Tweet Announcing the 1st Annual "Watch That Movie" Night

SCARAMOUCHE (1923), Dir. Rex Ingram

I realized that I probably never watched this before because I had seen the 1952 version with Stewart Granger and didn't like it much at all. What I remember most about that one is that it provided me with a nice nap at some point... But I recall that it focused way more on the theatre part of the story, and that the actress character played by Eleanor Parker was much more prominent than her counterpart Climène in the '23 version. The overall tone of the '52 version was more playful and jokey and not so serious. So I was pleasantly surprised to find there was a lot more substance to the story in the '23 version.

I'll forego a plot synopsis, as I'm assuming that many of you have already seen this, and I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't. I was unimpressed by Alice Terry - she basically does a lot of cowering and observing and looking upset. Novarro was all right, but I felt like any leading man of the day could have stepped into the role just as well. And their love story was pretty uninspiring - I didn't care one way or another if they ever got together. But I certainly did enjoy what was the main story, the Novarro-Stone conflict and the not-so-surprising revelations of certain relationships in the end. I really enjoyed Stone as the villain, and the nice little touches that painted him so - like him looking curiously at the woman with the baby. The film dragged quite a bit for me about mid-way through, but was reinvigorated once the French Revolution picked up some steam. I barely remember the setting being the French Revolution in the '52 version, so a lot of the story was actually much newer to me than I had expected.

I was struck by how much the actors playing Danton and Napoleon reminded me of those in Gance's NAPOLEON, at least in how they were posed/photographed, as well as the marching revolutionaries at the end. I suppose they both - Ingram and Gance - were probably taking their cues from artistic renderings of the men and the times, but it would be interesting if SCARAMOUCHE had been any kind of an influence on Gance.

The "print" I watched is one that I had taped off of TCM several years ago, with a score by Jeffrey Mark Silverman, and a running time of just over two hours. The score was good overall, although I did note one particular spot where the musical theme of a scene continued completely through the next intertitle - an intertitle that signified a marked shift in the story, and so the music seemed to be lagging a bit behind contextually. But it was just the once. I think the film would play much better on a big screen with an audience and live music (of course!) - it would have been a more rousing experience. But I can certainly see myself revisiting it sometime in the future to give it a closer viewing, whether on my TV or in a theatre. After I've worked my way through all the other silents I'm behind on!

My selection is the Image DVD including Marion Davies 1927 film QUALITY STREET. (The title of the DVD is CAPTURED ON FILM: THE TRUE STORY OF MARION DAVIES, as that is the name of the hour long documentary that is the lead item on the disc. QUALITY STREET is a rather sizable bonus feature!

First a bit of background: QUALITY STREET is adapted from a play by James M. Barrie, author of PETER PAN. It had a lackluster premiere in New York (1901) followed the following year by a very success full run in London. From the synopsis of the play (available at Wikipedia) I would say that the M-G-M/Marion Davies Production is an extremely faithful version of Barrie's original.

Dr. Valentine Brown (Conrad Nagel), one of the most eligible bachelors, joins up to fight the war against Napoleon, offering his lady, not the proposal of marriage she was expecting, but a hurried farewell.

The lady is the once vivacious Phoebe Throssel (Marion Davies), who finds herself left alone with her sister Susan (Helen Jerome Eddy) to deal with the hardships frequently endured by those who mind the home front. To make ends meet they turn their house into a school, and Phoebe’s vibrancy is dimmed by a life unlike the one she expected.

Years pass, and Captain Brown, older, but apparently none the worse for war, returns home with the intention to offer the long delayed proposal which Phoebe once expected. When he sees the drab, colorless person she has become, he is so taken aback that he defers that offer yet again.

Phoebe is so angered by her suitor's apparent shock at the change in her ("I am tired of being ladylike!"); she determines to present him with a fantasy distortion of her former self, pretending to be her own niece Miss Livvy. When Captain Brown is introduced to the new visitor, he remarks on the extraordinary likeness she has to her aunt, but soon realizes that Miss Livvy's personality is NOT ladylike - she is forward and an awful flirt!

