1922/2022 Forum Watchfest

[BettyLouSpence]

I just finished watching Smilin' Through.

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This restoration was gorgeous. Props to EYE Filmmuseum. I had high hopes for the tinting in this film, and I wasn't disappointed (as you can probably tell from past reviews, I really like tinting ). I was especially delighted to spot yellow toning during the night time garden scenes!

The score I chose worked surprisingly well in quite a few parts, but not so much in a few others. The audience clapping a third of the way through certainly didn't help. I really liked the film as is, but with a specially tailored score? What a dream that would be.

Norma Talmadge... It's one thing to see her in a still photograph, but another entirely to see her in motion. This isn't my first time seeing Norma act; that was years back in Kiki (1926) - a comedy, funnily enough, considering Norma is best remembered for her work in dramas. One of my favorite scenes is when Monica is talking with that one guy at the dance, but she isn't as into him as he is with her, and is making some funny faces to Kenneth. Some things just don't change.

Anyway, I was really taken with Norma's performance, and as the film went on I was more and more charmed. She was really talented in pantomime: her face is capable of conveying so much emotion while still giving a feeling of restraint.

The only iffy bit was when Monica collapsed after getting shot, but death scenes in silents often tend to be very theatrical. Concerning the ill-fated wedding section, I could tell this was going to end badly. The combination of jealous, obsessed ex(?), Owen inviting Jerry to the house to speak with Monica one last time (why???), Monica not getting away from Jerry, and the foreshadowing with John and Monica declaring that they will never be separated... yeah, someone's gonna die.

Also... everyone just stood around watching Monica painfully bleed out? I mean, fair enough, this is the 1860s (judging by the crinolines), not like you could call 911 and send for an ambulance, but...

Oh, and I want Monica's wedding dress. I swear, one of these days I'm going to teach myself how to sew and make myself an exact replica!

I was also a bit confused in the beginning, trying to make sense of who was who and the time jump and the attic-ghosts, but the pieces all fell together very soon.

And why didn't the niece not already know how her aunt died?

Or Kenneth?? If your cousin had gunned down the bride in a wedding, wouldn’t you kind of know about that? And wouldn’t you know the names of the people involved?

Assuming he ever knew, did he ever find out on-screen, after all that? Does Kathleen just casually drop that bombshell while discussing wedding plans inside? (and her uncle having just died of an aneurysm or something out in the garden...)

"I can't wait for us to get married! By the way, the reason Uncle John hated you was because your Uncle Jerry shot and killed the woman my uncle was going to marry during the ceremony."

"..."

"...Ken?"

[donnie]

Replies to Smilin' (still hate that title ):

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...(and her uncle having just died of an aneurysm or something out in the garden...)...

So he did die? I thought so—and hoped not—but wasn't really sure. That being an example of one of those things it seems audience members are supposed to be able to intuitively sense, but I can't. Or—is it supposed to be ambiguous?

"I can't wait for us to get married! By the way, the reason Uncle John hated you was because your Uncle Jerry shot and killed the woman my uncle was going to marry during the ceremony."

"..."

"...Ken?"

One advantage of silents is that it may be to sweep some awkward plot questions like that under the rug.

By the way, I did enjoy the wonderful tints in this, also. When I think about the film now, that's what comes into my mind, those tints; they and the closeups of Natalie's face kind of define it visually, for me.

[Kitty]

I liked Her Smile, the way the Dutch named it.

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Replies to Smilin' (still hate that title ):

...(and her uncle having just died of an aneurysm or something out in the garden...)...

So he did die? I thought so—and hoped not—but wasn't really sure. That being an example of one of those things it seems audience members are supposed to be able to intuitively sense, but I can't. Or—is it supposed to be ambiguous?

I thought it was obvious. He walked away with his ghost wife at the end!

By the way, how horrifying would it be if you left your friend "sleeping" after a game of dominoes, and then realize an hour later that he had actually died?

[donnie]

I liked Her Smile, the way the Dutch named it.

Yes, that's much better.

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Replies to Smilin' (still hate that title ):

...(and her uncle having just died of an aneurysm or something out in the garden...)...

So he did die? I thought so—and hoped not—but wasn't really sure. That being an example of one of those things it seems audience members are supposed to be able to intuitively sense, but I can't. Or—is it supposed to be ambiguous?

I thought it was obvious. He walked away with his ghost wife at the end!

By the way, how horrifying would it be if you left your friend "sleeping" after a game of dominoes, and then realize an hour later that he had actually died?

Well, see, that's the thing. The fact that Owen shakes his head and smiles with a "there he goes again" look would tell us that he's just fallen asleep during the game, which, from that reaction, I'm guessing he may be a habit of doing. Then on the other hand, the reunion with the spirit of his wife would kind of gainsay that. I figured if he is indeed only asleep, then maybe she has come to him in a dream—? But then again, plot wise, it would make more sense for his death to occur here—in which case Owen's actions would be misleading to the audience.

[Kitty]

I liked Her Smile, the way the Dutch named it.

Yes, that's much better.

