Sometime ago I mentioned that I don't watch Silent Films because they give me the creeps. But both Meredith and Lexie mentioned Marion Davies as a friendly vehicle to soundless movies and recommend me "Show People" and "The Patsy". Well, I know myself, so I decided to see talkie "Not so dumb" (King Vidor, 1930) first and that way make a smoother jump to the creepy silents via miss Davies.
+TCMRip+VO%5B15-13-23%5D.JPG)
+TCMRip+VO%5B15-13-23%5D.JPG)
And I loved it! Marion plays Dulcy, a girl who wants to help her fiancé's career by pleasing his grumpy boss. She invites him, his girlfriend and daughter (really, that modern) to her home and arranges an afternoon of games and chat (lots of chat). Dulcy has very good intentions and tries to please everyone, the only problem is that her ideas are not very bright. She also invites to the super party a guy who loves playing golf and movie director who's in love with the boss' daughter. Did I mention that tender hearted Dulcy has an ex convict as a butler? Oh, and that her brother is around and he also loves the boss' daughter?
Marion does a splendid job as Dulcy. Full of energy, talking with an hilarious intonation, misusing sayings to illustrate her points, displaying a rich palette of gestures and looks which makes her performance more vivid...but never over the top in my opinion.
I think this is the ultimate way to play a dumb blonde, because you really feel all her actions are natural and product of her character's kind heart. I couldn't find any scene in Youtube, so I uploaded a little part just to show you Dulcy's personality:
Technically, it's obvious that this film is part of the transition from the silent era to the sound era. Audio quality is poor in some scenes, there is an unnecessary (but funny) intertitle, and some close up shots are very expressive but soundless and not smoothly edited with the rest of the scene.
But I really didn't care the technical part, because I was busy laughing at Dulcy's crazy ideas. I read in Imdb some reviews pointing out that this wasn't one of the best collaborations between King Vidor and Marion Davies. If that's so, I'm finally ready to give silent films a chance.
Im glad you enjoyed the film. I actually havent seen this one, but Ill have to add it to my list. Its so easy to love Marion. Shes very funny and I love her personality.
ReplyDeleteI bet you would love "It" with Clara Bow as well. Have you seen that one?
ReplyDeleteLexie: Totally, thanks for the recommendation ^^
ReplyDeleteKC: I saw "It", I liked it, but the guy with weird make up gave me the creeps :)
"Not So Dumb" is probably a good way to make the transition from Davies talkies to Davies silents, because it was directed by King Vidor, who also helmed what may be her two best silents, the brilliant "Show People" and "The Patsy." I think you will enjoy those films; you are right in that the "language" of silent film is considerably different from that of talking pictures, but by the close of the silent era, the technical aspects of filmmaking were brilliant. Talkies forced everyone to start from scratch, and consequently many of those early films are, to put it kindly, stiff. It wasn't until advances were made in technology and directors such as Ernst Lubitsch (and Vidor) learned how to use dialogue that most films became watchable.
ReplyDelete"Not So Dumb" derives from a popular 1920s play, "Dulcy," which I believe Gracie Allen performed in; I do know she and George Burns performed it on "Lux Radio Theater." (The play was previously done on "Lux" in 1935, the year before the program moved from New York to Los Angeles. It's the only surviving recording of "Lux" from this era.)
Anyway, enjoy the Marion silents -- she is wonderful to watch!
VP81955: Thank you very for your comment and all that interesting info, now I really really want to see "The Patsy" & "Show People". Marion is really funny, so I expect the best ^^
ReplyDeleteIm glad you enjoyed the film. I actually havent seen this one, but Ill have to add it to my list. Its so easy to love Marion. Shes very funny and I love her personality.
ReplyDeleteI bet you would love "It" with Clara Bow as well. Have you seen that one?
ReplyDelete