Wild Oranges (1924)
Summary: John Woolfolk lost his wife in a freak accident. Afterwards, he decides that he will never fall in love again. But he, by chance, drops anchor off a secluded Southern island and is drawn into the travails of a paranoid old man and his beautiful granddaughter.
Stars: Frank Mayo, Virginia Valli, Ford Sterling, Nigel De Brulier, Charles A. Post
Directed by: King Vidor
Viewed Via: TCM/DVR
Current Commercial Availability: Warner Archive DVD-R Program
1) The composition is generally great. Any moment where the characters wonder amongst the orange trees is a visual delight. The tinting looks great.
2) Mayo is suitable as the hero. He's not too bold but not to receding.
3) Valli is great as the frightened girl who is just coming out of her shell. Her first tentative flirtations with Mayo are quite real and nuanced. You feel for her character and long for her to break out.
4) Post is properly crazy as crazy Nicholas. His teeth alone will give you nightmares! But the character ranges from able psychopath to overgrown child and he plays within this range very well.
5) The end attempts to wreck the whole thing. The undercranked fight between John and Nicholas just looks ridiculous to the modern eye. Luckily, the moments were John and Millie steer the yacht through treacherous waters offers enough fine drama to wash away the mess that came before it. That is, if you can overlook Nicholas' battle with the hungry dog.
6) Ford Sterling is surprisingly good. It's so strange to see him out of his comedic niche.
It is, generally, a lovely film, but try to forgive the undercranked end.
Stars: Frank Mayo, Virginia Valli, Ford Sterling, Nigel De Brulier, Charles A. Post
Directed by: King Vidor
Viewed Via: TCM/DVR
Current Commercial Availability: Warner Archive DVD-R Program
1) The composition is generally great. Any moment where the characters wonder amongst the orange trees is a visual delight. The tinting looks great.
2) Mayo is suitable as the hero. He's not too bold but not to receding.
3) Valli is great as the frightened girl who is just coming out of her shell. Her first tentative flirtations with Mayo are quite real and nuanced. You feel for her character and long for her to break out.
4) Post is properly crazy as crazy Nicholas. His teeth alone will give you nightmares! But the character ranges from able psychopath to overgrown child and he plays within this range very well.
5) The end attempts to wreck the whole thing. The undercranked fight between John and Nicholas just looks ridiculous to the modern eye. Luckily, the moments were John and Millie steer the yacht through treacherous waters offers enough fine drama to wash away the mess that came before it. That is, if you can overlook Nicholas' battle with the hungry dog.
6) Ford Sterling is surprisingly good. It's so strange to see him out of his comedic niche.
It is, generally, a lovely film, but try to forgive the undercranked end.