bgtaylor

Back in 1914, short one-reel dramas and comedies (about 10-15 minutes in length) were the norm, and AT DAWN is an excellent example of some of the dramas of that time. This 'short' features popular silent film star, Wallace Reid, in an early role quite different from the good-guy heroes he later played. Here he plays a good-for-nothing type who is only after a woman's money, but when her rich aunt realizes his true intentions, she forces her niece to end their relationship. Reid then goes off to The Philippines during which time the rich aunt dies and, still unaware of his true nature, the wealthy niece follows her old lover overseas. His scheming ways take a turn for the worse, however, and I thought Wallace Reid played 'the bad guy' superbly. It's a good little story packed into just under 15 minutes of great drama, and is directed by Donald Crisp, who also became a successful actor in later years. For a good example of short silent films before feature-length films became popular, or a look at Wallace Reid's fine acting talents, AT DAWN is an excellent choice.

Although best known for his swashbuckling adventure films of the 1920s like THE MARK OF ZORRO, THE BLACK PIRATE and THE THREE MUSKETEERS, Douglas Fairbanks was already wowing the audiences in earlier years from 1915 onwards, particularly with his amazing physical feats which led to his more famous action hero roles of the 20s. In fact, many of his pre-1920 films have more raw action and amazing feats than the more sophisticated productions of later years, and A MODERN MUSKETEER is a prime example: one astonishing action sequence shows Fairbanks doing some running somersaults, leaping over walls and then a horse in a single bound before virtually running up a perpendicular church wall and its steeple with the speed and ease of a monkey! Anyone who has thrilled to other early Fairbanks films like WILD AND WOOLLY, MANHATTAN MADNESS and HIS MAJESTY, THE American will surely be as amazed and entertained as I was to watch A MODERN MUSKETEER. Although it's incomplete, with only the first 3 reels surviving, it showcases the trademark comedy and action talents of Douglas Fairbanks in his years leading up to his biggest film successes. A few short scenes show Fairbanks as D'Artagnan – a foretaste of his later success in THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and then the story revolves around a young man from Kansas who, like D'Artagnan, is always looking to rescue a damsel in distress. It is wildly funny, and despite its missing ending, really worth while viewing.