Dad always said...

…Children should be seen and not heard.

The Godless Girl (1929)
Monday June 22, 7pm, The Paramount

"The REFORMATORY..Bricks...
Barbed-Wire...Iron...
And rebellious Youth."

Christian and Atheist student groups battle for supremacy at an "everytown" American High School. When a riot breaks out at an off-campus meeting of The Godless Society, the police arrive too late to break up the melee, and a girl falls to her death. The horrified leaders of both groups, "Judy (Lina Basquette), daughter of Atheism" and "Bob (George Duryea), son of Gospel" linger as she dies. Arrested and found guilty of manslaughter, they are sent to the State Reform School.

The full-tilt moralistic bombast of Cecil B. DeMille, that succeeded so mightily before sound and failed so miserably after, is well represented in this melodrama, his final silent film. The original story and sensational titles were contributed by longtime DeMille scenarist Jeanie MacPherson. Eddie Quillan as Bozo "The Goat" Johnson and Marie Prevost as Mame provide comic relief, while Noah Beery is unforgettable as the monstrously brutal head guard.

The dirt in the cracks…

Less than four years after the infamous Tennessee vs. John Scopes "Monkey Trial", this subject was perfectly suited to the director and his brand of exploitation. Only DeMille could put so much corn in twelve reels and get away with it! Athiest kids taking their oath on the head of a monkey is only the beginning! Watch for the utterly ridiculous, but highly entertaining scene when the principals have fun with the prison number labels sewn into their uniforms. Lina Basquette , a 1928 WAMPAS Baby Star, shines in the biggest role of her career, while veterans Beery and Prevost add considerable depth with fine performances. Despite its absurdities, The Godless Girl is a masterpiece of momentum, expertly leading the audience to what may be the most exciting finale produced by a director whose forte was sensationalism.

More on Romola…

In last week’s preview for Romola, I included an excerpt from the autobiography of Lillian Gish. The following titles on the life and career of Miss Gish are currently available from Stephanie Ogle at Cinema Books

Lillian Gish Her Legend Her Life by Charles Affron, $21.95 paper.University of California.

Lillian Gish A Life on Stage and Screen by Stuart Oderman. $39.95 paper, McFarland.

From our favorite bookseller, "Affron previously wrote about her in StarActing and writes about her with affection and sensitivity. Oderman is more critical of Gish but also gives a
thorough review of her life and career. Certainly both are much needed additions to her own autobiography which concentrated so heavily on defending
D.W. Griffith."

Oderman also authored, Roscoe " Fatty " Arbuckle (McFarland), the best contemporary biographical source for Arbuckle after Keystone: The Life and Clowns of Mack Sennett by Simon Louvish.

Music, anyone?

Photo courtesy of the Puget Sound Theater Organ Society (PSTOS).

Seattle Theater Group and Trader Joe’s present Silent Movie Monday’s: Women in Film II, with four exceptional films from Hollywood’s silent era. Cecil B. DeMille’s The Godless Girl will be presented with live musical accompaniment performed on The Paramount’s original Publix 1 4/20 Wurlitzer organ by, well, I profess some confusion here. STG’s long running and popular Silent Movie Monday’s series has featured the live musical accompaniment of house organist Seattle favorite Dennis James from its beginning eleven years ago. Before that, James played for, among other dates, the very first silent film series at the Paramount in 1985 with The Seattle Symphony Orchestra. He was originally credited with STG online and in artwork for the current series as the featured accompanist. As of this posting, STG’s web site lists Jim Riggs as accompanist for this film and next week’s screening of 7th Heaven. Riggs is the house organist for Oakland’s Paramount Theater and currently serves on the American Theater Organ Society (ATOS) national Board of Directors,

I attended a screening of The Godless Girl at the 12th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival in 2007. The finale of that series featured James on the Castro’s 4/28 Wurlitzer and remains the most intensely exhilarating live accompaniment for a silent film presentation I can recall. I described the experience at the time as, "A train ride to hell with Dennis James as the conductor!" For the past year, I’ve been telling fans of the series about my experience at the SFSFF and encouraging them to attend this screening. Needless to say, I am more than interested in Monday’s show.