Gipsies - 1921 - Czechoslovakia

Gipsies - 1921 - 6/10
AKA - Cikáni

Giacomo plies the canals of Venice, dreaming of his betrothed, Angelina.
Deck mates warn him, “Trust not fortune nor women, both are deceitful and changeable.”
Thus, when the handsome, wealthy stranger appears, so disappears Angelina.
Giacomo, forlorn, gazes out at the empty waters.  End of Prelude.

 
Time passes and the narrative fragments into several overblown stories.
Orphaned children, accused women, jealous menfolk.
Melodramatic acting, flailing arms, contorted facial expressions.
Wonderful restoration of this obscure Czechoslovakian Silent.
Modern score serves the story.

Be Prepared! - 1923 - Czechoslovakia

Be Prepared! - 1923 - 6/10
AKA - Buď  Připraven!

 
Silent film of boy scouts learning skills.
Survival, rescue, roughing it.
Film has been restored and nicely tinterd.
With a new, modernist score, which may alienate some.
Now – – on their website, they offer two versions, both with the same score.
The reconstructed scout camp side by side with an experimental montage.
This is a voyage into the video abyss, alternative transmissions from elsewhere.

https://www.filmovyprehled.cz/cs/season-of-classic-films/bud-pripraven-be-prepared

The Crucified - 1921 - Czechoslovakia

The Crucified - 1921 - 5/10
AKA - Ukrizovaná

 
The soldier and best friend priest are both smitten with the innkeeper’s daughter.
The priest has his vows, so the soldier scores, and the daughter wins “Baby Jackpot!”
Out of wedlock, plus she’s Jewish, he’s not, what happens next?  Yeah, the heave ho.
This is dreary throughout, and underpinned with 1848 Revolutions that seem endless.
Numerous battles, characters come and go.
The print I saw was nicely restored, but the music score was too modern.
Electronic blips, swirls, pulsations, ambiant groans.  An overall distraction.

The Sins Of Love - 1929 - Czechoslovakia

The Sins Of Love - 1929 - 6/10
AKA - Hríchy Lásky

The great Kristen leaves the village stage to find fame in the big city.
Where blustering, hammy stage actors are a dozen a kopek.
Accompanying him, however, is his demur wife, of bewitching face.

 
Of course, she is given a quick tryout and voilà.
Curtain calls, bouquets, stardom, and interest.
The handsome male lead and the theatrical impresario ponder how to move Kristen from the scene.

 
Kristen may be something of a buffoon, yet he is not blind.
For those who have seen any version of A Star Is Born, you know the template.
The video elements have been wonderfully restored.  Audio is another matter.
The new “score” resembles Ussachevsky with electronic blips, static, disembodied voices, etc … 

Lelíček In Sherlock Holmes' Service - 1932

Lelíček In Sherlock Holmes' Service - 1932 - 6/10
AKA - Lelíček ve Službách Sherlocka Holmese

 
The great detective agrees to find a double for an endangered monarch.
The king of Puerto Rico.
He finds a suitable candidate in Prague, persuades him, and they catch the train to Puerto Rico.
Bear with me.
Turns out the king, an anxious milquetoast, has reasons to be concerned with assassination.
Anarchists are easy to recognize as their garb is a cross between pirate and gypsy and Zorro.
Once the pair reach Puerto Rico, the kingdom is recognized instantly.
This is not the Caribbean, this is Freedonia!

 
There is no Zeppo, but there are songs in this creaky comic gem from Czechoslovakia.
The double is a handful for Holmes, though the love starved queen knows a thing about scepters.

Note:  English subs can be difficult to locate for this.  The one set I found had some issues.
I fixed timestamps, clarified dialogue, and a few other tweaks.
My subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/lelek-ve-slubch-sherlocka-holmese/english/1889245
or - http://www.addic7ed.com/movie/140729