RETURN TO BABYLON

The Silent Film That Says It ALL!

The year 1922, Alice Kerpunkle arrives in Hollywood: a starlet is born! The young an alluring (if somewhat overweight) girl is renamed, “Alice Sweet” by Paramount Super-Chief Adolf Zukor. Quickly the adventure begins Alice falls down the hole, witness to the funny man’s illustrious crime, Fatty Arbuckle, the children’s comedian: a murdering rapist!

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Hobnobbing with the “All-American”, Wallace Reid: a heroin junkie? Or starlet, Barbara Lamarr: a cocaine addict! Racing to the courtroom with true faith to help her friend the "IT" girl, Clara Bow: a nymphomaniac and boozer! Zukor entrancing Alice to the New York world of Maxim’s where white button boys like Rudolph Valentino
get paid to entertain wealthy women: a prostitute!
Socializing with the tempestuous Lupe Velez: a suicide spitfire! See Alice’s whirl into WONDERLAND and THEDA BARA’S CRYSTAL BALL revealing a land of ghost fairies, PROHIBITION, old Hollywood, the glamour, the decadence and silent tragedies of a bygone era.

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The feature film now in principal photography stars Jennifer Tilly as
Clara Bow, Laura Elena Harring (Mulholland Drive), Philip Bloch,
Maria Conchita Alonso, Ione Skye, Tippi Hedren, Shiva Rose,
and Debi Mazar. The filmmakers, Alex Canawati and Boothe Jouvet were approached and optioned to re-make their short, “The Birth of Babylon” into a feature film after winning “Best Short” in the American Film & Music Festival 2000. The film is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2003.

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photos by Dawn Laureen and Will Swanson

Press info.

Hollywood Reporter, July 21-23, 2001, “Film Short to Feature”
Los Angeles Magazine, February 2002, “Don’t Speak! Are talkies just a Phase?”
Vogue Magazine (UK) “Philip Bloch Returns with Babylon Pic”
People Magazine, September 2002, “Maria Conchita Alonso plays Lupe Velez”
Venice Magazine, August 2002, “Original Thinker, Canadian Chanteuse, Morganne, plays
Queen of Comedy in The Return to Babylon [excerpt]
Cannes Report, May 2002, “Philip Bloch’s Sideshow: The Return to Babylon”

Laura Elena Harring as Alla Nazimova	The Silent Film That Says It ALL! The year 1922, Alice Kerpunkle arrives in Hollywood: a starlet is born! The young an alluring (if somewhat overweight) girl is renamed, “Alice Sweet” by Paramount Super-Chief Adolf Zukor. Quickly the adventure begins Alice falls down the hole, witness to the funny man’s illustrious crime, Fatty Arbuckle, the children’s comedian: a murdering rapist! ~~~~~~~~~ Hobnobbing with the “All-American”, Wallace Reid: a heroin junkie? Or starlet, Barbara Lamarr: a cocaine addict! Racing to the courtroom with true faith to help her friend the "IT" girl, Clara Bow: a nymphomaniac and boozer! Zukor entrancing Alice to the New York world of Maxim’s where white button boys like Rudolph Valentino get paid to entertain wealthy women: a prostitute! Socializing with the tempestuous Lupe Velez: a suicide spitfire! See Alice’s whirl into WONDERLAND and THEDA BARA’S CRYSTAL BALL revealing a land of ghost fairies, PROHIBITION, old Hollywood, the glamour, the decadence and silent tragedies of a bygone era. ~~~~~~~~~~ The feature film now in principal photography stars Jennifer Tilly as Clara Bow, Laura Elena Harring (Mulholland Drive), Philip Bloch, Maria Conchita Alonso, Ione Skye, Tippi Hedren, Shiva Rose, and Debi Mazar. The filmmakers, Alex Canawati and Boothe Jouvet were approached and optioned to re-make their short, “The Birth of Babylon” into a feature film after winning “Best Short” in the American Film & Music Festival 2000. The film is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2003. ~~~~~~~~~~ photos by Dawn Laureen and Will Swanson Press info. Hollywood Reporter, July 21-23, 2001, “Film Short to Feature” Los Angeles Magazine, February 2002, “Don’t Speak! Are talkies just a Phase?” Vogue Magazine (UK) “Philip Bloch Returns with Babylon Pic” People Magazine, September 2002, “Maria Conchita Alonso plays Lupe Velez” Venice Magazine, August 2002, “Original Thinker, Canadian Chanteuse, Morganne, plays Queen of Comedy in The Return to Babylon [excerpt] Cannes Report, May 2002, “Philip Bloch’s Sideshow: The Return to Babylon”	Jennifer Tilly as Clara Bow Maria Conchita Alonso as "Mexican Spitfire" Lupe Velez Ione Skye as starlet Virginia Rappe
Jennifer Tilly as Clara Bow
Jack Atlantis as William Desmond Taylor with Ione Skye as Virginia Rappe