Rosita (1923) with Mary Pickford, George Walsh, Irene Rich and Holbrook Blinn
Rosita (M. Pickford), a street singer from Seville, lampoons the King's behaviour in her songs. She is arrested and a young officer, Don Diego (G. Walsh) attempts to rescue her. Alas, they are both sent to prison...
Mary Pickford hired Ernst Lubitsch for this huge lavish production. No doubt, she had seen
Anna Boleyn and
Madame Dubarry and wanted to hire the director of such lavish historical blockbusters. As you probably know, the relationship between the star/producer and the director was very tense. It's quite likely that Mary resented the directions she received from Ernst. After all, she had always been in charge of her own acting. But, no expense was spared for the film. The Dane Svend Gade was hired to built some incredible sets (with William Cameron Menzies): a whole Spanish city, streets, palaces, etc. See on a big screen, the sheer scale of the sets rivals those of
Robin Hood (1922). Mary is frequently dwarfed by the incredibly tall doorways and high ceilings. It's a real shame that Mary left the original negative to rot away because Charles Rosher had created some masterful lighting. One can only guess the subtelty of his superb backlighting against the deep focus long shots. The Russian print looks like a damaged dupe. It's unlikely any restoration could do any miracle on a such a damaged print. Nevertheless, it's obvious that Rosher's cinematography is incredibly better than that of the contemporary German cinematographers. Visually, the film is typical Rosher rather than Lubisch. Ernst certainly gained by moving to Hollywood in that respect. The story is based on
Don César de Bazan, an old French play, already quite hoary at the time. But, funnily, Paramount commissioned also
The Spanish Dancer (1923, H. Brenon) at exactly the same time based on the same story. Overall, I feel the film is not among Pickford's best or Lubitsch's for that matter. Mary plays the part with her usual finesse and charm. But, it feels too much like broad comedy in many places. For example, Mary's foster parents join her in her new villa (offered by the King who lusts after her) and we get some rather heavy comedy not unlike what Lubitsch used in
Kohlheisels Töchter. Her large and vulger mother hangs her washing across the palatial bedroom to the disgust of the servants. Then she goes to visit the King draped in a huge mantilla that makes her look even more ridiculous. She asks that he finds a proper aristocratic husband for her daughter so that the servants stop make fun of them. In terms of acting, Mary is really the shining light of the film. She sings, dances and resists the King with great gusto. George Walsh is rather bland. Irene Rich, as the Queen, is also worth mentionning. She plays the deceited woman trying to recapture the King with great subtelty. Holbrook Blinn is a competent lusty King. The print clocked 90 min and apparently is missing some footage (though there was no obvious plot hole). I am glad I saw it, even if the print is very mediocre.