January, 2007 -

In order to accommodate our patrons who are unable to visit during our regular afternoon hours of operation (1-6 p.m.), the museum now accepts appointments from 8-11 a.m. We do ask that you try to schedule your planned visit with as much advance notice as possible, so that we may make museum staff available to you at times outside our normal office hours.

2006 marked the 80th Anniversary of The Black Pirate's original 1926 release, and the Douglas Fairbanks Museum is hosting a special exhibit to commemorate this important milestone in film history. The exhibit runs through Feb. 16, 2007.

The Black Pirate was the very first feature film to ever be made entirely in Technicolor, which was then a two strip process (instead of three strip). In the 1920s, this experimental technology was considered far too expensive and risky for film producers to invest in fully, so film studios simply "dabbled" in the Technicolor process, utilizing it for a scene or two to give a certain emphasis or effect. (Such as the famous Bal Masque sequence in 1925's The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney.)

Douglas Fairbanks took the risk that other Hollywood producers feared, and invested his own money to make The Black Pirate in full, glorious Technicolor. Having grown up on pirate novels as a young lad, Fairbanks had long desired to make a film about pirates, even announcing his plans to do so as early as 1923. He abandoned the idea for a while because Fairbanks felt strongly that black and white simply would not do justice to a pirate story. Either it should be done in color, he said, or not at all.

It took three years for the technology to catch up with Fairbanks' grand plan, but by late 1925, the Technicolor process had been refined to the point where Doug felt the heavy investment was worth the risk. The work was painstaking, involving special costumes, makeup and set color "tests" to correctly register colors on the screen, the hours were long for both cast and crew, but the result is absolutely stunning, even by modern standards of film making. The Black Pirate turned out to be not only a visual feast for the eyes, it has also become the example which all pirate films must live up to, setting the standard for films like Errol Flynn's Captain Blood, The Crimson Pirate, and even 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean.

"Ships Ahoy!" - The Black Pirate exhibit features many rarely seen film stills, behind-the-scenes photographs, production notes, publicity material, and the original theatrical program booklet which was handed out to audiences back in 1926. Free screenings of The Black Pirate will run daily at 2pm and 4pm in the museum gallery throughout the duration of this exhibit. We invite you to enjoy swashbuckling adventure at its' best. Come see Fairbanks' Technicolor dreams come true!

EXHIBIT DATES: September 18, 2006 -February 16, 2007. To schedule a tour, please email or call (512) 233-2214.

Spring, 2007 -

Since being released in the fall of 2006, the museum's book Douglas Fairbanks: In His Own Words has attracted quite a bit of attention and already garnered some very complimentary reviews. We are thrilled to see renewed interest in Mr. Fairbanks' writings, and hope that this book continues to find its way into the hands of Fairbanks fans and silent movie buffs everywhere.

Several biographies of Douglas Fairbanks have been published through the years, but who could tell the story better than the man himself?

The Douglas Fairbanks Museum combed our archives to assemble a complete collection of the writings of Douglas Fairbanks, telling his remarkable life story In His Own Words.

In addition to being the author of his own photoplays and publishing two books, Fairbanks also wrote hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines during his career. Compiled into one volume, these stories make for a fascinating read - even more so considering most of them have not been seen by the public since their initial publication nearly a century ago.

From his first published fictional short story in 1912 to his own autobiographical accounts, random thoughts, tall tales and advice, rare correspondence, and his original story treatments for classic films like The Three Musketeers, Robin Hood, The Thief of Bagdad, and The Black Pirate, this book demonstrates that Fairbanks was a writer of great depth, sincerity, humor and appeal. This talent often gets obscured by his fame as an actor, producer, and Hollywood visionary, but reading his words all these many decades later brings us a fresh perspective on the man that no other biography can quite capture.

Edited and Introduced by Keri Leigh, Curator of the Douglas Fairbanks Museum. Images from the museum's archives.

