THE DELICIOUS LITTLE DEVIL

THE DELICIOUS LITTLE DEVIL (1919). 

Mary (Mae Murray) loses her job as a coat check girl when she lingers too long and lovingly on a beautiful fur piece, so she reinvents herself as the notorious real-life Gloria Du Moine, who was in a scandal with the equally notorious Duke De Sauterne. Through this subterfuge she manages to get a job as a dancer at the Peace Tree Inn roadhouse. There she captivates a frequent patron, Jimmy Calhoun (Rudolph Valentino), who's the son of a millionaire contractor (Edward Jobson). Hoping she'll prove too crass for the boy, the elder Calhoun throws a party for "Gloria" -- and who should show up? This is a cute if minor comedy with Murray in good form and Valentino, in an early appearance, looking dapper and handsome. The sprightly musical score helps a lot. 

Verdict: Not that delicious but definitely appetizing. **1/2.

FANTOMAS: IN THE SHADOW OF THE GUILLOTINE

Rene Navarro and Renee Carl

FANTOMAS: IN THE SHADOW OF THE GUILLOTINE (aka À l'ombre de la guillotine/1913). Director: Louis Feuillade.

The evil genius Fantomas (Rene Navarre) has stolen gems from one terrified woman, Princesse Danidoff (Jane Faber), in a hotel, and is now responsible for the murder of Lord Beltham. Inspector Juve (Edmund Breon) is determined to bring the master criminal to justice. Juve determines that Fantomas is actually Mr. Gurn, the love of Lady Beltham (Renee Carl), and Gurn is arrested and set to be executed. But with the help of Lady Beltham, and the unknowing complicity of the actor Valgrand (Andre Volbert), who plays Fantomas on the stage, Gurn will outwit both Juve and the guillotine. This is the first in a series of short silent films based on the novel Fantomas and subsequent volumes. This film eliminates the grisly murder of the Marquise, as well as the dismaying fate of Valgrand. Beautifully remastered, Fantomas is essentially a curio, well done if basically static, and enlivened by a pastiche musical score. Back in the day, it was probably great fun for French audiences to see scenes from such a popular work of fiction enacted on the screen. Less so today.

Verdict: Interesting curio. **1/2.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (1921)

Rudolph Valentino

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (1921 silent film). Director: Rex Ingram. Tinted edition.

Madariaga (Pomeroy Cannon) is a lusty and very wealthy rancher and entrepreneur in Argentina who has two daughters. One of them has three sons by a German husband, Karl (Alan Hale), while the other is a Frenchman, Marcelo (Josef Swickard), who was a deserter. Madariaga has a special fondness for his grandson, Julio (Rudolph Valentino), Marcelo's spoiled and womanizing son. After the death of his grandfather, Julio moves to Paris with the rest of his family while Karl takes his own family back to Germany. Julio embarks upon an affair with a married woman named Marguerite (Alice Terry), whose much older husband is Laurier (John St. Polis of Mr. Wong, Detective), but her feelings for her lover change when her husband goes off to war. Argentinian, Julio is determined to stay neutral while WW1 rages around him, and his father finds his country estate ravaged by Germans, including his own nephew and a crude Lt. Colonel (Wallace Beery) who tries to rape a maid. By their actions, both Marcelo and Julio eventually find redemption. Based on a best-selling 1919 novel by Vicente Blasco Ibanez, Four Horsemen is a strong and absorbing, fast-paced film beautifully directed by Ingram and with fine photography by John F. Seitz. Strong characterizations and dramatic presentation make this an excellent picture even without Carl Davis' rich and excellent modern score, but the music -- with themes by Liszt -- adds immeasurably to its impact. There are perhaps too many shots of the phantom horsemen riding across the skies, as well as shots of the fire-breathing dragon-like "beast," and the Christ figure at the end is a little much, but this also has many powerful sequences. (One that sticks in the mind is two crying children clinging to their dead mother in the rubble.) Alice Terry and the older actors are all quite good, while Valentino [Beyond the Rocks] gets across his initially superficial character without raising a sweat. This is a sweeping historical epic that is not for one minute dull. Remade in 1962. Alan Hale [Stella Dallas] was the father of Alan Hale Jr. of Gilligan's Island infamy.

Verdict: A silent masterpiece. ****.

THE CAMPUS VAMP

Sally Eilers and Matty Kemp

THE CAMPUS VAMP (1928). Director: Harry Edwards.

