Glorious Betsy

One of the lesser known corners of history is that Jerome Bonaparte, brother the French Emperor Napoleon I, was married at age 19 to Elisabeth Patterson, daughter of a wealthy Baltimore shipbuilder. They were divorced by Imperial decree, but not before she had fallen pregnant with his son; later, a grandson of the couple would become Secretary of the Navy, US Attorney General, and the founder of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

But that was history, and this movie is a bit of romantic fiction, with lovely Dolores Costello falling for Conrad Nagel, whom she believes an indigent schoolteacher, hired to teach her French. And so are they married, and Nagel is immediately summoned to France to marry Princess Catharina of Württemberg/Betty Blythe, which Miss Costello abets from her love of France. It's all nonsense, with the sort of anhistorical ending that Hollywood seems to love. Miss Costello huge eyes are featured prominently, and Nagel spends a lot of time mugging for the camera. The print I looked at was in poor condition, so I can't comment usefully on Hal Mohr's light and camera movement, but it seems watchable enough, even if my knowledge of what actually happened interferes with my enjoyment of this piffle.

This film, by the great legendary Alan Crosland, is truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word, and yet another testament to the provice of the silent era.

The actors all do an incredible job, and really sell the facial acting gracefully. The script is marvelous, and the film contains some breathtaking and beautiful cinematography. It is all around beautifully shot, cut and edited - and what one would expect from such a great director.

Overall, truly an incredible masterpiece that I would very much recommend for any lover of film.

Truly one of the great silent films, and an important chapter in film history!