But having created Livvy, Phoebe finds she is not easy to get rid of, and worries that her attempt to teach Captain Brown a lesson might result in the long delayed proposal being offered to a person who does not really exist,

I had previously seen SHOW PEOPLE, THE PATSY, TILLIE THE TOILER, WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER and JANICE MEREDITH (I have listed them in order of my preference) and I would rank QUALITY STREET somewhere in the middle. Since I have such a high opinion of SHOW PEOPLE and THE PATSY, that means I considered QUALITY STREET to be a very entertaining picture. Although my description above does not emphasize it, there are a fair number of moments where Davies can exhibit her comedic skill, as well as time for (generally subtle) dramatics. One thing that struck me was the high level of performance by the entire cast, down to some of the children in the school scenes. Although Davies role is the biggest, both Conrad Nagel and Helen Jerome Eddy create characters we can care for.

The print used for the preparation of the DVD has intermittent nitrate decomposition present. None of it is so bad for so long that it undermines the enjoyment of the picture, but this could be why it was used as an "extra" and not released on its own disc.

The piano score for the film is performed by Dr. Philip Carli, and as is usual for his work, supports the film admirably and lends coloring to the characters, dramatic situations and energizes the pacing of the production.

As for CAPTURED ON FILM, it is good to see a presentation of Davies career and life that is supportive of her as both person and performer, but while it's completely competent, I can't say that I found it especially memorable. I recommend the DVD, but I'd consider the documentary to be the bonus feature.

And, Greta, does your library lend dvds to people in New York? I'm quite agreeable to paying postage and insurance both ways.


Bob

No, i'm afraid they don't do interlibrary loan on videos. I don't suppose Netflicks will pick this one up, will they?

greta

Last night I snuggled on the couch with my kitty and popped in the Photoplay restoration of Orphans of the Storm (courtesy another N-Villain).

Um.

Fred

As has been cited in another thread, any film that has a title introducing Robespierre as "the original pussyfooter" is OK in my book.

And I still remember, fondly (?) my original experience with this magnum opus. I was good throughout the screening. And I mean *really* good - until we got to the guillotine - and then something took over and I started to sing. Not opera-voice loud, but loud enough to be heard:

"Gish heads, Gish heads,
rolly polly Gish heads..."

Well, we curled up with cocktails in hand to enjoy Cecil's Manslaughter.

Perhaps this was the wrong choice, coming too soon after the sublime, later and similarly plotted The Godless Girl a month or so before.

The first couple of reels were filled with promise, including stalwarth Thomas Meighan comparing the 20s with imperial Rome (and necessary orgy flashbacks) but when they brought out the pogo sticks and the racing ladies paled in comparison to my memories of that staple of the 1970s - The Network Battle of the T's and A's - I knew that Mr. DeMille was on a cheese diet.

Once again our Godless (or at least, good-time) girl, Leatrice Joy is loved, somewhat from afar from a way too square suitor (this time, Thomas Meighan) but her cavalier actions result in the death of a third party, landing her in jail on a manslaughter charge.

This time, she is befriended in stir by her maid (there for stealing Ms. Joy's jewelry - long story), Lois Wilson, who helps her see the light.

Now, I rejoice at any chance to see Thomas Meighan and I'm doubly surprised at myself for letting this DVD sit on the shelf for so long, but there we are. Unfortunately, Tommy is called upon to be über-stiff during the first half of the film and it is only towards the end, when he battles the bottle that he becomes interesting.

And while I am generally kinder to recorded scores than many folks here on Nitrateville, I have to state that much of the music provided by the Alloy Orchestra - especially the overuse of saws (?) - fails to capture the outre feeling of Roaring Twenties youth and Mr. De Mille's own chesse factory.

Final verdict - Manslaughter is to DeMille what Merry-Go-Round is to Von Stroheim. Once you see the later, more mature work on the theme (The Godless Girl and The Wedding March, repectively) there's little reason, except for the sake of completeness, to revisit the earlier effort.

If there's time to watch The Cheat (the comnpanion feature on this DVD) by midnight tomorrow - I will report back on that as well.