"If that blonde vamp takes Matty from Sally, I'll put garlic in her listerine!" -- Dora

Co-ed Sally (Sally Eilers of Reducing) has a big crush on handsome lug Matty (Matty Kemp), but she has competition from blonde cutie, Carole (an unrecognizable Carole Lombard). Dora (Daphne Pollard), a short, plain frumpy girl who is nevertheless loaded with personality and seems to do all the cleaning in the dorm, gives Sally advice. Dora has a boyfriend named Barney (Johnny Burke). Will Sally get Matty away from Carole's clutches, or is this just a failed romance? The Campus Vamp is a short, silent comedy which seems put together chiefly to show off the comedic skills of Daphne Pollard [Our Relations], who easily walks off with the movie. By the way the mouthwash Listerine (see quote above) has been around forever, was promoted as curing colds (which it was eventually prohibited from doing) and was practically seen as a magic elixir back in the day. This was produced by Mack Sennett [Tillie's Punctured Romance].

Verdict: Kind of cute if decidedly minor. **1/2.

THE PAINTED LADY

Blanche Sweet and Charles Hill Mailes

THE PAINTED LADY (1912). Director: D. W. Griffith.

In this short silent film the older of two sisters (Blanche Sweet) is plain and retiring in contrast to her younger and more vivacious sibling (Madge Kirby). Sweet summons the courage to go to a fair, and there encounters a nice-looking stranger (Joseph Graybill). Sweet is smitten, but the stranger is less interested in romance than he is in robbing her father (Charles Hill Mailes). Sweet becomes completely unhinged when she shoots the burglar and unmasks him as the man she's fallen for and hoped to have a future with. This is a decidedly downbeat melodrama which has an interesting premise but isn't long enough to develop it satisfactorily. Nevertheless, Sweet gives a good and sensitive performance and the movie is strangely compelling. One of D. W. Griffith's better silent films was Battle of the Sexes.

Verdict: Sweet memories. **1/2.

BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST (1925)

Ramon Navarro as Ben-Hur

BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST (1925). Director: Fred Niblo.

Long before the 1959 remake of this story there was this commendable silent version starring Ramon Navarro [Mata Hari] as Judah Ben-Hur and Francis X. Bushman as his hated nemesis, Messala. Ben-Hur has spectacular battle-at-sea scenes, a cast of what seems to be thousands, a very elaborate and expensive production, and a thrilling chariot race (even if it ends a little abruptly). The story is basically the same as the Charlton Heston version, although the boyishly vulnerable Navarro, despite some hammy moments, is more sympathetic as Ben-Hur. There is a long prologue depicting the birth of Christ and the journey of the Three Wise Men. While some viewers see silent films as being slow and boring, that is hardly the case with Ben-Hur. May McAvoy as Esther and Frank Currier as Quintus Arrias are also notable, while Bushman [The Phantom Planet], grimacing with the best of them, radiates intolerance and menace. This version of the film features an excellent new symphonic score composed by Carl Davis and beautifully orchestrated by Colin and David Mathews. While the score is sometimes derivative, it expertly embellishes each scene and adds a new dimension to an already memorable movie. Certain sequences were filmed in TechniColor.

Verdict: Exciting large scale silent film. ***.

BACKSTAGE (1919)

Molly Malone and "Fatty" Arbuckle

BACKSTAGE (1919 silent). Director: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle.

In this silent comedy short "Fatty" Arbuckle plays a stagehand at a theater and is assisted by Buster Keaton (whom in real life Arbuckle discovered). They come afoul of a strong man (Charles A. Post) who treats his female assistant (Molly Malone) so terribly that Arbuckle, Keaton and others team up to get even with him. The strong man and the other players go on strike, so Arbuckle, Molly and Keaton have to take their places on stage. Then the strong man sits in the front row of the balcony with plans of his own ... Backstage is a cute picture which shows Arbuckle's appeal as a funnyman. Jack Coogan Sr. plays a multi-dexterous specialty dancer that the boys try to imitate with expected results, and Al St. John is another stagehand.

Verdict: Funny and fast-paced with some good clowning and stunt work. ***.

THE KISS (1914)

William Desmond Taylor, Margaret Gibson, Myrtle Gonzalez

THE KISS (1914). Director: Ulysses Davis.

