The Clinging Vine/The Age of Ballyhoo (1926)

The fabulous Roaring Twenties live again in these two films which capture the glamour and excitement of the snazziest and most audacious era of the American experience. The nation was at peace the economy was flush and a whole new generation was swept up in a wave of good times. Gloria Swanson legendary star of the silent screen narrates The Age of Ballyhoo which is enriched with her own colorful memories film clips and photographs. Winner of two film festival Gold Medals two Silver Medals and three Emmys from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences this 1973 documentary is assembled from rare authentic souvenirs of the period: songs graphics newsreels and movies. Among them are scenes of Swanson in Manhandled and The Loves of Sunya the sound newsreel of Lindbergh's take-off for Paris sound footage of the original 1927 production of Show Boat and of blues legend Bessie Smith!Cecil B. De Mille's 1926 production of The Clinging Vine is a recent rediscovery and perhaps the ultimate Twenties gender-bender. Leatrice Joy plays "The President's Assistant - known as A. B. - who hired wired and fired men - but had never kissed one." Charmingly the movie questions whether female professionalism is detrimental to femininity romantic love and by implication the perpetuation of the human race. The eventual narrative solution is for A.B. to undergo an amazing but comedic transformation into a coy clinging vine draped in flowing dresses. She wins the heart of Jimmy Bancroft her employer's grandson an impractical dreamer who has invented a giant eggbeater!System Requirements:Running Time 122 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 014381304725 Manufacturer No: ID3047DSDVD Product Description

Charming, fun and informative

This double-feature DVD is very enjoyable as well as informative when it comes to the lifestyle and ways of thinking in the 1920s, brought out in both the feature film "The Clinging Vine" and the award-winning 1973 documentary, "The Age of Ballyhoo". Together, they transport the viewer back in time to the age when the world changed forever: automobiles, cinema and stars, jazz, the first Atlantic crossing by plane, and even women's liberation, as "The Clinging Vine" demonstrates with style and humour. In this one-hour light comedy produced by Cecil B DeMille, actress Leatrice Joy is totally convincing as the over-efficient career woman who looks, dresses and acts like a man, but is transformed into an elegant and lovely lady with a little bit of coaching in how to be `a clinging vine' - that is, a eyelash-batting female who drapes herself off men as she says "oh, DO go on!" and appears to be completely dependent on male strength and intelligence. But far from being insulting to the modern woman, I found this film to be more sophisticated and clever than it appears at first because the joke really is on the shallow-minded menfolk who fall for the batting eyes rather than a woman's intelligence and competence! In fact, the essence of the story is just as relevant to our modern day ways as it was in the mid 1920s, which just shows that when it comes to men and women, some things never change!

The same thought occurred to me when watching the excellent documentary "The Age of Ballyhoo" because most of the things that were introduced or established in that era of the 1920s, after the end of World War I in 1918, are still with us today. Running just under an hour, this fascinating documentary moves quickly through all the events and major changes the USA - and most of the world - underwent in a decade or more. It is crammed with exciting film footage and newsreels, and is accompanied by music and songs of the period and of course, narration by the legendary Gloria Swanson who adds a personal touch because she is telling the story of her own youth. Produced and directed by David Shepard, whom we can thank for a large part of outstanding silent film video releases over the years, "The Age of Ballyhoo" features many rare and special moments to surprise and delight most viewers. It is a general overview of life in the 1920s, with only a small segment devoted to cinema and stars, but with such variety there is never a dull second. The same can be said for "The Clinging Vine", especially when watched with the audio commentary by a film historian whose knowledge sheds even more insight into the mentality of men and women of the 1920s. All in all, a very pleasant and enjoyable ride down memory lane!
December 1, 2007

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