I've devoted more thought to Manslaughter than any normal human being should--I've watched it maybe four times, and the good elements can come out when the film is given enough contemplation.

Probably the weakest parts of the film are a couple of plot points--in real life, there's not a chance that Dan O'Bannon would be allowed to prosecute Lydia Thorne, since they're pretty clearly in a relationship. The way O'Bannon goes after her resembles a personal attempt at conversion rather than an impartial pursuit of justice, and comes across heavy-handed. And at the end


[spoilers ahead]


it's almost unbelievable that no one pointed out to Dan and Lydia *until the election was virtually called* that she was ineligible to be first lady of New York because of her criminal record. These plot elements are far too convenient, and probably diminish the impact of the film.

On the positive side, however, are the thematic links not only with The Godless Girl but also The Cheat. As with Edith Hardy, Lydia Thorne is selfish and reckless but not evil (notice the momentary distress on her face when she realises that she's missed her maid's court date), and both characters inhabit more of an ethical gray area than some writers have been willing to credit to deptictions of women in the silent era. Lydia retains her wealth and social position, and isn't condemned to a painful end. (Aside from the ancient flashback, there's not much overt sex in Manslaughter, but Lydia's own history is more of an open question--she plays a card game to see if she'll marry one of her slimy friends, which might suggest other things--and yet she's never treated as an irredeemable outcast.)

As with The Godless Girl, we have two characters with fairly rigid views who learn to be more tolerant. If the audience is meant to be convinced that Lydia's behaviour is destructive, we also learn--to our great surprise--that the film seems to be no more accepting of O'Bannon's zealous tactics. He becomes an alcoholic in a dingy apartment and is filled with remorse over his treatment of Lydia (the scene where Meighan attempts to overcome the bottle is the film's most powerful moment, and a rebuke to those who say DeMille couldn't direct actors--or if not that, an example of how powerful an actor Meighan could be).

Most of DeMille's personal prints went to the George Eastman House, and I'm wondering if they have better material on Manslaughter than what's on the Kino DVD. I suspect that some of the titles had hand-painted colour, as with The Affairs of Anatol, and a good print might improve the film--if one survives ('tis just an observation, I'm grateful for all the pleasure the Kino disc has given me too). A more appropriate score might be helpful as well.

How does the 1930 version with Claudette Colbert and Fredric March compare?

-Harold

I've now watched the Feuillade discs from the Gaumont set. They are arranged by genre rather than chronologically, so it's a little harder to watch them develop over time. They are overall more interesting than the Guy films, but they are also all later films in more sophisticated filmmaking style, so that isn't a fair comparison. The genres are varied, from heavy dramas, to feeries (a genre apparently about women gamboling about while swathed in chiffon), to comedies, including two of the children's series (Bebe and Boule de Zan). My husband and i were charmed by the film with the elephant, who was a great deal more interesting than any of the actors. The "historical" films were interesting, again with a great technical and stylistic improvement over the earlier Guy films. "L'Agonie du Byzance" (1913) make for an interesting comparison with Judith of Bethulia, since Judith has its battle scenes in those impressive outdoor sets, while the Feuillade film make excellent use of a mix of built and painted sets and looks to be shot indoors.

Extras on disc 1 include some scenes of filming and an introduction to some of Fuillades' stock company, including our friends from Les Vampyres and Judex.

The 2nd disc has some films of a series called "La vie telle qu'elle est." These are quite good, even the first one from 1909 is clearly told. The second, Le Trust, is already veering into the territory of the serials, with some familiar cast members already turning up. La Tare concerns a woman who can't escape her past, Le Nain is about a midget (starring the guy in Zero le Conduit) and La Hantise has a miniature of the Titanic going down. Unfortunately that one is incomplete (and the explanatory titles aren't too helpful if your French isn't so great). Extras give more information about these and other films in the series.

Leonce Perret up next, though it will take me a while to get through the 3 discs of that bunch. I know that's after the time limit for our film festival here, but since nobody else seems to have the set yet, you might find it useful. I don't think i've ever seen anything of his.

greta

Last night I snuggled on the couch with my kitty and popped in the Photoplay restoration of Orphans of the Storm (courtesy another N-Villain).