Douglas Fairbanks - In His Own Words is available through web merchants such as Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or from a fine bookseller near you.

Museum volunteer Barbara Burkowsky has written an in-depth review of this new Fairbanks literary collection, which you can read here. Also look for her review of Douglas Fairbanks:In His Own Words on Amazon.com.

You may browse the book online, read the introduction and a sample chapter at the publisher's website. (Scroll down to the bottom of the store page to access the "Browse Before you Buy" feature):

Summer, 2007 -

The United States Mariners' Museum of Newport News, Virginia will hold an exhibition focusing on the romantic image of the pirate, continuing through the summer of 2007. The exhibit will spotlight swashbuckler films but will also include other elements such as literature and explore the often harsh realities of real pirate life.

Several artifacts from the collections of The Douglas Fairbanks Museum are currently on loan to the Mariners' Museum for the duration of this exhibit. Original production stills and promotional materials from Fairbanks' legendary 1926 film The Black Pirate are on display to the public at the Mariners' Museum, and we invite all Fairbanks fans in the Virginia area to visit the exhibit during its' year-long run.

If you can't make it to Austin, Texas to visit the Douglas Fairbanks Museum's own Black Pirate 80th Anniversary Exhibit this year, you can enjoy a sampling of these rare treasures at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, VA. For more information about the Mariners' Museum or their upcoming Pirate Exhibit, please visit their official website.

For several years, the early silent comedies of Douglas Fairbanks have been difficult to find on DVD. Until recently, his fans have had to make do with well-worn VHS copies and prints of less than stellar quality. Grapevine Video is now making more of his comedy classics available in DVD format, and plans to release two more this summer.

Manhattan Madness and The Habit of Happiness, both from 1916 and directed by Allan Dwan, were produced by the Fine Arts company, a subsidiary of Triangle Pictures. In The Habit of Happiness, Fairbanks plays Sunny Wiggins, a young man who is entirely convinced that laughter can cure any ailment. He tries his thesis out on a dyspeptic millionaire, to great success.

Manhattan Madness finds Fairbanks in the role of Steve O'Dare, a young New Yorker who has gone off to Wyoming to fulfill his dream of being a real cowboy. When he returns to New York to sell some cattle, he bores his uptown friends with tales of  Western life, so they plot to trick him with a mock abduction and give their old pal some real excitement! The lovely Jewel Carmen co-stars.

To order these two films on one DVD, visit Grapevine video's website.

Now there is finally a place on the internet where you can find that perfect gift for the Fairbanks fan in your life. From books to bumperstickers, DVDs, t-shirts, caps, bags, office decor, housewares, all in one convenient spot. Many different designs, colors and sizes to choose from - whatever you're looking for, you'll surely find it here with prices to suit any budget.

We offer safe, secure online ordering through our approved merchants, and a money-back guarantee if not completely satisfied. All custom items in the Gift Shop feature rare images from our archives. Selections change frequently, so items are often limited edition and truly one of a kind. Best of all, you're helping with our mission; our portion of every sale is used entirely to fund research, preservation and education programs at the museum. Get cool gear and make a difference today!

Fall/Winter 2007-08

This fall, the museum opens a new exhibit that marks 80th years since the release of The Gaucho, the last full-length silent film produced by Douglas Fairbanks.

1927 was a year of tremendous change for the movies. The introduction of sound, while at first considered nothing more than a fad by producers, quickly took hold of the entire industry and forced the studios to invest millions in the production of "all-talking" films or "talkies," as they came to be known. Despite the fact that the new technology was primitive and the sound quality generally very poor in those early days, audiences were thrilled by the prospect of hearing their favorite stars speak. When Warner Brothers released The Jazz Singer in October of that year, the sound revolution had begun in earnest. Yet, a few silent stars did not join in the mad rush to start releasing "talkies" - among the last holdouts were Charles Chaplin, Lon Chaney, Greta Garbo and Douglas Fairbanks.

