Johanna Enlists

Frustrated teenage hillbilly Mary Pickford prays for a man and gets 1000 of them when a troop of hunky soldiers makes camp opposite her family's homestead in this lightweight comedy. For once, Pickford is playing a girl who has reached the age of consent instead of the overly cute 12-year-olds for which she was so popular at this point in her career. And while her natural radiance prevents Pickford from achieving the plainness for which she is aiming in the film's opening scene, ill-fated director William Desmond Taylor convincingly transforms her from gawky ingenue to desirable woman.

Minor Pickford film but still a treat as Mary plays Joahanna, a country girl who prays for a beau only to find an entire regiment of horse soldiers camping out in a field. They're en route to Europe but have to lay up because a young lieutenant is ill.

Well little freckle-faced Johanna attracts the attention of the lieutenant (Emory Johnson), the company adjutant (Douglas MacLean), and a sad-sack private (Monte Blue). The guys jockey for position while Johanna takes a crash course (via magazines) on beauty (taking a milk bath in a wooden tub) and grace (dancing around in sheets a la Ruth St. Denis.

Eventually the private strikes the lieutenant and there is a court martial just before the regiment pulls out. But the officers seem more interested in which guy Johanna will choose (especially after the charges are dropped).

Lots of nice little touches and bits of comedy. Pickford is of course wonderful and adds a few surprises like the silhouette of her stripping and a scene of her in the bath. The guys are all solid. Wallace Beery has a small part as an officer, and that Wesley Barry as the freckly little brother.

The film was directed by William Desmond Taylor (the famous murder victim) and based on a story called "The Mobilization of Johanna" by Rupert Hughes. Frances Marion did the screenplay.

The organ music is uncredited but sounded familiar. My DVD has an alternative ending!

I have generally scored Mary Pickford's films well. However, the score of 6, while about average, is definitely below average for her. Usually you get better than what you'll see in "Johanna Enlists"--a film with a relatively thin plot and lots and lots of patriotic nonsense.

The film begins on a rural farm. Pickford plays a girlish sort--much like she did in most of her films. However, this character is becoming a young woman (although she was actually 23 at the time Pickford made this film) and her thoughts are on love and a boyfriend. But, being in the middle of no where, her options are limited. In a cute scene, she asks God for help---and only seconds later, a US Army outfit strolls along and decides to pitch camp right across from the farm! Much of the rest of the film is devoted to determining who Johanna will get--the dashing officer (who she inexplicably disliked) or a young enlisted man. There is a bit of controversy involving two guys fighting over her, but frankly it was of little consequence. Then, at the end some blatantly patriotic stuff is tossed in to remind us that the US is involved in the war and that Pickford hates the dreaded Hun.

Basically this is an inconsequential film with a lot of hubbub about the war and patriotism stuck on, rather clumsily at the end. However, even with its shortcomings, it's always a delight to watch Pickford so I would still recommend it to her fans. But, if you aren't, she did make much better films you should see first like "My Best Girl", "Suds" or "Daddy Long Legs" (among others).

Constantly threatened with a "larruping" if she steps out of line, "Johanna" (Mary Pickford) lives with her ma (Anne Schaefer) and pa (Fred Huntley) on their farm in the middle of nowhere. She's bored and a bit hormonal and so imagine her delight when an whole army regiment turns up nearby to do some training. Instantly, she proves to be a bit of an hit and takes a bit of a shine to "Pte. Vibbard" (Monty Blue) but it's not that simple. "Lieut. Le Roy" (Emory Johnson) takes an interest in her and, well she's not so keen on him. What now ensues sees a bit of a struggle emerge between the two soldiers vying for position - seemingly regardless of her fairly obvious choice. Aside from Pickford owing the screen and Schaefer enthusiastically dishing out her beatings, this is all a rather unremarkable drama that disappointingly peters out. It even borders on the propagandist as it heads towards a distinctly "let's get the germ out of Germany" conclusion. On that score, there are two to pick from so stick around after the credits. As a story about a young person devoid of company and excitement it works fine, but there's not enough action and the comedy is just too predictable to make it stick in the mind.

When the 143rd Field Artillery sets up camp in two of Fred Huntley's fields, his "plain daughter" Mary Pickford becomes the darling of the regiment.

It's not among the best and brightest of Miss Pickford's vehicles, although there's a lot of well regarded talent, from director William Desmond Taylor, cinematographer Charles Rosher, and Frances Marion scripting from a story by Rupert Hughes. There are lots of close-ups by Miss Pickford and interestingly composed shots of the regiment, but there is a lot of reliance on the charms of Miss Pickford, as well as early roles by Monte Blue, Douglas Maclean, Wesley Barry, and Wallace Beery. There's no denying the competence of every part of it, but it's more of a decent programmer for its star than an outstanding picture of its own.