Carmen, Jr. (1923)

A spoof of Bizet's Carmen. Somewhere in Spain, a young girl gets the better of the neighborhood boys, then, dressed as a fashionable senorita, visits a club where a boy is demonstrating a ... See full summary »

Director:

Alfred J. Goulding

Writers:

Joseph Farnham (titles), Alfred J. Goulding (story)

Stars:

Baby Peggy, Lillian Hackett, Inez McDonnell

Cast

Credited cast:
Baby Peggy
Lillian Hackett
Inez McDonnell
Tommy Wonder	...	(as Little Thomas Wonder)
Joe Bonner
Bynunsky Hyman	...	Bullfight spectator
Gus Leonard	...	Bullfight spectator
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alf Goulding Jr.

Storyline

A spoof of Bizet's Carmen. Somewhere in Spain, a young girl gets the better of the neighborhood boys, then, dressed as a fashionable senorita, visits a club where a boy is demonstrating a tango. She joins him to the enjoyment of the spectators. In act 2, she's dressed as a matador and presents herself at the arena to General della Bambinodi Carradavadoves, a man who knows bulls. She fights one and finds that her sword isn't strong enough to stab him. In the excitement, the General falls from the stands, and he and the child must face the brute. Is there an escape?

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Plot Keywords:

satire | character name in title

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 August 1923 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sunny Smiles

Filming Locations:

Mission San Fernando Rey - 15151 San Fernando Mission Boulevard, Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Century Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Enjoyable fluff.

It's hard to take "Carmen, Jr." very seriously--mostly because the film really didn't take itself all that seriously. And, at the time it debuted, it was clearly a light-weight comedy (which it remains today).

The film begins with Carmen, Jr. (Baby Peggy) showing off her strength in Spain--by beating up all the little boys and knocking men off their feet. It seems that she is NOT a demure little lady and thinks this is how to treat the opposite sex. She is NOT very lady-like! In the next act, you see Baby Peggy going into the bullring where she fights what is CLEARLY a guy in a bull costume. It's all very silly...and a bit dumb. But, because Peggy is so charming and cute, you can't help but enjoy the film no matter how goofy it all becomes. A strange but watchable little curio with a few decent moments.