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Replies to Smilin' (still hate that title ):

So he did die? I thought so—and hoped not—but wasn't really sure. That being an example of one of those things it seems audience members are supposed to be able to intuitively sense, but I can't. Or—is it supposed to be ambiguous?

I thought it was obvious. He walked away with his ghost wife at the end!

By the way, how horrifying would it be if you left your friend "sleeping" after a game of dominoes, and then realize an hour later that he had actually died?

Well, see, that's the thing. The fact that Owen shakes his head and smiles with a "there he goes again" look would tell us that he's just fallen asleep during the game, which, from that reaction, he apparently has a habit of doing. Then on the other hand, the reunion with the spirit of his wife would kind of gainsay that. I figured if he is indeed only asleep, then maybe she has come to him in a dream—? But then again, plot wise, it would make more sense for his death to occur here.

He has a history of narcolepsy after dominoes games, so I think he just assumed the sand man took him, but he'd actually died.

I also wanted to comment on Betty Lou's observation that the whole wedding party just stood there and let her die. I totally noticed how everyone just seemed a little disappointed that she'd been killed rather than horrified. I think most of the people would be hiding, worried that he might shoot into the crowd next! You'd think someone would have run for the pharmacist, the doctor, the coroner, anyone!

[donnie]

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I also wanted to comment on Betty Lou's observation that the whole wedding party just stood there and let her die. I totally noticed how everyone just seemed a little disappointed that she'd been killed rather than horrified. I think most of the people would be hiding, worried that he might shoot into the crowd next! You'd think someone would have run for the pharmacist, the doctor, the coroner, anyone!

Yes, that also struck me as odd. In reality it would have been a scene of mass confusion and bedlam.

[donnie]

I’ve finished Tess of the Storm Country. This is a great story, and a wonderful Mary Pickford vehicle. Unfortunately, the score is very problematic in some spots, though overall, it’s good. The image quality has some problems also early on (but improves). (And yes, Betty Lou, it has tints. )

I’ll wait and let you guys catch up before I proceed past this one. Meanwhile, if I get time, I may tinker with the score some in a few bad spots.

Edit: Score reworked. I’ll send an updated link!

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The story is so absorbing and with so much in the way of drama and humor, but also so much in the way of darkness. Mary Pickford just sparkles in this, doesn’t she?. The character is so appealing that she really stays with you long after the film is over—a truly unforgettable performance. If anyone not familiar with silent films asks why Mary Pickford was so renowned and adored—this film would be the answer.

One thing I thought was especially remarkable is that her character gradually changes and deepens throughout the film. She starts off as a charming, high-spirited, mischievous and playful child and ends up as a woman of quiet depth and great warmth—yet while still possessing her playful nature. It was really a stunning job of acting.

It was interesting that the story included two very different kinds of “bad guys”: Elias, the sanctimonious and incredibly cruel snob, and Letts, who is just basically an amoral, animalistic predator. (That face, when he’s coming at Tess to abduct her. Yikes! That’s one of the most revolting things I’ve seen on the silent screen.)

Funny titles: "I wants a smack." / "Sure, I got a smack fer ye."

The dramatic transformation of Elias was very moving and though sudden, I thought it was convincing, given the extreme circumstances. It took this kind of personal tragedy to make him realize the falseness of the life he’d been living. I was impressed by the performance of David Torrence in this role. He made the change from a despicable ogre of a man into benign and truly humble figure believable. Even his whole appearance seemed to alter.

Ben Hersholt made a great villain as Letts, and Lloyd Hughes as Frederick and Gloria Hope as Teola were both effective in their roles. (I love that name Teola, by the way. Do you like it? I'd never heard it before.)

I also liked the contrast the story continually drew between Tess, who instinctively practiced true Christian love and faith though she was ignorant of the scriptures; and Elias, the “proper” churchgoer whose life until near the end was in reality the exact opposite of Christian love. This film really took smug hypocrites to task.

The direction and cinematography were both masterful. This is pretty complex story with a lot of elements to keep in balance. The pacing and crosscutting were very flowing and tight, and kept the story moving and engaging.

By the way, wasn't that scene where Frederick is teaching her to read from the Bible beautifully filmed? The lighting there is absolutely fantastic. Just one example of great framing and lighting of scenes. This is one I'd like to have a pristine print of.

I was my usual slow self at catching onto some of the plot elements. I did not realize Teola was pregnant until after she was rescued. (Oh...so that’s why she told him they needed to get married right away. And why they seemed to be distraught instead of happy. And why her father's absence gave her temporary relief. Ohhhhhhhhhh... ) And then, later when I was working on the score, I noticed she does mouth “I’m pregnant” and then he echoes it. Okay, maybe I was blinking?

I also was surprised at the reference to Teola’s death in the final scenes. Were we supposed to assume she’d died when sat down there in church? I did notice the dark circles under her eyes earlier, which was intended as the foreshadowing.

So, a dum good film air what I’d call it. —mainly due to the spectacular performance of Mary Pickford. I will however have to say that the ending scenes bothered me to the extent that I felt a little down at the end because of the dark outcomes (though there was the ray of light at the end). I really hoped that the little child would recover. And my heart broke for Teola. What a tragic and moving situation.

