Mulher Singular

THE SINGLE STANDARD (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1929), directed by John S. Robertson, stars the legendary Greta Garbo in another one of many love triangle melodramas most associated with her during her reign on the silver screen. Coming at the tail end of the silent film era, for her third of four film 1929 releases (a busy year for Garbo), THE SINGLE STANDARD ranks one of her finer efforts with a familiar theme. Acquiring the support of John Mack Brown (who later achieved fame as a western movie hero through the 1950s) and Nils Asther as her leading men, each having previously appeared opposite Joan Crawford in OUR DANCING DAUGHTERS (MGM, 1928), the winning combination for this production happens to be that of Garbo and Asther.

The story opens quite amusingly with its introductory inter-title: "For a number of generations, men have done as they pleased - and women have done as men pleased," followed by an opening shot of a group of married men coming out of their cars bidding good night to their lady friends, then returning to their prospective spouses as witnessed by débutante, Arden Stuart (Greta Garbo), one of the guests at the social function. Although Mercedes Stuart (Dorothy Sebastian) loves Tommy Hewlitt (John Mack Brown), his interest is on Arden, a modern day woman not only believes in sexual equality for men and women. but prefers living her life honestly. That evening, Arden goes on a moonlight drive with Anthony Kendall (Robert Castle), a family chauffeur. Upon their return, Kendall is immediately dismissed by his employer regardless of Arden assuming the responsibility. In despair, Kendall takes his own life by speeding out the car of the estate and crashing it into a nearby tree. Three months after the scandalous tragedy, Arden, coming out of the rain, enters a museum where she encounters Packy Cannon (Nils Asther), a prizefighter turned artist, during one of his exhibits in an art gallery. Their courtship and travels on his yacht becomes a romantic and happy one until Packy decides he cannot marry Arden until his work is completed. After sailing out on his venture to the Orient, Arden encounters Tommy once more, this time accepting his marriage proposal. During their three year union, the Hewitt's are blessed with a child (Wally Albright). All goes well until Packy returns to Arden's life, leading jealous husband and former lover to come to terms fighting for her affection with "coffee and pistols for two."

Other members of the cast include Lane Chandler (Ding Stuart); Mahlon Hamilton (John Glendenning); Kathryn WIlliams (Mrs. Glendenning); and Zeffie Tilbury (Mrs. Hindley). Those familiar with actor Joel McCrea will easily recognize him as one of the three suitors during the opening sequence.

Regardless of THE SINGLE STANDARD being taken from the novel by Adela Rogers St. John, the plot seems to borrow certain structures from Garbo's earlier works and recycling those taken from 1927s LOVE (based on "Anna Karenina") where the Garbo character, with a son she adores, finds herself torn between husband and lover; FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1926) where two men consider settling their differences for the woman they love by having a duel; or her most recent WILD ORCHIDS (1929), also featuring Nils Asther, where husband (Lewis Stone) schemes on a hunting trip with wife's lover, hoping for a convenient accident for one of them. Unlike these selected titles, Garbo's character is pitted between two men of equal age status here instead of middle-aged husband versus young lover. With these mixtures involved, THE SINGLE STANDARD survives on its own merits, resulting to a satisfying story equipped with original music score. Had THE SINGLE STANDARD been produced as a talkie, the locale, being San Francisco, might have been changed somewhere in Europe considering its leading players being of Swedish heritage with spoken accents. Their character names, Arden and Packy, unfitting for their personalities, might have served better for American MGM-types as Norma Shearer or Joan Crawford and John Gilbert or Conrad Nagel.

It's interesting to note how the word, "Alone" long associated with Garbo's image, turns up here. Many credit the line, "I want to be alone" from her 1932 classic, GRAND HOTEL (1932) as her most famous quote. Yet, in THE SINGLE STANDARD, coming three years earlier, includes an amusing sequence where she finds herself annoyed by a masher (Wade Boteler) while walking in the rain. She ends his persistence by telling him, "I'm walking alone because I like to walk alone." The name of the yacht where Arden and Packy venture alone together is revealed to be "All Alone." The only thing missing is the Irving Berlin song "All Alone" as its underscore.

