Colleen Moore and why she quit talkies...

misspickford9 · Post by **misspickford9** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:24 am

To short to do an article on, but too precious to not post anywhere else.

Miles Kreuger who runs the American Musical Institute was present at the Colleen Moore screening last night. As a kid in New York Miles went to the MOMA all the time, and as a result got to meet all sorts of silent people including Mr. Griffith (now THAT story I did put on FTT). According to him this story has never been in print anywhere, so I'll take his word for it.

He knew Colleen in the 60s and said he had seen her few talkies, and she is wonderful in them. He asked her why she quit talkies considering she was still doing well at that time and she adapted so easily to them. Apparently the reply would be one of those things you wouldnt even guess at.

Colleen as everyone knows, had two different colored eyes. On the film stock her silents used this was pretty hard to detect. When talkies came they switched stock (I want to see panchromatic to oro chromatic or something like that...dont shoot me Im not good with those technicalities!) and now you could detect she had two different colored eyes. Apparently this upset her so much THAT'S why she retired!

Bonus story: he said at one retrospective screening in the 60s she and King Vidor both attended...and apparently they were like little school children they were so in love! Her husband was dead by that time and I guess they had been *thisclose* to being engaged in the 20s, but never did. Something they apparently regretted.

The Silent Movie Theatre showed Ella Cinders and Orchids and Ermines. I'm guessing the first one wasnt complete otherwise its plot kind of stops abruptly. I liked Orchids and Ermines way better...the man who played the billionaire was superb...doesnt seem he had any other major roles but he was a wonderful comedian!

R Michael Pyle · Post by **R Michael Pyle** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:00 am

misspickford9 wrote:I liked Orchids and Ermines way better...the man who played the billionaire was superb...doesnt seem he had any other major roles but he was a wonderful comedian!

If you mean Jack Mulhall, he was in over 400 films in a career that lasted for fifty years. He was a leading man in late silent and early sound poverty row productions, too. Actually, he was quite well known, maybe not as a comedian, but you could certainly find him around if you wanted. If you mean Sam Hardy, the valet with whom he traded identities, he, too, was quite prominent in film, though his voice was very gruff, so in sound films he usually was a heavy of some sort. Curious, by the way, that the IMDb says he was noted for his "sartorial" voice. Yeah, right. By the way he even played Simon Legree in the 1918 silent of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" with Marguerite Clark. He died in 1935, but he'd already been in films for over twenty years.

Harold Aherne · Post by **Harold Aherne** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:58 am

This is an extremely interesting story and only makes me wish I could have known Colleen, among so many other people. By all appearances, she was a wonderful person with a real joie de vivre.

But I'm not buying her account for a moment. I've seen The Power and the Glory and Success at Any Price and there's nothing remotely unusual about the appearance of her eyes. And besides, if she was that concerned about the different hues why would she allow herself/be allowed to appear in Technicolor for parts of Irene and Footlights and Fools? I suppose seeing her face on a big screen might lead to a different impression, but I don't think her eye colours were *so* far apart that they'd be noticeable in B&W. Besides, she mentions nothing about her eye colours leading to retirement in Silent Star.

The real reason for Colleen's retirement, I suspect, has to do with the breakdown of her marriage to John McCormick and the resulting emotional toll (reportedly WB offered her a new contract in 1929 but he rejected it). She also didn't really need to work, although she spent an idle year at MGM in 1932-33 and made four additional films. It could be that the eye colour story simply had less emotional baggage for her and was plausible enough back when there weren't internet message boards where her story would be dissected like Johan Aasen.

-Harold

Post by **Mike Gebert** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:35 am

She'd been working since she was a kid, she was rich, she saw a lot of new younger faces she'd have to struggle against to maintain her position. There's no mystery why Moore decided to take it easy and go out on more or less on top.

Years later, she invented a cute story to explain it...

gjohnson · Post by **gjohnson** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:46 am

...but that husband of hers did wreck her emotionally so I could see escaping from the industry that created him.

Gary J.

Post by **Danny Burk** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:48 am

The points about film stock don't hold water either. The older film type (orthochromatic) doesn't register blue, whereas Panchromatic does. This means that Colleen's one blue eye would photograph much lighter on the older stock than the new one, not the other way around.

