When it comes to original naming of a film, A Ship Comes In will never win any awards, and while it didn't win an Academy Award at that first ceremony, it was nominated for one category, Best Actress.

​This film is quaint by today's standards and probably feels the most outdated of any that I've watched so far this season. But there are still some themes that carry through and feel relevant in today's society.

Wikipedia: A Ship Comes In, Louise Dresser, Rudolph Schildkraut, William K. Howard
Silent Era: A Ship Comes In
All Movie: A Ship Comes In
IMDb: A Ship Comes In
Letterboxd: A Ship Comes In

Music for this episode from https://filmmusic.io, "Onion Capers" and "Breaktime" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Season one is back with a full look at the first feature length motion picture with synchronized singing and speech, The Jazz Singer. Featuring Broadway performer Al Jolson in the lead role, it explores the plight of a young Jewish boy from an immigrant family trying to make it big on the Broadway stage while dealing with the legacy of his father's role as the cantor of the local synagogue.

Including six different songs performed by Jolson along with about two minutes of spoken dialogue as part of the synchronized sound track, audiences at the time marveled at the ability to hear the performers on the screen while seeing the pictures move. It was the beginning of a new era of film and The Jazz Singer has maintained a legacy in film history.

Wikipedia: The Jazz Singer, Al Jolson
Variety: The Jazz Singer review
Time: The Jazz Singer review
AMC Filmsite: The Jazz Singer review
Magnificat: Sound Film and American Immigrant Identity in The Jazz Singer
Journal of the University Film Association: The Impact of The Jazz Singer on Conversion to Sound
Oxford Bibliographies: The Jazz Singer

Music for this episode from https://filmmusic.io, "Onion Capers" and "Breaktime" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Here is the next deep dive episode of season one. Today we are looking at the film Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, produced and directed by Meriam C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. Shot completely on location in the jungles of Siam, the film follows a local man and his family trying to eek out a living in the foreboding jungle.

The characters will deal with leopard and tiger attacks, an elephant stampede and plenty of other dangers around every corner. While dated in the way it treats the animals on screen, the film is important as a look at what that part of the world looked like nearly 100 years ago.

Wikipedia: Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, Merian C. Cooper, and Ernest B. Shoedsack
Silent Era: Chang
Silents Are Golden: Chang commentary
The Guardian: Chang review
BBC: Chang review
Simbasible: Chang review
Nick's Flick Picks: Chang review
SAMIC: Staging Authenticity in the Jungle of Siam by Alexander J. Klemm
School of Digital Media and Cinematic Arts, Bankok University: Influences, Methods and Distortion in Film Chang by Jakkarin Thepvong
Bankok Post: What's Past is Prologue by Andrew Biggs

Music for this episode from https://filmmusic.io, "Onion Capers" and "Breaktime" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

It's time for the first deep dive episode of season one! This time around, I'm discussing the 1928 Charlie Chaplin film The Circus, a film that was mired in difficulties during the production process and ultimately landed in theaters nearly two years after it should have. This put a wonderfully fun, yet tenderly sad, silent film in cinemas soon after the dawn of the talking picture.

I also bring on a special guest interview in this episode. Take a listen to find out who!

There are a number of resources I mention in the episode including reviews and critical articles about the film. I have included them below for reference if you want to dig into the history of the film even further. I have also included the YouTube copy of the film that I used when watching it. The film is also available to purchase from Amazon or stream through Amazon Prime. (Affiliate links)

Wikipedia: Articles on The Circus and Charlie Chaplin
Silent Era: The Circus
Charlie Chaplin Official Website: The Circus
David Bordwell in Film Comment: The Circus
Little White Lies: Revisiting The Circus: Charlie Chaplin's troubled comic triumph
Silents Are Golden: The Circus commentary

Music for this episode from https://filmmusic.io, "Onion Capers" and "Breaktime" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Happy Friday and welcome to the second episode of The Oscar Project Podcast. I hope you checked out episode one earlier this week.

I cover eight films in this episode that are either lost or not available for viewing by the general public at this time. This includes films in museum archives and only available at the Library of Congress.

The films discussed today are: Glorious Betsy, Sorrell and Son, The Devil Dancer, The Dove, The Magic Flame, The Noose, The Private Life of Helen of Troy, and The Way of All Flesh.

Music for this episode from https://filmmusic.io, "Onion Capers" and "Breaktime" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

It is here, the very first episode of The Oscar Project Podcast!

​In today's episode, I discuss the history of The Academy Awards and cover a bit about the very first Academy Awards ceremony itself. There are plenty of firsts, some special awards, and even a few categories that no longer exist.

Finally, I provide the full list of films that will be discussed this season on the show.

Listen to the show below and please be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Music for this episode from https://filmmusic.io, "Onion Capers" and "Breaktime" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)