Were you left with a bitter taste at the end? Or did the reunion of the lovers at the end brighten things for you?

By the way, I didn’t realize until looking this up on IMDb that it is actually a remake of Pickford’s 1914 version.

[Kitty]

I watched Moran of the Lady Letty

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I thought this was an exciting adventure film, though as Donnie observed, was not Valentino's best picture. He is very cute in this, though, I have to say! I have to agree, again, with Donnie, that much of the film is not believable, and there's not much character development in this one. There is also the unfortunate aspect of the stereotypical dialect that is given to the chinese man. This makes the film a bit less enjoyable for me.

This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the film, because there were a couple things that I found amusing. I can definitely sympathize with Ramon's line --- "At times I feel like chucking this crowd -- running away somewhere, just to escape from it all." Doesn't everyone feel like this at one time or another?
And another quote of his, "You all may all think I'm crazy but -- I'm a different sort than I went away." This was so badly written. He may as well have said "All y'all gonna think I'm crazy but, I'm not the same as all I was before."

And at 26:05 it looks to me like she's calling them a naughty word after it says "you cowardly dogs". She could he saying 'Father'... but that's a weird part to be saying that.

And at the bottom leg of the film when he arrives home, you can clearly see the man he shakes hands with says "Back from the dead!" I love when you can read the actors' lips so clearly.


But my favorite parts are things that would probably be unnoticed by the casual viewer and Donnie noticed part of it. Let me explain.

The first thing I noticed in this department was the Fantomas poster at 13:08. I agree with Donnie that this may very well be a poster for the lost 1920 film, though I actually had not realized that there even was a 1920 adaptation before I read your comment. The basis of this 99% sureness that it is a theatrical poster for the 1920 Fantomas is that the other poster that we can see well enough is Elmo Lincoln in Under Crimson Skies, which is also a 1920 film! It just makes sense.

The research I spent most of my time on was that newspaper page at 20:06 announcing Ramon being not yet found. There are a couple curious things about the surrounding articles.
1. On the right of the fictitious article that we are supposed to be focused on, there is an ad for Ruth Chatterton and Clive Brook in Anybody's Woman --- a film that came out in 1930. Can anyone shed some light on this? I couldn't find an earlier adaptation of this with those very actors. Here is the photo that is cut off in the article. It seems to be the same photo sans necklace.

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2. On the Left is an article about a young woman Gertrude Gorman, who was having dinner with family and friends when they spied an intruder in the house. The article on the screen isn't as exciting and informative as this one, so here's the best one out of the three I could find. The incident took place on March 10, 1901, and the below article is from the New York Daily Tribune. On a slightly unrelated note: It's really very shocking how much information that newspapers would give out for where people were going, when they were going, and what they were doing in their lives. Maybe it's just because Gorman was a socialite? Even more so, I'd not want people to know when and where I was vacationing. OK, on to the newspaper article.

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Back to the subject on hand, the film was good, and I'd recommend it to any adventure/Valentino fan out there.

[donnie]

Glad you're back to the fest.
Responses:

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agree with Donnie that this may very well be a poster for the lost 1920 film, though I actually had not realized that there even was a 1920 adaptation before I read your comment.

Nor did I. I've done some background reading on that and the other Louis Feuillade serials, and I'd never run across that before.

1. On the right of the fictitious article that we are supposed to be focused on, there is an ad for Ruth Chatterton and Clive Brook in Anybody's Woman --- a film that came out in 1930. Can anyone shed some light on this? I couldn't find an earlier adaptation of this with those very actors. Here is the photo that is cut off in the article. It seems to be the same photo sans necklace.

Good catch! Now that's extremely odd, isn't it? I could not find any mention of an earlier version, either; in fact, according to IMDb and Wikipedia, Chatterton's first film was in 1928. So...how the heck did this get into a 1922 film?? Something strange going on there. I'd like to know the story on that one.

The article on the screen isn't as exciting and informative as this one...

I don't see how you made enough out of the onscreen one to tell. It was pretty blurry to me. At any rate, the more interesting one reads almost more like short story than a newspaper article doesn’t it? News articles would be a lot more informative—and entertaining—if you got those kinds of details. (On the other hand, with a lot of today's news, I don't know if I want the details. )

“He was unable to explain why he had closed the door with himself on the inside.”
Yeah. That did kind of put a fly in the ointment, didn't it?

One last thing, in terms of the believability, I also found the behavior of the pirate crew to be a little too good to be true. If I remember correctly, didn't they kind of morph from being a gang of rough-and-ready criminals into sort of good-natured would-be protective older brothers for Moran?
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[Kitty]

I just finished Tess of the Storm Country.

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This is a really good story, and I liked it very much. I had not realized until reading Donnie's comment that Teola had died...I thought she'd just passed out. I loved how Tess baptized the baby herself, since everyone else so cruelly refused. I didn't know there was a 1914 version.

I don't think I'd be able to add much more in the way of comment --- Donnie said it all.

The name Teola I hadn't heard of, either, and to answer the question, I don't have an opinion one way or the other about it.

The ending reunion was a little too tacked on, in my opinion. I want him to grovel a little.... But the real ending is good, too.