Dall'ombra alla luce

Please make an effort to view this early talkie drama even if you're not a Loretta Young fan. Here is a fluidly filmed thriller showing an overlooked director at the height of his great powers.

Before you glance back at the top of the page and go "William Beaudine? No way!", I know this is the guy whose name appeared in big, cursive letters before the Bowery Boys did their stuff. Yes, this IS the director of "Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla", "Green Hornet" TV shows, and finished his career with the unforgettable "Billy The Kid vs. Dracula". I couldn't believe it either, but after watching 1925's "Little Annie Rooney", I was so impressed that I checked his biography. Not only was the same man, his numbers were amazing. Beaudine directed over 250 feature films in 51 years, numerous TV shows (including 70 "Lassie" episodes), and at the time of his death was recognized as Hollywood's oldest active director. I then purchased and viewed Mary Pickford in "Sparrows". The performances he coaxed from these children was only surpassed by the splendid visuals he arranged. And on the strength of this, I chose to view "The Road To Paradise".

The film concerns itself with two crooks [one high-line, one common] who have raised an orphan girl. While discussing their next caper, she ARRIVES. A perfectly composed frame fills with a face both radiant and smiling as though she's surprised by a best friend. I've seen Loretta Young all my life, but NEVER have I seen her look so natural and personal. George Barraud and Jack Mulhall as her crook 'parents' comport agreeably and soon draw their ward, Mary (Young) into their latest scheme. While discussing the crime, Mary reveals one of her para-normal talents to be that of mind reading (made possible by her highly empathetic nature). I won't discuss the plot further, but should point out Loretta has a dual role which is handled flawlessly. Don't waste your time trying to catch a split screen or double because you won't. I still framed sequences and can assure you, the director has gotten away with it.

The film creates unrelenting tension throughout. Unlike other early talkies, "drawing room" scenes are broken into many different set-ups with the viewers' perspective constantly changing. These shifts are small and you never get lost in the room. Another plus is a very nice rooftop sequence with many different set-ups.

Mr. Beaudine filmed this as "Cornered", a 1920 silent. Write me if you know where I can see it.

Mary Brennan (Loretta Young) hangs out with her unsavory friends, Nick (Raymond Hatton) and Jerry (George Barraud). She's an orphan who doesn't know her past and seems to be a mind-reader. Socialite Margaret Waring (Loretta Young) and clinging suitor George Wells (Jack Mulhall) arrive at the same Chinese restaurant as Mary and her friends. Jerry spies Mary and Margaret are lookalikes. Jerry and Nick convinces Mary to impersonate Margaret so they can rob her mansion.

What a fascinating and unusual premise. I don't think that it would work now. Twins don't have identical fingerprints. During this earlier era, people don't usually get fingerprinted. The psychic ability is a little odd. Otherwise, this is an interesting puzzle box of circumstances. I couldn't guess at where the story is headed. The ending is a little rushed. At the very least, I expect Mary to be taken to the police station after Jerry gets identified.

There is nothing of highways or of heaven in this film, so I don't know why it was named as it was. Loretta Young plays a foundling raised by a couple of thieves who decide to rob rich girl Margaret Waring, who looks just like Loretta's character, Mary Brennan, trading on the fact that the two are physically identical. Unfortunately once inside the rich girl's darkened mansion things begin to go awry. The rich girl's boyfriend shows up (Jack Mulhall) and Mary must make him believe she is the real thing - she does all too good a job of it. Then the real Margaret Waring reappears at the house unexpectedly, there's a shooting, Mary's accomplices desert her, and the police arrive at the scene to find two Margaret Warings, one of whom is unconscious.

So what's goofy about the plot besides what I've mentioned? Well, there's a rather far-fetched mind reading plot device that figures heavily into matters, the fact that the police are examining every tree for evidence yet manage to miss the forest, and that Jack Mulhall's character can fall in love based on three sentences from someone who is - at the time - just trying to get rid of him.

The whole thing is a rather suspenseful yet fun mystery/comedy of errors. It really is one of Warner's better early talkie efforts. What's really amazing here is that Loretta Young was only 17 when she made this one yet she can hold her own with any of the older leading actresses of the day that made such drawing room dramas.

Road to Paradise (1930)

** (out of 4)

Incredibly far fetched drama about a young woman (Loretta Young) who helps two criminals rob from her look alike. This is certainly a film you'd have to see to believe because the story is so far fetched that you can never take it serious. The screenwriter made the mistake of making this a drama when it probably would have worked better as a screwball comedy. The ending is so out there you can't help but laugh when it's supposed to be dramatic. Young gives a good performance in her duel role but the rest of the cast is pretty dull. Directed by William Beaudine.

Drama, or maybe it's a comedy, I couldn't really tell, has Loretta Young as a down-on-her-luck urbanite with two crook pals, who stumbles on her wealthy absolute lookalike at a speakeasy, where the trio contrive to rob her. From there it's ludicrousness upon ludicrousness, with poor Loretta also being telepathic (she's able to intuit the safe combination out of the other, unconscious Loretta), escapes and coincidences that would never happen, and a finale that reveals why the two Lorettas look so alike... can you guess? Her leading man, Jack Mulhall, is dullsville, and our loyalties are confused; if poor Loretta is engineering a jewel robbery, how on her side can we be? The double exposures involving the two Lorettas are reasonably well faked, and it's over mercifully fast. What this has to do with any road to paradise, I'm stumped.