Wild Orchids

This film seems a lot like a warm-up for The Painted Veil, another Garbo ego picture which would be released in 1934. The story is similar, the locale is in Asia, she has a much older, boring husband, a new, exciting lover...

I could go on and on about how similar they are.

It's not technically a silent movie, rather a sound movie without dialogue, and perhaps that's its only redeeming quality. The sets are nice, but the intertitles do get a little corny (and aren't overly inventive).

Garbo would go onto better things, but for now she was still making silent pictures in an era where even Gloria Swanson had transferred to sound.

Greta Garbo is quite pretty in this film, and she gets to wear a lot of nice costumes, but she isn't given much to do other than that.

I was rooting for the husband more than I was rooting for the lover, so the Hollywood happy ending was welcome. The tiger hunt was probably the best part of the film.

I preferred The Painted Veil, not because I'm a silent movie-phobe (because I am not), but because her leads are more colorful and she's given more to do than be a window decoration.

Superb production values and subtle, clever performances by the three major stars in this film (Greta, Nils, and Lewis) make this silent film absolutely fascinating - and fun - to watch. From the moment Greta's character meets Nils' character in the hallway of the cruise ship, as he viciously strikes his servant, while she appears shocked and disgusted, yet intrigued, the stage is set for a great tug of war of emotions and a battle of wills between the major characters, which keeps the audience mesmerized throughout.

If you have only seen Greta in her talkie films from the 1930's then you really have never understood why she became so popular in the first place, or why she was considered a great beauty. Her mystery and allure on film began in the silent era of the 1920's. By the time she appeared in her talkie films her face was more set, more mature, more of a woman's face. In the 1920's she still looked like a young girl, and her beauty and refreshing elegance were more striking.

Lewis Stone has the benefit here of receiving some of the best and funniest lines in the picture. As the Prince, played by Nils, shows Lewis and Greta to their bedroom in his Javanese palace, where they will stay as guests, a king size bed is revealed. Lewis's eyes open wide and he whispers to Greta in shock, "Good Lord, a double bed!" This was something new for a married couple on screen in 1929! I burst out laughing.

Great film, with a wonderful ending. Don't miss it.

On a trip to Java, Garbo falls for a charming native prince (Asther), after being neglected by businessman husband (Stone). Routine romantic triangle has its weak spots, but Garbo's elegance can smooth them out. A silent with music score and sound effects.

While "Wild Orchids" is not a major classic, the film does illustrate the magic of the Silents at their peak. Within a few minutes, director Sidney Franklin establishes the vulnerable relationship between Lewis Stone, a businessman with an interest in commerce and hunting, and Greta Garbo, his younger and neglected wife. The couple embarks on a sea voyage to Java in search of tea plantations, and competition for Garbo's affection soon appears in the guise of an exotic prince. Stone's apparent and puzzling preoccupation with business over his beautiful wife is hard to fathom. Garbo could be described as Stone's trophy wife, and trophy she is. As garbed by Adrian and photographed by William H. Daniels, Garbo would be a prized trophy for any man or woman anywhere any time.

Once aboard ship, with the same economy of style used to illustrate the marriage of Lillie and John Sterling, Franklin quickly sketches the character of Nils Asther, the Javanese prince. Garbo watches in horror as Asther whips a servant outside his cabin, and his dark eyes and pencil-thin mustache speak volumes. Although too pretty and occasionally fey to be totally convincing as a Lothario, Asther works hard at befriending Stone and seducing his wife. Unfortunately, Stone's indifference towards his wife only helps propel this film down a familiar road.

The Danish Asther as the Javanese Prince De Gace is as Asian as the realm he rules, which was conjured in the frenzied minds of MGM's art directors. The welcome banquet is reminiscent of the feast in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," but without the snakes and eyeballs. At one point, Garbo dons a local costume and, although she fails to charm her husband, she does presage her subsequent appearance, opposite Stone once again, as Mata Hari. Despite Asther's occasional lapses, the performances of the three leads are naturalistic. Stone is always solid and dependable, and Garbo, well, she is always captivating whenever on screen. While not among her greatest, "Wild Orchids" is vintage Garbo, representative of silent films at their best, and worthy entertainment.

Wild Orchids casts Greta Garbo as the younger wife of Lewis Stone and they are bound for what was then called the Dutch East Indies. On the ship they meet a Javanese potentate Nils Asther a fellow Swede to Garbo who looks seductively at Garbo and that's all she wrote.

There's a wonderful scene in Wild Orchids where Garbo encounters Asther giving a beating to one of his servants who did not move as quickly as he would like. Garbo may have had the best face for closeups in the history of cinema. Remember this is a silent film so no dialog, but the looks Asther gives her and her closeups, a mixture of horror at the barbarity, but fascination with the man tells more than 50 pages of dialog or title cards.

Asther invites her to Javanese palace and Garbo and Stone are loving it. But eventually Stone catches on and it all comes to a climax during a tiger hunt.

Asther got to do another Asian portrayal in Frank Capra's The Bitter Tea Of General Yen. Some interesting roles for a Scandinavian, yet another of his countryman Warner Oland also played a noted Oriental with Charlie Chan.

Lewis Stone has the distinction of being the player who did the most appearances with Garbo. He comes over well as the concerned and most jealous husband.

Definitely a must for Garbo fans and those wanting to get acquainted with her work.