The White Shadow

During the summer of 2012, the discovery of an incomplete copy ( 3 of 6 reels survived ) of "The White Shadow" (1924) by Herr Graham Cutts at the "New Zealand Film Archive", originated a great fuss around the world ( well, maybe not a GREAT fuss; it's well known that German counts like to exaggerate facts for the sake of silent films ). The excitement wasn't over the fact that another "lost" silent was found or that it was directed by Herr Cutts -Nein!l- the fuss was caused because Herr Alfred Hitchcock collaborated in this film as assistant director, editor, art director and scenarist.

Such lot of noise can be appreciated by this German count except for the mistake made by some in the long haired media (who previously paid no attention to silent films) who awarded the authorship of the film entirely to Herr Hitchcock, ignoring Herr Cutts, a major British director during the Silent Era and who was primarily responsible for the film.

"The White Shadow" is certainly a solid, very interesting film on its own, whatever Hitchcock's participation in the picture. It tells the story of twin sisters (both played by Frau Betty Compson ), two very different souls in character who share the same lover but end up with different fates. The two sisters are a study in contrasts: Frau Georgina is a responsible fraulein who stays at home with her parents on their estate while Frau Nancy is a wild girl who runs away from home to Paris where she smokes a lot and plays cards at a cabaret, "The Cat Who Laughs" ( it seems that there are many merriful animals in France... ). There is also around an American, Herr Robin Field ( Herr Clive Brook ) who meets and falls in love with Nancy on a boat when both are returning to England, although he later switches his affections to Georgina (without knowing who she really is).

It must be said that the drama and the atmosphere of the picture are certainly remarkable, and Frau Compson is excellent in her dual role. The careful art direction is also noteworthy (well, Herr Hitchcock does splendid work here), and Herr Cutts achieves an intense dramatic affect and throws in a dose of morality as well. The authorship of the film clearly belongs to Herr Cutts but, if one digresses for a moment and insists on finding some trace of Hitchcock in the overall work, there is a certain parallel between the impersonation in this film and Herr Hitchcock's "Vertigo" but this may be just the fancy of an old German count.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must play strip baccarat at "The Cat Who Laughs".

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

Much has been made recently about this film due to the recent rediscovery and restoration of a partial print, and the fact that the young Alfred Hitchcock was the AD.

Don't cry if you don't get around to seeing it. Betty Compsom came to England to make 'Woman to Woman' for Cutts. This was a success and 'The White Shadow' was hurriedly made to capitalize on this before her return to America. Even at the time, it was not well received. It's a shame that this rather than 'Woman to Woman' survived; it might have had more to show us.

The attractive, flirtatious 'Nancy' (Compson) meets Robin (Clive Brook -- looking far too old for her) on her return home to the Devon countryside from Paris. From here we proceed to what Roger Ebert calls the 'idiot plot' -- the whole movie would disappear if everyone didn't act like idiots. Robin meets Nancy at her estate and they kiss. The next day Nancy sends her mopey, serious twin sister Georgina (Compson again) to meet Robin in her place. Georgina rejects him. Nancy, bored runs away from home, mom dies, alcoholic dad wanders off, Georgina moves to London to try to find Nancy. Robin meets Georgina thinking her to be Nancy -- he doesn't know that there are two of them -- and falls for her, though thinking that she isn't quite the same as the carefree, flirtatious Nancy he first met. It goes on like this, with some unintentionally funny scenes, but I won't.

White Shadow (1924)

Of all the films that were discovered in a New Zealand vault in 2010, this here is perhaps the one that gained the most attention. This here turns out to be the earliest surviving "work" of Alfred Hitchcock who served as assistant director, writer, editor and set designer. Sadly, only three of the six reels survived but at least it gives us an early glimpse of what the future master was doing during this era. The story has Betty Compson playing twin sisters, one good and the other bad, who fall in love with the same man. I won't reveal too much else but I will say that this story has about as many twists and turns that later Hitchcock films would have. It's impossible to really judge this film since the final three reels are still missing. In their place are some title cards explaining how everything ends and I must say that the final reel must have been quite crazy to see back in the day. Again, it's impossible to fully judge this film but from the first three reels it's easy to see that Compson did a very good job with her role as you can perfectly see how different she played the two roles. I thought she was quite good at both but the good girl was the clear winner. The supporting players were also quite good, although no one really stood out. As far as the work Hitchcock did, I'd say the set design was probably the best thing and especially during the scenes located inside the father's house. Perhaps one day the rest of the film will turn up but as is, this film is still going to appeal to silent buffs as well as those interested in the early career of Hitchcock.

Undistinguished British silent melo, with Compson's double performance it's one major asset. The film's part rediscovery however has become a talking point because young Hitch is covering half the unit functions.

Betty's willful, jokey self is advanced on by American (!) Clive Brook, who gets slapped and then kissed for his trouble. Back at the family country estate Betty one puts reserved lookalike Betty two in Clive's path, without either of them knowing about the situation.

About this time a few reels go missing before we get into the far fetched climax, set in the would be racy Chat Qui Rit club in Montmartre.

Nothing to distinguish this from what was being done around it, outside of it's interesting cast. It's always a shock to find character actor Victor (Confessions of a Nazi Spy) as a juvenile in this period.

Blonde Nancy (returning home from Paris) and Robin (a young American seeing Europe) meet on a cruise returning to England, and make tentative plans to meet again. Nancy's home is a beautiful estate in Devon, filmed on elaborate Gothic interior sets designed by Hitchcock. Maurice Brent, her father, is happily an alcoholic.

After Robin decides to pay a visit to upbeat and carefree Nancy, she and her morose and serious (brunette) twin sister Georgina decide to have a laugh at his expense, and Georgina meets him that day, instead of Nancy. Dad isn't happy about their meetings at all, and tries to intervene. Nancy runs away. Her mother, Mrs. Brent quite literally dies when she hears the news. Light streaming down from rounded window onto Mrs. Brent's dead body slouched over in a chair is a good visual; was that Hitchcock's idea or director Graham Cutts? Beautiful, elaborate set designs and lighting, by Hitchcock, are the film's biggest asset, but film is interesting even without them. Twins switching places with each other, mistaken identities, one's death, and a Parisian cabaret with a creepy looking mascot called The Cat Who Laughs all distinguish this from a routine love triangle movie.

The opening and closing seconds of each of the three surviving reels of this are in a bad state, melted and shredded, from sitting in a film vault for the best part of a century, but restoration worked wonders for the remainder of the footage. Unfortunately, after approximately 40 minutes, the footage runs out, and the rest of the film remains still lost.

"It may be said that there are no such things as white shadows, but just as the sun casts a dark shadow, so does the soul cast its shadow of white, reflecting a purity that influences the lives upon whom the white shadows fall. - Selznik"