Her Bridal Night-Mare (1920) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
3 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
6/10
Elaborated Al Christie Oeuvre
FerdinandVonGalitzien19 April 2007
"Her Bridal Night-Mare" it is another of Herr Al Christie's films produced by Mack Sennett. But this time it is a more elaborate film than their early ones, and even it is a funnier and more entertaining film in many moments (taking into account what could be considered funny or amusing for a German aristocrat.) Another special characteristic of this oeuvre is that the film stars Dame Colleen Moore, that fashionable flapper of the 20's. She's a better actress than many of the other ones, namely Dame Betty Compson, that starred in many of Al Christie's B early pictures.

Dame Ora Carew, an unknown and discreet actress who wrote only this story, wrote the film story. It is about the problems that our heroine, Mary (Colleen Moore) has in order to get married with her fiancée Jack ( Earle Rodney ). She has two suitors and the one left behind will try to obstruct the wedding at any cost. The film includes murder attempts, suicide attempts and theft attempts. So if those are the usual subjects or problems before matrimony, this German count is glad to continue being an esteemed bachelor.

As this aristocrat said before, this is a more elaborated Al Christie oeuvre, in the pacing, calculated and full of classic gags as well as in camera and visual tricks. Especially significant is the vertigo scene that our heroine suffers and the camera tracking of her street wandering.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must keep away from his fat and rich Teutonic heiresses' matrimony proposals.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/
3 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
One of the Funniest Shorts Ever Made!
JohnHowardReid19 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I'm amazed that this really delightful and highly inventive comedy has received only the one half-hearted review at IMDb. The original Little Orphan Annie, the lovely Colleen Moore of Broken Hearts of Broadway, Ella Cinders, Lilac Time, etc. has a great role here in this fast- paced three-reeler, brilliantly directed by none other than producer Al Christie himself.

Before he retired at the age of 66, Christie amassed no fewer than 771 credits as a producer, 471 as a director and 174 as a writer. He certainly knows how to effectively fill the screen with masses of people. For example, one thing you can do is martial one huge mass of people in the foreground at one side of the screen and another huge mass of people in the background at the other side – and the crowd in the background, of course, is moving up and threatening the huge crowd in the foreground who are oblivious to the mighty mob gathering behind them. I would have thought this was a technique that any director worth his salt might have put to good use in dozens of pictures – "A Tale of Two Cities", for example – but nobody seems to have copied Christie's simple but absolutely brilliant idea.

Of course, I realize most people will watch this very good Alpha DVD because, like me, they are fans of Colleen Moore and will watch anything that she is in. But this particular movie is rather special – and it has (unlike many of Alpha's silent movie releases) a delightful and wholly appropriate musical soundtrack too!
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
A Special Christie Comedy for Colleen!!
kidboots2 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Not many players went on to stellar stardom after spending a year in Al Christie shorts but Colleen Moore did. In fact her dramatic loan outs for 1920 didn't look that promising for the future but then along came Marshall Neilan...

"Her Bridal Nightmare" was a typical Christie comedy with plenty of burlesque and chases. The story was contributed by Ora Carew, an actress whose career spanned most of the silent era but unfortunately this was her only writing contribution.

Mary is starry eyed at the thought of marrying a man who is dippy about her but across the hall from the groom is gloom - the rejected suitor and he is planning blue murder in the form of a hit man!! Hit man thinks it's easier and funnier to take groom's clothes, groom then spends most of the movie running about in underwear until he is arrested!! Mary, meanwhile is getting faint hearted waiting at the church!!

Colleen Moore had the funniest sequence - as Mary, who feels she has lost both her fiance and bridal presents, decides to end it all by chasing a car who is doing all that it can to avoid her as she lies or stands in the middle of the road!! She finally comes across the hit man and strikes a deal for him to bump her off - but of course she then changes her mind!!

A stalwart comedian from the 1930s who specialized in feisty Italians, Gino Corrado had a lot of fun as the rejected suitor. It was after this role that Christie featured Colleen in "So Long Letty" , in a role which was tailor- made for her and so she was on her way!!

Very Recommended!!
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed