Zander the Great

Marion Davies is an orphan, rescued from the meanest orphan matron this side of Miss Hannigan by Hedda Hopper. Mrs. Hopper's husband abandoned her and their son, Alexander -- called 'Zander' by Miss Davies -- to fight in Mexico. Despite letters to him, he hasn't been heard from for years. Now, as Mrs. Hopper lies a-dying, he writes to say he's moving to Arizona, goodbye.

When Mrs. Hopper dies, they want to send Zander to the orphanage, so Miss Davies grabs Jack Huff, the Ford and the boy's pet rabbits and heads off to deliver the boy to the father, along with many, many rabbits by the time they get there to find Harrison Ford -- no, the other one. He proves he's the widower by knowing some facts about his marriage, so Miss Davies and Huff move in, despite his shady dealings with Mexican banditos and scruffy ranch hands Harry Watson Jr. And Harry Myers.

As is usual for Miss Davies' movies, the highlights are the comic sequences, and the best bit is when she's barbering Myers and Watson; the latter's rubber-faced reactions and her dogged persistence are very funny. George Siegmann is the bandito; Hobart Bosworth is the sheriff who can never quite catch Ford doing dirty. It's thoroughly entertaining little movie with a solid score by Ben Model.

Yet another great Marion Davies film.

Fabulous opening scenes with Marion as a 12-year-old orphan with pig tails and freckles. The opening is filmed to show the backs of girls laboring over wash tubs. You see no faces until they load up a wicker basket with a ton of clothes and the girl stumbles under the load only to fall and send the wash flying. The camera zooms in on the girl tearing off the washing and it's MARION DAVIES! She is beaten by the hideous matron (Emily Fitzroy) but is saved when the trustee (Richard Carle) discovers her beating and sends her to Mrs. Caldwell (Hedda Hopper) to live. She helps Hopper with her infant son, Zander, while she waits for the return of her husband from Mexico.

Years pass and Hopper dies. The orphanage descends to take away the baby but Marion escapes in a Ford and heads for Arizona (with Zander and his pet wabbits) were the baby's father (Harrison Ford) is hiding out with his gang. Through pure luck she happens upon their hideout (he's a bootlegger) but wins them over through her cooking.

But Ford's a good man and is fighting a border war with an evil outlaw (George Siegmann) while the sheriff (Hobart Bosworth) lurks.There's a big shootout and things end happily as Ford is not the real father, but a friend of the father who was killed.

Davies is just wonderful here as the orphan but also as the resourceful woman who saves the day. The opening scenes of Davies buried under piles of laundry and zooming about on a motorized bike are very funny.

Ford, who was a major star in his day, is also excellent. The supporting cast is solid: Fitzroy is grotesque as the head of the orphanage, Harry Myers and Harry Watson are good as the gang, Olin Howland is the suitor, and Holbrook Blinn is Juan Fernandez.

Great happy ending scene with tons and tons of wabbits.

In a New Jersey orphanage, pigtailed Marion Davies (as Mamie Smith) causes a slapstick ruckus; consequently, she is brutally abused. Then, Ms. Davies' luck changes; and, she is sent to the loving home of motherly Hedda Hopper (as Edith Caldwell). Ms. Hopper's husband is away, on an extended trip to Mexico. So, Davies helps raise Hopper's baby into cute young Jack Huff (as Alexander "Zander" P. Caldwell Jr.). The years are kind to Davies, who grows from freckles and pigtails to beautiful complexion and curls. When Hopper passes away, Davies must fulfill a promise to find Huff's father, but the wicked orphanage from her past declares custody. Davies takes the boy, and sets off to meet adventure, danger, and Harrison Ford.

The odd title "Zander the Great" refers to the Greek leader Alexander the Great; to wit, Davies shortens little Alexander's name to Zander because, "Alexander is such a big name for a weenie baby." Davies spends the much of the picture made-up like Mary Pickford (a road taken by many, to be fair). The comedy and drama don't mix very well; as usual, Davies is better with the former. Finally, the movie becomes a western.

Director George Hill and the MGM team do some nice work; especially, the beginning scenes with Davies, and the ending expiration scenes featuring George Siegmann (as Black Bart).

The sexual prowess of rabbits is a tiresome source of amusement.

This was a big 1923 Broadway success for Alice Brady.