The Godless Girl

[Moraldo Rubini]

I just got in from the closing film of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Cecil B. DeMille's The Godless Girl. Tonight's film was in pristine condition, a print from the George Eastman House. For those interested in this movie, it's going to be included in Treasures, Volume III, a four disk set of silent films and early talkies by the National Film Preservation Foundation. Made possible through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress, this set is dedicated to American films with social issues from 1900-1934. Audio commentaries from 20 experts (including Cecilia DeMille Presley and Patrick Loughney (of the George Eastman House) and a 200-page book will be included. I believe it becomes available Fall 2007.

[SSO Admins]

But how was the movie?

[Gagman 66]

This film just debuted a few months ago in a brand new Photo-play Productions Edition on Film Four in Britain, with a fresh score by Carl Davis. I have not seen it yet, but I'm expecting a friend of mine in England to send me a copy of the broadcast soon!

Will the DVD, have the Carl Davis score? Will it be the Silent or Sound version? Do you know? The film was originally released in the fall of 1928, as a Silent, than pulled out of theaters, and re-released in 1929, with some added dialogue, and a music track.

Great cast with Lina Basquette, who was wonderful in Frank Capra's THE YOUNGER GENERATION (1929), another partial talkie. THE GODLESS GIRL also features the always memorable Marie Prevost, and Noah Berry. By the way, what type of score did the live screening have?

[Moraldo Rubini]

Last night's presentation was DeMille's original Road Show edition (with intermission), and was accompanied by Dennis James on the Mighty Wurlitzer, using the original musical cues. It was interesting to see George Duryea as the dashing male ingenue; almost unrecognizable as the same guy who would become Tom Keene of so many B-pictures later on. Also interesting to see a young Eddie Quillan. The earlier scenes regarding atheist and evangelical activism really captured the crowd, thus proving that silent films can still be relevant to modern audiences. The first act deals with fanaticism, while the second brings up issues of reform schools. The movie is a typical DeMille blend of action and hokum.

For other posts about the Silent Film Festival, check out the "Coming to a Theatre Near You" in the Film Preservation forum.