Chris Snowden · Post by **Chris Snowden** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:57 am

This is purely speculation on my part, but Colleen stumbled badly with Smiling Irish Eyes (1929), just as her contract was coming up for renewal. Warner Bros had just acquired her in their deal for First National, and I'm guessing they declined to offer her the kind of salary she'd been getting in silents, and her producer/husband wouldn't accept less. When no one else stepped up to offer her a contract at $10,000 or so every week, Colleen just stayed home for a couple of years and then took what she could get.

Warners inherited another high-priced silent star in Richard Barthelmess, and they did all they could to get him to take a massive cut in salary because his talkies weren't doing as well as his silents either.

misspickford9 · Post by **misspickford9** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 11:04 am

Hmm interesting stuff. Personally I've only seen those 2 films but I thought it was an interesting story.

I think I hate nothing more than the talkie myth...if Raymond Griffith could make talkies ANYONE could...

Gagman 66 · Post by **Gagman 66** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:32 pm

MissPickford,

These were both 16 Millimeter prints, because I saw the add that stated they would be. However, I think I read someplace that there was a 35 millimeter of ELLA CINDERS? I am not sure about ORCHIDS AND ERMINE. But I hope that there is. So were they good 16 Millimeter prints though? The versions I have seen of ELLA CINDERS only run about 50 minutes, and you can tell that footage is missing.

Rich is upgrading at Sunrise Silents releasing a new version of ELLA CINDERS, and He already had the best print by far that I had seen. He plans to re-release ORCHIDS AND ERMINE too, from improved source material. The first of these should be out in the coming month.

Hey, I need help here. Where can I find higher resolution images of these Colleen Moore photos, among many others? I colorized them anyway, but they are low resolotion graphics to say the least. There must be better versions elsewhere? Thanks in advance.

misspickford9 · Post by **misspickford9** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:36 pm

According to the website:

Ella Cinders Dir. Alfred E. Green, 1926, 16mm, 75 min.
Orchids and Ermine Dir. Alfred Santell, 1927, 16mm, 70 min.

Ella Cinders ran longer than 50 mins, but it did seem abrupt at the end. She gets famous and is filming a movie as a scrub woman and her beau shows up and kidnaps her on a passing train and then they live happily ever after. Of course maybe that was the original ending...very Mack Sennett in its plot development.

Colleen was good enough, but I felt she was a poor man's Mabel. She was everything Mabel could have been in the late 20s if well...life hadnt gone the way it had. And yes the billionaire was fantastic! I looked up his IMDB and he had a ton of credits, but it seemed no real major parts in major films (though small parts in major films). What a shame!

Gagman 66 · Post by **Gagman 66** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:39 pm

OUCH! I would never describe Colleen Moore as a "Poor Mans Mable Normand." That is pretty harsh! To me Colleen and Marion Davies, along with Constance Talmadge, they were the premier comediennes of the 20's. Although, one must not forget to mention Marie Prevost, and Phyllis Haver either. And Constance was making the same type of films Colleen and Marion were making much earlier. Colleen was also a very cable dramatic actress. And of course that's all Marion did until about 1926. I don't know why, but I laugh allot harder at ELLA CINDERS than I do THE EXTRA GIRL. Mabel's other surviving features are woefully incomplete.

But 75 minutes? Really? I sure have missed seeing a bunch of ELLA CINDERS unless they ran it very slow last night? Speedy (Waverboy) just asked what was missing of ELLA CINDERS last night in the other thread. Apparently a whole lot.

misspickford9 · Post by **misspickford9** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 11:10 pm

Gagman 66 wrote: OUCH! I would never describe Colleen Moore as a "Poor Mans Mable Normand." That is pretty harsh! To me Colleen and Marion Davies, along with Constance Talmadge, they were the premier comediennes of the 20's. Although, one must not forget to mention Marie Prevost, and Phyllis Haver either. And Constance was making the same type of films Colleen and Marion were making much earlier. Colleen was also a very cable dramatic actress. And of course that's all Marion did until about 1926. I don't know why, but I laugh allot harder at ELLA CINDERS than I do THE EXTRA GIRL. Mabel's other surviving features are woefully incomplete.

