houndspirit

This small documentary film was created in 1911 to publicize the socially important work being done by The Manhattan Trade school For Girls. In this it is an interesting document from the "Progressive Era" and it serves its function admirably. What lift the movie out of the earnestly mundane and makes it special is the score composed for its 2007 restoration by Elena Ruehr. Special is one adjective to be used and magnificent would be another. Here is a perfect example of an artists ability to take the ordinary and transmute it to gold lifting it ethereal heights not anticipated. I found myself watching it again and again and asking others to do so as the haunting score for chorus and string orchestra immortalized those long ago students Millie, Rose, Miriam, Sadie, and Marie. Any composer seeking to score a silent film should seek out and learn from Ms. Ruehr. For this I gave the film a score of 10.

Joseph Schmidt was one of the unfortunate number of great and unique artist caught up in the political whirlpool that was 1930's Europe. He was a man of short stature physically, being barely five feet tall, but possessing a voice of surpassing stature. He came to fame initially on German radio in numerous broadcast operatic performances which were barred to him on stage because of his height. This film, shot in part on location in Venice, reflected these aspects of Scmidt's own life and in that sense renders the film as loosely biographic. This extends to a sweetly portrayed love triangle in the plot. I will not go into further plot details as they are largely irrelevant to the film's great strength which is the unsurpassed passionate singing of Schmidt further enhanced by his clearly apparent dignity and grace. This was a popular success upon it's release in Germany early in the Nazi regime and even Goebbles was described as being enthusiastic. This must have been a brief enthusiasm as Schmidt , originally a cantor, was driven by events to Austria , Holland,and eventually Vichy France from whence he reached Switzerland, illegally in 1942. There he ran afoul of an unsympathetic work camp administrator who "knew not Joseph' and put him to work despite his having developed chest. There he succumbed to heart disease at age 38. He was said to be singing up to an hour before death.

All this adds a certain poignancy to this and his other surviving films. "My Song goes Round The World" fortunately escaped attempted destruction by the Nazi's. One copy was found after the war. This restoration, by the Bel canto Society is a treasure.

The film is a wonderful portrayal of a dark triangle involving identical twins who form an elegant acrobatic circus act and eventually seek revenge on an unfaithful women. They plan a "perfect crime" on which the film turns. I have not seen the film in about 50 years. It used to show up on local TV quite frequently in the 50's but seems to have disappeared and unjustly so. I only hope it still exists? If it is available I do urge it's viewing.

Lom plays the dual role of the twin brothers and this , in itself , is cleverly handled. The O'Henry like ending is affecting and again gives the film a further degree of individuality.