Customer Reviews

The Unseen Silents [VHS]

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These three films are a treat. They are clearly presented, with a well done (but not over done) organ score. The highlight of course is the 1922 film "Suzanna", which is presented cohesively here from the four surviving reels. Fans of Mabel Normand (who plays the title role in this Spanish-flavored romantic comedy) will appreciate her gentle humor, as well as spirited scenes involving a sword fight on horseback, and a lively Mexican hat dance with Suzanna and her lover Ramon (Walter McGrail).

The footage from William S. Hart's "Riddle Gawne" is also quite interesting. This 1918 romantic western focuses on the stone-faced main character Gawne (Hart), whose mind is continually drawn toward revenge for the killing of his brother. Though the plot seems grave, there are touches of warmth and laughter in Hart's acting, as well as elements of gentle slapstick, which bring feeling to the story line. This must have been a wonderful film in its entirety. Though much footage is missing, the subtitles suffice to give the viewer the main plot.

Though the video purports to give "extracts from three rare silent films", I wouldn't argue that Lloyd's "A Sammy in Siberia" is all that rare (or, anymore so than the average silent film). It indeed was included in the series "Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy", with a slightly longer ending in fact. Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, and Snub Pollard team up for this 1918 one-reeler about an American serviceman in Russia who ends up protecting a family from a group of renegade Bolsheviks. Though there is not much of the character development which is Lloyd's trademark in his later feature films, we find Lloyd's typical action and humor, along with Daniels' spirited devotion to her "Russian" family and to her new man, Harold. The film is visually bright and clear, and only introductory subtitles are found, as Lloyd's style is so clear, they aren't needed. (The other two films have subtitles throughout.) I wonder, however, why the video editor did not include the longer ending (with Lloyd rejoining his troop and marching off, when such footage exists. Nonetheless, this snow-bound short (set interestingly into the Russian Revolution!), as well as the two other (more-rare) films are a great addition to aficionados of the silents.