The Notorious Lady

The Notorious Lady(1927): This film is a well shot and preserved late silent, 1927, from the First National Studios and before they were absorbed by Warner Brothers. As many silent lovers know, much First National material is lost. This film has a nice cast led by Lewis Stone and Barbara Bedford. Others in the cast are Lloyd Whitlock, Earl Metcalf, Ann Rork, E. J. Ratcliffe and Francis McDonald. A tidbit of info, both Lewis Stone and Francis McDonald had appeared in First National's NOMADS OF THE NORTH in 1920, a still surviving film. Without letting too much out of the bag on the scenario, the story is about a man running from a manslaughter/murder sentence after an affair concerning his wife. He goes to Africa, has a native girl fall in love with him and catches what looks to be malaria. The film plays like any one of the MGM Tarzan films from the 1930s, just without the Tarzan. Buxom Ann Rork, whose father produced this film, as the native African girl did only a few films like the lost First National THE BLONDE SAINT and she's made up almost exactly the same. In fact her makeup is reminiscent of Raquel Torres Polynesian girl in MGM's WHITE SHADOWS IN THE SOUTH SEA. Rork of course later married into wealth into the Getty oil family. All in all this is a decent King Baggot directed drama film from the close of the silent era.

I don't understand how Barbara Bedford didn't become a bigger star than she was. She is gorgeous and her acting is superb. Film is highly interesting. Lewis Stone is good as the husband who suspect his wife is having an affair and accidentally kills him (Lloyd Whitlock) when he catches his wife with him.

Watching in the 21st century, you have to wonder why Lewis Stone didn't suspect or realize that his wife was lying to save him from a murder charge if he really loved her. Also, if Bedford had wanted to avoid scandal and save her husband you have to wonder why she could not have said that Lloyd Whitlock maliciously tried to compromise her and they attempted to rape her instead of lying that she was actually having an affair with him.

Save for that plot hole, the film is quite entertaining and well done. The modern music score on the print I saw was terrible so I watched the film on mute while playing a Musical Score from the period recorded in 1928 (from "A Woman Of Affairs").

A gem of silent cinema, extravagantly produced both in the studio and on real locations, with fine acting and technical credits including brilliant direction by King Baggot, a real cinema stylist if ever there was one! At one stage, Mr Baggot inserts a title card in the middle of a rapid tracking shot. I can just see the editors throwing up their collective hands in protest: "You can't do that, Mr Baggot!" But he does! And more importantly, it works! On another occasion, the director attempts another absolute cinema no-no -- a front to back reverse cut. And that works too, as smooth as pie, because he uses a long shot for the reverse! Worth remembering! You can get away with cutting left to right, if you use a long shot for the reverse.

The story itself is a mixture of old-fashioned romantic melodrama with a typical South African adventure plot, but it all seems solidly real and edge-of-the-seat suspenseful, thanks to great performances all around, particularly from Barbara Bedford who handles a difficult role with moving sensitivity and J. Gunnis Davis (a most unusual villain who makes the most of some great comic and dramatic material).

Lewis Stone also comes across most engagingly and even the most minor roles are all most creditably and credibly played.