The Gaucho - 1927 - USA

The Gaucho - 1927 - 6/10

 
Fairbanks had been making a string of towering blockbusters when he wrote and starred in this.
A girl receives a miracle and the power to heal, and a village grows around her.
The village becomes wealthy, drawing the attention of a powerful bandit.
Enter El Gaucho, leader of a rival gang.
A moody, dark film, with too much religious babble (yes, audiences differed in 1927).
Different from Doug’s manic comedies, thrilling actioners.  From what I’ve read, he was feeling old.
Would that the film was primarily Doug and the steamy Lupe Vélez (above).

Prelude - 1927 - UK

Prelude - 1927 - 6/10

 
“The boundaries which divide Life from Death are best shadowy and vague.”
Our gentleman, reading Poe, listening to Rachmaninoff, grows anxious.
Imagining his own, premature burial.
For those of hypersensitive bent, I’m afraid this still happens.
Surprisingly effect short.

Get Your Man - 1927 - USA

Get Your Man - 1927 - 6/10

 
Mere children, young Robert and infant Simone are betrothed by their fathers.
17 years later, Robert is wandering Paris and keeps bumping into heiress Nancy.
“It must be Fate!” she finally exclaims.
He is engaged, honor is at stake, yet she determines to break that, and have him.
Breezy RomCom is a mere showpiece for Clara Bow.
She is on fire in this, flirting shamelessly with the camera, expressive, effervescent.
Missing reels are filled with inter-titles and still photos.

It - 1927 - USA

It - 1927 - 6/10

 
Clara Bow’s signature role (being a Clara fan, I am kind with the score).
The shopgirl minx has eyes for the distinguished boss.
He is a lamb and falls like a late December leaf until morality rumors surface.
Clara is an irresistible watch.  Sensuous, innocent, hopeful, expressions sweeping in a breath.
Leading man Moreno was 40 and looks it, difficult to accept him as a hunk.
Writer of the novel “It”, stuffy Elinor Glyn, plays herself (surely an inspiration for Margaret Dumont).
Watch this for Clara’s playful sexiness.  As a romance, a dud.

The Prey Of The Wind - 1927 - France

The Prey Of The Wind - 1927 - 6/10
AKA - La Proie du Vent

 
Owing to turbulent weather, Pierre is forced to land east of France, on castle grounds.
There, he recuperates from injuries and falls under the spell of Countess Elizabeth.
Then he discovers the rightful countess, Helene, imprisoned, who begs him to help her escape.
Story becomes a watch and wait slow boil.
Which sister is truthful?  Is either?  Does Pierre still need to remain, or is he a captive?
Fairly creaky French thriller borders on melodrama.  Fine restoration.

S.V.D.: Soyuz Velikogo Dela - 1927 - Soviet Union

S.V.D. - Soyuz Velikogo Dela - 1927 - 6/10
AKA - The Club Of The Big Deed / СВД: Союз Bеликого Дела

 
The Decembrist Revolt of 1825, occurred in Russia after the Napoleonic Wars.
After Czar Alexander I died, eldest son Constantine declined the crown and his brother Nicholas accepted it.
There was brief fighting between regiments, the revolution was crushed, most survivors shipped to Siberia.
Oversimplified background.

This movie is a miniaturized version of the rebellion in one regiment.
The main character, however, is a cardsharp, seller of information and betrayer.
Rebels plan in back rooms, but the cad hears enough valuable information to sell.
One sequence takes place in a circus, which has little bearing, though it is interesting to see the strong-woman hoist an artillery cannon.
As Soviet films go, this is mild on the propaganda.
S V D is also a marvelous example of “flicker” as light dances throughout.
Howling midnight gales, hard shadows, cigarette smoke are expertly used for atmosphere.

The Manor House Of Fear - 1927 - France

The Manor House Of Fear - 1927 - 6/10
AKA - Le Manoir de la Peur

 
The ruined manor lies behind the cemetery, and is said to be haunted.
So when the brooding stranger arrives, restores it, then moves in, the villagers know the Devil has come.
Silent film is high Gothic and crime.  Superstition and thwarted love.
Pacing is brisk and the photography, especially night scenes, are extraordinary for their time.
The soundtrack was an electronic score of noise and blips, which I finally turned off.
Video elements were pretty good.  Translated French inter-titles into English were by me.
Subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/the-manor-house-of-fear/english/2800554

The Three-Sided Mirror - 1927 - France

The Three-Sided Mirror - 1927 - 6/10
AKA - La Glace A Trois Faces

Story of Paul Morand, Jazz Age playboy.
He strings three ladies along, Pearl being the most expensive and high maintenance.

 
For Paul, there are endless lovelies available, so each vignette is a weary end.
Breakups dismissive, casual, scornful.
Jean Epstein silent uses double exposures to memorable effect, showing inner thoughts and premonitions.
Later, there are jump cuts and brief edits, which would not be common for decades.
I was unable to sync subs, though the version I saw, the intertitles were spoken aloud by Jean-Pierre Aumont.
Elegant film.

The Diplomatic Pouch - 1927 - Soviet Union

The Diplomatic Pouch - 1927 - 6/10
AKA - Sumka Dipkuryera

Silent Soviet espionage thriller set in the Soviet's version of England, then afloat the steamer, Victoria.
A diplomatic bag, meant for the Bolsheviks, is being furiously sought by Police Inspector White
(undoubtedly a word play on the Reds enemy, the White faction).

 
Cat n mouse struggles play out inside the confines of cramped and claustrophobic ship.
The villains of the piece, the British secret police, will stop at nothing to intercept the documents.
In their way are the stalwart, Soviet seaman.  Comrades united against capitalist dogs.

 
The first twenty minutes of the film are considered lost, though you can pick up the narrative easily enough.
Imaginative, expressionistic camera work (director Dovzhenko plays the stoker), energetic music score.
Preachy and dated, but taut and enjoyable, nevertheless.

Note:  The film is easy enough to locate, but subtitles are another matter.
Most subs are for the 70 minute film, though all existing prints are 50 minutes.
Go here for more or less proper subtitles – https://subscene.com/subtitles/sumka-dipkuryera/

I resynced the timings, corrected grammar, spelling, and changed some words to clarify the inter-titles.
If anyone who can read Cyrillic wants to suggest an improvement, please advise.