But 75 minutes? Really. I sure have missed seeing allot of ELLA CINDERS unless they ran it very slow last night? Speedy (Waverboy) just asked what was missing of ELLA CINDERS last night. Apparently a whole lot.

Oh I disagree completely, though I admit you have to see through the mistakes to enjoy the artiste` (her films suffered from Sennett not knowing how to end or make a feature in my opinion). Marie Prevost was fun, but I still think Marion Davies is overrated.

In the version last night it seemed rightly paced, and I didnt count but the entire screening went from 8pmish to almost 10:45ish (including a small interlude).

In this version shes the abused step daughter, has a bit in the barn that is pretty funny, babysits (complete with hand dance) to earn her photo money, has her photos taken (disastrously), almost misses the ball but ends up going. At the ball they laugh at her photo before she runs away, then later we find out she is the winner, and with great fanfare she goes to Hollywood. On the train a ton of Native Americans board, and when they arrived in Hollywood the press is waiting for THEM, not Ella. She goes to Gem studios to find out shes been gypped by a scam artist.

Determined she gate crashes at a bunch of studios before finally making it in after several attempts. She accidentally walks on to a scene, then in a lions cage, then back into a scene. The director likes her and hires her. We find out she's become a star and her beau back home wasnt just the ice man, hes actually a wealthy heir of some sort. He goes to Hollywood to find her determined to marry her. In the middle of shooting a film he whisks her away and then we see the couple and their child at their mansion and the end.

The ending seemed abrupt to me...but it was still a cute film. I still liked Orchids and Ermines way better (so much so I added it to the Valentino Film Festival lineup

)

Gagman 66 · Post by **Gagman 66** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 11:27 pm

Misspickford,

I probably like ORCHIDS AND ERMINE better too. Now I am wondering how much of that I haven't seen as well? At least a good reel. The Grapevine version I have runs about an hour. The print is really good by Grapevine Standards. Better than the Sunrise Silents version. But as I said, Rich has a much improved print now, and intends to make up a far better transfer and re-release it. Though why run it again so soon? Consider HER WILD OAT instead since it is 35 Millimeter and restored. IRENE is pretty good, and TWINKLETOES is terrific.

If the ReelClassic DVD version of ELLA CINDERS runs close to 75 minutes, I will definitely order a copy. Anyone have details?

misspickford9 · Post by **misspickford9** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 1:30 am

Gagman 66 wrote:Misspickford,

I probably like ORCHIDS AND ERMINE better too. Now I am wondering how much of that I haven't seen as well? At least a good reel. The Grapevine version I have runs about an hour. The print is really good by Grapevine Standards. Better than the Sunrise Silents version. But I as I said, Rich has a much improved print now, and intends to make up a far better transfer and re-release it. Though why run it again so soon? Consider HER WILD OAT instead since it is 35 Millimeter and restored. IRENE is pretty good, and TWINKLETOES is terrific.

If the ReelClassic DVD version of ELLA CINDERS runs close to 75 minutes, I will definitely order a copy. Anyone have details?

Meh May 2010 isnt that close time wise. I would like to run Irene as June Mathis (who discovered Valentino) had a huge hand in that. However I want to see it first!

Post by **Christopher Jacobs** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 1:27 pm

I'll concur that ORCHIDS AND ERMINE and ELLA CINDERS show Colleen Moore at her best and most entertaining. This may be because they were the first two titles of hers I ever saw. The more of her movies you see, however, the more you realize that each one is essentially a remake of the one that came before, with a few minor variations. IRENE is enjoyable, but nothing special (and too bad the color scene is so faded). Likewise HER WILD OAT. Both fun but very familiar-looking. TWINKLETOES is more of a curiosity, twisting her formula into a period setting, but can easily be disappointing without a really strong music score. LILAC TIME is sporadically impressive but often cloyingly cute. What we really need to find is a complete version of FLAMING YOUTH.

--Christopher Jacobs
http://www.und.edu/instruct/cjacobs
http://hpr1.com/film

rudyfan · Post by **rudyfan** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:03 pm

I thoroughly enjoyed Her Wild Oat when it screened as the SF fest last summer.

Chris Snowden · Post by **Chris Snowden** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:06 pm

One thing I've noticed from reading exhibitor reviews is that the Colleen Moore pictures were recycling the same basic storylines over and over, and audiences were beginning to get tired of that by 1927-28.

