I finally got around to seeing the highest
grossing film of 1918 yesterday--Mickey,
according the Wikipedia, made eight million worldwide. A simple story about a
charming tomboy, who lives and works at a mine literally called "Tomboy
Mine", who captures the eye of the wealthy owner of another mine. It's all
just an excuse to watch Mabel Normand work.
She plays Mickey, the tomboy, who's a bit
of a nuisance to her adoptive parents, constantly pulling pranks on her
adoptive father like stealing his hat in the morning or playing with a cat in
the mine shaft.
Normand unquestionably comes off as
naughtier than her contemporary and friend Mary Pickford. She's very natural
and quick with her sidelong glances and sly grins. The movie has a plot about
her inheritance (the gold mine) and two handsome and wealthy gentlemen vying
for her love, but she doesn't seem to care about any of these things as much as
she cares about jumping around and spinning.
But you don't have to take my word for it.
The whole public domain extravaganza is online for free on YouTube.
No comments:
Post a Comment