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The Blot

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4 star:		(3)
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Lois Weber was a giant in early films, running her own studio and producing hundreds of films with Phillips Smalley, her husband and partner in the business. At one time she was the richest director in cinema, earning more than anyone else in the world ~ and by putting out the movies that she wanted to make, without too many nods to popular public opinion. Her films were not fluff pieces, but brave, intelligent works on weighty, important topics, which earned her great respect with peers and viewers. She created films on subjects that mattered to her, and to the world at large, and was unafraid to center her energies on what might be considered taboo, or not regularly discussed in polite society.

In this film Weber approaches the subject of the unfairly paid, disrespected academic/intellectual who serves the needs of the mind vs those who cater to the materialistic world and whims of the fickle consumer. Who is the more important, she challenges her audience, who performs the greater duty, the one more worthy ~ at the very least worth a living wage?

The intellectual/academics in this film are represented by a college professor who struggles to feed and clothe his family on a pittance salary, and an idealistic minister with a fine, inquiring mind. Crass consumerism arrives in the form of a lively immigrant family with a shoemaker father who makes fancy lady's slippers which cost dearly, more than the professor's family probably ever saw at one time. The two families are neighbours and conflicts arise from the start. The shoemaker's family are proud, they flaunt what they have, deeply wounding the sensitive professor's wife, played to perfection by Margaret McWade. McWade brilliantly embodies the utter despair of one well-raised who, at that point, hasn't enough to meet even the basic needs of her family. McWade's mannerisms and her expressive face beautifully tell the entire story ~ here is a woman who loves her family but has been slowly beaten down by life and is entirely distraught.

Enter into this her frail, lovely daughter (the exquisite Claire Windsor) who works at the library to supplement the meagre family income. Windsor attracts the attention of a rich college fellow (Louis Calhern), who finds himself intrigued. As Calhern gets to know Windsor and begins to understand her home situation, his devil-may-care heart is truly touched. Superficial attraction deepens into something greater, perhaps ultimately life-altering. The sincere minister is also in love with Windsor, with a true and heartbreaking sort of love that the viewer yearns to see reciprocated. To further complicate matters, the young son of the immigrant neighbours also loves Windsor, but never musters enough courage to make even the most preliminary of contacts; this is the proverbial love from afar ~ he adores and worships most touchingly. And therein lies the signature genius of Weber: she creates a complete and entire world of emotion within her films.

To briefly summarize the plot, the professor's daughter falls ill, setting a chain of events into motion that culminates in the professor's family enduring all sorts of trials, and the daughter facing a decision. Which of her suitors shall she choose? The rich Calhern with his fine prospects, or the minister with his fine mind? She's in love with one of them ~ but whom? And thus the memorable ending, one of the most unusual and indelible in all of film, which concludes with a haunting final scene that ~ as stated another reviewer ~ shall remain with you for a very long while.

A satisfactory film with a deep and complex message filmed on actual locations ~ I recommend 'The Blot' to those who wish for a look into a most talented, sadly forgotten director of early cinema. Lois Weber truly is a neglected genius.

Lois Weber gets a lot of attention these days as the preeminent American woman director of the silent era, much of which overlooks the fact that most of her films were made in collaboration with her husband Philips Smalley, and we don't really know who wore the jodhpurs in the family. The Blot, however, makes a strong case for having been directed by a woman or at least strongly shaped by the women who wrote it, because the most keenly felt thing in the picture by far is the quiet despair of the housewife trying to keep house with too few resources. At those moments, a simple message picture about why college professors should be paid more than subsistence wages (apparently mainly so they aren't quite so envious of the spoiled young bloods who take their classes) rises to a Stroheimian, even Zolaesque level of intensity in its depiction of the bitter effects of poverty on the spirit.

A striking example of the socially-minded silent (which producer Kevin Brownlow documented in his landmark book Behind the Mask of Innocence), very different from the usual image of silent escapism or melodrama-not to mention proof that Louis Calhern really was young enough once to play an undergraduate.

