A house is not a home... Miss Lulu Bett (1921), BFI

The family beast of burden, whose timid soul has failed to break the bonds of family servitude…

 

This film is an almost perfect exemplar of a Hollywood studio film of this period featuring a superb performance from Lois Wilson in the lead and smoothly satisfying direction from everyone’s third-favourite de Mille… William ranking behind his brother Cecil and then his daughter Agnes a hugely successful dancer who was not “pretty enough” for films but became a huge star on stage and then choreographed a dozen stage musicals revolutionising the genre over a long career.

 

Clearly, she was given the kind of encouragement from father William that is solely lacking in the Master of the Deacon house, Dentist and Justice of the Peace, Dwight (Theodore Roberts), who seems to treat his family as slaves, especially his sister-in-law Lulu. In its own quite gently comic way Miss Lulu Bett is as powerful as many more serious dramas with a story of a family drudge, run down not just by the domineering but also everyone else; a modern-day Cinderella five years before Colleen Moore’s Ella Cinders, but of a genre and a general situation many endured.

 

Ethel Wales, Lois Wilson and Milton Sills

Based on Zona Gale’s Pulitzer-prize winning play and bestselling novel with a screenplay by Clara Beranger, the film reflected Gale’s activism and concern with suffrage and women’s right to choose their own destiny. It was still commonplace for family hierarchies to leave the unmarried supporting their parents, I have this in my own story with a great grandmother looked after by her eldest daughter, Mabel. When my Nain married in the mid-1920s, Mabs, the elder sister, objected on the grounds that she should be wed first but her elder brother stepped in on our Jenny’s behalf. So, thank you Uncle Alec, without whom I wouldn’t be here.

 

As a member of the National Women’s Party, Gale lobbied for the 1921 Wisconsin Equal Rights Law and she was also an Executive Member of the Lucy Stone League which concerned itself with opportunities for women beyond the right to vote. A century on it’s hard to understand some social attitudes although perhaps a lot less difficult after the last five years…

 

Theodore Roberts is shocked, shocked I tell you!

Back to the film…. everyone has written Lulu off – destined for spinsterhood and chained to the household chores. Lois Wilson is a revelation, emoting in an understated way and carrying a lot of subtle meaning. This is the only film I’ve seen her in and watching it for the second time – the first at an excellent Kennington Bioscope weekender in the before times – you appreciate more of the seamless directorial skill and Wilson’s ability to hold not only the narrative but our belief together. She gives her character strength and the willingness to repay her light-hearted and inconsiderate oppressors the benefit of the doubt. Driven by duty and her own sense of honour she’s also just waiting for an opportunity to re-join the World outside the kitchen.

 

Dwight sets the tone but Lulu’s half-sister Ina (Mabel Van Buren) does nothing to help her, not so much a wicked stepsister as a lazy one. Their mother, Grandma Bett (Ethel Wales) is no better, dodging her duties as easily as she deflects Dwight’s supposed dominance, usually by stomping off out of range. The Brett’s two daughters also have their own techniques for avoiding the bully’s blasts, youngest Monona (Mae Giraci) is far too quick for the old man, feigning deafness and fading from view when it suits whilst Di (Helen Ferguson) is the apple of his eye, being, unlike her spinsterish aunt Lulu, eminently marriable. The only problem is that Dad has eyes on more socially advanced suitors than Di’s boyfriend Bobby Larkin (Taylor Graves).

 

Lulu listens intently to tall tales

Lulu has to suffer a thousand unkind cuts from Dwight, she’s both relied upon to cook and clean whilst at the same time blamed for being too useless to get married. It’s no joke but never say never… Lulu’s chance comes in the unlikely form of Dwight’s likeable blow-hard of a brother Ninian (Clarence Burton) who returns from a supposedly action-packed World tour and regales the family and their friends with stories of daring do. Lulu is by this stage transfixed after Ninian shows her just the slightest kindness yet even this is inspired by the family friend, teacher Neil Cornish (Milton Sills) who is the one to ask where she is and looks on in despair when Lulu swallows the big fat fibs.

 

Ninian takes Lulu, Dwight and Ina for a meal and makes a joke of asking her to marry him by slipping a cigar band around her figure as she jokingly promises to honour and obey. Only trouble is, Dwight’s a JP and, therefore, they had accidentally had a proper ceremony and are now man and wife. Ninian’s up for giving it a go and Lulu takes the chance too, feeling there’ll be no other.

 

She moves in with her “husband” but a few days later he reveals that he’s already married to a woman who left him years ago and whilst he’s not sure is still alive, there’s a big chance she will be. That’s big of Ninian and it’s also big of Lulu that she puts principle first and reluctantly returns “home”.

Milton Sills ain't fooled

Now things really kick off as she discovers the house in a mess and the family bickering over chores… you’d think they’d be pleased to see her but no, she’s putting Dwight’s reputation at risk and has to accept the blame and the ignominy of being rejected by her husband after just one week. Yet Lulu discovers new depths: “The only thing I’ve got left is my pride and you’ve got to let me keep that…” and she works upwards from there.