In this silent short, Alice (Margaret Gibson) is a shop girl with a plain boyfriend, a floorwalker named Fred (George Holt). Into the store come dapper society man George Dale (William Desmond Taylor) and his fiancee, Helen (Myrtle Gonzalez); Dale catches Alice's eye. There's also a new shop girl named Mazie (Jane Novak) whose fashionable clothing makes Alice envious. Determined to get George to notice her, Alice buys a new outfit, including one of the most hideous hats imaginable, but George asks her out anyway. When George introduces her to Helen and other friends, Helen gives Alice an affectionate kiss on the cheek. Later when he is having a drink alone with Alice, her tries to kiss her and she says "That's where she kissed me because she loves you!" Exit Alice. Okay. Alice learns it is better to stick with her simple life and floorwalker Fred [and hopefully she'll get rid of that hat!]. Because of the presence of Taylor and Gibson [aka Patricia Palmer] The Kiss is of historical interest, but it is hardly a lost classic. It only lasts about ten minutes and the acting is broad.

Verdict: Not one of the more memorable silent films. *1/2.

TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE

Mabel Normand, Charlie Chaplin and Marie Dressler

TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE (1914). Produced and directed by Mack Sennett. Restored version.

Tillie (Marie Dressler) is a hard-working country girl who gets little love and lots of abuse from her father (Mack Swain), who is fond of booting her in the rear. Therefore she is easily duped by a stranger (Charlie Chaplin) into running off with him with her father's stash. Unfortunately for Tillie, the Stranger already has a much prettier girlfriend, Mabel (Mabel Normand), and the two of them run off with Tillie's money. Tillie gets a job as a waitress, but is arrested when she sees the couple and takes after them, but she's released when the cops learn she is the niece of a certain millionaire (Charles Bennett). Tillie's uncle is just as mean to her as her father, but when he falls off a mountain she becomes his heir, a fact that she doesn't know but the Stranger does ... Tillie's Punctured Romance is the film adaptation of Marie Dressler's hit Broadway show Tillie's Nightmare, and it was similarly well-received by the public. The three leads are fine, with Dressler getting the lion's share of the action and most of the laughs. Tillie is so put-upon that you almost can't blame her when she positively runs amok at the end of the picture, although Dressler isn't really given much opportunity to milk her role for pathos in this farcical comedy. She inherits her uncle's millions without benefit of inquest or probate! Some very amusing bits in this, and Dressler, while bordering on the vulgar at times, is ever-delightful [although it perhaps remained for the sound era to unveil her special genius]. This is probably the closest one can come to getting any sense of what Dressler was like in vaudeville and on the legitimate stage.

Verdict: Overlong but quite cute in spots. **1/2.

THE YOUNG RAJAH

THE YOUNG RAJAH (1922). Director: Phil Rosen.

"Men should be judged, not by their tint of skin, the Gods they serve, the vintage that they drink, nor by the way they fight, or love, or sin, but by the quality of thought they think."

Amos Judd (Rudolph Valentino), who is actually the son of a maharajah who was murdered in a palace coup, has been adopted by an American family and given an Ivy league education. He falls in love with Molly (Wanda Hawley), the son of Judge Cabot (Edward Jobson), but although Molly returns his feelings she just can't get past her own prejudice. To make matters worse, factions from India come to the U.S. determined to capture and murder the true heir to the throne. Amos has always had premonitions, and now seemingly foresees his own death. Turner Classic Movies presented this incomplete print of this "lost" movie by using many stills and title cards, although the second half contains a lot of the real footage. In any case, The Young Rajah is an interesting movie, and Valentino certainly exudes star charisma. Jon Miralis' music is a plus.

Verdict: See why Valentino got everyone excited. ***.

THE PATSY (1929)

THE PATSY (1928). Director: King Vidor.

Pat Harrington (Marion Davies) lives with her loving father (Dell Henderson) and a mother (Marie Dressler), who clearly favors her snotty sister, Grace (Jane Winton) over her. To make matters worse, Pat has an unrequited longing for Tony (Orville Caldwell), her sister's boyfriend, although Grace apparently prefers the company of that sexy scalawag Billy (Lawrence Gray). This reasonably entertaining comedy-drama is in no way in the league of Vidor's classic silent The Crowd, but the actors are all appealing. One wishes the film had a little more depth, and there are tiresome detours (such as Pat coming out with allegedly witty sayings in an attempt to develop a "personality"). The new original score by Vivek Maddala adds a lot to the picture, however. Davies is quite good and it's always a pleasure to see Dressler, here in a mostly unsympathetic role.

Verdict: Interesting if unspectacular silent. **1/2.