Distributed to home video through MGM/UA in the 1990s, THE SINGLE STANDARD, at 72 minutes, turns up occasionally on Turner Classic Movies.(***)

Silent film veteran John Stuart Robertson, once called the most well-liked director in Hollywood, had already guided John Barrymore , Mary Pickford and Lillian Gish in major projects. Here, under his sensitive direction, Garbo blooms in a relaxed and radiant performance, as she never did in her stodgy Clarence Brown vehicles. Was Robertson the silents counterpart of Cukor?

As a socialite seeking to "live honestly", Garbo first has a frank dalliance with her chauffeur, then meets artist Nils Asther--who apparently lives in an art gallery and paints exactly like Gauguin--and impulsively decides to sail to the South Seas on his yacht (although we only see Catalina, Robertson conveys a bracing sun-and-salt air quality from the shipboard locations). Returning to a somewhat scandalized reception in San Francisco, she marries local dullard John Mack Brown; meanwhile, the artist travels to "fever-haunted" China (where his hair inexplicably develops a white streak). Her final conflict is to choose between mothering her darling son or running away with the love of her life. What would Louis B. Mayer do?

Despite some talk about the "philosophy of love" and the injustice of the double standard, this is hardly Tolstoy: the film stays within the conventions of a novelette, never seriously threatening the social status quo. Still, the pleasures are many: graceful direction and nicely underplayed acting throughout, plus Garbo, at the peak of her beauty, in an elegantly tailored Adrian wardrobe, giving one of her most appealing performances.

Garbo is a free-spirited debutante who becomes scandalous for first having an affair with her chauffeur, then artist (Asther), all before she settles for millionaire Brown. Irrational soap opera is enjoyable thanks to Garbo's luminescence. A silent film with original music score.

Before I will comment on this significant film with Greta Garbo and Nils Asther, let me make a short biographical notion.

Many biographers of Greta Garbo, including Barry Paris and Karen Swenson, note that she came to Hollywood with her mentor Mauritz Stiller in September 1925... Although she was already a trained actress (having made two significant projects in Sweden and Germany), what she found in MGM was very different from what she experienced in Europe. The roles she was given, though being sometimes very successful roles (including the ultra popular Felicitas in FLESH AND THE DEVIL), were in majority the roles of vamps and temptresses. But Garbo...she disliked playing 'bad women.' When, in her prolonged contract, Garbo started to have a word in the roles she played and rejected some unattractive ones, more sophisticated projects appeared...

One of such refreshing projects was, undeniably, THE SINGLE STANDARD. One the one hand, a movie appears to be ignored in many analysis of her film career (it appears to be forgotten by some Garbo fans as well); on the other hand, the movie is strangely an 'oldie' that many modern viewers find entertaining and appealing.

It seems that the reason why this film is, at least, "known" among the fans of silver screen productions, is the pairing of Greta Garbo and Nils Asther. Indeed, both give tremendously convincing performances that still, after those decades, maintain their desirable authenticity. Who can possibly skip their unforgettable moments on the islands of eternal sunshine? How can we ignore their memorable chemistry when experiencing the Philosophy of Love? Who can ignore the perfect tension when the hearts are there but duties elsewhere...? Yes, Nils Asther appears to be one of the best co-stars Greta Garbo could ever play opposite.

Another reason, I think, is Greta Garbo herself and her unforgettable moments throughout the film. Although the close-ups are not that outstanding like in her top productions of the 1930s, there are pretty pearls that should not be skipped at least by Garbo fans. For instance, this is the moment of her walk in rain when she humorously states: "I want to walk alone..." These are her unforgettable facial expressions when 'naughty men' come filled with wit having dated their delicious mistresses. This is, generally, the feeling she put in any kind of portrayal she did before the camera. But, here, let me concentrate more deeply on the role of Ms Stuart that Ms Garbo so beautifully portrays since there is one more rarity about the Swedish Sphynx: the power of THE SINGLE STANDARD lies specifically in the "refreshment" of Garbo's masterful acting.