It's not too hard to see why, even with just the handful of typical Moore films in circulation. Her Wild Oat and Orchids and Ermine tell the same basic story, and Ella Cinders trots out the same old device of Colleen bagging a rich guy just as soon as it's finished recycling Mabel Normand's The Extra Girl.

First National gave her about one special a year (Twinkletoes, Lilac Time), but the only way they could make back the half-million they were paying her every year was by cranking out a lot of routine pictures the rest of the time. They're still delightful, especially when you only get to see three or four of them, and their redundancies aren't as apparent.

I wish we had more. She had saved prints of a number of her films over the years, and then donated them to MOMA so they'd be preserved for the ages. You can guess how that turned out.

misspickford9 · Post by **misspickford9** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:52 pm

Chris Snowden wrote:One thing I've noticed from reading exhibitor reviews is that the Colleen Moore pictures were recycling the same basic storylines over and over, and audiences were beginning to get tired of that by 1927-28.

It's not too hard to see why, even with just the handful of typical Moore films in circulation. Her Wild Oat and Orchids and Ermine tell the same basic story, and Ella Cinders trots out the same old device of Colleen bagging a rich guy just as soon as it's finished recycling Mabel Normand's The Extra Girl.

First National gave her about one special a year (Twinkletoes, Lilac Time), but the only way they could make back the half-million they were paying her every year was by cranking out a lot of routine pictures the rest of the time. They're still delightful, especially when you only get to see three or four of them, and their redundancies aren't as apparent.

I wish we had more. She had saved prints of a number of her films over the years, and then donated them to MOMA so they'd be preserved for the ages. You can guess how that turned out.

Exactly. At least with Mabel she did break away from the same ol same ol though much like every other silent star there was an underlying theme (Cinderella gets in trouble, meets boy, rescues herself, and boy). Not to say I didnt enjoy the 2 films...but Ella Cinders, if that is the complete version, ended too abruptly.

AHHHH MOMA!!! Just like LOC! When time machines are invented after going to the 20s and kidnapping Valentino and Charlie Chaplin I'm going to make a stop back in the 50s and yell at the two organizations to not waste any more precious time and preserve the damn films they've been handed. Oh and a stop in 1934...see if I can save Cleopatra...

***ends dream world***

Gagman 66 · Post by **Gagman 66** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:08 pm

Yeah, but picking on Colleen Moore for this is ridiculous! The same thing can be said about Clara Bow, Bebe Daniels, Laura La Plante, Marie Prevost, even Marion Davies films. They all made allot of programmers. In-fact, mostly programmers. Look at William Haines. All of his films are basically the same with one or two minor tweaks here or there.

You guys are truly privileged to have seen HER WILD OAT. I haven't been as fortunate as you have. Has anyone seen "THE NTH COMMANDMENT"? How about "THE PERFECT FLAPPER"?

Chris Snowden · Post by **Chris Snowden** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:48 pm

Gagman 66 wrote:Yeah, but picking on Colleen Moore for this is ridiculous! The same thing can be said about Clara Bow, Bebe Daniels, Laura La Plante, Marie Prevost, even Marion Davies films. They all made allot of programmers. In-fact, mostly programmers. Look at William Haines. All of his films are basically the same with one or two minor tweaks here or there.

In the trade papers, I see complaints about plot recycling with Constance Talmadge and Colleen Moore, and occasionally with Bebe Daniels, but that's about it. The William Haines films were truly carbon copies of each other, but he was so popular at the time, and relatively new to the scene, that there weren't any complaints about uniformity, at least not that I can recall reading.

The flip side of this issue is when exhibitors complained because a new release didn't stick to the expected formula. This applied to every Tom Mix, Buck Jones and Hoot Gibson picture that wasn't a conventional western (Up and Going, Dick Turpin, In Arabia, etc.), because when patrons saw Tom Mix's name on the marquee, they bought their tickets with certain expectations.

Derek B. · Post by **Derek B.** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:10 pm

Gagman 66 wrote:Has anyone seen "THE NTH COMMANDMENT"?

I saw the surviving part of The Nth Commandment when it showed at PFA during their Frank Borzage festival in 2006. It is very different from Moore's more familiar films but came a few years before most of the other films discussed above.

