Review of Suds

Mary Pickford chose carefully when starting United Artists (her own money was on the line) & her second film reprises her striking tragic portrayal of Unity from STELLA MARIS, now in sentimental, comic guise. An episodic tale of a London laundry slavey too ugly to be loved, SUDS just misses first-tier status, but it's a handsome production with more than its share of clever bits, plus a couple of deeply disquieting sequences, including a harrowing near end for Mary's beloved horse at the glue factory. (He shudders in fear as the gun is raised.) Three endings were shot & Mary let the audience choose (the worst one), ditching her obvious rapport with Harold Goodwin for a more upscale romantic match. The DVD has a fine new score to accompany the grainy American release & a not-so-hot organ one on the far superior Euro-edition. Go figure.