The story of Lois Weber is one of the saddest in all of early American cinema. One of two prominent women producer-directors to emerge during the silent era (the other Alice Guy Blache' has a very similar story), she was at one time considered to be the equal of D.W. Griffith and by 1916 was actually the highest paid director in the world. She had total control over her films tackling such inflammatory material as religious hypocrisy, drug addiction, birth control and abortion. Along with her husband Phillips Smalley she ran her own studio where THE BLOT was filmed. By 1921 when this film was released her career was in decline (this was her last independent production) and the studio system with its old world patriarchal attitude began to take hold creating the Hollywood of legend where most women could be stars but little else.

Very few of her films survive but this is one of the best (only the social comedy TOO WISE WIVES which anticipates Lubitsch is better in my opinion) as it shows how Weber approached filmmaking. THE BLOT's emphasis is on story and character as opposed to action or spectacle and features solid work from Claire Windsor and Louis Calhern as the young couple with a finely detailed performance from Margaret McWade as the mother. The film is well photographed with sophisticated editing for maximum impact. The bittersweet ending is well handled and stays with you long after the film is over.

By the end of the decade Weber had lost her studio, her husband, and the opportunity to direct. She died in 1939 at the age of 60 and within a few years was completely forgotten along with virtually all of her films. Only in the past few years has a proper reevaluation begun to take place with three of her films coming out on video. THE BLOT remains her best known feature and is given a first class DVD release thanks to the restoration efforts of Photoplay Productions and Milestone Films. It's the least that this pioneer woman director deserves. Give it a try along with anything else you can find by her and discover why Lois Weber was once known to her contemporaries as "the female D. W. Griffith" then ask yourself why you haven't heard of her.

Lois Weber directed and co-wrote this excellent film that sends the clear message that society doesn't always have its priorities straight. For Weber and her co-writer Marion Orth, the "blot" refers to the disparity between the haves and the have-nots and the ridiculous notion that a hardworking professor of higher education isn't worth a decent living wage while a shoemaker who churns out poorly made shoes for women enjoys a huge income and many luxuries as well. The plot moves along very nicely and I wasn't ever bored; the character development is very nicely done. The interior sets were sometimes not the best but other interior scenes (in the library, for instance) seemed much more natural. The casting was brilliant and the acting convincing although Margaret McWade as Mrs. Griggs could have toned it down; I think she overacted just a bit at times but this is a very minor quibble. In addition, the quality of the print is very good.

When the film starts, we quickly meet the main characters. Professor Griggs (Philip Hubbard) works tirelessly as he tries so hard to teach his students so they can enter the real world as educated people. Unfortunately, however, many of his students, including the son of the school's wealthiest trustee, Phil Wade (Louis Calhern), simply ignore Professor Griggs and mock him behind his back. The Professor's wife, Mrs. Griggs, is very upset about the impoverished conditions in which they live--and that's putting it mildly. Because the Griggs family needs money very badly, their daughter Amelia (played wonderfully by Claire Windsor), works at a public library in town.

In addition to the mocking and outright insults the professor gets from his students, the Griggs family must also deal with an immigrant family who lives very comfortably just next door. The father of this well-to-do family makes overpriced and poorly made ladies shoes; he takes home $100 a week which was a very good business profit for 1921! They enjoy flaunting their wealth as well; and this upsets the Griggs family, especially Mrs. Griggs. The immigrants have more food than they know what to do while the impoverished Griggs struggle without money for a single chicken when Amelia gets sick--and the fact that they can't make the payments on the house looms over them, too.

However, there's a truly bright spot in the story line. Amelia isn't exactly lacking for suitors. The minister has his eyes on her as does Phil West; and the eldest son of the rich family next door loves her from afar.