Gagman 66 · Post by **Gagman 66** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:17 pm

Derek B,

Thanks. I appreciate the comments. Another drama THROUGH THE DARK seems to still be around. Have you seen that movie before?

misspickford9 · Post by **misspickford9** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:33 am

Gagman 66 wrote: Yeah, but picking on Colleen Moore for this is ridiculous! The same thing can be said about Clara Bow, Bebe Daniels, Laura La Plante, Marie Prevost, even Marion Davies films. They all made allot of programmers. In-fact, mostly programmers. Look at William Haines. All of his films are basically the same with one or two minor tweaks here or there.

You guys are truly privileged to have seen HER WILD OAT. I haven't been as fortunate as you have. Has anyone seen "THE NTH COMMANDMENT"? How about "THE PERFECT FLAPPER"?

Ah I like the sound of 'The Perfect Flapper' as its close to 'Perpetual Flapper'. Again I like Colleen but its odd for me to think of her as a flapper...maybe if MOMA hadnt messed it up I'd see her that way more so but she just doesnt jump to my mind when I hear the word 'flapper'. Is this film available anywhere? What about Irene?

Gagman 66 · Post by **Gagman 66** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:55 am

Admittedly I have yet to see Colleen Moore in any Flapper rolls. I have seen about a dozen of her films. No Flapper parts to speak of in any of those. Though she is mostly remembered as a Flapper?

IRENE was released by Grapevine on VHS years ago, but never on DVD-R. The print was OK, but not great. Technicolor final reel still there, yet heavily faded.The thing is I don't think it's really Public Domain, so Warner's should have a good print someplace. I hope. Would like to see a restored version from Flicker Alley or somebody, along with the 75 Minute ELLA CINDERS. I talked to several people yesterday, and you are lucky because no one else I know has seen a version of the film longer than 50 minutes. Desperate for a restored TWINKLETOES too. As well as LILAC TIME certainly. BROKEN HEARTS OF BROADWAY is out there. I have versions from both Unknown Video, and Sunrise Silents.

The LOC I believe is supposed to have THE PERFECT FLAPPER (1924). Although, I don't know if it is complete or Just a fragment? The same with THOUGH THE DARK. Sure would like to know.

Yeah apparently the Museum Of Modern Art had a complete 35 Millimeter Nitrate print of FLAMING YOUTH. that Colleen presented to them in the early 60's. and it ended up being lost anyway. Kind of how I feel about King Vidor's HIS HOUR right now. Recuse the print while there is still time. Especially with the MOMA holding the only copy.

The same thing can be said about the lack of a sense of urgency on Warner's part when it comes to saving SYNTHETIC SIN and WHY BE GOOD? Both of which were discovered about 5 or 6 years ago. And the restorations have been postponed for each of the past three years. These movies are still on Nitrate Stock only. So by the time Warner's get to them, it may already be to late to save those films as well? Let's pray that it won't be.

misspickford9 · Post by **misspickford9** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:28 am

Gagman 66 wrote: Admittedly I have yet to see Colleen Moore in any Flapper rolls. I have seen about a dozen of her films. No Flapper parts to speak of in any of those. Though she is mostly remembered as a Flapper?

IRENE was released by Grapevine on VHS years ago, but never on DVD-R. The print was OK, but not great. Technicolor final reel still there, yet heavily faded.The thing is I don't think it's really Public Domain, so Warner's should have a good print someplace. I hope. Would like to see a restored version from Flicker Alley or somebody, along with the 75 Minute ELLA CINDERS. I talked to several people yesterday, and you are lucky because no one else I know has seen a version of the film longer than 50 minutes. Desperate for a restored TWINKLETOES too. As well as LILAC TIME certainly. BROKEN HEARTS OF BROADWAY is out there. I have versions from both Unknown Video, and Sunrise Silents.

The LOC I believe is supposed to have THE PERFECT FLAPPER (1924). Although, I don't know if it is complete or Just a fragment? The same with THOUGH THE DARK. Sure would like to know.

Yeah apparently the Museum Of Modern Art had a complete 35 Millimeter Nitrate print of FLAMING YOUTH. that Colleen presented to them in the early 60's. and it ended up being lost anyway. Kind of how I feel about King Vidor's HIS HOUR right now. Recuse the print while there is still time. Especially with the MOMA holding the only print.

