Customer Reviews

Single Standard [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...which I would give five stars, not to mention that the other reviewer is right about this being an invalid listing. I wrote pretty much the same review of the storyline of this film under the VHS version, which I have owned for a very long time.

I happily bought this product direct from Warner Brothers for under twenty dollars along with several other films when the Warner Archives first opened. Warners has not hidden several important facts about this product and the other Warner Archive films:
1. There has been no restoration done to this film. As a result, the fuzzy condition of the film that you see on your VHS copy is present here, as is the deterioration in some of the title cards and even portions of the film. However, it is still quite watchable.
2. This is a DVD-R made on demand, not a pressed DVD.
3. There are no extra features and no scene selections. You may only go forward and backwards in ten minute intervals.

The case is sturdy, and it was good to finally have something a little more durable and storage friendly than my old VHS tape. Now for the storyline:

This film was adapted from a novel by Adela Rogers St. John. St. John was the daughter of a famed criminal attorney who practiced at the turn of the 20th century. Her father eventually died of drink, having been a lifetime alcoholic. The film "A Free Soul" was very loosely based on her life. She had very liberal viewpoints for her era, and only before the production code began to be enforced in 1934 could such a work as this come to the screen.

Garbo plays Arden, a society girl who has grown up observing the seemingly inevitable cheating that goes on in the marriages of all her friends by the husbands. Meanwhile, when she takes an innocent drive late at night with the chauffeur, she is subjected to Victorian judgements by the men in the household. This leads her to adopt the "single standard" as her philosophy of love - absolute freedom and equality for both parties. Shortly thereafter she meets Packy Cannon (Nils Asther), an artist, adventurer, and ex-prizefighter. The two have instant chemistry and they sail away together on his boat, the "All Alone". However, after a few perfect months together, Packy returns Arden to her home, saying that their love has been so perfect it must live on forever - but only in their memories.

Once she returns home, Tommy Hewlett (Johnny Mack Brown) tells Arden that he still wants her to marry him, doesn't care about the scandal that her sailing away with Packy has caused among their society crowd, and is not afraid of the possibility that she might leave him if Packy were to ever return. The two do marry, Packy returns for Arden, and Arden and Tommy come to completely different conclusions about how to handle the situation. It is (almost) most unfortunate that they never communicate their individual plans to one another.

This is one of Garbo's last silents, and by this film she has evolved into the woman we recognize in her later talking films. To really appreciate Garbo you must start with her silents and watch her grow from girlhood to womanhood onscreen. Nils Asther and Johnny Mack Brown didn't have it so good in talking pictures. Nils Asther's accent did impede his career considerably, and by the 1940's he was a truckdriver. Johnny Mack Brown just didn't come across with a commanding presence in talking pictures. He lost his contract at MGM in the early 30's and eventually wound up doing dozens of B Westerns for poverty row Monogram Pictures.

This is a late silent, so a synchronized score is included. The video is quite worn looking, with considerable "cross-hatching" on more than a few scenes, and artifacts so bad on a few of the title cards that it is hard to read them. If you're looking for other late silents that had synchronized scores, the Archives seems commited to releasing these pseudo-silents since no score need be commissioned. In June 2009 Warner Brothers is releasing quite a few of the Vitaphone-scored late silents through the archives including "The First Auto", "The Divine Lady", "The Better Ole", and "When A Man Loves".

Being one of MGM's last stars to take the plunge into the new world of "talkies", Greta Garbo was still making silent features till the end of 1929 long after most stars had faced the microphone. Having witnessed the abrupt ending to so many performers careers because of thick accents that didn't match their already established screen personas, MGM's fear of what Garbo's until then unheard accent might do to her career was entirely understandable. They had purposely delayed her speaking debut but in this silent production her image was considerably "Americanised" possibly in an attempt to make her "more acceptable" to the Middle American audiences. Indeed "The Single Standard" was touted in the trade papers as Garbo's "first 100% American role", and she gets to play a flighty San Francisco debutante with very modern views on the sexual double standards then existing between men and women.

