Josephine Crowell

This was comedian Harold Lloyd's last silent film, and one of his most charming. Lloyd's character here is called Harold "Speedy" Swift, an upbeat young man whose fatal attraction for baseball always causes him to lose his jobs. After his latest firing, he impulsively spends a day at Coney Island with his sweetheart, Jane Dillon (Ann Christy). Ann's grandfather, Pop Dillon (Bert Woodruff), meanwhile, has a dilemma -- he runs the last horse-drawn trolley in New York City, and the railway magnates desperately want his route. Since Pop won't sell it to them, they plan to get it by underhanded means. Pop must make his rounds at least once every 24 hours, so the magnates hire thugs to stop him. Speedy hears about this plan and, being gainfully unemployed, takes over the route to protect the old man. But the magnates then steal the trolley, and the climax of the film involves Speedy's dash to find the trolley and get it back to its route before the 24 hours are up. He makes it just in time and then forces the magnates to buy the route for a cool 100,000 dollars. This picture was shot on location in a Manhattan that now looks almost quaint for all its concrete and steel. Baseball legend Babe Ruth had a cameo role, playing himself as a very harassed fare when Speedy is working as a cabbie. Their wild ride ends at the old Yankee Stadium. Other historically interesting sites include Coney Island's Luna Park, and Columbus Circle and Wall Street as they were in 1928. In the film's climax, the trolley has a spectacular crash at the Brooklyn Bridge -- this accident was not planned, but was left in the film anyhow. At the time of this picture's release, Lloyd was a top box-office draw, a bigger moneymaker than Charlie Chaplin (whose releases during the '20s was infrequent) and Buster Keaton (whose quirky comedy wouldn't be fully appreciated for several decades). While Lloyd made some fairly amusing sound films, he never again matched the quality of his silent work. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Having scored big-time box office with his first Biblical epic, The Ten Commandments (1923), Cecil B. DeMille hoped to top this success with his 1927 The King of Kings. Inasmuch as he was now dealing with the life of Christ, DeMille had to be careful to serve up equal amounts of showmanship and reverence. The first creative challenge: how to "introduce" Christ in a tasteful manner? The answer: as a blind child is cured through Jesus' intervention, DeMille cuts to the child's point-of-view, slowly fading in on the kindly countenance of H.B. Warner as the Son of Man. Still, DeMille remained DeMille, especially in his handling of the character of Mary Magdalene (Jacqueline Logan). No longer a tattered streetwalker, Mary Magdalene is now a glamorous courtesan, replete with legions of gorgeous slave girls (one of whom is "bubble dancer" Sally Rand) and dressed in revealing Hollywood-style gowns. In fact, the film opens on this character, as she ruminates over the defection of her favorite customer, Judas Iscariot (Joseph Schildkraut), who is spending far too much time with Jesus of Nazareth. Upon visiting Jesus herself, she immediately repents, casting off all her prior sins. Once again, the efficacy of the Cecil B. DeMille formula is proven: redemption has no dramatic value unless the film shows viewers why the sinner needs to be redeemed. Once he's gotten his box-office considerations out of the way, DeMille adheres faithfully to the particulars of Jesus' life, betrayal, trial, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. (Again, however, the director improves a bit upon his source material: the storm that follows the Crucifixion is of the same spectacular dimensions as the parting of the Red Sea in Ten Commandments, while the Resurrection is filmed in vibrant Technicolor). To back up the authenticity of his images, DeMille -- with an assist from scenarist Jeannie Macpherson -- utilizes Scriptural quotes in his subtitles. And to avoid any untoward publicity while filming, DeMille required all of his actors to sign legal documents preventing them from indulging in any sort of "sinful" activity; this meant that poor old H.B. Warner had to steer clear of alcoholic beverages for nearly a year, though he more than made up for lost time after his contract ran out. Prepared to mercilessly lambaste The King of Kings, DeMille's critics were disarmed by his reverent, tasteful approach to the subject. Years after the film's release, a specially prepared 60-minute version of the 18-reel King of Kings was making the rounds of religious groups, church basements, and Easter-weekend telecasts. The film was remade in 1961 by producer Samuel Bronston and director Nicholas Ray, with Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This nicely made Paramount feature benefits from the humanity and wit of writer/director William C. DeMille, and the spark of Bebe Daniels, who was fully coming into her own as a star and comedienne. Daniels plays Jenny, a female Raffles character, who breaks into the home of the wealthy Bob Van Dyke (Neil Hamilton). Van Dyke catches her, but instead of turning her over to the police, he convinces her to go straight. While Jenny is making her way in the world, however, Van Dyke's life is going to hell, and finally he is broke. In desperation, he decides to rob 20,00 dollars from his old housekeeper. Jenny finds out about his plans, and to save him from himself, she gathers up her old associates and they steal the money before he can get to it. When the cash turns up missing, Jenny takes the blame, but Van Dyke realizes what she was trying to do, and the money is returned. Van Dyke straightens his life out and romance blooms with Jenny. