The Worldly Madonna (1922)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Harry Garson

Writer:

Sada Cowan (writer)

Release Date:

1 May 1922 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Ms. Young portrays two roles. As Janet, a convent novitiate, she agrees to exchange places with her sister, Lucy, a cabaret dancer, who believes she has killed a man. |

Plot Keywords:

Melodrama

Cast

Clara Kimball Young	...	Lucy Trevor, dancer / Janet Trevor, nun
William P. Carleton	...	John McBride
Richard Tucker	...	Alan Graves
George Hackathorne	...	Ramez
Jean de Limur	...	Toni Lorenz
William Marion	...	Dr. Krell
Milla Davenport	...	Jail Matron

Runtime:

62 min | USA:46 min (VHS version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Harry Garson Productions

Twin Girls

The story of "The Worldly Madonna", directed by Herr Harry Garson, is shocking and funny strange. Even in early films things like twin sisters and drug addictions ( a novitiate and a night club dancer ) weren't entirely unknown for your grandfathers because the early silent films weren't as innocent as youngsters think.

The film is the story of Janet Trevor, a pious novitiate (Damen Clara Kimball Young) who prays to Gott day in and day out to save her sister's soul. But her sister, Lucy Trevor (Damen Young again) lives a very dissipated life as a singer in the "Cubist Café" (obviously with such name, the café it's a very bizarre place for a young lady). Due to her drug addiction and dangerous love affairs, Lucy will get involved in two different shootings. So trying not to face prison, she runs away and pays a visit to her pious sister at the convent, a more boring place than the "Cubist Café", certainly. A suggestion is made to change places. So ultimately Lucy exchanges the night-dress for the monastic habit and the pious Janet will begin a religious mission trying to convert the "Cubist Café" audience to an exemplary life, (besides trying to settle the amoral life of her sister).

There is a most notable aspect of this film, besides the strange vicissitudes of the twin girls in their new surroundings that is at many times very hilarious even for a German Count without sense of humor. It's the director skill to film the different shots when the two sisters are at the same scenery that makes one realize that this is a film that is very well edited. It is also a vehicle that highlights the interest and personal glory of Damen Clara Kimball Young, one of the most popular and famous actresses of the time.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must go to their elegant and exclusive club, a place far from those ordinaries cafés.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/