Based on a novel by famed writer Adela Rogers St. John, "The Single Standard", focuses on the escapades of free thinking, sexually liberated debutante Arden Stuart. She is a typical product of the "New Generation", of the carefree 1920's that rebels against the staid standards then existing in a society that condones men's sexual dalliances but condemms the same actions in women as immoral. Arden is a total individual and free thinker and after a romantic interlude with her chaffeur which ends tragically, she happens one rainy day to encounter bohemian artist Packy Cannon (Nils Asther)at a gallery showing of some of his work. It is an instant attraction on both a physical and emotional level between the two and Arden being the impulsive creature that she is decides to bypass the affections of solid, respectable Tommy Hewlett (Johnny Mack Brown) with his sturdy and predictable future ahead of him, for a trip to the South Seas on Packy's yacht "All Alone". The interlude is a lazily romantic one with the pair spending their idle days on the sun drenched decks however Packy decides to go onto Paris to commence his work and insists on dropping Arden back in San Francisco on the way. Having become the object of scandalous gossip in her absense Arden finds herself isolated socially and on the rebound from Packy falls into the arms of the respectable Tommy who she marries all the while telling him that Packy is in her blood and always will be. A few years pass and Arden and Tommy have a child and a lifestyle which is respectable if lacking in real excitment. On a trip to the beach Arden by chance encounters Packy who has returned from Paris and immediately the old passion between the two is reignited. Tommy seeing the old attraction rising between his wife and the artist confronts Packy about his feelings towards Arden and always considering her feelings above his own decides in a very self sacrificing moment to "exit" the scene by faking a hunting accident to free Arden from the respectable but dull life she is leading. Unbeknown to him however Arden has had second thoughts about throwing everything away to go running off with Packy now that she has a child who she adores and who is the centre of her life. She only just manages to head off Tommy purposely killing himself and they begin a reconciliation and new life together as they watch Packy sail off on his yacht and out of their lives.

Greta Garbo delivers I believe one of her most lively and likeable performances in "The Single Standard". Her delivery is full of energy and a vibrance not normally associated with her more famous work and she is totally believable as the fun loving girl who learns responsibility and maturity through her own misfortunes. Anyone who only knows the sombre Garbo of numerous screen tragedies needs to view her performance here to see what she was capable of achieving given a more energic vehicle to perform in. Nils Asther a danish actor who enjoyed great popularity in the late silent era performs well as Packy the bohemian artist but he has a difficult job competing with Garbo in the acting stakes. Both the main men in Arden's life, Asther and Johnny Mack Brown seem to be somehow unworthy of this alluring creature who is torn between the respectability offered by Tommy and the excitement offered by Packy. Johnny Mack Brown does a servicable job as the respectable husband who lives in the shadow of Arden's real passion and his usually bland screen persona serves his character very well here. John S. Robertson, a great silent director who guided Mary Pickford through many great performances really works well with Garbo here and never once does he let Garbo, as Arden lose track of those inner feelings the character is experiencing. Garbo's face is totally alive throughout this film, whether it be delight at the passion she is feeling with Packy, anguish over hurting the dependable Tommy or causing harm to her beautiful child. Interestingly "The Single Standard", is a rare Garbo vehicle where a child is featured in the film and her rapport with the infant in this story is totally appealing and shows an unexpectedly maternal side to Garbo's acting.

Despite it's somewhat daring subject matter for the time "The Single Standard", does conclude with Arden choosing the conventional and safe option in life. The times then, certainly in regard to Hollywood film making, made that type of a conclusion to such a tale as this mandatory. Along the way however there is much exploration done on the need for a "single standard", rather than the "double one" in the sexual relationships between men and women. It is this element that makes "The Single Standard", such interesting viewing today. Greta Garbo is the body and soul of this production so it offers a unique opportunity to see her in a very nontraditional role on the eve of her sound debut. Enjoy a vibrant and delightfully carefree Garbo fighting for a single standard in a male dominated world of double standards in MGM's glossy "The Single Standard".

This is my favorite Garbo film. I love everything about it-the story, the direction,the performances, the costumes. This film sums up what Garbo meant to women of her time. It's a must-see for anyone interested in her career.

