The Ace of Hearts (1921).

Review #1866: The Ace of Hearts.

Cast: 

Leatrice Joy (Lilith), John Bowers (Forrest), Lon Chaney (Farallone), Hardee Kirkland (Morbius), Edwin N. Wallack (Chemist), Raymond Hatton (The Menace), and Roy Laidlaw (Doorkeeper) Directed by Wallace Worsley (#850 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and #1617 - The Penalty (1920))

Review: 

Admittedly, when I think of Lon Chaney, I do think of the times where he put some sort of elaborate makeup for dramas and the occasional horror flick. But there were countless other movies besides that involved Chaney for the silent era. So, yes, here we are with a silent romantic drama that happens to tread on familiar material. Remember The Penalty (1920)? As with that film, it is an adaptation of written material that was written by Gouverneur Morris, with his short story The Purple Mask being the basis for this film; this was also done at Goldwyn Studios, where Chaney worked for five films between his stints at Universal and MGM. The plot, if you want to know, involves a couple who got married because he got selected to dispose of a "The Man Who Has Lived Too Long" that will give him confidence, and Chaney's character happens to be part of the love triangle and part of an explosive climax, which results in a movie that lasts 75 minutes. Apparently, the original ending included a character that survived an explosion only to say how right it was about how the world needed love (i.e. construction rather than destruction), but Samuel Goldwyn balked at how preposterous it sounded. 

It is entirely possible that the secret society presented in this film was really something in 1921 to worry about when it came to censors, particularly with fears over anarchists. The effect is a movie that seems very amusing when not thinking about the context of the time, because hearing about a loosely defined society with people that look like a bunch of librarians who assemble to take down vague rich guys for ill-defined reasons is more amusing than the actual film itself. Simply put, the movie just isn't as interesting as one would hope, because its attempts at romance grind the movie down to a boring halt. It's incredibly predictable to see where the movie goes, because obviously a sudden romance is going to impact any chance of curiosity, even if it is attempted murder. Hell, I'll even accept a failed assassination, but the movie doesn't even lend that your way, as if the examination of just what the world needs through the eyes of "Cause" members gone good is enough (this isn't to say one needs an explanation for everything, because film doesnt need to do that, but even a BS try is better than zero). Hell, if these two are established members of the group-with-loosely-defined-goals, then the idea of them escaping to a new life would be horrifying, as if folks who sent out bombs to take out people can get a second chance just because they found love - the woman initially resisted marriage because of her devotion to the "Cause", so either she served as just a card shuffler or she got to do missions of death. You would actually want to hear more about just what is behind their desire to drive off these rich folks (again though, try doing that without stoking censorship) than hear more gobbledygook about the alleged chemistry between Joy and Bowers, who have as much energy together as two broomsticks that became sentient for ten minutes; they look at each other, and you look at your watch. Chaney is the highlight, but only because every other actor is on autopilot more appropriate for a mime show, as Chaney does manage to convey a slight bit of tragedy with sacrifice and loneliness. After all, what better way to show a lonely person than to have them stuck in the rain for hours before waking up to pet a dog on the steps. The final scene where he muses about getting the card that bears the title of the movie (marking him...to kill) is at least a decent one to close the movie out on, since one would hope to close all movies out with a bang. In conclusion, this is an average movie, lacking in true sentiment or meaningful depth besides an amiable effort from Chaney that makes for a century old clunker. In a sea of other choices where Chaney plays a man wrapped with dilemmas and self-sacrifice, you can do better.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Betsy Ross (1917).

Review #1241: Betsy Ross.

Cast: 
Alice Brady (Betsy Ross), John Bowers (Joseph Ashburn), Lillian Cook (Carissa Griscom), Victor Kennard (John Ross), Eugenie Woodward (Mrs. Ashburn), Kate Lester (Mrs. Vernon), Frank Mayo (Clarence Vernon), and George MacQuarrie (George Washington) Directed by Travers Vale and George Cowl.

Review: 
I suppose that making a film about a legend like the Betsy Ross flag had to occur at some point, and it only makes sense that it was made during the dawn of making feature films and not settling with shorts - making period pieces that certainly feel tied to their time more than anything. It is one of the first feature films set during the Revolutionary War, released the same year alongside The Spirit of '76 (which mixed fictional and factual events of the War); that feature generated controversy over its content involving its depiction of England (with the US having entered World War I that year as part of the Allies), but no prints of that film survive. The film was produced by William A. Brady (father of the main star Alice, who acted in both films and theatre) of World Film, a theatre actor and operator who notably produced The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897), one of the earliest feature films ever released. The film runs at 60 minutes, and it isn't too particularly hard to find a copy on the Internet (as is the case with films from this decade), although the driving question one has is if the film will prove to be worth their time.

Honestly, this isn't a terrible movie, but it certainly hasn't aged well in terms of consistent entertainment value. It holds itself with a shaky foundation (from writing by Henry A. Du Souchet) that likely fits more for the stage than on a film screen, with the eye wandering a bit for the occasional offbeat highlight. The cast deliver fair performances, nothing too particularly fantastical nor derivative, and Brady certainly doesn't seem too out of place in the lead. I can only imagine how it would be for viewers who saw an edited version that that cut out scenes such as a sword thrust, certain intertitles and other moments. It should be noted that the story that occurs here (with elements such as a romance with a British officer, spy harboring, etc) isn't too particularly interested in telling facts, but then again we're dealing with a legend here - the story only began to surface upon the writings of her grandson during the 1870s, when America was about to celebrate its centennial. Ross was indeed an upholsterer who produced garments for the Continental forces such as uniforms and flags, with a record listing her for work done for the Pennsylvania Navy fleet (a blue flag with 13 stripes, although those stripes where on the upper left hand corner). In any case, it is more a manner of accepting that no one person can be credited with creating the first flag for the country. Certain habits and legends endure, for whatever reason - needing a symbol or role model for others to latch on, but this film isn't really one to completely grasp with, a relic of the past that lurks in obscurity without much struggle. Curiosity for something like this may prove okay or at best a way to spend an hour without being a complete waste of one's attention. One can do better here, but one could also do worse.

Happy Independence Day, everyone. It felt like time to do a seventh edition of the Independence Day Feature and cover some America-themed films, with this being the 12th done since 2012, with the others being Independence Day, The Patriot, Air Force One, America, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Spider-Man, The Devil's Disciple, Sagebrush Trail, Suddenly, Rambo: First Blood Part II, and Rambo III. With that in mind, I have a big feature planned to round out this doubleheader today.

Next Review: Gettysburg (1993).

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.