Pearl White is the best-known silent-serial star, but Ruth Roland deserves to be remembered too. I find the dark-haired Ruth sexier than the fair-haired Pearl, and Ruth Roland's serials tended to be slightly more plausible than Pearl's. Some of Ruth Roland's silent serials even featured the intriguing device of captions and dialogue superimposed (in white letters) upon black objects on-screen in the frame compositions during the movie's action, so that there was no need to interrupt the action with inter-titles.
Whereas Pearl White's screen career ended in 1924, Ruth Roland continued to make films into the talkie era, revealing a pleasant voice for speaking and -- here in 'Reno' -- for singing. Sadly, her screen career had lost momentum even before the cancer that prematurely killed her.
SYNOPSIS: Society matron Felicia Brett (Roland) is unhappily married; she and her husband Alexander have a young son, whom Felicia dearly loves. When it becomes clear that her marriage cannot be saved, Felicia heads for the divorce mecca in Nevada ... but she's determined to retain custody of her son.
One of the deepest flaws in this film is the performance of Montagu Love as Felicia's husband. On an earlier occasion, drama critic Heywood Broun described Love's acting technique as follows: 'He thrusts out his chest and then follows it across the stage.' In 'Reno', Montagu Love plays all his scenes in Snidely Whiplash mode. When Alexander Brett contests his wife's attempts to gain custody of their son, Montagu Love's scenery-chewing makes it clear that Brett is motivated by sheer spite rather than love for the child. It helps a bit that young Bobby Brett is played by a child actor who's actually less twee and more talented than usual.
SPOILERS COMING. Before Felicia has lived in Reno long enough to qualify for the residency status that will enable her to divorce Alexander, he contrives a situation in which she appears to be committing adultery with Dick Belden, her friend from childhood. Using this falsified evidence, Alexander Brett proceeds to take sole custody of Bobby. But then a convenient avalanche kills Brett. As the divorce was not yet final, Felicia is now Brett's widow -- not his ex-wife -- and she's free to marry Belden.
Ruth Roland acquits herself well here, projecting grace and dignity and some sex appeal. Her speaking voice records well, and she has a musical number -- 'As Long As We're Together' -- which she sings splendidly, although the song itself is insipid. Despite her premature death, I'm surprised that she didn't have a better career in early talkies. On the strength of Ruth Roland's performance (and a few supporting performances) rather than any merits in the turgid script, I'll rate 'Reno' 7 out of 10.