The Single Standard is an excellent film showcasing the incomparable Greta Garbo in one of her very last silent film roles. Indeed, she carries the picture brilliantly and the acting of the other actors shines, too. The plot moves along at a rather brisk pace but the character development of the three people in a type of love triangle is still rather good. The cinematography is excellent although it is weighed down somewhat by the poor quality of the print; this film is very much in need of a restoration but Warner Brothers simply has not made any effort to restore it--what a crime! In addition, the choreography works wonders for the film and the synchronized score adds to the experience of watching this film.

When the action starts, we quickly meet the free thinking and very independent minded wealthy socialite Arden Stuart (Greta Garbo). Although there is a huge party going on inside the mansion, Arden is actually bored and tired of the double standard that says that a man can fool around behind his wife's back but a woman can not do the same thing. Arden wants freedom and equality in a relationship and she will not settle for anything less. Therefore, when she wants to go for a late night drive with her chauffeur, Arden simply doesn't care about what people may think--she is in charge at the steering wheel as she woos the chauffeur into a one-night fling with her. Unfortunately, this leads to tragedy as the somewhat troubled chauffeur kills himself when he is subsequently fired for the fling because no relationship is ever possible with Arden.

Tommy Hewlett (Johnny Mack Brown) wants very much to marry Arden and he asks her more than once to be his bride; but Arden wants something more "exciting" out of life than Tommy even though he is financially very wealthy and can offer her a very comfortable lifestyle, to say the least. When Arden soon meets the prize-fighter turned artist Packy Cannon (Nils Asther), the two fall in love at first sight; and it isn't long at all before they are sailing off to the South Seas to discover unfamiliar lands together. Their love is very true without the conventional ties of marriage.

Trouble starts when Packy wants to end his relationship with Arden; he is off to China and other far away places and he thinks that he would only make Arden unhappy sooner or later. Arden is distraught but she knows she must accept Packy's right to freedom. Back in America, Arden eventually consents to marry Tommy and they soon have a son who they both cherish.

But what happens when Packy returns and the sparks of love and passion are quickly rekindled between Packy and Arden? Will she choose to stay with Tommy and her son or will she go off with Packy for a very passionate true love? Will she try to take her son with her if she chooses Packy? No plot spoilers here, folks--watch and find out!

The DVD comes with no bonus features; indeed, practically all you can do is fast forward or backward in ten minute intervals. You should also know that this DVD was not very professionally pressed onto DVD in mass quantities; please make sure that your DVD player can play a DVD-R before you buy this product.

In short, The Single Standard is a must-have for any Greta Garbo fan; and people who like the other actors in this film will enjoy it, too. I also recommend this film for aficionados of great silent film.

This film was adapted from a novel by Adela Rogers St. John. St. John was the daughter of a famed criminal attorney who practiced at the turn of the 20th century. Her father eventually died of drink, having been a lifetime alcoholic. The film "A Free Soul" was very loosely based on her life. She had very liberal viewpoints for her era, and only before the production code began to be enforced in 1934 could such a work as this come to the screen.

Garbo plays Arden, a society girl who has grown up observing the seemingly inevitable cheating that goes on in the marriages of all her friends by the husbands. Meanwhile, when she takes an innocent drive late at night with the chauffeur, she is subjected to Victorian judgements by the men in the household. This leads her to adopt the "single standard" as her philosophy of love - absolute freedom and equality for both parties. Shortly thereafter she meets Packy Cannon (Nils Asther), an artist, adventurer, and ex-prizefighter. The two have instant chemistry and they sail away together on his boat, the "All Alone". However, after a few perfect months together, Packy returns Arden to her home, saying that their love has been so perfect it must live on forever - but only in their memories.

Once she returns home, Tommy Hewlett (Johnny Mack Brown) tells Arden that he still wants her to marry him, doesn't care about the scandal that her sailing away with Packy has caused among their society crowd, and is not afraid of the possibility that she might leave him if Packy were to ever return. The two do marry, Packy returns for Arden, and Arden and Tommy come to completely different conclusions about how to handle the situation. It is (almost) most unfortunate that they never communicate their individual plans to one another.

