No Seesaw, That Cecil
The Affairs of Anatol (1921)
directed by Cecil B. DeMille
rating: 3 out of 5 cravats
on DVD at ELO's
Since most social comedies these days feel like a lecture playing dress-up (he lectured), how pleasant that Cecil B. DeMille - tyrant of pagan temples, trainwrecks, zeppelins, and classic Hollywood put-downs ("DeMille remarked that Mature was '100% yellow'") - could dance light comedy right out the door to the tune of comme ci comme ça. Without empathy, too much self-righteousness sours the mist of champagne moonlight that waters the fields of high society he-said-she-saids. On Broadway they call that a play, but DeMille made movies. His is a nightlife of chiaroscuro and Chinese fans, hand-drawn titles and Hindu hypnotists. The sad, short history of star Wallace Reid is why movies are made, so we'll have that sadness (the small loss of particular people) and the faces to remember it by.
directed by Cecil B. DeMille
rating: 3 out of 5 cravats
on DVD at ELO's
Since most social comedies these days feel like a lecture playing dress-up (he lectured), how pleasant that Cecil B. DeMille - tyrant of pagan temples, trainwrecks, zeppelins, and classic Hollywood put-downs ("DeMille remarked that Mature was '100% yellow'") - could dance light comedy right out the door to the tune of comme ci comme ça. Without empathy, too much self-righteousness sours the mist of champagne moonlight that waters the fields of high society he-said-she-saids. On Broadway they call that a play, but DeMille made movies. His is a nightlife of chiaroscuro and Chinese fans, hand-drawn titles and Hindu hypnotists. The sad, short history of star Wallace Reid is why movies are made, so we'll have that sadness (the small loss of particular people) and the faces to remember it by.
posted by NPK at 6:54 AM
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