Johanna Enlists

Johanna Ransaller (Mary Pickford) is a love-lorn country girl dominated by her father and rough redneck family. She works long hours around the home everyday and not necessarily good at it. She is definitely not happy about it. She makes a wish for a beau and the Cavalry comes riding in.

Hollywood veteran Mary Pickford is still playing a girl. She could be an older teen. It's not that egregious, but it would help to state her age. I need to know if she's a young girl or a young spinster. She could either or anywhere in between. In any case, she's a bit of a brat. It would be more appealing for her to be a Cinderella type. Despite some of the bratty behavior, she still has plenty of natural charm. I'm watching the reconstructed version on TCM and it's not all there. The missing parts are actually important and possibly funny. It's too bad that they only have production stills for those scenes.

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.

Freckle-faced country girl Mary Pickford (as Johanna Ransallar) is going through that "coming of age" stage; trouble is, on her shabby farm, there are no men to get "boy crazy" over. The married handyman is sent off at the butt of father Fred Huntley (as Paw Ransallar)'s rifle; leaving Ms. Pickford no one to pine for. Desperate, Pickford asks the Lord, "…send me a beau!" Then, an entire regimen of young men arrive; they are Great War soldiers, who encamp by the Ransallar farm. The ailing "beautifulest", Emory Johnson (as Frank Le Roy), is sent to recuperate in Pickford's bed. When Pickford prays, the Lord doesn't mess around, obviously. With so many men, Pickford is naturally attracted to others, including Monte Blue and Douglas MacLean. Who will Pickford choose?

"Johanna Enlists" is a near-miss Pickford classic; the star is as delightful as ever, suffering through her "growing pains". William Desmond Taylor, Charles Rosher, and Wilfred Buckland create some wonderful images. Precocious freckle-faced little brother Wesley Barry (as Jake Ransallar) is excellent throughout. Wallace Beery (as Colonel Roberts) appears briefly. The adaptation never really engages, however, after the regimen arrives. The trial is not very captivating; and, there is no real romantic relationship shown between Pickford and any of the men. The "alternate ending" is better; unfortunately, the left intact "Colonel Mary Pickford…" scene punctuates the film absurdly.

******* Johanna Enlists (9/15/18) William Desmond Taylor ~ Mary Pickford, Wesley Barry, Emory Johnson

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.

I like many, but not all, of Mary Pickford's films. This one is a keeper. I described it above as "fresh." Despite its more than a century age it still feels fresh and vital. I find this far more entertaining than most movie and TV comedies today. I know how important that Ms. Pickford's WWI support was to her. That makes this even more endearing. She's in nearly every scene. She carries the movie beautifully. If you want to see why Mary Pickford's title was "America's Sweetheart" this is a pretty good place to find your answer.