There's so much more to the story but I don't to give it all away. It's fascinating to watch how the plot unfolds when Amelia gets sick and everyone wants to help her, including Phil West and the minister. There's also the complication of just how Juanita Claredon (Marie Walcamp) fits into all this; Juanita has her mind set on snagging Phil West for herself. Juanita certainly doesn't want Amelia to catch Phil! In addition, what happens when Mrs. Griggs begins to weaken--she seriously considers stealing a chicken from the family next door to get the "nourishing food" the doctor ordered for Amelia when she falls sick. And who will Amelia pick as the man for her--the minister, Phil West, or the eldest son of the rich family next door? No spoilers here--watch and find out!

The Blot is a fine motion picture with a message that still has validity today. I highly recommend this film for fans of the actors in it; and people who enjoy meaningful, thoughtful silent films will want to add this to their collections.

I had never even heard of Lois Weber until I was introduced to her through the Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934 DVD set. Lois Weber was one of the few women directing films in the early part of the 20th century, and she tended to focus on socially conscious themes of her time. This film has to do with how society rewards educators versus other better-paid professions, even though those well-paid professionals needed the services of the educator to learn their trade in the first place. In this particular film the contrast is between a professor's family that is living on the professor's near-poverty wage and their prosperous next-door neighbors, the family of a shoe-maker. Made in 1920, it is a more realistic look at "genteel poverty" than you were likely to get at the movies at that time. In 1920 the poor were mainly shown as agrarian folk living in "Tobacco Road" style poverty or those living in crime-ridden tenements. This shows that the poor can live in middle class areas with the veneer of a middle-class lifestyle but just be lacking in funds to finance anything that comes at them that is out of the ordinary.

The film focuses on the professor's daughter and her two suitors. One is an equally poverty-stricken preacher, the other played by a 26 year old Louis Calhern, is a wealthy student of the professor's. The professor's daughter becomes ill, and the doctor says that what she needs is "nourishing food". Her mother decides to do what she has never done before, go into debt. However, the grocer demands cash upfront for all purchases. The desperate mother returns home and notices that the next-door neighbor has a very tempting chicken cooling in the kitchen window. What she does next, the daughter's reaction, and the kindly gestures of Calhern's character lead up to a well-played yet predictable ending.

This film reveals several interesting points about life that was true until the 1960's. One fact is that one of the most expensive commodities in life until that time was food. That is why the professor's family is less worried about calling a doctor for the daughter than they are about how they are going to afford the balanced diet their daughter requires for recovery. Another expensive commodity was furniture, as is pointed out by the professor's worn home furnishings. Today cheap and attractive furniture abounds, and it might leave some scratching their heads when they see families terrified of someone coming and taking their furniture for payment of a debt. Nobody would do that today since used furniture is practically worthless.

This film is worthwhile viewing, and the accompanying commentary is pretty good. One of its best points is that it doesn't paint anyone in the film as either completely good or bad. The qualities and weaknesses of all of the players are shown realistically, and overall I recommend this film.

"The Blot" is quite a special and remarkable film in many ways, one of which is perhaps that it can be simply enjoyed as a domestic melodrama about two middle-class families in the early 1920s, or it can be quite an educational and enlightening lesson in social and community problems which are still relevant in today's age. And for those who like to dig deeper into the ideas and motives behind this film, there is a very good and intellectual commentary as a bonus feature on this DVD which explains many aspects of the film and its director at length. Described as "the director who lost her way in history", Lois Weber was actually one of America's pioneering filmmakers alongside D.W. Griffith and Cecil B DeMille, writing her own scripts, directing, producing, choosing her own cast and developing newly-found acting talents, but forgotten for many decades mainly because she did not keep up or fit in with the fast-changing scene of the film industry during the 1920s. Like D.W. Griffith's `social commentary' short films, Lois Weber also stood out with her often controversial and `preachy' films in the early days, and although she successfully merged these moral lessons with artistic entertainment such as in this film, "The Blot", her message is still loud and clear over 80 years later.

