Los Angeles, 3/17: WOMEN LOVE DIAMONDS (1927)

[rogerskarsten]

http://cinefamily.org/calendar/wednesday.html

Wednesday, March 17, 8:00pm
Women Love Diamonds
From its title, Women Love Diamonds sounds like a genteel, sweet romance, but is really a melodrama that's surprisingly gritty for its time, and contains enough bursts of emotion to rival works by Sirk or Borzage. Pauline Starke plays a young woman of dubious parentage supported by Lionel Barrymore, whom she claims is her uncle. Finding love in the arms of both rich suitor Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and his valet, and then a brutal rejection when her family truth is revealed, Starke must climb her way back from the murky emotional depths. When original casting choice Greta Garbo went on salary strike from MGM, the film's costume designer must have breathed a sigh of relief. Clemente André-Ani, a collaborator of Erté and costumier for contract players like Norma Shearer and Marion Davies, never saw eye-to-eye with Garbo's outspoken ideas about overdone American fashion, and subsequently loaded Women Love Diamonds with enough lavish flowing gowns, hats and jewelry to clothe an army of radiant damsels.
Dir. Edmund Goulding, 1927, 35mm, 70 min.

Tickets - $10

[rogerskarsten]

This is a real rarity (and what a cast!), which I'm sure has been supplied from Turner. Is anyone in the L.A. area planning to attend this one?

In an ideal world, TCM would have made an arrangement with the theater to record the score live for a later broadcast on "Silent Sundays."

But of course we don't live in an ideal world...

~Roger

[Gagman 66]

Roger,

Yes, I would love to see this one. It was just screened at another event last month I believe? Or is this the same one. Pauline Starke has been great in the films I have seen.

[Frederica]

This is a real rarity (and what a cast!), which I'm sure has been supplied from Turner. Is anyone in the L.A. area planning to attend this one?

~Roger

I'll be there, good lord willin' and the creek don't rise.

[rudyfan]

Lavish gowns and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. I may faint with anguish I am not in LA now.

[Frederica]

I attended the Silent Movie Theater’s showing of Women Love Diamonds last night. The film is a tad on the peculiar side. There far too many narrative threads tossed into one movie--you just get involved with one story line when it takes off in another direction for another story. Don’t be telling me you have Doug Jr. in a film, and then give him only three minutes of screen time. That’s just wrong. We were also treated to one instance of almost bird-kissing. You have been warned.

These minor quibbles aside, all I really wanted from the film was Big Fashion, and Big Fashion was what I got. Andre Ani’s eye-popping gowns leaned more in look toward Erte than Adrian (for the record I have no problem with either designer) and you could hear the coos of delight from the fashionistas in the audience as each new treat appeared on the screen. I also got some fabulous Cedric Gibbons art-deco-leaning-into-bonkers set design, including one of the best doors I’ve ever seen in a film. They kept shooting scenes against that door. Bring on more door, says I. The cinematography by Ray Binger was remarkable; I’ve never even heard of the guy before, but the imdb advises me he had quite the career, although it seems mainly as a special effects cinematographer.

Pauline Starke was an odd looking duck. She had very sharp, angular features, which looked great with Andre-Ani’s strongly linear designs--but after her inevitable metamorphosis, when she gives up her wicked art deco gowns for more virtuous attire, she looks like a man in drag. Thank heavens she ends up as a nurse at Cedric Gibbons Memorial Hospital (where hallways the size of airplane hangars are decorated with vases of flowers placed at strategic intervals on the floor) and all the nurses wear Andre-Ani designed uniforms. That takes some of the sting out of ending up with Owen Moore instead of Doug Jr.

The film was accompanied by three shorts.

What a Change of Clothes Will Do, (Vitagraph 1913) with Maurice Costello and Clara Kimball Young. Wealthy (and disturbingly young) Maurice wants a gal who will love him for himself, not for his money. So he goes fishing. While fishing, he is klonked on the head by an escaped convict, who trades duds with him. When Maurice awakes he wanders to the home of Clara Kimball Young. The police come to the house, immediately spot Maurice in his striped convict ensemble and start reading him his rights. Maurice explains that he’s not really the guy they’re looking for. The police apologize for their silly mistake and leave. (???) Clara and Maurice fall in love and get married. Maurice takes her home to his palatial manse. Clara is surprised because he never discussed his real financial situation with her, an excellent beginning to any marriage. And they both lived happily ever after.

100 Years From Today, a Clyde Cook, Jimmy Finlayson short. Frenetic and funny.

Laurel and Hardy’s Flying Elephants. Very funny, although L&H had not yet turned into The Boys. I think they used left over costumes from Three Ages.

[greta de groat]

Maurice takes her home to his palatial manse. Clara is surprised because he never discussed his real financial situation with her, an excellent beginning to any marriage. And they both lived happily ever after.

Ooh, thanks for the review, sounds right up my alley. Re Clara and Maurice--that particular plot development happens quite often in these nickelodeon films. In an era when women really had to check out their prospective spouse's earning capacity, i find that rather odd.

greta

[rogerskarsten]

Thanks so much for the great review, Frederica!

[Decotodd]

Thanks, Frederica

I was planning to go, but was so jet lagged that I passed. I always love me some Cedric Gibbons deco extravaganza!