This is one of Garbo's last silents, and by this film she has evolved into the woman we recognize in her later talking films. To really appreciate Garbo you must start with her silents and watch her grow from girlhood to womanhood onscreen. Nils Asther and Johnny Mack Brown didn't have it so good in talking pictures. Nils Asther's accent did impede his career considerably, and by the 1940's he was a truckdriver. Johnny Mack Brown just didn't come across with a commanding presence in talking pictures. He lost his contract at MGM in the early 30's and eventually wound up doing dozens of B Westerns for poverty row Monogram Pictures.

This is a late silent, so a synchronized score is included. The video is quite worn looking, with considerable "cross-hatching" on more than a few scenes, and artifacts so bad on a few of the title cards that it is hard to read them. The DVD version available through the Warner Archives hasn't improved upon these problems any, but at least there is no longer a reason to pay an inflated price for the long out-of-print VHS version.

The story, by popular writer of the time Adela Rogers St. Johns, is an interesting one. A woman who believes that men and women should be judged equally in their love affairs (Greta Garbo) finds another man who believes the same (Nils Asther). However, romance is more the focus of the story, not an unfair social standard placed on women. The two fall madly in love and sail together on a trip that ends by parting the two; Asther must go far away and cannot think of women where he is going. Hurt, Garbo waits for him, but cannot maintain single hood for long when another man proposes. She tells him she will always love another man; what if he comes back? But he persists and the two are married. They have a child together, played by Wally Albright who later became a Little Rascal. Asther comes back, disappointed by what he sees has happened in his absence.

The characters are strong, likable ones. Although Garbo is normally a hardened, aloof sort, she is feminine and sensitive in this role. One might expect differently judging the story, but her portrayal of her character allows for a better, more emotional film. Asther's role is very similar to those that Clark Gable made his own at MGM in the talkies. He is a strong, no-nonsense type that exudes masculinity.

Garbo's costumes are not very elegant. Much of her wardrobe makes her hips look very large. On the voyage with Asther, her hair is free and beautiful while blowing in the wind, but in her city scenes, it looks similar to a bad 80s perm. In the last scene, she wears a very large, unattractive sweater in a similar fashion.

The film was photographed amazingly; the close-ups are often startlingly gorgeous and look like art one might hang on a wall. However, this print is horribly scratched; one can see the beauty beneath them, but these scratches are somewhat distracting. What is more, there are several deterioration spots. The title cards are sometimes worse; some are clear, but many are badly damaged by bad contrast, scratches, and deterioration.

I've waited years to see this film and enjoyed immensely. Good Plot as well. Garbo fans should not miss.

It's a fair question: What's the big deal about Greta Garbo?

If you watch The Single Standard, you'll start to find out....

Her acting is outstanding, and the theme is timeless....

This is a home video VHS tape of The Single Standard (1929) which came packaged in its original plastic sales box. The film is considered noteworthy because it depicts Greta Garbo as a modern woman, not in a vamp or historical role. Arden (Garbo) challenges the prevailing "double standard" with life-changing results. Fans will like the picture for what it is--a silent film with beautiful Garbo and handsome Nils Asther as her lover. There are shots on a boat called All Alone that are real and appealing.

This is a Garbo film that one might want to see repeatedly, as the actress projects a range of emotions and is, as always, a star of enormous talent and appeal. This is the picture in which Greta Garbo wore slacks and began a trend for herself and many others.

There really ought to be some standard, some criterion cutoff, before which Warner should allow a print of one of their films to be marketed. This print would not meet any meaningful standard. It's so bad in so many spots, that every time you just about get involved (or re-involved) in the films's story line (i.e., actually forget that you're watching a movie), the celluloid's artifacts double, triple, or even quadruple their annoying presence in the picture frame so as to upend your (periodic) "suspension(s) of disbelief." Too bad, really, because the acting was good, and the ending was quite poignant.

I've purchased some fine copies of much older silent films from Warner Archives [e.g., "La Boheme" (1926), with Lillian Gish: a wonderful film], but this one is only for students of film, or diehard Garbo fans.