Reviews

Last night the Sam Goldwyn theatre at the Academy in Los Angeles was filled to capacity for the screening of this 1927 silent movie. The print was a restoration, by UCLA, of the original nitrate copy from the DeMille family's archives. It was a full length version, with a 10 min. intermission. Johnny Crawford's orchestra provided a live musical accompaniment, based on original scoring notes. A standing ovation at the end proves that a really well performed silent movie can stand the test of time. Phyllis Haver had a range of expressions from A to Z - fantastic - and the courtroom scene, played for comedy, was truly a highlight. If a DVD is made, as has been suggested, you're in for a treat.

There was a great outpouring of enthusiastic support from the audience at last night's invitational preview screening of this wonderfully enjoyable documentary. Of course many there, like me, had some connection to the subject, but any viewer with even a slight appreciation of the demanding art of dancing will be highly entertained by this film. See it and tell others about it, for I expect word-of-mouth referrals may be needed to bolster what may be lacking from a big studio publicity push. Each of these veteran dancers were gifted with an inner fire that inspired them to undergo the rigorous training, at a very early age, necessary to excel in such a demanding profession. Three of them, nicknamed "The baby ballerinas", were in their early teens when featured as stars. This fiery temperament is still evident in the lively and humorous interviews - eyes sparkle and hands gracefully gesture - the film is a treasure, and was made just in time, for they are leaving us, one by one.

What an aggravating aggregation of mostly drunk, boring but pretentious, morose, self-pitying, staggering zombies! Why would anyone find them interesting? Did I miss some incisive philosophizing in their mordant meanderings?

When it comes down to pure enjoyment, this film proves the old slogan, "Movies Are Your Best Entertainment" - no maybe about it. The sophisticates at the Director's Guild screening were all giggling like high school kids. Paltrow and Fiennes worked splendidly together, but each & every one of the other roles were also performance gems, replete with subtle touches which warrant a second viewing. This, of course, must also be said of the writing, direction, and every craft that was a part of the talented army of people that gave us this true classic. I sort of liked it.