Interviews with Fairbanks from that time period indicate that he, like many producers, was taking a "wait and see" approach with sound technology. While he was indeed excited by the possibilities, Fairbanks was understandably hesitant to make the mammoth investment required to build soundstages at his own studio and install sound projection systems in the entire chain of United Artists Theatres (of which he was a part owner) until he felt certain that the new technology had been proven with audiences and was economically viable. Also, because Fairbanks always insisted on releasing films of the highest quality, he felt that the sound quality of early talkies was insufficient and that poor sound would actually detract from the audience's filmgoing experience, not enhance it. As a result, he chose to make The Gaucho as a silent film without synchronized sound.

Directed by F. Richard Jones, The Gaucho stunned audiences upon its initial release in November 1927, as Fairbanks opted to play a part that was far outside his fans' expectations. As this Argentinean bandit, Fairbanks drinks whisky, chain smokes, robs a church, and even carries on with two women at the same time before finally finding his redemption in the final reel. This was a far cry from the Boy Scout image he had cultivated throughout the early years of his career. The clean-cut All-American hero of earlier films had suddenly been replaced by a hard-bitten, rough-and-tumble outlaw who seemed to feel no remorse whatsoever about burglarizing a holy shrine, physically abusing a priest, seducing a teenage girl (played by 14 year-old Lupe Velez in her screen debut), and even ordering a terminally ill man to commit suicide! Even more curious, Fairbanks' real-life wife, Mary Pickford, was called upon to make a brief cameo as the Virgin Mary in one sequence, but this made for a stark contrast indeed against the backdrop of the film's otherwise dark subject matter.

Although the film was too shocking in 1927 for his audiences to accept, it is nonetheless a powerful story, and demonstrates Fairbanks' ability as an actor of greater depth than previously imagined by his critics. Today, The Gaucho is considered to be one of his very best films. Many modern-day fans consider it to be *the* best, even greater than Robin Hood or The Thief of Bagdad.

Is The Gaucho Fairbanks' forgotten masterpiece? You can see for yourself, as the museum will have free weekly screenings of The Gaucho throughout the duration of this exhibit. Showtimes will vary and seating is limited. Please contact the museum to make reservations.

"Mi Gaucho Mio!" - The Gaucho 80th Anniversary Exhibit will feature original movie posters, advertising, theatre programs, memorabilia and film stills, many never seen before by the general public. The exhibit opens on Monday, November 5, 2007 and will run through early March, 2008. Tours are available by appointment.

****THIS EXHIBIT HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO RECENT STORM DAMAGE AT THE MUSEUM***

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Fairbanks Museum Collections Featured in New York "Pirates" Exhibit

Buccaneers invade the Whaling Museum for
its new special exhibit:
“Pirates!”
Opening September 17, 2007

Explore the mystery, folklore and reality of pirates through the legends, artifacts and art which have earned these shady characters a permanent place in popular culture

Several artifacts from the collections of The Douglas Fairbanks Museum are currently on loan to the Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor, New York for the duration of this exhibit.

Original production stills and promotional materials from Fairbanks' legendary 1926 film The Black Pirate are on display to the public at the Whaling Museum, and we invite all Fairbanks fans in the New York area to visit the exhibit during its' year-long run.

“As we hope to show with this exhibit, pirates on film and pirates in reality were sometimes two different things,” said Whaling Museum Curator Dan Trachtenberg.

The "Pirates!" exhibit will run through August, 2008. The Whaling Museum, located on Route 25A in Cold Spring Harbor, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

For further information contact the Whaling Museum at 631-367-3418 or visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

The greats of the silent era may have passed away, but here they live!

