I must confess that I watch silent movies mostly for their historical content (real-life/real-world background scenes, etc.) and to get a glimpse of some of the starring characters, but almost never for the story line or the acting. Furthermore, I never watch "horror" movies from any era because I simply don't like them (more accurately, I cannot stand them). The on-screen TV Guide, however, listed the principal actors in this movie as John Barrymore (1882-1942) and Martha Mansfield (1899-1923). Miss Mansfield's name immediately caught my attention, so I decided to watch the movie, no matter what I might think of the story line.
Why Miss Mansfield? About four or five years ago, I became a huge fan of the photography of Alfred Cheney Johnston (1885-1971). He was the official photographer of the famous Ziegfeld Follies from about 1916 to 1931. Martha Mansfield was a Ziegfeld Girl in 1918 and 1919. See image below.
Martha Mansfield (ca. 1918-1919)
Johnston's amazingly artistic portraits of hundreds of Ziegfeld Girls, in various stages of dress and undress, are very rare for that era. Some of those young women went into the motion-picture business after leaving the Follies. Some, like Miss Mansfield, were stars while they were still in the Follies, as well as afterward.
As I began watching the movie, I had no idea that my attention would soon be completely refocused. That's not easy to believe when one looks at the portrait above.
I finally caught a glimpse of Miss Mansfield a few minutes into the movie. She is attractive, but I was not overly impressed with her acting abilities or onscreen presence. A lot of that is probably the fault of the "filler" role she was given. As with most actors and actresses of that era, she was more of a two-dimensional caricature than a living person. She is far more impressive in still-life portraits (as you can see by the image above) than in motion pictures (at least that is true of this motion picture). Even John Barrymore was little more than a caricature, although he did an excellent job of acting his way through several transformations from Jeckyll to Hyde without the benefit of any real special effects.
About fifteen minutes into the movie, Dr. Jeckyll is in a low-class pub having a drink. By then, the movie was starting to drag. I was debating whether or not to stop watching. Suddenly, an exotic dancer emerges onto the stage. The accompanying text blurb identifies her as Nita Naldi (1897-1961), also a former Ziegfeld star. See image below.
Nita Naldi (ca. 1922)
I was transfixed and -- yes -- smitten. I don't know how not to be trite in my description: She was so very real and so incredibly alive. It was as if she had accidentally walked onto the movie set during filming and simply acted like a real human being. While the other characters were little more than animated mannequins, she moved effortlessly -- and completely unselfconsciously -- among them. As I watched her perform, so full of life, I had to keep reminding myself that I was watching a scene that had taken place 86 years ago. It was a somewhat profound and sad thought to contemplate.
In spite of Miss Naldi's masterfully understated performance, I must admit that it was her beauty (which some might say is in the eye of the beholder) that held my attention and would not let go. With the exception of the still-life portrait above, most of her still-life portraits simply do not do her justice. Unlike Miss Mansfield, Miss Naldi must be seen in motion to be fully appreciated. I watched the rest of the movie simply to see her all too rare and much too brief appearances.
Yes, I am willing to confess that I may have gotten carried away in my description of Miss Naldi, but that's exactly how I feel, and that's what these diaries are all about.
I don't know what else to say (with the exception of the footnotes below).
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Footnote 1: Martha Mansfield suffered a terribly sad and tragic fate on a movie set in 1923 in Texas (you may read about it in this one-paragraph summary).
Footnote 2: Nita Naldi died on February 17, 1961, two months and five days after I was born.
8 comments:
That would be an awful way to die.
I've never watched a silent movie, but I may just have to add that to my To Do List.
I agree, Trina. It was such a terrible way to die that I didn't have the heart to describe it. Besides that, it would have been a really "downer" ending that would have ruined the real point of my entry.
If you're interested in watching a silent movie, there are three Buster Keaton short comedies in a row (20 minutes each, from the early 1920s) airing this Sunday night, July 23, on TMC (11 central, 10 mountain). They would be about the best introduction anyone could get to silent movies (not perfect, but way better than most). At first, these movies may seem over the top with slapstick (way over the top, I suspect), but Keaton's humor is extremely dry and extremely subtle; therefore, it is occasionally hilarious, even by today's standards. Just keep and open mind and enjoy watching life on this earth over 80 years ago (they still filmed mostly in the real world in the 1920s).
By the way, I read your fire stories and saw your photos. I thought they were outstanding.
I found Miss Naldi's photo the more striking of the two. My 88-year old grandfather (we all call him "Big Daddy") remembers silent movies from way back when. I have watched a few with him, which is always a treat. He has a nice collection.
I have seen your comments on trinamick's blog. Thanks for visiting mine. I'd enjoy seeing your cat pictures sometime. Cats are inherently photogenic - they pose without even realizing it.
I'm glad you agree with me regarding Nita Naldi. I guess I was just anticipating people's possible disagreement when I downplayed her photo the way I did. I shouldn't have done that. Like you, I find it far more striking than the one of Martha Mansfield.
This is the genealogist speaking in me: Regarding your grandfather, has anyone in your family thought about interviewing him on tape in order to get his life story? It could be broken into segments based on the various events in his life, both big and small. Someone could later put it in writing. It might even be fun to post some of his more exciting stories on in your blog.
Timeless Beauty is what I found in this film. I'm happy to see that Martha Mansfields memory is kept alive with this film. As the last surviving relative of her family I'm touched to see pictures and storyies about her. My Grandad spoke well of her.
Timeless Beauty is what I found in this film. I'm happy to see that Martha Mansfields memory is kept alive with this film. As the last surviving relitive of her family I'm touched to see pictures and storyies about her. My Grandad spoke well of her.
David, wow. What a thrill to hear from an actual relative of one of my favorite women of the silent era! I think it would be wonderful if you had a closet full of old photographs of Miss Mansfield (or rather Miss Ehrlich). What I wouldn't give to be able to see and scan those onto the computer. I've spent years searching the internet for her photographs because I have been so fascinated with her.
Second, I hope you realize that my praise of Nita Naldi at the seeming expense of Martha Mansfield has more to do with a wild infatuation than anything else. I based it on two things: 1.) Their rolls in this one film, and 2.) Having once been in love with a Persian woman, I am always attracted to women who have a similarly "exotic" appearance. I never meant to take anything away from Miss Mansfield, but it appears that I did. I never imagined that a relative of either actress would ever read my "blog." If I had imagined it, I would have been much more tactful in my wording. I truly meant it when I wrote that Miss Mansfield's acting abilities may have been limited only by her very brief filler roll in this film. I've never seen her in any other film, but I can assure you that I will jump in front of the TV if her name is listed in the credits again, just as I did before.
No offense taken at all. But if you like one can look her up on Yahoo groups were I did some posting of some family photo's of her I found and gave to the libary of congress. At present I know that a Texas University has a large number her in her "follies" photo's. It's been a battle to have them release a few of them to public. Despite that the few pictures I have her is enough for me. As I have no hier and doubt that at my age I'll have child to carry on her memory. All I do is maintain her resting place in the Bronx. and find as many things I can of her so at my time I can donate them to UCS film school were I did my cinema studyies at many years ago. Oh, I do know that a few other films of her with Max Linder is still around but finding a good print has been a real chalenge let alone the fact how many people will buy a copy to justify such a large investment. Just think of it....she filmed "Jekell" here in Queens not too far from where I live. And she would took the same train line I do every day to go to into the city.
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