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Clara Bow plays an inveterate flirt who impulsively marries much-older mountain man Ernest Torrence. When city lawyer Percy Marmont shows up on a camping trip, Bow can't help but lead the poor fellow on. He resists her advances, but finally succumbs, leading to disaster. Very typical of the silent films that catapulted jazz-baby Clara Bow to stardom in the late 1920s, Mantrap benefits immeasurably from Bow's boundless vivacity and from the breathtaking location photography by James Wong Howe. One nagging question: what does twentysomething Bow see in either of her superannuated leading men--particularly the cadaverous Percy Marmont? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This silent adaptation of Franz Lehar's famous operetta (in which precious little of the original story was retained) was a rare event in Erich Von Stroheim's directorial career -- a critical and commercial success that the director was also able to complete according to his wishes (though in the latter years of his life, he would claim that the film's final moments were forced upon him by studio brass intent on a happier ending). Prince Danilo (John Gilbert) and Crown Prince Mirko (Roy D'Arcy) are two brothers in the Ruritanian royal family who are notorious womanizers, frequently finding themselves competing for the same woman. When Sally O'Hara (Mae Murray), a dancer from America, stops in Ruritania on a performance tour, both Danilo and Mirko are both strongly attracted to her, as is the older Baron Sadoja (Tully Marshall). Each begins making plans to seduce her; however, during Sally's performance, the differences between the three men become apparent -- Danilo is attracted to the beauty of Sally's eyes and face, while Mirko is strictly interested in her body, and Sadoja's intense focus is upon her feet. Danilo introduces himself to Sally after a performance as "Danilo Petrovich," claiming to be a wealthy commoner rather than royalty. He invites her to dine at his estate after her performance, and when he "mistakenly" spills soup on her dress, it's the first step in his successful efforts to lead her to his bed. Danilo asks Sally to marry him, and she agrees. To his surprise, Danilo finds that he is eager to settle down with the American dancer, but King Nikita (George Fawcett) and Queen Milena (Josephine Crowell) forbid him to marry a woman who does not carry a royal title, and Danilo is forced to leave Sally waiting at the altar. Seizing an opportunity, the aging Sadoja asks Sally for her hand in marriage, and she grudgingly accepts; he dies on their wedding night while ecstatically rummaging through her collection of shoes. Sally inherits Sadoja's estate and retains the title of Baroness, and a year later she encounters Danilo, who is still deeply in love with Sally and wants another chance to win her heart -- although since she never learned the truth about why he never arrived for their wedding, she is not eager to be wooed by him again. Mirko also re-enters the picture in a new effort to win Sally's affections, but while Danilo is motivated by true love, Mirko's efforts are fueled by lust, both for her body and her newly-gained wealth. The Merry Widow was a lavishly-staged production shot on a long schedule (19 weeks, very unusual for the time) with a large cast of extras. If you look carefully, you can spot Clark Gable and Myrna Loy among the bit players, several years before either would become a star. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Fred Prouty (Warner Baxter) and his wife, Nettie (Lois Wilson), are living happily until the day that his aged father (Luke Cosgrave) shows up on their doorstep. He immediately begins creating havoc, upsetting the once-orderly household and trying to force his opinions on everyone. Nettie does her best to be patient with the old man, but the day comes when he brings a group of his pals over while she is holding a meeting of a fashionable club. The men eat all the sandwiches and turn the house upside down -- and Old Man Prouty insists on interrupting the meeting, which causes it to break up. Ultimately Nettie tells Fred that either she or his father must go. Luckily for Fred, his pop visits the Old Men's home and realizes he will be much happier there. When he discovers that Nettie is pregnant, he realizes that he will be in the way and is glad to find a new home with his peers. This comedy-drama had a hard time living up to Minick, the stage play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber on which is was based. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

On his friend's wedding day, disgusted best man Harold Lloyd swears that "I will never give up my freedom for a pair of soft-boiled eyes!" When he (literally) trips over a pretty young girl (Jobyna Ralston), he immediately forgets his words. In the time it takes to read a title card, they are married. Thus begins a Lloyd comedy which is basically three two-reelers strung together. Hubby (Lloyd) and Wifey (Ralston) delight in their married state, and the first segment shows Wifey on the phone, asking her adored Hubby to bring her a few things from the market. Next we see Harold at the market, loaded down with her several dozen requests -- and a live turkey which he has won in a raffle. He boards a trolley, and as it travels through the charming town that L.A. was in the twenties, he (and the turkey) manage to disrupt everyone in the car. Some great physical comedy happens before Harold, his packages and his turkey are thrown into the street. Things get even hairier in the second segment when the beleaguered Hubby arrives home -- Wifey's battleaxe mother (Josephine Crowell), bum of a big brother (Charles Stevenson) and brat of a little brother (Mickey McBan) have come for a visit. Hubby has just bought a gleaming new car and instead of taking Wifey for a spin alone, the whole clan tags along. The result is a hilarious and thrilling wild ride that culminates with the car rolling down a hill, completely out of control. Naturally, the car ends up being towed home, a total wreck, the family in tears. In the last segment, Hubby sneaks some chloroform on his ill-tempered mother-in-law, so that she will quiet down for the evening, and then he thinks he has killed her. In reality, mother-in-law is just fine, and Harold's utter torture as he mistakes everything he hears and sees as an indication of his "murder" is very funny. Hot Water is loaded with great gags, but considering it was Lloyd's seventh feature film, one wonders about its lack of cohesiveness. Buster Keaton's first film, Three Ages, was also essentially three two-reelers cut together, but his at least had a plot. Nevertheless, there are enough classic comedy scenes in Hot Water to make it a must-see. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

