When the Clouds Roll By

A superstitious young man does not realize his shrink is trying to drive him to suicide as part of an experiment. This sounds like it could be made into some oddball indie comedy today, but it's the plot of a Douglas Fairbanks vehicle from 1919! That's insane! This movie is as close as Fairbanks got to dabbling in surrealism. The comedy is dark and the visuals get strange-- truly something to be seen to be believed. The best scene is a dream sequence in which the editing blatantly evokes the changing scenery of dreams (touches of the later Sherlock Jr).

Daniel Boone Brown, who works for his uncle's investment firm, is the unwitting subject of a psychological experiment by an unscrupulous doctor. Brown has nightmares, phobias, and generally is a nervous wreck. He meets a girl and falls in love, but the town's Mayor, who is also a rat, becomes his romantic rival. Eventually, the doctor's real identity is revealed, Daniel grows a pair, and all ends happily.

Fairbanks is in good form, performing plenty of stunts, including one in slow motion. It is a bit jarring to see him play an insecure character, when one is used to seeing him acting with bravado and confidence. But there are some very funny scenes and plenty of clever photographic effects. The climax involves a flood, which is convincingly filmed. However, the sequence actually seems unnecessary to the plot, except to suggest the film's title and also Fairbanks' recovery from his insecurities.

This was the second film Fairbanks made under the "Big Four" banner (the forerunner of United Artists).

What a miracle this film is! Designed as a "cheer 'em up film" following the dark days of World War 1, this is a wildly energetic and fanciful comedy, that is truly life-affirming.

Doug is his usual cheerful self, performing some amazing stunts, and lighting up the screen with his ebullient personality. Under the sure direction of Victor Fleming - making his debut as a director - the film never misses a beat, and is full of surprises.

There are a couple of moments of pure fantasy, including an insane dream sequence, and scenes set in Doug's brain and in his stomach! And the whole thing comes to a wild special effects climax when a dam bursts!

This gem is truly a neglected classic and deserves to be restored and released on DVD, so that we may all enjoy the cyclone of energy that was Douglas Fairbanks. 10 out of 10.

It's a mystery why this delightful silent feature isn't better known and more widely appreciated. I've seen several of the comedies Douglas Fairbanks made prior to his switchover to swashbucklers and they're all great fun, but for my money When the Clouds Roll By is the best of the lot: it's funny, fast-paced, action-packed and highly original. To call it "original" is quite an understatement; this movie is absolutely off the wall and constantly surprising, even for buffs. The plot is convoluted enough to keep you guessing, and just when you think you know what's going to happen next, the filmmakers throw you another curve-ball. Speaking of originality, it's worth pointing out that a number of gags and bits of business found here were borrowed by others and used again in later years, so while this movie proved to be a rich source of inspiration for Fairbanks' colleagues who saw it in 1919, the source material itself seems to have been largely forgotten.

Much of the comedy derives from the screenplay's satirical jabs at the still new field of psychology. Doug plays a good-natured young man who is harshly victimized by a sinister psychologist named Metz, who lives nearby. Why the doctor has chosen to treat Doug worse than Pavlov's dog isn't explained until late in the story (and I won't reveal it here), but let it suffice to say that Doug is subjected to a distressing series of "Gaslight"-style mental manipulations intended to convince him that he's losing his mind. The evil Dr. Metz even contrives to invade the world of Doug's dreams by controlling his diet, and the ensuing nightmare is a surreal cinematic highlight, combining such techniques as slow motion, double-exposure, and the very same "wall-walking" stunt Fred Astaire would employ in Royal Wedding in 1951, performed more elaborately in this early rendition. The dream sequence begins inside Doug's body, where we witness a battle between the foodstuffs he's been eating at Metz' behest: an onion, a lobster, Welsh rarebit, a slice of mince pie, etc., each represented by actors dressed in the appropriate costume. They duke it out on a "stomach" stage set, an effect that is both bizarre and hilarious, and a throwback to the early cinematic style of Edwin S. Porter's Dream of a Rarebit Fiend, or the trick films of Georges Méliès. We're reminded of early cinema again later when our hero reaches a crisis and thinks he's finally lost his mind for real; the title card tells us that Doug's Reason is Tottering on Her Throne and his Sense of Humor has been defeated, while his mind is being assailed by Worry and Despair. This struggle is then enacted before our eyes by performers representing these traits, like some kind of Medieval morality pageant.

These quirky comic sequences are a real highlight, but meanwhile there's an earthbound plot involving Doug's relationship with a girl, his conflict with the girl's former suitor (a vulgar crook), and a scheme by the crook to defraud the girl's father. This story-line is more conventional, but greatly boosted by the surrounding craziness and further enhanced by a series of genuinely funny title cards that maintain just the right level of breezy insouciance. There's also a cute series of running gags concerning superstitions that both Doug and the girl believe in, not only still-familiar beliefs involving black cats, ladders, and the number 13, but also more obscure notions involving dropped knives and opal rings. The plot culminates in an impressive storm sequence combining miniature sets with large-scale action, all of which may remind buffs of the finale of Buster Keaton's classic Steamboat Bill, Jr. of 1928. Buster didn't use miniatures, but it looks like he and his crew might have borrowed a gag or two from Doug!

I was fortunate enough to see this film at a recent public screening at the Museum of the City of New York. There was much laughter throughout, and afterward a lot of people were saying "Why haven't I heard of this movie before?" Clearly, this is a silent comedy that deserves to be better known, a movie that cries out for full restoration, more public screenings, broadcasts on TCM and a DVD release.

P.S. December 2008: I'm pleased to add that this film is now available in the newly released Fairbanks DVD box set. Many thanks to the folks responsible!

Don't let the plot summary here fool you. It is indicative of 'When the Clouds Roll By' being a depressing film with the danger of taking things too seriously. It is actually the opposite, while not treating the subject as too much of a joke. Anyway, saw the film for a number of reasons, including being intrigued by the title, highly appreciating silent films, liking other Douglas Fairbanks films and finding him always a very engaging performer.

'When the Clouds Roll By' is something of a little gem. Sadly like others have said, one that doesn't have anywhere near enough attention despite absolutely deserving to. It is one of the stranger and wildest (in a good way) silent films but is also one of the most entertaining and most charming. Oh and it was very interesting seeing an early effort from Victor Fleming and a silent one, being more familiar with his more acclaimed work like the timeless 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Gone with the Wind', for me this is one of his best earlier work. If you want to get more with his early work, 'When the Clouds Roll By' is a good place to start.

It holds up well visually, some quite creative touches here and there and nothing comes over as primitive. The dream sequence and climax (those effects) stand out in this regard. Fleming never lets the momentum or fun slip, hard to believe actually that this was actually his debut which inexplicably was not mentioned by me above.

The fun never stops and neither does the energy, after such a dark time for the world not long before this must have been a refreshing watch at the time providing that people felt like it was the right time. It also felt refreshing to me now, after such recent unsettlement some escapism like this was much needed. Dream sequences don't usually get this deliciously strange and the climax is quite jaw dropping.

Likewise with the stunts, some of the boldest and most athletic pre-prime Buster Keaton. Fairbanks is utterly delightful, a bundle of charismatic energy while not over-exaggerating. The story is occasionally on the convoluted side but that is overlookable because everything else is so superb.

Concluding, a terrific film and deserving of more attention. 9/10