LADY OF THE NIGHT

LADY OF THE NIGHT (1925). Director: Monta Bell.

Norma Shearer is excellent playing dual roles (although there is no reference to the two characters actually looking alike) in this touching silent drama which segues back and froth from high to low society. Molly Helmer is the poor daughter of a convict, while Florence Banning is the daughter of a wealthy judge. Molly has an "understanding" with a clunky [if kind-hearted] kind of boyfriend "Chunky" Dunn (George K. Arthur) but longs for a more romantic relationship, which she finds with David Page (Malcolm McGregor). Unfortunately, Page meets and falls in love with Florence, and sees Molly just as a friend. Florence, however, upon meeting Molly, immediately grasps the truth of the other woman's feelings. Both women turn out to be much more alike than they are different in the poignant conclusion. TCM presented this with an excellent new musical score.

Verdict: Another home run for Norma. ***.

THE TOLL OF THE SEA

THE TOLL OF THE SEA (1922). Director: Chester A. Franklin.

It would be easy to dismiss this picture were it not for the fact that it's the first two-strip Technicolor feature (although it runs less than an hour), it features the first major starring performance of Anna May Wong, and on its own terms is a creditable and effective silent tragedy. Lotus Flower (Wong, pictured), finds a man, Allan Carver (Kenneth Harlan), in a tidal pool off her garden, half-drowned, and rescues him. The two fall in love, and Lotus Flower hopes he'll take her back to "those United States" with him. He leaves and promises to return, while Lotus Flower gives birth to his son and waits ... and waits.... Yes, this is basically Madame Butterfly with the story transplanted to China instead of Japan, and, yes, it is just as heart-breaking as it is in any format -- film, play or opera. The acting in this is surprisingly natural and unaffected, and Wong gives a superlative performance. Harlan is also good, as is Beatrice Bentley as Carver's American wife. The adorable little boy is actually played by Priscilla "Baby" Moran. Photographed by J. A. Ball. An interesting aspect of the movie is that the two actors who form the interracial romantic couple were of two different races in real life, instead of one being in "black face" or "yellow face."

Verdict: Three- hankie weepie. ***.

MR. WU (1927)

MR. WU (1927). Director: William Nigh.

Lon Chaney is excellent in this handsomely produced silent film in which he essays elderly Grandfather Wu, and then his grandson, Mandarin Wu, as an adult. Mandarin Wu has a daughter Nang Ping (Rene Adoree) who falls in love with the Caucasian Basil Gregory (Ralph Forbes), with tragic results. If there's any problem with Mr. Wu is that what begins as a credible enough and reasonably compelling drama turns into a kind of Fu Manchu variation, with the script turning Wu into the evil, sadistic stereotype of the "Yellow Peril" variety. It's one thing to adhere to traditions, but Wu is a complete fanatic, which the film never really makes clear. Still, even these scenes, bolstered by the performance of Louise Dresser as Basil's mother, hold the attention and are well-done for what they are. John Arnold's cinematography is of a high order. Some shots, consisting of several elements, are so strikingly composed that they almost achieve a 3D effect. Anna May Wong has a small role as Nang Ping's attendant and friend, Loo Song. This was seen accompanied by an excellent original score by Marie Newman.

Verdict: Definitely worth a look, but watch out for Wu. **1/2.

STOLEN MOMENTS

STOLEN MOMENTS (1920). Director: James Vincent.

Jose Dalmarez (Rudolph Valentino) is a famous novelist who makes women fall in love with him and then treats them like trash. His latest victim is Vera (Marguerite Namara), whom he steals away from the man who loves her with a promise of marriage that he has no intention of keeping. He is also a complete rake down in South America with Inez (Aileen Savage), whose brother tries but fails to give the mountebank a well-deserved thrashing. Encountering the now-married Vera some time later back in the States, he tries to blackmail her over some love letters. What a creep! This is the three reel (out of six) shortened version of the film, all that survives, and it's both amusing and mildly entertaining, with interesting settings and locales. Namara, an opera singer, emotes as if she still thinks she's on the opera stage -- broad and mostly hammy. Valentino is much more natural, as usual, but he's not photographed particularly well.

Verdict: Hardly a great example of silent film art but not a bad melodrama on its own terms. **1/2.

MORAN OF THE LADY LETTY

MORAN OF THE LADY LETTY (1922); Director: George Melford.

