When the Clouds Roll By

As our story opens, otherwise normal New York gadabout Douglas Fairbanks (as Daniel Boone Brown) has been unknowingly the "guinea pig" in a bizarre experiment. For three months, Mr. Fairbanks has been secretly the subject of possibly mad scientist Herbert Grimwood (as Ulrich Metz). "The power of suggestion can destroy both mind and body," Dr. Metz explains, "But first I weaken the power of resistance in my subject by implanting psychic germs of fear, worry, superstition and kindred annoyances." Fairbanks has become superstitious and frantic, but maintains his good nature...

"When the Clouds Roll By" was a United Artists showcase for its box office star. The plot collapses as episodes lead to a revelation that doesn't exactly fit the (doctor's) introduction; we have been led astray. However, it doesn't matter if you take the story as a surreal fantasy from the opening credits. Also involved are Fairbanks' courtship of conveniently placed Kathleen Clifford (as Lucette "Lucy" Bancroft), plus business intrigue involving his uncle Ralph Lewis (as Curtis Brown) and oily rival Frank Campeau (as Mark Drake). Somehow, Fairbanks and Victor Fleming fit it all together.

******** When the Clouds Roll By (12/28/19) Victor Fleming ~ Douglas Fairbanks, Kathleen Clifford, Frank Campeau, Herbert Grimwood

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).

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

Victor Fleming's resume as a director is one of the most stellar in Hollywood history. In 1939 alone, he directed two of the top classics in all of cinema, 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Gone With The Wind.' As a cinematographer in Tinseltown after his World War One photography service, Fleming rose through the ranks until he earned the head director position in a Douglas Fairbanks vehicle. His talents behind the camera is readily seen in his debut movie, December 1919's comedy "When Clouds Go By." Cited as one of Fairbanks' best early farces, the movie contains a brilliant fantasy-ridden nightmare sequence using all the latest technological tricks up to that time, including the actor walking on walls, floors and ceilings of a room. Fred Astaire's similar trick in 1951's 'Royal Wedding' wowed audiences not familiar with Fairbanks' same trick 32 years before.

"When Clouds Roll By" is a satire on human experiments where a doctor wants to drive Fairbanks so insane he would end his life, verifying his hypothesis that stress, bad eating habits and romantic jealousies put people over the edge. Fairbanks' character unknowingly is a perfect candidate since he's one of the most superstitious individuals in the world--except for the gal he meets in a park, who's just the same. Film historians claim this is one of Fairbanks' most intelligent, funniest comedies in his body of work.

"Executed at a breathless pace, 'When the Clouds Roll By' is a masterful showpiece for the whirling cyclone of energy that was Douglas Fairbanks," wrote the actor's biographer, Jeffrey Vance.

"When Clouds Roll By" had been nominated in American Film Institute's 100 Most Passionate Films Ever Made. This was Fairbanks' second movie released by United Artist Corp., formed earlier in the year by cinema's four top movie makers, Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and D. W. Griffith.

Fairbanks was the first of the four to actual have UA money produce and distribute the corporation's first movie, September 1919's "His Majesty, The American." (Griffith's 'Broken Blossom' was UA's first distributed movie earlier in the summer.)The actor displays his athletic prowess as he becomes mixed up in a small European country's political intrigue.

UA's first produced film also marked actor Boris Karloff's debut in a feature film, here as a spy. Known as William Pratt growing up in England, he journeyed to Canada in 1911 to pursue a stage acting career, changing his name to Boris Karloff. Working in theater throughout Canada and the United States, he became an extra and a small bit player in short and serial silent movies in 1918, before his largest role yet in the Fairbanks film.

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).