Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film - Swanson and Valentino

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film - Swanson and Valentino | Gloria Swanson, Allan Dwan | Back then, they didn't need words -- they had FACES!

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Hollywood: A Celeb...

	Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film - Swanson and Valentino Gloria Swanson, Allan Dwan HBO Home Video, 1998 average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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The Diva and The Lover

Gloria Swanson was a notorious clotheshorse of the 1920s. Her films with Cecil B. DeMille were some of the most popular of the era and she created fashions all over the world with the outrageous and glamorous clothing she wore in them. Rudolph Valentino made woman swoon in the aisles of the movie houses with his Italian looks and his blatant sexuality. These two stars are the focus of the 6th installment of the brilliant Hollywood documentary series.

There are interviews here with the lovely Gloria Swanson, Adela Rogers St. Johns, Alberto Valentino, Viola Dana, Paul Ivano, Agnes DeMille, Ben Lyon, and Lois Wilson.

Clips from Male and Female, Queen Kelly, Sadie Thompson, Sunset Boulevard, The Shiek, Eyes of Youth, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Monsieur Beaucaire, The Eagle, and Son of the Shiek adorn the film.

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Back then, they didn't need words -- they had FACES!

"Swanson and Valentino" is the 6th of the 13-part documentary series "Hollywood: A celebration of the American silent film." Producers/writers Kevin Brownlow and David Gill always turned up interesting anecdotes about and insights into their subjects. This episode examines the careers of two of the biggest stars of the silents, Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. Swanson started out in Mack Sennett comedies, for which she was ill-suited as she didn't understand the jokes and hated slapstick. It took Cecil B. DeMille's touch and her own hard work and determination to make her one of the cinema's legends. Ironically, she is better remembered today for her portrayal of Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard," as a silent star turned mad recluse, than for her actual silent roles. Valentino's story is also poignant. Although he had definite star wattage, his studio managers often misused his talent. He was one of the first actors to strike out on his own after fighting the studio system and winning his freedom. Unfortunately, his disastrous marriage and divorce brought about his downfall. He was on the verge of a comeback when he fell ill (and his stardom directly contributed to his early demise, but you'll have to watch this to see why). As always, Brownlow and Gill present fascinating interviews, this time with Swanson herself and film folk who worked with or covered her and Valentino. This isn't the best episode in the series, but it's still very good. I recommend it. As a whole, this is still the best series ever done on American silent films.

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