Um.

Fred

As has been cited in another thread, any film that has a title introducing Robespierre as "the original pussyfooter" is OK in my book.

And I still remember, fondly (?) my original experience with this magnum opus. I was good throughout the screening. And I mean *really* good - until we got to the guillotine - and then something took over and I started to sing. Not opera-voice loud, but loud enough to be heard:

"Gish heads, Gish heads,
rolly polly Gish heads..."

LOL that is fantastic!

My dust gathering DVD was BLOOD & SAND, the 1922 Rudolph Valentino film. The DVD had been sitting unopened for about two years. Frankly, I really wasn’t overly interested in seeing this film but had been somewhat goaded into it’s purchase. Whenever someone found out I was a silent movie fan, they would bring up the only stars they knew; Chaplin, Pickford and Valentino, at which point I would confess that I couldn’t really comment of the latter, as I’d never viewed an entire film. Of course, at that point I lost all credibility as a silent movie buff. So, BLOOD & SAND was purchased to plug the hole in the library.

Plot Synopsis (spoiler ahead): Valentino, playing a poor but aspiring matador weds the girl next door (Lita Lee) and upon his success falls under the clutches of a vamp, played by Nita Naldi. Of course, he’s torn between the two and the inevitable confrontation between the two women take place. His anguish causes him to lose concentration in the ring and he pays the ultimate price, but not before he is reconciled with his wife.

From what I’d read this was one of Valentino’s better films, but the viewing was extremely trying. The vamp does not even appear until halfway through the film and until that time it drags excessively. This section could easily have been pruned of 15-20 minutes and a supporting character or two. I was also dismayed by Valentino’s entrance upon his return home after his first kill. Here, staring at me from the screen, was justification for the ridicule that male patrons had heaped upon the Latin Lover almost a century ago. It was all too much, so I decided upon a 24 hour intermission.

While the second half was much improved, it did not compensate for the previous night’s viewing. Valentino had his moments but I did not come away impressed. Naldi’s portrayal was good for the era. Lee looked very charming, but had limited opportunity to express herself. In general, I found the film too melodramatic and stagy for an era when more naturalness and realism was making it’s way into film.

What I found most amusing about the entire film, was the apparent fun that was being poked at Valentino. Perhaps I am way off base, but it seemed to me that the writers were mocking Valentino’s real relationships, much the way that Rock Hudson was in his Doris Day pictures. Be it truth or myth, common perception is that Valentino’s two marriages were not consummated. In the film, his wife has an obvious trepidation about her wifely duties on their wedding night and they remain childless despite her husband’s adoration for children. Even with the vamp, the extent of the relationship is questionable and her dominance of Valentino’s character, especially in the presence of his wife, suggests the real life domination by his second wife. Maybe I’m reading too much into this but this aspect amused me and made the viewing bearable.

The production values were a disappointment too. The sets were too anti-septic for my liking. The use of stock footage for many of the stadium scenes was glaringly obvious. The bull fighting scenes were too brief and unconvincing with the exception of the final, where the more graphic nature and improved quality of the stock footage was effectively edited with studio footage of Valentino.

Overall, the condition of the print was good, with very good gray scale, though marred by numerous fine scratches, speckling, and mild flickering.

Perhaps the best aspect of the presentation was the soundtrack. It was totally non-obtrusive, playing almost subliminally in the background, affecting my moods without perception. And that, in my opinion, is the way it should be, for typical drama of this style.

My DVD player did not like this film either. Besides my self-imposed, 24 hour intermission, there were numerous, involuntary ones throughout the first night. Oddly, they disappeared the following night.

If you haven’t guessed by now, I can’t recommend this film on it’s own merit. However, it is amusing for the apparent lampooning of Valentino’s real life. For that alone, it may justify another viewing, after I refresh myself with a few of his biographies.

