La petite vendeuse

Beautiful romantic comedy starring the great Mary Pickford, alongside her future husband Buddy Rogers. As a silent it is one of the best, a perfect example of the art of silent cinema, and as a film, it transcends all time and languages, the perfect love story.

Wow, what a wonderful little film! While I have a VERY hard time giving movies a rating of 10, this one sure came close. No, on second thought, it is about the best example of the genre in silent form, so it merits a 10. For its day, it's an absolutely great romantic comedy that is sure to even get the curmudgeons out there to smile! And, the best part about it is that film is not overly sentimental or sappy--it just exudes quality and craftsmanship.

Mary Pickford stars as a sweet and simple girl who works as a stock girl for a 5 and 10 cent store. A new employee (Buddy Rogers--the future husband of Ms. Pickford in real life) is hired and it's her job to train him. Unknown to her and the other employees, the young man is actually the son of the owner of this large chain of stores--in other words, he's loaded! But, his father is a practical man and wants him to try to work his way up the company ladder and find out about it from the inside.

At the same time, the boy is already engaged to a rich society girl that the boy's mom has picked out for him. However, over time, Mary's sweetness wins him over--all during which she has no idea who he really is.

Instead of telling you more (and thus spoiling the film), I want to point out just why the film excels. While very romantic and even a tad melodramatic at times, the film keeps a pretty light mood as well--striking a wonderful balance. The production values are absolutely top-notch--excellent direction, acting and cinematography--with the exception of one small scene in the end as the car races to the ship--it did look pretty cheesy. But this can certainly be forgiven because the film is also written so well and really draws you in to caring about the young couple. This film is about as good as it gets for a Mary Pickford film, though I also greatly enjoyed her films DADDY LONG LEGS and SUDS.

PS--The video by Milestone was great. The print was nearly perfect, the music excellent and after the movie was over, they included home movies of Mary's real-life marriage to Buddy Rogers in 1937--a wonderful addition to this great film.

"My Best Girl" is a sweet and sentimental romantic silent film, starring Mary Pickford as a poor shopgirl, and her then future husband Charles "Buddy" Rogers, as the secret son and heir to the 5 and 10 Cent Store in which they both work.

It was nice to see Mary playing an adult role for a change, and one feels for the burdens her character has to go through, being the oppressed daughter of such a silly, blundering, selfish family. Buddy's character is a bit tough to take; he's too much of a "pretty boy" through most of the film, romancing the girl under false pretenses, dallying with her affections, but he redeems himself in the end.

The DVD version has a nice symphonic music track (refreshing in comparison to the boring organ scores on so many old Mary films) and this film is tinted, plus it has some darling home movies included from Mary and Buddy's wedding and honeymoon 10 years after the making of the film.

If you enjoy Mary Pickford on film don't forget to plop this one in your DVD player sometime soon. It was her last truly silent film and therefore something special.

Mary Pickford is as charming and funny as ever in this one. Her role gives her a chance to do what she did best, and it's a lot of fun to watch. 'Buddy' Rogers also makes his character likable and sympathetic, and the combination works very well. While the story is nothing really new - a poor girl working in a store falls in love with the rich owner's son - it's filmed with thoughtfulness, creativity, and plenty of humor.

Even if you don't like romantic comedies, it would be hard not to enjoy the scenes with Pickford and Rogers together. They are winsome, but usually avoid becoming overly cute. The scenario gives them just enough material to work with, and the settings and props are made to fit right in with the engaging characters. Their respective families - sources of difficulty and complications for them both, although ultimately they too are mostly sympathetic - are also nicely worked into the picture.

Pickford certainly had more challenging roles, but "My Best Girl" is one of her most enjoyable films to watch. It is (seemingly) effortlessly entertaining while also letting you into the lives of its characters, with a perfect balance of romance and comedy. Highly recommended.

There is a bittersweet quality to "My Best Girl" which has nothing to do with the on-screen action. This was Pickford's last silent film, and as such heralds the end of an era. Though she would continue with her career until 1933, sound and its early limitations really knocked her off her exalted pedestal.

It is also the film in which she co-starred with Buddy Rogers who became her husband for over forty years. (In the process she had to divorce Douglas Fairbanks, and anyone who cares even vaguely about silent film will have certain pangs of regret about that.)

In itself it is a beautifully constructed, engaging romance. Unusual for a Pickford feature, it tends to outstay its welcome towards the end, where Mary's histrionics are laid on a little thick. Buddy I find irritatingly enthusiastic - can't the man just laugh without slapping his knees?

But let's not nit pick. "My Best Girl" is a totally engaging piece of fluff; not up to the standards that Mary set in "Sparrows" and "Stella Maris", but still amongst her most accessible features today. See it if you can with the Gaylord Carter organ track.