Comparing two neighbouring families in middle-class America, "The Blot" tells the story of a university professor's family struggling to make ends meet, while their immigrant neighbour who makes shoes for a living provides for his family abundantly. Thrown into the mix is a group of young people from the very affluent end of society, and you have the predictable envy, pride, embarrassment and misunderstandings which result from perceived class distinctions based on material wealth. Ms Weber attempted to show audiences the foolishness of such thinking, and that moral character is what really matters, and she did so by great attention to detail in both characters and their emotions as well as material things like tattered rugs and upholstery in the poor home and gourmet food at the wealthy Country Club dinner. Besides making a point, these scenes are simply interesting viewing in themselves as they show what life was like in 1921, from fashion, furnishings and homes to people's behaviour and attitudes. While fashions and consumer goods have changed in nearly a century, the social problems and class distinctions are still with us in varying degrees, which makes "The Blot" surprisingly relevant and easily embraced by today's audience as well. A beautiful orchestral musical score helps the story along nicely, and the picture quality is overall very good with just a few scenes now and then showing some age. For merely a pleasant trip into the past, a learning experience in early cinema or a fine example of the work of `the Superwoman' of the silent era, "The Blot" has something for everyone and can be appreciated on different levels.

Lois Weber was once the most influential and most popular of all film directors, and considered the greatest, at a time when many women held top positions of prestige and authority in the film industry. Unfortunately most of those women are all but forgotten now, and Ms. Weber was too until the last twenty years or so. She was constantly breaking new ground, not only with filming techniques (such as putting her camera on wheels) but with the topics she filmed and wrote about as well. In her heyday in the Teens and early Twenties, many of her films were about womens' issues, poverty, prostitution, abortion, birth control (such as one film she did about the life of Margaret Sanger), gay rights, capital punishment, and domestic abuse. And many of these films were popular and well-received, even though many of those topics were still considered deeply taboo at the time. Unfortunately, her work began to fall into disfavor in the early Twenties, with the new emphasis on movies about life in the jazz age, and her star was eclipsed by male directors such as Cecil B. DeMille (love him or hate him) and the massively overrated D.W. Griffith.

This movie in particular is a burning indictment of the capitalist system that seriously underpays people who conduct vital work (in this case a college professor and a young minister) and seriously overpays people who engage in more superficial lines of work (illustrated here by a man who makes fancy expensive shoes). The minister and the professor's family are good hard-working people, but because society undervalues the important roles they play, they are also desperately poor; the professor's family are so poor in fact that they have to feed their cat and her two kittens out of the shoemaker's garbage can. The meat of the story begins when Amelia Griggs, the daughter of the professor, gets sick because she can't afford proper shoes or warm enough clothes, and her mother can't even afford to buy her all of the nutritious food recommended by the doctor. Part of this is her own fault, as she had just spent most of her food budget on things for a lavish teaparty with Amelia's rich suitor Phil West, only to find Phil has just left the house and Amelia's other suitor, the minister, is the only man there now. She knows the minister is a good man, but doesn't want Amelia to marry him because of his poverty. Seeing the extreme poverty the Griggses live in triggers a change in Phil's outlook on life, and sets in motion the events that follow.

Since this is a film about issues more than plot or characters, it does seem a little slow-moving for the first half or so, and is a little confusing at first by introducing so many characters, some of whom, like Phil's friends at college, aren't even important to the plotline. And, though in keeping with the rampant xenophobia of the time, it is a little unsettling how the neighboring shoemaker's family, the ones depicted as greedy, too rich and having too much food and too many possessions for their own good, unfeeling and cold towards the Griggses (except for the family's oldest child, Peter), are immigrants. It's a subtle but disturbing message that native-born hard-working Americans deserve money and material goods more than a bunch of immigrants who just came across the pond and got so much in so little time by working at a job not considered to be that vitally important. Although, as is pointed out in the audio commentary, they are Scandinavians, and not one of the immigrant groups considered more foreign and inferior at the time, such as Italians or Poles. Still, even if they hadn't been cast as immigrants, the burning indictment of the system and society that encourages a system of haves and have-nots, often for very arbitrary reasons, is still very strong.