Paint and Powder

Elaine Hammerstein had a sizable film career in silents. Here she plays Mary Nolan, a "lily of the alley," a struggling singer/dancer at Dago Mike's dive. Her boyfriend Jimmy (Theodore von Eltz) waits tables. When a big Broadway producer (John St. Polis) comes in one night, she goes into her dance but he never notices her. As he leaves, a crook lifts his wallet Jimmy see this and lifts the wallet from the crook's pocket. With cash in hand, he and Mary swank up and go to see the producer. They are turned away but she catches the eye of the lecherous partner (Stuart Holmes). Later, after Jimmy is hauled away as a thief, Mary talks the producer into trying to help but it's too late; he has confessed.

He feels sorry for the pretty girl and gives her a part in his big new show. She becomes an overnight star (Jimmy is serving time). Time passes and she's opening in a big new show. Jimmy has gotten out of jail (he's been pardoned). As he waits outside in the alley, Mary agrees to go to Holmes' apartment to a party. She gets drunk and ends up in bed, passed out. Just as Holmes is about to make his move, Jimmy bursts in and there is a big fight. But when Jimmy spies Mary in a negligee (she was dressed by drunken women at the party), he assumes and worst and runs away.

More time passes and she's still a big star on Broadway. Jimmy is in the audience and ready to start anew but alas, he is too late: Mary has married her producer (St. Polis). The closing shot shows her sobbing into her wedding gown as Jimmy is now lost to her.

The musical numbers are pretty much a bust without real music. The dancing consists mostly of high kicks. Yet Hammserstein is quite beautiful, a cross between Clara Bow and Barbara LaMarr, and a decent actress. The rest of the cast is solid.

Elaine Hammerstein, part of the great theatrical family of producers and lyricists was a leading star on Broadway and -- in this period -- a leading actress in the films. Here in this backstage musical melodrama, she's a spunky New York Irish girl who makes her way up to star in a Broadway musical, but of course, she loves fellow New York Irish Teddy von Eltz. It's a full-dress melodrama co-written by Mrs. Fanny Hatton -- and, despite a few nice touches by director -- later MGM producer -- Hunt Stromberg, it doesn't work. It's hard to do musical numbers in silent pictures, although some people could manage -- Robert Z. Leonard could manage and von Stroheim's MERRY WIDOW works beautifully.

However, the musical numbers, which should be set-pieces of beauty to contrast with the tawdriness of the rest of the melodrama, don't really come off. Miss Hammerstein looks best posing in the intermediate two-shots -- she is very charming but doesn't seem to know how to play to the camera, and the story line is fairly standard. Even the Demille-type party scene looks a little tired.

While this is by no means a bad movie, it lacks anything to make it great. Worth a look. but missing it won't ruin your life.