A Girl’s Folly, our third livestream presentation, is also our third film that is not attached to a book (that is changing with the next presentation). Lois Weber’s Hypocrites was based on a painting, and Flirting with Fate was based on, well, Douglas Fairbanks being his own sweet self, with a story by scenarist Robert M. Baker. A Girl’s Folly is based on “Wouldn’t it be cool to visit a film studio and see how they do it?!”
And it is! We see not only sequences of sets being created and altered, but also art title commentary on how the direction of actors is done on a silent set – and get a good sense of the controlled chaos that results when multiple scenes and films are shot simultaneously in close quarters in studio. And just to note, actors, even leads, did indeed typically do their own makeup and stunts during this period.
All in all the film has got some of everything; a rural drama with an escape to the big city, an imaginative and relatable heroine, and the close-up look at how silent films were produced in 1917. Maurice Tourneur, the director, shows here the visual and architectural genius that made him one of Philip’s all-time favorite directors. You could put a frame around any image from the film and hang it on your wall.
Click here for a $5 ticket to view a recording of the film with live piano accompaniment
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