Janice Meredith

Well JANICE MEREDITH is a little slow moving but has some totally great scenes and of course the underrated Marion Davies! Davies is the title character who seems to show up at all the high points of the American Revolutionary War. She plays the daughter of a wealthy Royalist and falls in love with a mysterious bond-servant (Harrison Ford) who turns out to be a nobleman who sides with the Americans.

Many great scenes include re-enactments of Paul Revere's ride (Ken Maynard) and Washington crossing a very frozen Delaware. Janice's horseback ride through the frozen and snowy countryside is also well done. The period detail is exceptional and is a hallmark of the films produced by William Randolph Hearst. Excellent battle scenes.

W.C. Fields has a comic cameo as a drunken guard. Olin Howland is the goofy intended husband. Holbrook Blinn, Spencer Charters, Maclyn Arbuckle, and the Princess de Bourbon co-star.

Marion Davies has a few lively scenes but is mostly used as the beautiful leading lady in a series of outrageous period costumes. She and Harrison Ford are quite good together.

This film was a bomb in its day, partly because Davies doesn't get to be funny. This huge historical drama could have ranked with Little Old New York and When Knighthood Was in Flower as a Davies hit if she had something more lively to do. As it stands, it's certainly not a bad film and has several exceptional sequences.

This film was thought to be lost for decades until a print showed up in England. I'm glad we have this fine and very underrated film and another chance to see the beautiful Marion Davies in a top-notch production, based on a best-selling novel by Paul Leicester Ford.

Historical romantic fiction set during the American Revolution, filmed expensively to showcase mistress Marion Davies, by William Randolph Hearts, for Cosmopolitan Productions and Metro-Goldwyn Pictures. For 1924 audiences, this must have been like going to see D.W. Griffith's "America" again, with Ms. Davies (as Janice Meredith) inserted into the Revolution. The two films were in production simultaneously, they covered the same ground, and were written up in movie periodicals prior to release. It's odd that Mr. Hearst went up against Mr. Griffith, who got his "America" into theaters well ahead of "Janice Meredith"; blessedly, Griffith's Colonists win the War without Davies' help. However, neither film was the epic intended.

Davies is awkward, forced, and pouting as a wealthy New Jersey belle; at first, her character is uninvolved in politics - but, she becomes instrumental in founding the triumphant new United States of America. Romantic interest Harrison Ford (as John Brereton) arrives on her estate as a handsome indentured servant ("Charles Fownes") with an intriguing background. Davies and Mr. Ford fall in love; but, Davies is expected to marry goofy, noble neighbor Olin Howlin (as Philemon "Phil" Hennion). Paul Revere (Ken Maynard)'s ride and Washington crossing the Delaware are highlights. After almost an hour, W.C. Fields appears as a British officer encountered by Davies; not even their comic antics can save this thoroughly non-engrossing film.

*** Janice Meredith (12/8/24) E. Mason Hopper ~ Marion Davies, Harrison Ford, Olin Howlin, W.C. Fields

Janice Meredith is a film about a girl (Marion Davies) during the American Revolution who falls in love with a spy (Harrison Ford). Miss Meredith is somewhat like a silent movie version of Forrest Gump in that she constantly finds herself involved with historically important events like Paul Revere's ride, Washington crossing the Deleware, and others. There are also several historical figures depicted in the film like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Marie Antoinette, and General Cornwallis.

This film was a commercial failure when it was released and there are several indications as to why. First off, Marion Davies seems dying to show her true colors. We see them in a few scenes where she gets to flirt with men, bringing forth her vivacity and endearing qualities. However, in the scenes when she is more serious, her personality dims and her beauty becomes that of the silent starlet, standard and therefore uninteresting. Next, the film seems to take itself too seriously sometimes. It is obvious that massive amounts of money were spend on the making of the film, but that in itself does not make it an art film. There is a scene where fallen soldiers rise and as spirits encourage troops by playing drums and a flute. However, instead of being effective, it just seems strange and out of place. There is also some slapstick at unexpected times such as when two soldiers back into each other slowly and run away when their back touch, this during a dramatic battle scene! The Videobrary release of this film is adequate, though the music score is inappropriately crescendos and alters the mood of scenes. However, thankfully or disappointingly depending on how one looks at it, the score abruptly stops and does not return for over half the film. For first time silent film viewers, this will probably be a massive drawback, but for veterans it will probably be more of an asset.

Mainly a Marion Davies vehicle as she helps Paul Revere find out that the British are coming and helps George Washington find out the location of the British troops when he crossed the Delaware to attack Trenton.

Very nice costumes for both men and woman, but the action sequences (Paul Revere's ride and Washington crossing the Delaware) are too long and the love story does not generate much heat.

I first read about this film when I read a book of the filmography of W. C. Fields by his grandson Ronald J. Fields. He mentioned the brief scene his grandfather did with Marion Davies and liked it but wasn't crazy about the rest of the pic as it's more serious after that. The beginning scenes are indeed amusing as Ms. Davies flirts quite a bit during those including to her leading man Harrison Ford (not the current star, one from way back who had that particular name). Since this was the first time I've seen either of them, I didn't think they were all that bad. Certainly the recreations of Paul Revere's ride and General George Washington's crossing the Delaware with his men make this a worthy epic. Back to Fields, he's his charmingly amusing self as the British soldier who Ms. Davies manages to flirt with as she helps Ford escape his watch. In summary, Janice Meredith, or the British title I saw on YouTube The Beautiful Rebel, is worth a look for anyone interested in these early movies.