The Hoodlum

It's too bad the title of this film would be a turn-off to many people, because the story is delightful, the acting fantastic, and the print that I saw of the film excellent. This has become one of my favorite of all Mary Pickford films.

After watching Amy Burkeses transition from high-brow Fifth Avenue to the ghettos of New York I had to read the book it was based on. The film is quite different than the novel, but both are enjoyable in their own ways. Mary's script makes the romance a little sweeter, and the storyline in her film is less political.

I would love to see this one on DVD with a new musical score.

It remains true that some of the greatest films ever made hail from the silent era; proliferate icon that she was, many of Mary Pickford's many films remain esteemed classics. Not all works of the time are equal, though, be it a matter of emphasis on outdated social values, different sensibilities of film-making or storytelling, or possibly just weak writing or direction generally, so even where Pickford is concerned one must sit to watch with high expectations while being prepared for a lesser experience. With all this in mind, I do think that 1919's 'The hoodlum' may be a title that doesn't perfectly hold up: in early scenes alone, some of the humor suggests cruelty to animals, and I earnestly question how some animals on set were treated; even for a flick in which a mean, haughty person will have a change of heart, there is initially a level of wickedness on display, that of the wealthy and powerful selfishly operating at will without care for anyone else, that is extra off-putting. Additional smidgens of those outdated social values, such as passing sexist remarks about women, don't specifically help to curry favor, and more substantively, there are points where the writing seems to take shortcuts that we can only take at face value, such as that early beat when protagonist Amy abruptly decides to change her plans, upsetting her grandfather.

Still, though there are odds and ends that don't come off so well in retrospect, there is much to appreciate in these eighty minutes. Even if the treatment and the scene writing can be rough, there is a sincere narrative with meaningful themes at the core as a pointedly unsympathetic person learns what's important in life and changes their ways. (And some scenes actually are very well done, moreover a credit to editor Edward McDermott.) The humor is often mild, and some scenes are all but cartoonish, with some tidbits that may even raise a skeptical eyebrow, but there is definitely fun to be had along the way, and this is a piece with heart that also happens to be reasonably entertaining. The acting and Sidney Franklin's direction may fall on the more forthright side of the spectrum - reflecting not the more subtle, natural performances that modern audiences are used to, and which would develop over time in the silent era, but the more exaggerated facial expressions and body language that were ported from the stage to compensate for lack of sound and verbal dialogue - but even at that the cast give spirited, capable performances, and Franklin ably keeps the proceedings fresh with just the right measure of pep and vitality. There are sure highlights throughout, such as a sequence in which Amy is caught in a rainstorm.

And when it comes to the nuts and bolts of the feature this is as well made as most any of its contemporaries. The costume design, hair, makeup, and especially the sets give us big eyefuls to take in, and they all look fantastic; where stunts, effects, and otherwise action come into play they are excellent. I admire the intertitles both for their writing - in particular, the lingo of one hundred years ago is itself a blast - and for the little artistic flourishes that often characterize them. The tinting that is exercised to help flavor scenes is as welcomingly sharp as McDermott's editing that shapes the picture. Nitpick some minutiae as we may, 'The hoodlum' is rather well-rounded overall, offering both amusement and rewarding thoughtfulness; though the sum total is no revelation, it's certainly far better than not. It's unlikely that this will do anything to change the minds of anyone who isn't already enamored of the silent era, but for those who enjoy what the early years of cinema have to offer, there's not truly any going wrong here. I might even say that while the pacing is a tad lethargic, the title picks up strength as it goes along, and the impression we're left with is stronger than the one we're first given; one can see, after all, the kinship that this shares with comedies from the likes of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, and that's high praise indeed. If early scenes left a bit to be desired, it was perhaps only in an effort to move more quickly to the best parts to come, and when all is said and done I can't really fault anyone for that.

So yes, the movie may have its issues. Yet ultimately it provides a good time while serving lessons about learning compassion and empathy - desperately needed one hundred years later - and discovering real community despite superficial differences, a notion which these days feels like a relic of the past, while imparting a complete, duly compelling story. Even at its best I wouldn't say that this demands to be seen, but warts and all, I'm very pleased with just how good 'The hoodlum' is, and I'm happy to give it my warm recommendation.

This film is a typical Mary Pickford vehicle from the middle phase of her career. Mary plays the spoiled granddaughter of ruthless industrialist Alexander Guthrie (Ralph Lewis) whom her father, sociologist John Burke (T. D. Crittenden), takes on a study- and book-writing trip to the slums of New York. There she has a change of heart... There are several things I liked about this picture, which Mary Pickford's own company produced and which she consequently strongly influenced. In particular the scenes in the slum - 'slum' not in the sense of shanty town but rather in that of cheap neighbourhood - are well done and historically highly interesting. They were evidently filmed on location and offer insights into how recent immigrants of diverse ethnic backgrounds and poor New Yorkers were living in the early 20th century. It is also very well-acted. Pickford is lively and at least in the latter part of the film charming, Lewis plays the industrialist with aplomb and Pickford's love interest Kenneth Harlan convinces as well. On the other hand: Pickford begins by playing a little girl. She acts in front of slightly oversized furniture so that she appears to be maybe 8 or 10 years old. In the space of what, according to the plot of the film, can only be a few months she turns into a teenager and finally into a young woman whose marriage we are witnessing. Strange. Also, her conversion from spoilt brat to understanding young woman is handled poorly. All that is necessary is her father telling her that in order to get on with the people in the slum she has to become one of them. Suddenly she dresses as if she had spent all her life in that neighbourhood, speaks the slang and generally gets on famously with kids and adults alike. Still, all in all this is an interesting and entertaining film. I am happy I watched it.

Despite the rather reckless-sounding title, the Mary Pickford feature "The Hoodlum" is actually an entertaining and thoughtful movie that resembles many of her other films, with a few touches that make it different and worthwhile. The story-line is a bit too far-fetched on some occasions, but otherwise the movie works very well.

Pickford gets to play the kind of high-spirited but innocent character at which she excels, and she makes full use of the material. After her character moves in with her father, some of the scenes of her transformation are quite amusing. Pickford had the rare ability to bring out a character's yearning for change and desire for experimentation without making the character come across as self-righteous or rebellious.

The production and the rest of the cast are solid, but it's mostly Mary's show, and she pulls everything together. Her interactions with her grandfather are nicely done on both ends, and add some real substance to a movie that was already entertaining. The settings are believable, and especially so in the slum neighborhood. The story is relatively simple (if implausible at times), but it is thoughtful and worthwhile.

Mary Pickford's appeal as `America's Sweetheart' is very clear in this film. While many of her fellow actors use an excessively theatrical style, she is totally natural. She inhabits her character completely and, contrary to the stereotype of her films, that character is anything but sweet for most of the movie. In fact, much of the delight of watching her is in enjoying her bad behavior!

Another impressive facet of the film is the authentic-looking slum where Amy Burke (Pickford's character) spends most of her time. Although created at a Hollywood studio, the slum almost smells like old New York.

The film does employ some ethnic stereotypes common at the time – but the poor characters are generally treated with affection, while the rich are seen as uncaring and in need of enlightenment. Also, it seems notable that Amy associates with ALL the kids of the slum neighborhood, not just those of her own ethnic group.