Film Forno

James Searl Dawley

Here is an amazing early film produced by the Edison Company , directed by James Searl Dawley and starring future iconic director D.W. Griffith!

DW Griffith

What a chockfull package of early film history! Oh and I almost forgot, photographed by Edwin S. Porter, the man who would go on to make the classic, The Great Train Robbery! Wow!

           Edwin S. Porter

Still From The Great Train Robbery

Dawley was an incredibly prolific filmmaker, writer, actor, genius, who made over 399 short films and 50 features, including the first filmed version of Frankenstein, which he also adapted for the screen from Mary Shelly’s novel.

Dawley’s Frankenstein

The thing I immediately noticed about Rescued From An Eagle’s Nest though is the resemblance to the scene in King Kong where Fay Wray, in Kong’s mountain top lair, is grabbed by a Pterodactyl and recued by Kong.

 The King!

I can imagine Ernest Schoedsack or Merrian C. Cooper or maybe Willis O’Brien having seen this film as a young impressionable person and repeating the scene or paying homage if you will. But watch the film , it is very cool and see if it reminds you of Kong. Also I thought of the scene where Jack Driscoll climbs down a vine into a ravine to escape Kong as the other sailors are shaken from a log bridge, so the Kong connection is strong.

My dear friend, the super talented Joe Montgomery has passed on to the next dimension. I met him back in 1996. We were introduced by Bob Downey and we worked on a crazy project called Inventors Friend. Then we did Hugo Pool for Bob. Joe was the DP and I was the Editor. Joe loved to quote Bob, ” All I need is two Joes and a million bucks to make a film.” Joe was also a Jazz trumpeter, mountain climber, adventurer. He found a mummy on a mountaintop for National Geographic. His amazing accomplishments and stories could fill several books. He shot my film One Night With You and I couldn’t have done it without him. Here is a short film showing Joe setting up our Poor Mans Process shot so you can see him in action.