 

There are superb performances not least from Theodore Roberts who would have been a shoo-in for Best Cigar-Chomping, Blood-Vessel-Busting Oscar had they been invented at this point, whilst Milton Sills is a steadfast lead with future salvation written all over him. But it’s Lois Wilson who wins out and she’s great value for a story that makes it’s point without getting too improbable of tiresome… we’re all for Lulu and, as the poet said, you’ve got to hope for the best and that’s the best you can hope for and Lulu Betts does not disappoint with an uplifting ending that blows the roof off!!

 

The film is available on Blu-ray from Grapevine and is online too if you peruse YouTube. Great to see it getting this screening in London though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gloria and Rudy… Beyond the Rocks (1922)

There are very few people who are so famous they can be recognised by their first or last name only and even fewer who 90 years after their heyday can still be identified this way… here are two of them and what a combination they make…

This film was lost for a long time and in her autobiography Gloria Swanson named it as one of the three works who disappearance she regretted most. Luckily for the rest of us it was found in the Dutch archives in 2003 and then restored and released by Milestone films. You can see why Miss Swanson was so fond of it; she plays the romantic lead opposite Rudolph Valentino and wears some of the gorgeous gowns she was renowned for. Rudy can’t fail with his wardrobe either.

As the New York Times review put it “Gloria Swanson can wear clothes. So can Rudolph Valentino. And the talents of each are given full play…" but the reviewer did not consider it an interesting photo play: “Not (for) those who want a little character and a little truth in their entertainment, anyhow.” I’d disagree even if only on the grounds of the rather large characters acting on the screen: this is primary source material that confirms so much about the nature of contemporary stardom.

Directed by Sam Wood and based on a story by Elinor Glyn, Beyond the Rocks is an undemanding romantic drama which successfully relies on the magnetism of its two leads and their ability to convey the nobility of duty chosen over love. “We must be stronger than our love…” is the central call and naturally the whole audience is willing them not to be… but with so many unlikely surprising shifts and co-incidences – like Paul Auster on speed and without the existential depth – we can be sure that “fate” will find a way to relieve them of their self-sacrifice,

A typical English scene...

Gloria plays Theodora Fitzgerald the youngest daughter of the retired Captain Fitzgerald (Alec B. Francis) who lives in modest comfort in a Dorset fishing village. She has two half-sisters whose mother was clearly less good looking than hers and who see her as their meal ticket to an easy life: she must be married well.

Theodora is out in a rowing boat not far from the yacht of a rich playboy Lord Hector Bracondale (Rudolph Valentino) when she suddenly falls into the water – maybe there was a freak wave? Oddly enough for a dweller on the coast, she doesn’t appear to be a good swimmer and, spotting her difficulty, Hector dives into the drink to rescue her.

Once on dry land the Captain recognises her noble saviour as do her sisters who dismiss him as not the marrying kind (yes, but he’s rich enough girls!). There’s an instant spark as Theodora gifts him a damp but fragrant Narcissus and he departs eye’s sparkling with delight.

But business is business and well-to-do but middle aged Josiah Brown (Robert Bolder) is chosen as the man to marry and through duty to her, sweet but dim, father, Theodora goes through with the wedding even after Pa offers her a way out (are you blind man: why would Gloria Swanson want to marry a dumpy man twice her age!?).

Robert Bolder

They head to Europe on their grand tour of a honeymoon and, Josiah being too clapped out to climb, Theodora goes off mountain climbing with new friend American adventuress Jane McBride (Mabel Van Buren).  Theodora slips whilst taking a photograph – so careless – but once again Lord Hector is amazingly on hand to come to the rescue… it’s as if Fate’s trying to tell them something.

Hector follows them to Paris and grows closer to Theodora as the two wander through the gardens of Versailles he tells her of the love between a coachman and a noblewoman. Briefly Hector and Theodora imagine themselves as the two lovers before coming back to reality as Hector makes his move… The two pull apart almost immediately and stare disconsolate at the ground: they cannot be a couple and they resolve to be “stronger than their love” in order to protect Theodora’s marriage.

Gertrude Astor

Hector goes away but and confesses all to his sensible sister Lady Anna Anningford (June Elvidge) but when she arranges a party and invites the Brown’s he arrives intent on stealing a kiss from Theodora in the evening’s pageant.

Theodora is strong and writes letters to her husband and to Hector. She leaves them in the hall for collection where Hector’s one-time girl Morella Winmarleigh (Gertrude Astor – who would cross with Gloria on more than one occasion…) switches them: Joseph will get Hector’s letter and vice versa. Oh calamity!

No spoilers: what happens next I won’t reveal but you may not be a million miles off with a guess or three.

Henny Vrienten's musical score greatly enhances the action helping Valentino and Swanson to rise far above the limitations of the storyline.

The Milestone DVD is available direct or from Amazon.com.

Alec B. Francis is good too!