Officer 666

The Cohan play of OFFICER 666 appears to have been a major success in it's day. Frank Powell, star of Griffith one reelers and director of THE STAIN, had already made a version. One can see the outlines of what must have amused WW1 audiences in the changing direction of the plot, with the art stealing con man and the owner of the collection of paintings switching costumes with the uniformed beat copper and much hiding in a trunk.

Like the other surviving JCW film adaptation of a play they were touring, this is quite well paced, alternating quite solid interiors (outside the one where the painted wall is allowed to go on shaking) and local exteriors. However the material which got laughs on stage is not translated into film form leaving some of the action incomprehensible.

Little connection with Niblo's rather ponderous Hollywood spectacles. He and Sydney Stirling, as his adversary, play with confidence which contrasts with the Gilbert and Sullivan-esquire officer and the maid who is concentrating on not looking at the camera.

The viewing copy is poorly reduced leaving the con man space to vanish into the sound track area space screen left and is missing the opening reels - which doesn't help.

This film has minor curiosity value.

It is not very well known that Fred Niblo, who would later become one of the great directors of the silent screen, served his apprenticeship as a film-maker in Australia.

OFFICER 666 is one of the rare complete features of the Australian silent screen, although it only runs 40 minutes.

It is an interesting example of an attempt to adapt a stage play for the silent screen, and, despite enthusiastic performances, I'd have to say it does not entirely work. There is a lot of silent talking - which is pretty pointless - and the action is primarily confined to a living room. Not a good example of telling a story visually - which is what silent movies could do so well.

It is quite fun though - a complicated farce about false identities and disguises. And the director and star is none other than Fred Niblo, an American, who would later direct the magnificent 1925 version of BEN-HUR with Ramon Novarro, the Douglas Fairbanks 1921 version of THE THREE MUSKETEERS and the Rudolph Valentino 1922 classic BLOOD AND SAND. All of these films are renowned for their visual style - so this was evidently something he learnt after 1916!

Niblo arrived in Australia in 1912, with his wife Josephine Cohan, to appear on the stage. They stayed for three years. Cohan was the sister of George M. Cohan - and both the films Niblo directed in Australia were based on Cohan plays. The first was GET-RICH-QUICK WALLINGFORD (1916), and the second OFFICER 666. In both films Niblo also starred, and his co-star was Enid Bennett, who would later marry Niblo and become a major Hollywood star.

For students of racism, there is a Japanese servant, simply called "The Jap" who is treated badly by everyone - I think that this was supposed to be funny.

The print resides at ScreenSound Australia, the National Screen and Sound Archive, in Canberra and is in very good condition.