Within this book you will meet the famous (Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks, Lon Chaney, Lillian Gish) as well as the lesser known (Billy Bevan, Larry Semon, Eric Campbell).  You will be privy to the secrets of the stars (Norma Shearer, Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo, Ramon Novarro), directors and studio heads (Cecil B. DeMille, D.W. Griffith, Lois Weber, Irving Thalberg), and those irreplaceable creative forces behind the scenes (H.M. "Beanie" Walker, Willis O'Brien, Billy Bitzer, Clyde Bruckman).

SILENT LIVES is illustrated with 200 rare photographs and original line-art advertisements and includes the free bonus DVD, "Classic Screen Moments," which contains two hours of outstanding clips, covering the entire silent era. (The DVD can only be obtained by ordering the book through BearManor Media's web site, http://www.bearmanormedia.com.)

One of the few surviving stars of the silent era, Diana Serra Cary  (the former child star known as "Baby Peggy") describes SILENT LIVES as "a well-written, illustrated and comprehensive collection of biographies. It is also that rarest of shorthand guides, a genuinely reliable reference tool.  This is a must-have book for fans and serious researchers alike."

Renowned filmmaker and historian Kevin Brownlow (who provides the foreword) says: "If you ever wondered who created the movies, this fascinating book will provide the answer."

The Douglas Fairbanks Museum contributed to the research of this new book, working closely with author Lon Davis on the manuscript. Museum curator Keri Leigh says "it was a real pleasure to consult with Mr. Davis on this project. Not only is he a fine writer and careful researcher, he is also a true fan of silent films. His love and respect for the subject matter come across on every page. His book engages every reader to take a personal interest in the off-screen lives of these Hollywood pioneers."

Pre-order your copy today at Bear Manor Media's web site. While you're there, you'll find many titles on classic Hollywood and TV stars, so be sure to browse the catalog for other books of interest!

As some of you already know, our museum was hit hard by the recent round of severe storms, including Hurricane Erin. This area has seen more rainfall in 2007 than in the entire recorded weather history of Texas, and the massive amounts of rain from Erin caused continued severe flooding here. The museum did not take a direct hit from the hurricane, but unfortunately we did suffer flooding on the first floor of our building, forcing us to close our doors and cancel all scheduled exhibits until further notice.

As a precaution before the storm, we moved everything of value up to the second floor, so our collections suffered no damage. That is the good news. The bad news is, mold has infested nearly the entire first floor, making conditions unsafe for the artifacts and our visitors. Until the carpet can be completely stripped/replaced, and the air duct system thoroughly cleaned, we've had to close down the entire building.

Our collections have been moved temporarily into climate-controlled archival storage offsite, where they will remain until the repairs are completed and we can safely reopen our doors again.

At this point our board is discussing possible options: once the flood damage has been fully assessed, we must decide whether to repair our current building or move. As this area has always been prone to flooding, we realize that it will always be a risk.

While things could have been much worse (Erin hit the midwest with even more rain than we had here in Texas!), this has been a disaster for our very small museum. We feel so grateful that our rare collections were spared entirely, yet we realize there is a very long and difficult road ahead of us now. While the future is impossible to predict, we hope to reopen by the summer or fall of 2009, if not sooner.

During this period of transition, we plan to keep our digital collections online for visitors to enjoy. During our regular hours of operation, we will have a reduced number of volunteer staff available via email or phone at (512) 233-2214 for reference inquiries and general information. Access to the collections by researchers will be available on a limited basis; we are still able to provide digital scans, photocopies, and other materials upon request.

Donations of labor, supplies, and money are starting to filter in slowly, thanks to all who have stepped up to lend a hand. Please help us keep the Douglas Fairbanks legacy and silent film history alive with a small contribution if you can:

* If you would prefer to make a donation of materials, please contact the museum for more details about our current needs.

Another way you can help is by making a purchase at our Online Gift Shop, where every item you choose benefits the museum.

We want to express our deep appreciation to everyone who has kept us in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Please stay tuned to our "news" page for updates and future announcements. Thank you.

All text and images copyright 1998-2007, The Douglas Fairbanks Museum.
www.DouglasFairbanks.org