Conrad in Quest of His Youth

Although best known today -- if he is remembered at all -- as the brother of Cecil B. Demille and the father of choreographer Agnes Demille, William Demille was an excellent director in the silent era. He did not make the flashy pictures with the stunning scenes that his brother is best remembered for, but smaller pictures about more ordinary people, filled with humor and insight.

This story, about Thomas Meighan's world-weary character, treads the line between humor and mockery expertly. Meighan's Conrad seeks to recapture his zest for life by reliving those times he recalls so fondly: the simple enjoyment of a child's picnic, the recollection of a girlfriend and the great love of his life, the woman he loved in an Italian resort when he was 17 -- played beautifully, hilariously, many years later, by Kathlyn Williams. All attempts end in disaster.

The story is solid, the acting is wonderful and the cinematography, dimmed a bit by the age of the film prints, still works excellently. Highly recommended.