La morsure

Turner Classic Movies presented this silent film on TV for the first time because their was a musical sound track added which made the silent film more interesting and enjoyable. John Gilbert,(Cock Robin),"The Captain Hates the Sea" is part of a Circus Show that presents a skit involving some magical tricks with a lady disappearing and being raised in the air. The gal in the film is Renee Adoree,(Salome),"All of the Flesh" who works in the circus act as a belly dancer and requests the head of a certain man on a platter which is quickly arranged in this skit for the circus audiences. Lionel Barrymore, (The Greek),"Dragon Seed" plays the evil guy with piercing eyes and sinister looks and money crazy. John Gilbert in real life had a torrid affair with Greta Garbo and was left at the alter which devastated John and his career went down hill and MGM made sure his career was over. John was the next Rudolph Valentino and was adored by all the young ladies during this period of time. Enjoyable film Classic with great veteran actors from the past. Enjoy

Although he was heading for a colossal fall from grace (thanks to both the advent of sound and the animosity of his boss, Louis B. Mayer), John Gilbert was riding high in 1927. His first release for the year, The Show, was a surprising success, despite its nightmarish carnival setting that echoes both Liliom and Nightmare Alley. Although Gilbert's part is totally unsympathetic, he handles it well, and easily manages to steal the film from his co-stars, Renée Adorée (who is most unflatteringly photographed and costumed), and Lionel Barrymore (who gives his heavy plenty of presence and charisma even though the role is disappointingly small). Mind you, Edward Connelly, who was so effective as Cardinal Richelieu in Gilbert's Bardelys the Magnificent (1926), does his hammy best to upstage the stars here and almost succeeds. But thanks to stacks of indulgent close-ups, John Gilbert wins the acting stakes all right. Nonetheless he is over-shadowed by cult director Tod Browning's many atmospherically noirish trappings and effects, including a staged John-the-Baptist beheading and a line-up of fake freaks such as a spider woman (Edna Tichenor), a mermaid (Betty Boyd) and a half-lady (Zalla Zarana). John Arnold, who was placed in charge of M-G-M's camera department in 1929, has photographed the film in an appropriate, heavily noir style.

John Gilbert plays Cock Robin in this very archetypal Tod Browning melodrama. Robin is a showman whose act includes having his head chopped off and whose show includes a mermaid, a woman's head pinned on a spider web and the living hand of Cleopatra, which conveniently collects the tickets of the patrons.

Lionel Barrymore is an evil character named the Greek, who tries to pin a murder he commits out of greed, on Robin, who despite being innocent is a rough, energetic man who looks out for himself first. Robin's girl named Salome, well-played by Renee Adoree, is not quite the unsympathetic vamp he thinks her to be. She has a secret that will in the end lead him to a true purpose for his life.

This is really one of Browning's best films. His direction is inspired. The sets and design are meticulous and create a perfectly sinful world for the heroes to live in. He uses some surprising low and high camera angles and the cutting is fast-paced.

While the story is similar to most Browning-Chaney films of the period, this one comes off better. John Gilbert is excellent and proves an asset whereas if Chaney had played the part, he probably would have made it too much Chaney. Robin is a handsome, fiery man and Gilbert is perfect for the part.

This is one of only two MGM silents that Browning made without Chaney and it's a shame he didn't make more solo efforts. Not that their collaboration was not great, but this film seems to have freed up Browning just a bit more for him to be a little more creative in his own ways. Freaks may be the penultimate Browning film, but this one ranks right near the top of his catalog.

Leapin' lizards! If you're a fan of director Tod Browning's work, you'll probably like this film, though it's probably not his very best. There are several dark moments, some camp, and nice performances from John Gilbert, Lionel Barrymore, and Renée Adorée, who are involved in a love triangle. Gilbert is a carnival barker at a freak show, ladies' man, and general rake. Adorée is a performer who shimmies about 'exotically' in an act as Salome, one that is complete with a beheading. Barrymore is a crook who is with Adorée, and resents her continued attraction to Gilbert, who she once dated.

This almost felt like two movies to me, but there is a thread of deception, of putting on 'a show' that runs throughout. The first half has Gilbert conning people into thinking they're seeing all sorts of oddities, e.g. Arachnida, a 'spiderwoman', which is simply a woman's head emerging through a curtain into a costume of a spider and in the middle of a web. He also puts on the Salome act with Adorée, and Browning cleverly shows how the beheading trick is done. Gilbert is also putting on act with a country girl in town with her father to sell some sheep; he woos her but is only interested in her money. There is real darkness in the performances, particularly in the first half. Lionel Barrymore is a cold-blooded killer, casting some truly ominous looks, and I don't think I've ever seen John Gilbert as evil as the moment he almost beats Adorée for spoiling his plans.

The film loses a bit of its momentum in the second half, when Gilbert is on the run and hides out at Adorée's place. Once there he also has to hide out from her blind father, and in a touching moment, finds out that Adorée has been tricking the old man into believing his son is doing well and getting promotions by reading him fake letters, when in reality he's on death row at the prison across the street. There are many deceptions here, but it's only when Gilbert moments of authenticity that he's transformed. Just compare his reaction to hearing that his "butterball's" father has been murdered in the first part, to his reaction to Adorée's father dying in the second. There is a mirror here between the two halves, and even if it's a little clumsily executed, the message comes through.

Oh, and you have to love the camp in some of these old films. Attempting murder via poisonous lizard is yet another variation of an interesting trope from Browning and the period - see 'He Who Gets Slapped' (1924) and 'Where East is East' (1929). Those films are both probably a teeny bit better than this one, but it's entertaining enough to see.

Show, The (1927)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Rare and nearly forgotten film from Tod Browning that would play a major influence on his film Freaks. Set inside a Budapest carnival, a love triangle develops between a handsome actor (John Gilbert), a crazy Greek (Lionel Barrymore) and the woman (Renee Adoree) they both love. Browning's direction is top notch here and I might go as far to say this is the best directing I've seen from him. As usual with his silent pictures, the mood and atmosphere is very rich and thick. The meanness and weirdness of the characters and story leaps right off the screen with some very memorable scenes including a decapitation. There's a scene on the stage where Barrymore plots to kill Gilbert that is highly intense and perfectly staged. The three leads are all terrific and the inside jokes about Gilbert's good looks are funny as well. "Freaks" like the Human Spider, the Half Woman and a mermaid also make an appearance.