The massacre of the Huguenots, previously dramatized in broad strokes by Griffith's Intolerance, served as the basis for director Frank Lloyd's Ashes of Vengeance. Norma Talmadge stars as a Huguenot lass who stands defiant against the persecution of the French royal court. She is protected by Conway Tearle, a French noble who refuses to go along with the de Medici's murderous machinations. Josephine Crowell, who played Catherine de Medici in Intolerance, here repeats the role. Director Lloyd and H. B. Somerville adapted the screenplay of Ashes of Vengeance from Somerville's novel of the same name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This drama -- slightly sensational and moralistic -- was typical of the feature fare put out by low-budget film company C.B.C., which became better known (and a better company) a few years later as Columbia. Irene Rich stars as Megan Daye, who, after divorcing her husband, Gilbert Ames (Lewis Dayton), takes back her maiden name and goes to work for the ridiculously rich and domineering Mrs. Harbours (Josephine Crowell). Ames marries Viola, a telephone operator (Eileen Percy), and runs into his ex-wife when meeting with Mrs. Harbours, who happens to be his client. Viola, meanwhile, meets up with her old friend, Victor Fleming (Philo McCullough), and it's quite possible that his character's name was no accident. The director Victor Fleming was already known for his macho, womanizing ways. Viola and Fleming go off sailing and they are drowned. Now that he is conveniently a widower, Ames is able to patch things up with Megan and they reconcile. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Cecil B. DeMille was busy developing Leatrice Joy into a glamorous star a la Gloria Swanson when she was loaned out to director Marshall Neilan for this romantic comedy. She played the title character of Neilan's film -- a homely, unwanted girl whose father (George Barnum) has invented a "wireless power machine." Minnie realizes that the only way she'll find a lover is to invent one, so she sends herself flowers and gifts from an imaginary sweetheart. A newspaper reporter (Matt Moore) starts investigating Minnie's story, and when her nasty stepsister (Helen Lynch) discovers her ruse she threatens to expose her. Since Minnie has to dig up a lover from somewhere, she decides to claim an unidentified body at the morgue. It turns out to be a dead Chinaman. The reporter is about to complete his story, but in the end he sympathizes with her and falls for her himself. With the help of a plastic surgeon, both Minnie and the reporter are fixed up for a glossy Hollywood-style ending. Neilan was forced to add this artificial tag by DeMille, who threatened to stop the film from being shown unless Leatrice Joy was turned back into the chic star of his own pictures. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

May McAvoy was on her way to becoming one of Hollywood's most popular stars when she appeared in this pleasant comedy-drama. She's Meg Mackenzie, the orphaned niece of two stingy Scotsmen, Donald and Duncan Craig (Charles Ogle and Guy Oliver). She's kept busy taking care of their home in the country, while they plan to marry her off to Joe Dobbs (Lincoln Stedman), the son of the village blacksmith (played, improbably, by character actress Josephine Crowell). A wrench is thrown in the Craigs' plan when author Stephen Ware (Darrel Foss) comes to the little hamlet in search of a quiet place to work. Meg immediately develops a crush on him and Ware's stay proves to be anything but quiet when there's a robbery and he is assumed to be the guilty party. A mob attacks him, and Meg steps in and saves his life. Her uncles happen to be away, and she takes him in while he recovers from his injuries. When they return, Donald and Duncan are infuriated to find Ware in their home, and they insist that he marry Meg to save her reputation. Not thrilled to be saddled with a little country girl as a wife, Ware reluctantly agrees, and takes her to his mother's home until the marriage can be annulled. Meg, however, is determined to win him over -- and she does. "The familiarity of the story may be overshadowed by the pleasure in watching Miss McAvoy," noted Moving Picture World. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This was a pleasant, though not particularly exciting vehicle for light comedienne Viola Dana. Circumstances force wealthy Diana Webster (Dana) to spend the night in a hotel with Jimmy Harrison (Philo McCullough), who is engaged to her Aunt Sue (Gertrude Astor). Later on she meets Bruce Terrington (Allan Forrest), who had seen her earlier with Harrison. Diana and Bruce become sweethearts, but he is haunted by the belief that she has been compromised. Diana finally gets fed up with this and decides to get even by getting him into a similar situation. She asks a pair of dubious characters to help her out, but they see her as a more promising mark and kidnap her. Bruce is forced to come to her rescue, but everyone winds up getting arrested. Harrison eventually clears up the hotel situation to Bruce's satisfaction, and he and Diana are happily united. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide