Maggie Johnson (Mary Pickford) is a humble shop girl with a crazy family. Joe Merrill (Charles 'Buddy' Rogers), the rich son of the chain store owner, is posing as a regular stock room employee to prove that he can be successful without his father's influence. Being that Maggie is the sweetest girl EVER, they fall in love. The problem? He's supposed to be engaged to a high society girl that his wealthy family approves of. Will their families' and society's expectations tear these two apart?
This is one of my favorite silent movies. The story is simple, and the leads are perfect. You can really feel that they care for each other, and for good reason: though Pickford was married to Douglas Fairbanks at the time the film was made, she and Rogers later were married from 1937 until Pickford's death in 1979. Aww! But oh! Mary Pickford! I adore her. Known as "The Girl With The Golden Curls" and "America's Sweetheart," she often found herself playing young girls. In this film, however (her last silent film), she gets to play someone her own age, and she is absolutely lovely in a romantic role. There's one scene in particular where they eat lunch together in a box in the stock room...it's so tender and she's so convincing as a woman who has just fallen in love. And Buddy Rogers is no slouch either. I just love the two of them together.
This is a great "starter" silent film for those who aren't used to them. It's simple, sweet, funny, and an overall enjoyable viewing experience. Give it a chance!
No comments:
Post a Comment