The School for Scandal

Unfortunately, School for Scandal (1923) is not available in its most complete form. All we have is a shortened home video release on 9.5mm that lasts about ten minutes, heavily abbreviating the rather complicated and farcical plot. The costumes and sets look fabulous from what we see of them, with relatively few anachronisms save for the women's bow-shaped lips.

The thing of most interest in School for Scandal is a young Basil Rathbone. Though many associate him with the sound era, he did have some parts in the silent era, though much of that phase of his career is lost. Still this excerpt gives us an intriguing glimpse of him... and boy doesn't he look swoon worthy in tights? Still, as with most of the silent era's output, we are lucky to have what we have since most of the movies of that period are lost, so I am grateful for this little snippet.