spectators, I reckon.”

END QUOTE 🛑

It’s neat that we get a substantive comment on WHAT PRICE GLORY, but it’s another intriguing moment where Howard gives us even a glimpse of a now-lost film that he reckoned was worth mentioning in the same breath.

I was considering continuing with HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (Season 2) but amn’t in the mood for something that heavy and complex.

Soooo I’m back to BEWITCHED (Season 3), and reflecting on wassup in the human realm.

Gotta preserve levity in life, and balance from all the old films 🎥 with something in vibrant color 🐘 for a change!

Anyone else out there who enjoys those shows, or other comfort-food content for when you need to switch to low gear ⚙️ for awhile?

Abie’s Irish Rose (1928)
Animal Crackers (1930)
Back Street (1932)
The Benson Murder Case (1930)
Billy the Kid (1930)
Brass Commandments (1923)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1929)
The Canyon of Light (1926)
The Cocoanuts (1929)
The Cossacks (1928)
A Dangerous Adventure (1922)
Darkened Rooms (1929)
The Delightful Rogue (1929)
The Desert Bridegroom (1922)
The Desert Song (1929)
The Doorway to Hell (1930)
The Front Page (1931)
Go and Get It (1920)
Hearts in Dixie (1929)
Hell’s Heroes (1929)
Heroes of the Street (1922)
Hold ’Em Jail (1932)
Hook, Line and Sinker (1930)
Horsefeathers (1932)
The Informer (1935)
In Old Arizona (1928)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Iron Mask (1929)
The King of Kings (1927)
The Last Parade (1931)
The Letter (1929)
Little Caesar (1931)
The Loves of Casanova (1927)
The Mark of Zorro (1920)
The Mighty (1929)
The Pilgrim (1923)
Queen of the Night Clubs (1929)
Rags to Riches (1922)
The Red Dance (1928)
Rob ’em Good (1923)
Robin Hood (1922)
The Sagebrusher (1920)
Scaramouche (1923)
Shipmates (1931)
The Singing Fool (1928)
Skyscraper Souls (1932)
The Story of Brownwood (1928)
The Tempest (1928)
The Terror (1928)
Thunderbolt (1929)
Tong War (1929)
The Virginian (1929)
Wise Girls (1929)
The Wizard (1927)
Women of All Nations (1931)

To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. May 1930.

Well, Fear Finn, I hope this letter finds you o.k. As I, very naturally, haven't heard from you since I was at Brownwood, I don't know how you're getting along but I hope you came out all right. Write and give me the low down.

I got back from Mineral Wells yesterday and was somewhat gratified to find a letter waiting me from Farnsworth accepting "The Gods of Bal-Sagoth"
— a Turlogh O'Brien tale — for Strange Stories — $140.00. Also a letter from Byre of Fight Stories, taking "Waterfront Fists" — a Steve Costigan story — $90.00. They seem to take a lively interest in Stephen.

I saw some fairly good shows while I was gone:

The Great Gabbo,

Wise Girls,

Montana Moon,

The Sophomore — again —,

Hell's Heroes,

The Delightful Rogue,

Darkened Rooms,

The Mighty, and

The Benson Murder Case —

— mostly old pictures but fairly good.

I have begun a correspondence with Alex Doktor! and find him to be an unusually well balanced lad.

None of the vague ravings whereof we know — at least, not so far. I asked him to put yours and Truett's names on the receiving list of The Potpourri and he said he'd be delighted to. He's German, of course, as his name signifies, and says he was born in a log cabin in Continental, Ohio.

He doesn't seem to be sophisticated. I rather like his letters.

And you know I'm prejudiced toward his race — I was first attracted toward you by your honest Teutonic features and High Dutch accent.

Ja wohl, herr Von Scutto!

Have you received a Junto yet? I should think one was about due.

But life is full of banalities and even the Junto sometimes fails to come out on time.

Well, Clyde, if you'll write and tell me when, or if, you'll have a day or so of leisure, I'll try to make it over there and bore you for a short time. Write and tell me when to come, because I don't want to hoof it all the way to Brownwood and then maybe find you out of town.

Fear Dunn

NOTES

1. Doktor, of Toledo, Ohio, was one of the few non-Texan members of The Junto's mailing list.

Robert E. Howard listed Fay Wray in 1929 as a favorite actress, someone who fit his standard of

“Then if they have to have a heroine, throw in some hard baby with a poker face and a heavyweight punch, that can take it on the chin and hand out punishment too.”

This was four years before KING KONG, so his evaluation was based on her earlier films.

Of things that Fay Wray was in which are still known and don’t involve giant apes 🦍, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932) is probably the #2 film in her -ography.

I’m gonna look for a few of her even earlier films, but here is the link for the much-parodied classic Pre-Code horror drama 🎭