My dust gathering DVD was BLOOD & SAND, the 1922 Rudolph Valentino film. The DVD had been sitting unopened for about two years. Frankly, I really wasn’t overly interested in seeing this film but had been somewhat goaded into it’s purchase. Whenever someone found out I was a silent movie fan, they would bring up the only stars they knew; Chaplin, Pickford and Valentino, at which point I would confess that I couldn’t really comment of the latter, as I’d never viewed an entire film.

Ooh. I am so sorry. If I had known in advance that B&S - on DVD - would be your introduction to Rudy, I could have headed you off at the pass.

Rudy's three best films - and best introduction to modern audiences - are FOUR HORSEMEN, THE EAGLE and SON OF THE SHEIK.

I've never been a big fan of B&S - but it's more a problem with the material than with Rudy's performance (I'm not a fan of the remake either.)

I think a big problem modern audiences have with Rudy is that he is either a nostril-flaring, over-the-top rapist (THE SHEIK) or way too passive with women (CAMILLE, COBRA, B&S.) When he is able to strike that happy medium - especially in his later films when he is having fun with his image - he's make-you-weak-in-the-knees charming.

(if I could go back in time and make my own silent film, it would be Rigoletto with Chaney as the jester and Rudy as the Duke.)

Your projecting Rudy's at-home relationship with his two wives onto the good & bad women in B&S is interesteding, but I'm 99 44/100% sure all that's in the original novel. Whether June Mathis tweaked the material to make it more *real* for Rudy to play is an interesting idea.

[Mike Gebert]

Yeah, I'd definitely give Son of the Sheik a shot next, he's having fun playing "himself" with a wink and it's a blast overall.

I've always had issues with Blood and Sand as well, but having scored it for Kino, I did spend a lot of time with it, and it definitely has its moments. The best bullfight (in my opinion) is not the climactic one (which suffers from using stock footage), but the very first one, in the small mountain arena. Since this was filmed with Valentino actually in the presence of the bulls it has an authenticity the others lack, and Valentino's expressions throughout the sequence are absolutely perfect. He's a prime athlete, enjoying his chosen sport.

I like the after-wedding sequence -- Lila is appropriately shy, and Valentino's kiss speaks volumes.

Nita Naldi walks off with the picture once she appears, and if you can buy the very concept of her character, which is rough sledding, she certainly acts the part very well. I love the dresses (that train!) and the architecture of her boudoir, and that servant!

If I'd been editor, the philosopher would have ended up on the floor. It's almost creepy that someone would have nothing better to do than write critical predictions about his neighbors' careers.

But since you've gotten through the film, I highly recommend a couple of parodies to cheer you up -- primarily Stan Laurel's MUD AND SAND, which has an amazing flamenco dance sequence and really should have been on the DVD, and to a lesser extent Disney's PUSS IN BOOTS, which contains a short parody (and which I found the other day on youtube.)

Nita Naldi walks off with the picture once she appears, and if you can buy the very concept of her character, which is rough sledding, she certainly acts the part very well. I love the dresses (that train!) and the architecture of her boudoir, and that servant!

And the grapes! Don't forget the grapes!

Fred
(whaddya mean, "rough sledding?" hrmph.)

And the grapes! Don't forget the grapes!

True. Any woman who can wear grapes on her hat to witness the defeat of the man she dropped like a used kleenex truly has a heart of ice.

[Mike Gebert]

12 hours to go for the contest-- if you haven't posted your comments on your Watch That Movie movie, do so today!

[Mike Gebert]

Okay, by my count that's 17 folks who watched a movie on Watch That Movie Night and reported on it, which is a roaring success, lots of great commentary on a wide range of movies, too many of which have been gathering dust in my collection as well and need to be viewed in the near future. Thanks to all who participated, and we'll have the drawing for The General DVD this afternoon (I promised my 7-year-old he could draw the winner).

[Mike Gebert]

We have a winner:




PM me with your address and I'll pass it along to Kino. Thanks again everybody, and even if you didn't manage to watch your movie in time, feel free to do so and add to the lineup of new reviews here.

Nita Naldi walks off with the picture once she appears, and if you can buy the very concept of her character, which is rough sledding, she certainly acts the part very well. I love the dresses (that train!) and the architecture of her boudoir, and that servant!

