The story, even compacted in about 20-23 minutes, of Anna Ella Carroll, advisor to Abraham Licoln during the US Civil War, is very minimalistic. I only watched this because of the surname, my mother's side are Carrolls (though not related to the Carroll's of Maryland) and it's sometimes fun watching films/TV based on someone you are or could be related to. This wasn't one of them. The acting and script are subpar, at best. There's really no story of her life shown, it's really just one act of one part of her life during the US Civil War.
They entered a love interest during her story, who she apparently married. I've read about Anna Ella Carroll and never saw she ever got married. Anyway, the deliverance of lines were so dramatic by the actors yet so stoic and placid. Also, Jayne Meadows (who played Carroll) was around 32 years old when she made this short, and looked like she was in her mid to late 20s. Anna Ella Carroll was 46 years old at the start of the Civil War being born in 1815. I don't know who the general was in Tennessee but I would have to assume it was Grant, who was 39 at the start of the war yet the actor (in his forties during the making of this) is obviously acting like an old man by the tone of his voice and mannerism. I don't know, they did and do that a lot in films, maybe just a nitpick of mine. The General isn't actually specified as to who he is.
It wasn't good in my opinion. It's difficult to do biographies of people in such a short time; and the main problem with this film, even in 1952, I bet most who watched it then (even to those now) would never even have heard of her. They'll recognise her name based on who her relative was, Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence but I doubt they'd know her unless from Maryland.
Overall, 4/10.
They entered a love interest during her story, who she apparently married. I've read about Anna Ella Carroll and never saw she ever got married. Anyway, the deliverance of lines were so dramatic by the actors yet so stoic and placid. Also, Jayne Meadows (who played Carroll) was around 32 years old when she made this short, and looked like she was in her mid to late 20s. Anna Ella Carroll was 46 years old at the start of the Civil War being born in 1815. I don't know who the general was in Tennessee but I would have to assume it was Grant, who was 39 at the start of the war yet the actor (in his forties during the making of this) is obviously acting like an old man by the tone of his voice and mannerism. I don't know, they did and do that a lot in films, maybe just a nitpick of mine. The General isn't actually specified as to who he is.
It wasn't good in my opinion. It's difficult to do biographies of people in such a short time; and the main problem with this film, even in 1952, I bet most who watched it then (even to those now) would never even have heard of her. They'll recognise her name based on who her relative was, Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence but I doubt they'd know her unless from Maryland.
Overall, 4/10.
