jack-gardner Reviews

The Magic Flame (1927)

5 reels found

[5/10 · 10 August 2006]

I can't really give this a rating as I have not seen it but the first five reels of this eleven reel feature were found in the George Eastman House Archives.

Hopefully somewhere someday reels 6 through 11 will turn up as well.

So little of Vilma Banky's work survives today - it's a great pity as she was a very beautiful and moving silent screen actress.

This is also an early academy award nominee - it's a shame that even the films that were highly respected in their day became victims of time and decay . . .

This is not the time or the place to start a forum on film preservation, but it is important for us to preserve these early works of cinema, and even though the film is not complete, I hope that someone will preserve what's left of it and allow the general public access to study it.

The Whispering Chorus (1918)

Worthy of a Remake

[9/10 · 27 July 2006]

DeMille's Whispering Chorus is a haunting masterpiece that was ahead of it's time. The story line is highly creative - how the voices in your head can ruin your life. Basically, one man's degradation due to his cowardliness. This movie will make you think, which is exactly what DeMille intended. All in all, an excellent pre-20's silent film.

Raymond Hatton gives a fine performance as John Tremble. His change from a handsome upstanding man to a dirty tramp on the run is wonderfully done through make up - if compare a still of him from the first section of the film to a still from the end of the picture, he is almost unrecognizable as the same actor.

Kathryn Williams was a very attractive woman, and she portrays the role of Jane Tremble with delicacy. My personal opinion is that at the end of the movie, she acts in a very selfish manner, however, I think this is my 21st century eyes viewing early 20th century morals and is probably not the effect that DeMille, or screen writer Jeanie MacPhearson had in mind.

Thanks to Image entertainment, this 1918 film is available on DVD for new audiences to enjoy.

After Midnight (1927)

Not the best, but at least it still exists

[6/10 · 14 May 2006]

If you've ever seen the movie poster for After Midnight, you look at it and think, 'WOW! What a great film this must be!' - Unfortunately it's not. It's a somewhat mediocre melodrama, typical of MGM in the 20's. Norma Shearer looks glamorous and lovely as always and carries the picture, but she was capable of much more.

The print that I viewed is missing it's original title cards and is of very contrasty quality. Hopefully TCM has a better print in their vaults. While a lot of stars like Lon Chaney and Greta Garbo get a lot of time and effort put into restoring their silent films, some of the less exotic stars like Norma Shearer get lost in the shuffle. It would be nice to see TCM do a retrospective on Norma, who was, for a very long time, the "First Lady" of MGM. Several of her silent era films still exist along with the wonderful early talkies that she made in the 1930's.

After Midnight does not give a clear picture of Shearer's talent, so I would not advise this film for someone new to her or to silent films, however it is worth seeing, even if it is nothing exceptional.