And the grapes! Don't forget the grapes!

Fred
(whaddya mean, "rough sledding?" hrmph.)

I personally would go for the male slaves. I like Blood and Sand (despite having the non Kino version and a really bad score to it). Valentino was fighting Famous Players at the time...he wanted to make it in Spain and be in the bull ring (after viewing a bull fight in Spain he reportedly got so in to it he vowed he'd quit acting to become a real bull fighter). But Famous Players was cheap and scared...so nope.

I wouldnt say its his BEST film but its a good one. And I love Nita in it...shes fantastic! If Theda Bara had a successor it was definitly Nita. The whole affair was a little over the top but I still think Valentino acted well in it (and Nita too...Lila Lee was a little dull but no fault of her own I think). Id agree with the above...The Eagle and Son of the Sheik are some of his best work. I wish he would have lived longer...I think he was just hitting his peak acting wise when he died.

Nice choice of box, Mike. Very appropriate. Congratulations to the winner!

One of the things about Valentino's acting that impresses me is his ability to change his movement and his pacing from character to character. In some ways this may stem from his background as a dancer, but it is a beautiful ability in any actor, and especially telling in silent movies.

Bob

One of the things about Valentino's acting that impresses me is his ability to change his movement and his pacing from character to character. In some ways this may stem from his background as a dancer, but it is a beautiful ability in any actor, and especially telling in silent movies.

Bob

I wish more info was out about why and how he became an actor. Paul Ivano suggested it, and he jumped into it for the money (and sick of the dancing)...but for someone who just kinda fell into it he was AMAZING. Not enough credit is given considering.

Also a lot of people think that Natacha Rambova, Alla Nazimova, or June Mathis taught him how to act and he was all 'Sheik-y' before that. In his earliest surviving films (I'll cite Eyes of Youth and All Night) that naturalistic acting style is clear...any time he ever overacted was very rare and usually plot/director suggested (The Sheik, parts of the infamous Isle of Love...MOUSTACHE TWISTING!). I love All Night...maybe I should watch that next night (I havent seen it in awhile).

According to Norman Mackenzies's biography, Rudy was tired of the constant advances of his dance partners and one particular incident broke the camel's back.

Reportedly, he ventured into acting on the advice of Norman Kerry, whom he had met while studying aviation. Kerry billeted Rudy upon his arrival in Los Angeles and introduced him to several studio VIPs but received no offers. He continued to make the rounds to the studios and eventually landed a few parts in films that Emmert Flynn was directing.

However, his big break was a chance meeting with Mae Murray, whom he had known in New York. He was featured in two of Murray's films which boosted his status and led to ever improving contacts and offers.

BTW, thank-you to everybody for their comments on BLOOD & SAND. Unfortunately, my local library does not have the literary source, so I will be unable to delve deeper in my assumption on the characterization.

Based on your consensus it appears that my next Valentino film will be SON OF THE SHIEK. Though I'm wondering if I have to suffer through THE SHIEK to fully appreciate what sounds like a tongue-in-cheek performance?

Also, I would like to publically extend a big thank-you to Mike for organizing the contest and his novel method of announcing the winner. Also, a nod of appeciation to Kino for their support and generous offer of the prize. Finally, a big thank-you to everybody who participated. It's the interaction that made it so much more fun than a normal contest. I really wish I could invite you all over for a viewing but I suspect that Jim is the only forum member that is even remotely close and even he would have to put up with 3 hours of driving. Then again, most you probably already own the DVD.

Though I'm wondering if I have to suffer through THE SHIEK to fully appreciate what sounds like a tongue-in-cheek performance?

Not at all. I saw SotS first and loved it. It's a blast all by itself.

Though I'm wondering if I have to suffer through THE SHIEK to fully appreciate what sounds like a tongue-in-cheek performance?

Not at all. I saw SotS first and loved it. It's a blast all by itself.