Arden Stuart is a woman who, on the other hand, wants to be independent from men but, on the other hand, learns to understand what living for others means. Although she wants to walk alone, she does not live her life all alone (though she has some great time on All Alone ship). She does not accept any "half measures" and treats life seriously being very genuine in what she does. As a free woman, Arden opens her heart to...love. However, this love will make her stand before the most important decision of her life... Among many scenes that remain in one's memory, including Arden's scenes with her child, I would like to share one moment with you, the moment that truly left a trace in my mind and in my heart. This is the moment when Arden has a trip with a chauffeur and she says that there is no difference whether it's a girl, a man but both have right to... life. It is the viewpoint that very well fixed to Garbo, to her powerful belief in personal freedom and happiness. Although some say that "Garbo plays a normal woman" in THE SINGLE STANDARD, I would say more: "Garbo plays a sophisticated human being" in THE SINGLE STANDARD, a human with her fears, her feelings, her decisions and reflections, her heart.

Other aspects are, perhaps, not greatest merits of the movie (with some exceptions). It is true that the cinematography is not of top quality. The same may be said about some supporting roles. But here, two things may also work well for the film nowadays: firstly, it is the short length of THE SINGLE STANDARD which does not bore people; secondly, it is the tension - the viewers' attention is kept thanks to the wonderfully roused interest.

At the end of my review, I would like to add one thing from me, personally. I would like to ask you not to treat my words as the ones said by a Garbo fan who tries to convince viewers to see yet another "oldie" with the greatest actress of all time. Although I consider myself a great Garbo admirer, I say it with all my heart: you do not have to be very knowledgeable about Greta Garbo and you may still see this film with great pleasure finding something for yourself. That is what I wish you from my heart. I rate the film 8/10

Greta Garbo, in her second to last silent film, beautifully plays a normal, young, American woman socialite, who longs for excitement and love, though she cannot quite figure out what "love" is. Her character, Arden, who seems to have no parents, and who seems to exist effortlessly and rather detached among the high society set, has a brief romantic fling with her chauffeur, which causes scandal among the posh set, when the driver, fired, takes his own life.

Arden next finds "love" with rogue artist Packy Cannon, played passionately, but a little shallowly, by handsome Nils Asther. Nils tempts her to join him spontaneously on a pleasure cruise, and we do get a few hints as to what pleasure Packy is up to with Arden, but really, their passion is quite restrained, considering what modern day films splash on the screen. After Packy has compromised Arden, he callously decides he "loves" Arden too much to continue seeing her, and orders the boat turned around. Arden is heartbroken, deposited back onshore like an old and weathered boat rudder.

She next finds "love" with an old admirer, Tommy, played sweetly and sensitively by anything-but-dull, good-looking Johnny Mack Brown. He proposes and, on the rebound from Packy, she accepts. Three years later they have a child together and a very happy marriage. It was nice to see Greta playing a normal woman who eventually puts her marriage first before her old flame, just like most normal American women would do today. There is no compromise here, Arden simply makes the wisest decision for all concerned, which is ultimately based on true love, for true love always endures perfect sacrifice.

The print is rather deteriorating in spots and quite scratchy, but really, after you have seen as many silents in poor condition as I have, this one is still above average. It just goes to show how the studios blatantly neglected their silent classics once sound came in, letting them deteriorate or disappear into rust. A tragic and short-sighted waste.

It was nice to see other silent film actors like Dorothy Sebastian (Spite Marriage) and Mahlon Hamilton (Little Old New York) in the cast, albeit in small roles. The musical score was the old Vitaphone one but still rather elegant, though I wouldn't say it was beautiful, as the other reviewers here have stated.

If you are a Garbo fan or a fan of nicely made silent films, you will enjoy The Single Standard.