Hearts and Flowers

Hearts and Flowers (1919)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

This Mack Sennett produced comedy starts off rather slow but picks up in the final ten minutes. In the film, a band leader decides to pick up a woman from the audience who just happens to be there with her jealous boyfriend. The leader then picks up a note saying that the local flower girl has struck it rich so he decides to get her instead but this doesn't sit well with the girl that was dumped. HEARTS AND FLOWERS really is two movies in one and they each offer something that makes it worth viewing. The second half is a flat out comedy and one that really works as the flower girl's redneck family shows up at the wedding and it's clear to the band leader that he's about to get beaten. These scenes are incredibly funny including one of the most memorable "baseball" scenes I've ever watched. The first portion of the film is a lot slower and it really drags at spots but there's a scene here that was downright shocking and it's when the "other" girls dresses up as a guy and gives a big kiss to the flower girl on the lips. This girl-on-girl kiss is something that would never happen in a mainstream film for decades so it's pretty shocking seeing it here. HEARTS AND FLOWERS is certainly a mixed bag but it's worth watching.