The Battle of the Sexes

I was very surprised when I watched this film that it was by director D. W. Griffith, as in places the direction looked very modern--much more than I had seen in many of his previous films. In particular, at the beginning, there are some very creative sweeping shots and camera tricks. They are also quite apparent towards the end of the film. Plus, even though this is at heart a morality tale, it seemed so much less histrionic and preachy than other Griffith films I've seen. For 1928, the film was well-done and quite watchable.

Jean Hersholt is a rich industrialist and Phyllis Haver decides when she first sees him that she MUST have him--not out of any love at all, but because she is a "gold digger". Despite his being a rather ordinary looking older man and being happily married, Ms. Haver throws her energies into snagging the guy. This actually leads to a cute scene where she is trying to think up how she will introduce herself to him--it doesn't go at all like she planned, but it does indeed work! And, disappointingly, Hersholt is at heart a dope and he falls for her routine without question. In the meantime, his family doesn't suspect until they accidentally catch him with the bimbo when he is supposed to be working late! Where exactly the movie goes next and all the little details I'll leave for you to discover. However, the movie is a breezy and interesting little film worth seeing if you like silent cinema. The Kino Video version features excellent music and an excellent quality print.

PS--Although she's not listed in the credits and the IMDb database does NOT confirm it, it looks as if Joan Blondell is one of the extras in the nightclub scene. If it's not her, it's a dead-ringer!

PPS--According to IMDb, Phyllis Haver retired from movies a short time after making this film, as she married a millionaire and stopped working! Now THAT'S irony!

This late jazz age comic morality tale directed by D. W. Griffith is surprisingly good--and its relative sophistication will be a surprise to those who are familiar with Griffith via the standard films such as "The Birth of a Nation," "Intolerance," "Way Down East," or even "Broken Blossoms." This film feels much more modern and far less overtly moralizing than those earlier films, though its 1920s "feel" is a part of its appeal for contemporary viewers.

The new DVD is well scored with period music cues that evoke a consistent, slightly melancholy mood as Jean Hersholt (better known as the villain of "Greed") is thrown into his midlife crisis by gold digger Phyllis Haver. His family is convincingly shown in turmoil--and eventually acts to rescue Hersholt's character from his folly. The film is well structured and altogether charming.

This late (1928) silent from D.W. Griffith includes much of what we expect from the man: a highly moral tale, the action centered around a nuclear family, little humor but used effectively, careful plotting, and direction that elicits excellent acting with fine nuances of mood. It is actually considerably less preachy than Griffith's epic works (Intolerance, etc.), and despite the grandiose title, the story is simple: A golddigger and her beau set their sights on a rich man, happily married with two teenage children. The blonde vamp gets her prey, successfully enticing him from his family and driving his wife into a suicidal depression, but his canny daughter manages to rescue the situation. As with most fine movies, the story, though simple, is very well told. Some splendid insights into 1920s American mores and popular culture round out the package. Newly (2001) released on VHS by Kino.

Conventional wisdom says that D.W. Griffith didn't make a good movie after he lost his Mamaroneck studio in 1924. Between SALLY OF THE SAWDUST with W.C. Fields (1925) and THE STRUGGLE (1931), Griffith made 6 feature films for United Artists and Paramount. Most of these have been dismissed out of hand since they first appeared and a few are no longer available. THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES (1928) garnered him some of the worst notices of his career (to be outdone by his last film THE STRUGGLE) although preview audiences loved it. I have seen a restored version of the film and am hard pressed to understand all the negative reviews. The settings by William Cameron Menzies are lavish, the photography by Karl Struss is top notch, and the editing, normally Griffith's Achilles heel, is smooth and polished. It clearly shows that Griffith could take advantage of the Hollywood studio system when given the chance. So why all the bad press? Part of the problem lies in the way the film was promoted. BATTLE OF THE SEXES was billed as a Jazz Age comedy when it was actually a domestic drama with several comic moments. Although the story is melodramatic and features the required happy ending, the emotions of the characters ring true. This was Griffith's greatest strength as a filmmaker. No matter how trite or objectionable the plot you believe his characters even when you don't agree with them. Best known for his epics, Griffith was essentially a miniaturist as his Biograph shorts clearly demonstrate. His feature films are more successful when done on a smaller scale and while dealing with people and their relationships (BROKEN BLOSSOMS, ISN'T LIFE WONDERFUL). Jean Hersholt gives one of his finest performances as a philandering husband. His encounter with a reducing machine in order to make himself look younger is both comic and pathetic. Phyllis Haver is the ultimate Jazz Baby and she lights up the screen with a performance that is both funny AND sexy. The robe she wears to seduce Hersholt must be seen through to be believed. Belle Bennett (THE IRON MASK) as the spurned wife also deserves special mention. THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES proves that Griffith had not lost his touch after he lost his independence. Thanks to Image Entertainment for upgrading this title to DVD as part of their D.W. Griffith collection. Now if they could just rescue ISN'T LIFE WONDERFUL and THE STRUGGLE from VHS oblivion as well.

Seeing this movie in 2007 makes it twice as funny! I'd like to see the reaction of the wife in the 21st century! I know what my reaction would be. The middle-aged, overweight husband is really funny in thinking somebody would fall for him! I'm not sure what kind of recourse she would have had back then, but I would have told him that he'd better come to his senses or I would drag him through divorce court by his (thinning) hair and skinned him for everything he had and some. The wife is also about twice as big as the floozy, so I would probably have pounded her into the ground. But, that wouldn't been nearly as funny as the melodramatic way the family behaves. It's a good morality tale, however.