grammy3

I've just seen (October, 2005) a tape of the Moscow Film Archive's copy of this film. Despite a previous report, their print is not complete. It runs about two hours and forty-five minutes. Since the serial was comprised of twenty episodes, it undoubtedly had a running time of over seven hours. However, Moscow's version has the beginning, the ending, and the rest is generally cohesive, plus lots of fun. A hooded killer, an avaricious family with a curse on it, almost non-stop gun-play, fights and chases, etc. Pearl and costar Antonio Moreno work well together, with very little of the exaggerated acting we used to associate with silents. Elaborate sets, lots of location work (Fort Lee, NJ), and appearances by Louis Wolheim (a small, but recognizable role) and Paul Panzer, the villain of "Perils of Pauline", though here he seems first to be a gangster, then on the side of the law (but perhaps something was cut). A newspaper's account of an excellent print is exaggerated. It varies from just okay to somewhat better than that, but always acceptable. A nice rescue job, though whether or not it will reach the public, I don't know. I also wonder if Sergei Eisenstein cut the film to be a feature. All titles are in Russian and Ukrainian, though separate sheets of paper with the translations accompanied the tape. All credits are gone; no title, no cast credits, no chapter headings, etc.

An oddity. P.C. Wren's very-English book transported to Mexico (replete with a bullfight), then Spain, but finally to the Sahara and the French Foreign Legion. RKO's 1931 version is pretty bad, but it has its pictorial compensations, and is kind of fun in its overblown, campy way. This isn't any kind of fun, but should be of interest to Legion and Wren adherents. Crowd scenes and at least one set (a fort)from the earlier film seem to be employed here. The one improvement on the first version is that the two male leads are macho types. The original story has been considerably changed. This new tack could have resulted in some interesting dramatic developments, if only someone involved in the production had had the talent to do something with it. The tape I've obtained has English titles.

Columbia's B musicals with Frankie Laine-Billy Daniels, etc., were all about the music. The plots are just there to, however haltingly, keep things going. Pert Terry Moore pushes tall, gangly, handsome Jerome Courtland to become a singing star. Why not? Courtland (with solos on "Let's Fall In Love", "The Love of a Gypsy" and a duet with Laine on the title song)has a fine voice, if not the performing charisma of the two leads. Daniels, a surprise smash in his first Columbia, keeps up the good work with a warm, relaxed rehearsal in an empty night club with pianist-backup singer Benny Payne, of "Too Marvelous For Words" and "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", later goes full-tilt on "I Get A Kick Out of You". Great camera work on all of Daniels' moments. Laine also gives his usual earnest, energetic and unique approach to his songs, including "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die", "I May Be Wrong" (with Toni Arden, who also gets a solo spot), and a bit of "Pennies From Heaven". Oh. Round tv screens, too! Almost impossible to find on videotape.