The White Moth

In Paris, Barbara La Marr is about to throw herself into the Seine when she is rescued by dancer Charles De Rochefort. A year later she is his acclaimed dance partner on the stage, captivating all the men, particularly Ben Lyon, in Paris to help fiancee Edna Murphy pick out her trousseau. Lyon's brother Conway Tearle devises a plan to rescue him from this captivating creature that will torment everyone.

The copy I looked at was in excellent shape, although it missed the crucial final six minutes. It's a rare chance to see Miss La Marr swanning about in the sort of vamp role she seems to have lived in real life as well as on the screen. Director Maurice Tourneur offers a competent job, but mostly he's there to instruct cameraman Arthur Todd on how to photography her. Still, he gets some visual flourishes, like the scenes at the Artist's Ball in Paris, where you can see a horse amidst the large crowds of costumed extras. Still, everything is in support of the five-times-married star, who had been arrested for burlesque dancing at the age of 14, and who died in 1926 of tuberculosis at the age of 29.

In the pre-talkie era, Barbara La Marr enjoyed a reputation akin to Hedy Lamarr (who owed her name to the silent goddess) - audiences went to see her films simply to sit back and be mesmerized by her beauty.

While undeniably beautiful (despite changes in fashion & makeup), Miss La Marr lacks the acting chops of a contemporary like Pola Negri, who made several films of a similar type.

Thanks to director Maurice Tourneur, who was acclaimed for his pictorial composition, Barbara is exquisitely showcased in several scenes, including her stage presentation as The White Moth, were she "dances" around and is threatened by a man costumed as a spider; a extravagant artist's ball where she is lavishly gowned; and a tantalizing glimpse of Barbara in her bath.

With three handsome men vying for her attention, beautiful gowns & jewels, and expensive sets, The White Moth was an excellent vehival for Barbara's vamping and it's certainly easy to see why Barbara had a successful career in Hollywood.

The print I viewed on YouTube was incredibly crisp and clear, and the lack of a soundtrack didn't hamper my enjoyment of the film. The film was missing a few shots here and there, as well as the last few minutes of the film, but this didn't lessen my opinion of the film.

This is a very entertaining and charming picture starring the beautiful Barbara LaMarr as Mona Reid, a dancing star in gay Paris. Men adore her and long every evening to see her dance her famous act "The White Moth". She is wooed by a young man (Ben Lyon) already engaged to another girl. To keep him from leaving his fiancée and follow Mona to New York, his elder brother (Conway Tearle) marries her himself. While happy to see her dearest wish - marriage with the man she loves - fulfilled, she's confronted with the bitter truth just a few hours after the ceremony. Her husband leaves her to return to Paris, assuming that she will soon send for her ex-dancing partner to join her. But several sad weeks later he realizes that he's missing Mona and decides to return and start all over with her again... But events follow hot on heels of one another and the couple has to fight for their final happiness together.

A quite beautiful picture, very modern in its story-telling and acting. A good cast and good photography add to the quality of this drama. The story is based upon a poem originally written by Miss La Marr herself who also wrote the screenplay. People who love silents of all kinds will also like this picture!