Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley

In this 1918 film, Mary Pickford plays a down-to-earth Irish working class girl, complete with her washer-woman ma and 5 rambunctious brothers. The plot is perfunctory: she has an equally down-to-earth bartender boyfriend, but gets involved with dashing upper-crust sculptor Norman Kerry (who's handsome even to modern eyes!) until used as a "social experiment" by Kerry's socialite aunt, which she justifiably resents.

No big surprises, but a wealth of small, charming moments. The film is undeniably creaky (it is 82 years old!), but actually flows together quite well. Its age is also, undeniably, part of its charm - it fascinates me to see these products of another era. There is a melodramatic turn at the end that seems to come out of the blue, but perhaps it was a nod to the fact that Amarilly's neighbourhood was undoubtedly a dangerous environment to live in.

Its not difficult at all to see why Mary Pickford was "America's Sweetheart". This was the first complete movie of hers that I've watched, and I hope to see more. She's delightful - warm and sweet, and blessed with a heart-melting smile.

This is a charming old-fashioned story, featuring a delightful performance by Mary Pickford, two good male leads, and a plot that includes a good variety of material. The lead character makes it a perfect star vehicle for Pickford, and the rest of the film also complements her talents nicely.

The story is about Amarilly, a girl from a working-class Irish family. She has a boyfriend, Terry, who works at a cafe, but she also meets a sculptor from a rich family and becomes involved with his circle. There are some very funny moments, some (melo)dramatic parts, and some thoughtful social commentary as well. All of these come together nicely in a key scene when Amarilly's family mingles with the upper crust.

Besides Pickford, charming as always, the two make leads (William Scott and Norman Kerry) are very good, presenting believable and interesting characters who form a nice contrast with each other and a good complement to Amarilly. They all help a fairly simple story come to life. This is the kind of old-fashioned film that unfortunately does not get a lot of attention today, but it's a real pleasure for those who enjoy the silent classics.

Spunky little AMARILLY OF CLOTHES-LINE ALLEY has two suitors - her longtime bartender beau and a frivolous society boy. With whom would she be most happy?

This urban fairy tale, with romance, heartbreak & happiness all wrapped-up into a neat package, was exactly the sort of movie that Mary Pickford's legions of fans loved to see her in. America's Sweetheart was only too happy to oblige, constantly replaying the image of a resourceful little girl or adolescent at odds with a cruel world or snobbish society. This is no disparagement or faint praise. By expertly giving the public what it wanted, Pickford became the most powerful person in Hollywood.

Here, she has a fairly straightforward story line, without too many kinks in the plot. As always, Mary is imminently watchable. Whether dancing enthusiastically across a crowded floor, selling cigarettes to the `swells,' or reacting frantically to an accidental shooting, she never lets the viewer forget that the reason we watch a Pickford film is Pickford herself.

William Scott gives excellent support as Terry the bartender; the feelings he has for Mary are palpably real & true. Norman Kerry, full of boisterous high jinks, is fine as the society fellow who wishes to `better' her. Special mention should be made of jolly Kate Price as Pickford's mother, the very picture of an Irish washerwoman. Her round, jovial face bespeaks the goodness of her character's soul.

Pickford produced this film herself and she was ably abetted by screenwriter Frances Marion, her best friend and Marshall Neilan, her favorite director. Neilan had started his movie career as a romantic lead, but eventually moved behind the camera & Pickford considered him to be superior even to the legendary D. W. Griffith. Neilan's major failing were the frequent delays caused by his drinking, however he never failed in charming himself back into Pickford's good graces. This talented trio's collaborations continue to delight audiences today.

This Mary Pickford film is pleasant enough, though the script is kind of weak, and the storyline very predictable. The film only lasts an hour, so if you are a Pickford fan you will probably enjoy it. People new to the genre of silent film may not be overly impressed if they view this film first. I would suggest they start with Pickford in Daddy Long Legs instead.

The cast here is fun to watch, Norman Kerry very handsome and wonderful to see Wesley Barry as Mary's little brother. Love those freckles. He gets one good scene, where he has to fight in an alley way, encouraged by his tough Irish "Ma".

I give this film 7 out of 10.

Mary Pickford claimed Marshall Neilan was the best director she had ever worked with, better than even the legendary D. W. Griffith. The two worked in five straight films, all hits, beginning with late 1917's "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm." Their fourth film together, March 1918's "Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley," was Pickford tackling another dual role, this time as a poor woman who becomes romantically linked with a rich man. Her uneasiness of being elevated to the upper strata is shown visually by director Neilan in such scenes where he frames her several times in the doorway or sitting on windowsills, straddling the two worlds.

The comedy recognizes there are two different customs of behavior between the rich and the not-so-rich. The Pygmalion lessons she has to learn to enter such a monied society is one Pickford tackles with aplomb. With Neilan's direction, just as he crafted in "Stella Marie," his new visual style of fluid editing, naturalist forms of acting and incorporation of symbolic sequences introduced Hollywood to an ever-sophisticated method of movie-making, showcased with the premiers of these two very important motion pictures.