Secrets (1933)

Mary Pickford makes her final movie appearance in Secrets, adapted from the play by Rudolph Besier and May Edgerton. She also produced the film. Pickford plays a 19th century New England woman who treks across country with her husband Leslie Howard to t

An American version of Cavalcade

This movie was released the same year as the Oscar winning British film Cavalcade. I've seen them both, and yet Cavalcade was more celebrated then - and now - as "Secrets", even though Secrets is similar to Cavalcade in many ways. Secrets tells the story of a couple through 50 years from their secret courtship in New England and elopement, to their days building up a farm in California, through the husband's rise in politics and then their old age. It really is strongly structured into three acts, but that neither adds to nor subtracts from the film. I thought Mary Pickford still seemed young enough to play the youthful part at this point, and Leslie Howard gave a strong performance as her husband.

Even though this film was well acted, ably directed by Frank Borzage, and had an interesting storyline, it failed at the box office. Perhaps it was just not what Depression era audiences wanted, or perhaps Pickford fans still couldn't get used to Mary in talking roles. At any rate, because Pickford financed her own films, this hit her hard financially. She had started making this film in 1930, stopped production, and then started over, finishing three years later. Thus, this was Mary Pickford's last film, although she remained active behind the scenes as a producer for many years.

If you like films like "Cavalcade" or "Giant" that tell epic stories of families over time, you should like this one. It does show that Mary Pickford did very well understand how to take on a talking film role. September 13, 2008

Pickford's Antiquated Swan Song Shows Her Charm ...and Her Age

There is a certain old-fashioned charm to this strangely truncated historical epic. Running just 83 minutes, this 1933 film offers the last performance given by silent screen legend Mary Pickford, and one feels conflicted about her acting here. On one hand, she produces some poignant moments and surprising comic ones with her character - a headstrong, late-19th-century debutante named Mary Marlow intent on marrying John Carlton who heads west in a covered wagon to raise cattle. On the other, Pickford is over forty and looks it - playing first a teenager and then a young bride and mother. Gauzy lenses aside, she never quite convinces, especially since her accentuated acting style is so reflective of the silent era.

Even with revered director Frank Borzage (Seventh Heaven) at the helm and a script co-written by Frances Marion (Dinner at Eight, Camille), there is no getting around the fact that it feels like a vanity production for Pickford to present her as relevant in the sound era. By all accounts, the effort failed. The plot follows Mary and John's courtship in New England under the suspicious glare of her tyrannical father. They head west where they face cattle rustlers and a rather lugubrious shootout at their ranch with tragic consequences. The disjointed story abruptly flashes forward years later where they now have four grown children and John becomes a contender for Governor of California. A nasty senorita shows up at a formal reception threatening to expose John's infidelities - an odd plot development since we are given no hint of this character flaw before. The movie flashes forward again where John and Mary are now elderly and facing a life without obligations.

The irony with casting Pickford (whose voice bears a striking resemblance to Jean Arthur's) is that as Mary ages, she looks more physially appropriate, but she gradually loses much of the onscreen vitality for which she was known. That's why the early scenes are far more entertaining even if she looks too mature for them. There is an extended, wordless scene in the cabin with her baby that does showcase why she was a fine silent screen actress. Cast against type as rowdy John, Leslie Howard comes across as much younger than Pickford even though they were almost the same age. C. Aubrey Smith (Wee Willie Winkie) is great in the early scenes as Mary's father, while sour-voiced Ned Sparks (Imitation Of Life) shows up for typical comic relief. When the camera shows Pickford as an old lady in the Model T, there is a genuine feeling of finality to her career. The 2008 DVD is a welcome reminder of Pickford's legacy, but her earlier work will provide you with a better indication of her onscreen talent. September 13, 2008

Great performance

Hard to believe this is the last film Mary Pickford would act in, as it has almost certainly her finest performance (even better than her brilliant turns in "Sparrows", "Amarilly Of Clothesline Alley" and "Taming Of The Shrew"). So good, in fact, it makes this otherwise standard early talkie something far greater than it would otherwise be. The story is divided into, I think, three separate acts as it goes from the young couple's courtship to their elderly days.
There is a totally inexplicable, offensive part near the end (you'll know it when you see it) that makes the leading man character a real bona fide jerk, but...whatever, it IS an old, old film. Look for the scene where Pickford deals with her dead baby. It's completely amazing and worth buying this dvd for. June 15, 2008

Mary Pickford's Sad Farewell.