"Moran" ( Dorothy Dalton) is the tomboy daughter of a sea captain and Ramon Laredo (Rudolph Valentino) is a rich boy who's tiring of his aimless life of booze and cotillions. When Ramon is shanghaied by a group of pirates led by Kitchell (Walter Long), they come upon Moran's father's boat, where everyone has been killed by coal gas except for her. Naturally Moran and Ramon fall in love. The life of pirates is rather sanitized in this fairly stupid and somewhat boring silent movie. The performances by Dalton, Valentino and Long are excellent and natural, however.

Verdict: Not a particularly convincing nor compelling romance. *1/2.

BEYOND PARADISE The Life of RAMON NAVARRO

BEYOND PARADISE: The Life of RAMON NAVARRO. Andre Soares. St. Martin's Press; 2002.

A solid, well-researched, exhaustive look into the life of Ramon Navarro, who became a star during the silent era (Ben-Hur), made a few memorable and unmemorable movies throughout the sound era, then had career and alcohol problems for the rest of his life. Soares wants to make sure that the details of his murder (which were grossly sensationalized) don't overshadow the man's life and art. Although it is clear that in many ways Novarro was the typical egotistical, self-absorbed Movie Star, Soares also sympathetically explores the likable aspects of Novarro's character, as well as his romantic and sexual life, and his unlikely attempts to be taken seriously as a singer. Navarro, while homosexual, did not marry a woman as many other gay male stars did, but due to his Catholic upbringing was conflicted over his orientation. Soares also provides details about his death, including comments from his killers.

Verdict: Absorbing read. ***1/2.

BEYOND THE ROCKS

BEYOND THE ROCKS (1922). Director: Sam Wood.

Theodora Fitzgerald (Gloria Swanson) is married off to a much older man, Josiah Brown (Robert Bolder). He's kind to her, she's a good wife, but along comes Lord Bracondale (Rudolph Valentino, pictured) who falls for her and awakens in her strong feelings of romantic passion. Bracondale had saved Theodora's life on two previous occasions, making him not just romantic in her eyes but downright heroic. This triangle situation (based on a novel by Elinor Glyn) was probably nothing new even in 1922, but Beyond the Rocks is touching, beautifully acted by the three leads, especially Swanson, and has many memorable sequences, particularly the suspenseful scene when Theodora nearly falls off a cliff. Call it hokey and sentimental it you like, but it works. A new score by Henry Vrienten (as well as a few sound FX) adds immeasurably to the drama's emotional impact. Well photographed and directed as well.

Verdict: Good (mostly) silent show! ***1/2.

CAMILLE (1921)

CAMILLE (1921). Director: Ray C. Smallwood.

This silent version of Dumas' famous story of The Lady of the Camellias is a highly creditable silent film. When we first see Marguerite Gautier as performed by (Alla) Nazimova, she looks like a drag queen having a bad hair day. However, once you get used to her bizarre appearance, Nazimova gives a very good performance. Rudolph Valentino is also quite good as her lover Armand, although he has much less to do than his co-star. Zeffie Tilbury is Prudence and William Orlamond is Armand's father. The sets are theatrical and impressionistic. Not as good as the Garbo version, but quite interesting and well-done. A big difference between the two is that the lovers are not reunited in the silent version. This was shown with an excellent new score by Peter Vantine.

Verdict: Rudy and Alla in a fine romance. ***.

THE LAST LAUGH

THE LAST LAUGH (1924/Germany). Director: F. W. Murnau.

The head doorman at a prestigious hotel is demoted to basement wash room attendant on the day of his daughter's wedding, and we watch his despair and disintegration as he tries to cover up the disgrace and is rejected by friends and family when the truth is uncovered. Although slow at times, this is a powerful film, greatly aided by the strong lead performance of Emil Jannings, who can be broad at times but is always effective and moving. The film has to be taken as a fairy tale of sorts, as on some occasions it stretches credulity [that only one person, the night watchman, has any sympathy for Jannings, for instance], and the ending is the purest fantasy. Yet the ending has its own quiet power and charm, and can also be taken as a mere expression of the defeated, desperate Jannings innermost desires. The new orchestral score by Timothy Brock is evocative and excellent and adds immeasurably to the film's modern-day impact. A masterpiece. [Karl Freund, who photographed the film, later worked on I Love Lucy which might be seen as a comedown -- at the very least a big change in tone -- were it not for the fact that he helped revolutionize the way TV series were filmed and became an important part of one of television's most enduring and memorable programs.]

Verdict: A near-masterpiece. ***1/2.