Salt and Pepper on The Arno...

Romola (1925)
Monday June 15, 7pm, The Paramount

"He is the traitor of traitors
-- the liar of liars --"

A mysterious stranger appears in 15th Century Florence and overturns the apple cart. Tito (William Powell) presents an outward appeal that does not reveal his Machiavellian intentions, as he charms his way into Florentine society.

In her second film with director Henry King, Lillian Gish was cast as the title character and moral compass of George Eliot’s mid-Victorian novel, a tale of social, cultural and religious upheaval set in Renaissance Italy. Sister Dorothy once again played a mirror opposite, the dark-eyed, simple-minded street urchin Tessa, who virtually steals the show. Considered a "prestige" film by it’s newly incorporated distributor MGM, Romola made extensive use of exceptionally beautiful locations in and around Florence, with flocks of birds and a host of eager, well costumed Italian extras, masterfully arranged and photographed by King. The oddly altered scenario, typical of Hollywood, is a staid but entertaining reinterpretation of Eliot’s Bonfire of The Vanities.

Notes on the noteworthy…

Tessa’s introduction is particularly lovely, as Tito wakes her with a kiss on the nose. They later share a beautiful scene on the banks of the Arno with the Ponte Vecchio in the background.
While Eliot incorporated actual events into her novel, this fast and loose re-write may confuse history buffs. Without giving away too much, it seems screenwriter Will M. Ritchey has juggled the idea of several events, while significantly altered, to create a spectacular ending. King went to great lengths, making full use of the location, from expertly framed scenes with the Duomo prominently displayed as the background, to numerous side streets and country lanes. One shot of a large crowd passing through an arch with the dome behind them as a flock of birds fly past overhead is absolutely breathtaking!

Meet me at the station…

In her autobiography, The Movies, Mr. Griffith and Me, Lillian Gish describes her return to Hollywood for the West Coast premiere of Romola.

"Mother, Dorothy and I went west for the opening. As the train pulled into the station, we wondered what convention was being held there, for it was packed with people wearing big red badges. As the train slowed down, I noticed our names printed on those badges. Dorothy started to shake, Mother looked frightened, and I was speechless, wondering why we had not been warned. As we stepped down from the platform, there were Loius B. Mayer, King Vidor, Sid Grauman, and a number of other directors and producers. Mother, mistaking Irving Thalberg for an office boy, gave him our baggage checks. We were quite overcome by the warmth of their greeting. Our tears turned to laughter when we learned that the Los Angeles Fire Department was to head our parade through town. At the Ambassador we found our dear friend Mary Pickford waiting for us in a flower-filled drawing room."

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. Romola starring Lillian Gish will be presented with live musical accompaniment performed on The Paramount’s original Publix 1 4/20 Wurlitzer organ by house organist and Seattle favorite Dennis James.