The same thing can be said about the lack of a sense of urgency on Warner's part when it comes to saving SYNTHETIC SIN and WHY BE GOOD? Both of which were discovered about 5 or 6 years ago. And the restorations have been postponed for each of the past three years. These movies are still on Nitrate Stock only. So by the time Warner's get to them, it may already be to late to save those films as well? Let's pray that it won't be.

You think thats bad I heard when the Olive Thomas documentary was being made (now Ollie was the first flapper!) they thought only one of her films still existed...and by the time they were done it turned out 12 existed!! And most were not on safety stock at the time; though this has changed thank the merciful gods. It just boggles my mind...these things are so rare we just need more funding and attention to save them (I'm working on both; though sadly I fear it wont be enough).

Yay I'm special! The Silent Movie Theatre is wonderful like that; I'm sure if someone contacted them they'd tell where the prints came from. Their next month of programming is pretty sweet: Mabel, Toll of the Sea, Gloria Swanson, and...cant remember the 4th one. I'm hoping they'll do a leading men month in September...need more Rudy (yes yes I'm spoiled but frankly I need more than a year between his films on the big screen!)

Jim Roots · Post by **Jim Roots** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 8:41 am

misspickford9 wrote:Ah I like the sound of 'The Perfect Flapper' as its close to 'Perpetual Flapper'. Again I like Colleen but its odd for me to think of her as a flapper...maybe if MOMA hadnt messed it up I'd see her that way more so but she just doesnt jump to my mind when I hear the word 'flapper'. Is this film available anywhere? What about Irene?

When we think of flappers, we think of a certain "looseness" of morals in the girls. Y'know, the kind of girls who ... (lowers voice to a shocked whisper) ... sleep around! And whatever Colleen was, she was not a girl of loose morals. The only male she would have taken into her bed before marriage is a teddy bear.

Jim

silentscreen · Post by **silentscreen** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 9:51 am

Jim Roots wrote:
misspickford9 wrote:Ah I like the sound of 'The Perfect Flapper' as its close to 'Perpetual Flapper'. Again I like Colleen but its odd for me to think of her as a flapper...maybe if MOMA hadnt messed it up I'd see her that way more so but she just doesnt jump to my mind when I hear the word 'flapper'. Is this film available anywhere? What about Irene?
When we think of flappers, we think of a certain "looseness" of morals in the girls. Y'know, the kind of girls who ... (lowers voice to a shocked whisper) ... sleep around! And whatever Colleen was, she was not a girl of loose morals. The only male she would have taken into her bed before marriage is a teddy bear.

Jim

Not to cast aspirations, but didn't she have an affair with King Vidor, and they never married. I'm not sure that a flapper was neccessarily known so much for one specific characteristic, but a break in lifestyle from their mothers.

Post by **Mike Gebert** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:25 am

Regardless of anything about her in reality, her screen persona was certainly more of the girl next door who orders a book on how to be a flapper, than of an actual flapper. (Indeed, in Her Wild Oat-- note the singular-- she's taking notes on how to dress seductively from a customer of her lunch stand, too naive to realize that the customer is a prostitute.)

silentscreen · Post by **silentscreen** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:58 am

I really wasn't trying to make a point about Colleen, my point being that all flappers weren't defined by a looseness of morals, but rather by social and cultural changes that came about after the Edwardian age.

I didn't read the post as being strictly related to her on screen persona.

Frederica · Post by **Frederica** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:04 am

misspickford9 wrote: Ah I like the sound of 'The Perfect Flapper' as its close to 'Perpetual Flapper'. Again I like Colleen but its odd for me to think of her as a flapper...maybe if MOMA hadnt messed it up I'd see her that way more so but she just doesnt jump to my mind when I hear the word 'flapper'. Is this film available anywhere? What about Irene?

(???) I'd say Colleen Moore was the definitive flapper. You should read F. Scott Fitzgerald--"I was the spark that lit up FLAMING YOUTH, Colleen Moore was the torch. What little things we are to have caused all that trouble."

Fred

Colleen Moore and why she quit talkies...

Colleen Moore and why she quit talkies...

Re: Colleen Moore and why she quit talkies...