Three and a half stars actually...I wish I could say that Mary Pickford's final screen appearance is very good but I'm afraid it isn't. Oh there's nothing wrong with Mary, in fact this is one of her best talkie performances (only KIKI is better in my opinion but Pickford hated it and did her best to suppress it) and it clearly shows that Mary could have easily continued to perform in films had she wanted to. But 1933 was a horrendous year for her. The death of her brother Jack, the unravelling of her marriage to Douglas Fairbanks, and the passing of the big four-o (she was 41) which then as now meant the downside of stardom for women in Hollywood, were too much for her to handle and so she quietly withdrew from moviemaking.

Leslie Howard (a year younger than Pickford) lends Mary solid support as together they age 50 years over the course of the film. Unfortunately the rest of the cast (even stalwarts like C. Aubrey Smith and Ned Sparks) can't overcome the old fashioned play based script which even Frances Marion failed to enliven. The direction by Frank Borzage is uneven. The dialogue scenes are stiff and unconvincing as well as very static but during the many silent sequences, SECRETS comes to vivid life. Here Borzage and Mary are in their element and it shows. The photography is full of flowing images, the editing is crisp, and Mary uses her face to convey emotions as only she could. Even the use of sound in these scenes is inspired. There are brilliant moments like Mary's famous baby scene and the old age scenes at the end (Mary's make-up is remarkable) but not enough to overcome the various shortcomings. In the end it's a rather sad farewell.

Still SECRETS is a must for any Pickford fan and for Leslie Howard fans as well. Thanks to Televista for doing a better than usual job in the transfer of this rarely seen work. The framing tells us that this is from a 16mm source print but it looks just fine and the soundtrack is as good as can be expected from something of this vintage. I would hurry though and get this title as quick as possible. It hasn't been authorized by the Mary Pickford Institute and like Televista's earlier public domain release of John Barrymore's THE SEA BEAST, it may just suddenly disappear without a trace. May 9, 2008

Pickford's Swan Song

For years, all Mary Pickford fans have been able to see of her final film were clips and photographs. Finally, this long sought-after movie is being released to the public who waits anxiously to see one of the biggest silent film stars in her swan song. Mary plays Mary Marlow, a beautiful and wealthy girl for whom her family has arranged a marriage. Her fiancee is dull and elderly, but his wealth earmarks him as a good mate. However, Mary has her sights on another man, a poor but hardworking employee of her father's. John Carlton (Leslie Howard) does all he can to win Mary's heart, and after many secret meetings together, they decide to run away to be married. They embark on a long and hard journey on a wagon train heading west. There, John puts his work ethic on trial when he struggles to support Mary and their young son.

Frank Borzage's direction beautifully compliments Pickford's subtle acting style. Shown here at 40 years old, she looks just as youthful and beautiful as she did in her early silent movies. Her acting ability transcends the microphone and her best scenes are those where she has no dialogue. However, she does quite well with speaking scenes; after all she was brought up on the stage. It is interesting to see her playing an old woman because she handles it so deftly. She was rarely given the opportunity to play grown up parts in the silents, and many remember her now as an actress who only played children. Some might assume she played children because she was unable to do anything else, but this movie proves she could do anything. She works well with Howard, who speaks his lines with the same poetic fire that fans grew to love, but the spotlight is really on Mary. It is a wonderful, albiet sad, end of an important career. May 7, 2008

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