1921/2021 Forum Watchfest

[donnie]

Up next for me would be Fauntleroy, and thanks for finding and posting a replacement link. The problem for me is that there's no score, darn it. It's hard for me to watch one dead cold with no music. Maybe I can think up something generic to use.

[Kitty]

Up next for me would be Fauntleroy, and thanks for finding and posting a replacement link. The problem for me is that there's no score, darn it. It's hard for me to watch one dead cold with no music. Maybe I can think up something generic to use.

Mine would be Fauntleroy, too. Sorry, I didn't realize it didn't have music.

[BettyLouSpence]

Next for me is The Affairs of Anatol. I peeped the opening sequence and wow! Some gorgeous color titles!

[donnie]

Tip: I asked Lea over at Silent-ology for a good generic score that might work for Fauntleroy. She suggested the piano one from Blind Husbands.

[Kitty]

Tip: I asked Lea over at Silent-ology for a good generic score that might work for Fauntleroy. She suggested the piano one from Blind Husbands.

Thanks! I'll use that.

[donnie]

I finished Little Lord Fauntleroy. My comments:

► Show Spoiler

I didn't find this too interesting at the beginning, but by about the middle, it had grown on me, and I ended up really enjoying it. It’s a sweet story with a heart-warming ending—perhaps a little slow-moving, at times, but very good nonetheless.

Mary Pickford’s acting was really showcased in the quite different ways she played Dearest and Cedric—very lady-like, serene, and gracious as the former, and with the playfulness, directness, and mannerisms of a child as the latter.

Despite that, I had trouble thinking of Mary Pickford as a little boy. The appearance was so feminine with the long curls and the dress-like clothing and lace collar that I subconsciously considered the character a girl throughout.

One thing I wondered is how they did the differences in height? Dearest was a good foot taller (or more?) than Cedric. (I guess there’s an answer for that somewhere online.) Mary was especially beautiful as Dearest in her 19th century costume and hairstyle.

I didn’t understand completely how the claim of the would-be Lord Fauntleroy and his mother was shown invalid. I understood that the boy was shown not to be the Earl’s biological grandson, but what did the photo in the paper have to do with it? And how did claims of bigamy come in? And "They were opera singers in Milan...." Who is they? I got partially slung off going round the curve there.

The Blind Husbands score helped, but was something of a struggle. There is some wonderful music in that, and much of the time it fits Fauntleroy well—but when it misses, it misses pretty badly , so I had to fiddle with skipping around the audio a little. Still much better than scoreless, though.

[Kitty]

Responses to Little Lord Fauntleroy.

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I didn’t understand completely how the claim of the would-be Lord Fauntleroy and his mother was shown invalid. I understood that the boy was shown not to be the Earl’s biological grandson, but what did the photo in the paper have to do with it?

I read the book, (not seen the film yet) but the photo in the paper of the fraudulent mother and son was key in that this is how Cedric's bootblack friend was able to recognize that she was the ex-wife of his (brother, I think), and the difference in age of her son didn't line up to be the real grandson, either. It's been a bit since I've read the book, and I need to watch the film soon, but I hope this helps.

[donnie]

Response to Responses to Little Lord Fauntleroy.

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I read the book, (not seen the film yet) but the photo in the paper of the fraudulent mother and son was key in that this is how Cedric's bootblack friend was able to recognize that she was the ex-wife of his (brother, I think), and the difference in age of her son didn't line up to be the real grandson, either. It's been a bit since I've read the book, and I need to watch the film soon, but I hope this helps.

That's helps a little, thanks. So the bootblack's brother, by coincidence, was married to this woman in the paper, who in actuality had no connection to the Earl, but was just trying to cash in, is that right?

I got the impression that (similar to Pollyanna) the film perhaps kind of assumed the viewer had read the book, or was at least familiar with the story, as some of the key points of the plot seemed to be glossed over.

[Kitty]

Responses to Responses to Little Lord Fauntleroy.

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who in actuality had no connection to the Earl, but was just trying to cash in, is that right?

Exactly!

I got the impression that (similar to Pollyanna) the film perhaps kind of assumed the viewer had read the book, or was at least familiar with the story, as some of the key points of the plot seemed to be glossed over.

I promise, I'll watch this soon! But, yes, you're probably right; this book was extremely popular at the time, and would definitely have been a familiar story to viewers of the day. Incidentally, you should read the book, (you still have to read Hans Brinker, by the way!!) because it is an extremely pleasant read, and very easy, too.

[donnie]

Responses to Responses to Little Lord Fauntleroy.

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Ah, yes, thanks for reminding me about the Hans Brinker! I had forgotten about that. I will be interested to see your comments on the LLF movie and how it compares to the book—still have some unanswered questions.