Well there are various points in his life that point who and what turned him to acting; but its never like he was in plays (beyond the rumored musical troupe which took him to Frisco) and its even unknown when he would have first seen a movie...likely in New York or Frisco again. Given that its just remarkable he became as skilled as he did. He was a natural!

And as for the above quote I definitly agree. As much as I love Valentino "The Sheik" is a let down on all accounts. I guess the sillier points are straight from the novel and the director has both Rudy and Agnes overacting at various points (EYE POPPING!) Also the censors cut the story to shreds. The rape scene in Son of the Sheik is pretty hot despite the fact that it would be pretty mild today. The rape scene in The Sheik is so boring it took me 2 viewings to figure out WHEN it was supposed to have occured. Too mild...waaaaaay too mild. But it did enough in 1921 I guess.

Son of the Sheik basically takes the Sheik and thats it. It does refrence the original as we see the first Sheik and his wife (the parents of this new sheik) in some great double acting by Rudy. The scene where he argues with himself is probably one of my favoritest of all times. But beyond that Son of the Sheik is WAAAY superior and nope no need to suffer through the Sheik unless your curious.

Just for the sake of completeness, i'll finish off my comments on the Gaumont v. 1 set.

The last 3 discs are devoted to Leonce Perret,
who was someone that i knew nothing about. Looks like he started as a
director and actor at Gaumont in 1909, and was starring in a comedy
series from 1913 to 1916. After that he quit acting to concentrate on
directing (including Swanson's Madame Sans Gene), and was active up
until his death in 1935.

The first disc has a variety of films, most of which star Leonce and
Suzanne Grandais. Moliere (1909) also has Abel Gance as part of the cast
and crew and is a pretty accomplished film for 1909. L'Express
Matrimonial is comedy starring Leonce (and includes the old gag about
kissing the wrong woman in a train tunnel). Le Chrysantheme Rouge was
supposed to be a comedy but had some unexpected gruesomeness, and Dents de fer was a real "eewwwwwww!" movie. I liked L'Automne du coeur whereLeonce played a middle aged violin teacher in love with his pupil, and i never quite figured out what was going on in Sur les Rails except that the title was literal. This disc finished with the short feature Le
Mystere des Roches de Kador (1912) which isn't exactly a mystery, but is
a pretty good suspense film in which Leonce is the villain, and part of
the plot hinges on a doctor who the titles describe as using the
cinematograph as a tool in psychology. And so he does, making one odder
movies within a movie.

Disc 2 had two short comedies in the Leonce series and two in the Oscar
series. Leonce of course plays himself, and these were amusing, though
there tended to be a bit too much speaking to the camera. Leonce
cinematographiste had some fun backstage stuff at the Gaumont studio,
and my husband was particularly amused by Leonce aime les moreilles,
where Leonce and his wife tricked an Englishman into eating a sponge (he
usually doesn't care for comedies). The Oscar films were interesting,
about the amorous adventures of a middle aged balding man, with many
scenes of noted Parisian sights. Also included on the disc was the
feature L'Enfant de Paris, a melodramatic story about a little girl who
falls into the hands of criminal, and of the young man who befriends her
and sets out to rescue her. The acting wasn't the best, but the story
was interesting and well handled, and the photography was terrific.

The last disc had the 1914 film Le Roman d'un Mousse. This was a leisurely-paced story concerning a man who owed money to a moneylender, and together they hatched a plot for him to marry a rich widow with a son, and then do away with them both and inherit the money. Of course the plot goes awry and the plot twists and turns end up with two parallel story lines that need to be wrapped up at the end. My husband and i both enjoyed watching this on a cold rainy morning, and found it reasonably engrossing and suspenseful, and quite good for a 1914 feature.

These films seemed pictorially richer than the Guy and Feuillade films
on the set, and the photography was often quite lovely. He seems particularly fond of silhouette effects. There are more
and longer intertitles than in the previous films, though still sparser
than in the 20s, but a lot of the goings on are conveyed in letters (and
not always in particularly good handwriting). But usually they were not
difficult to follow even with my poor French.

I think this is quite a worthwhile set to seek out, even if you have to watch it on your computer unless your TV will do PAL.

greta