A fortune teller tells a store clerk with a romantic disposition that she was a Spanish noblewoman in an earlier life. The girl begins to live the part of the Spanish noblewoman and romance and comedy ensue.
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Title: What Happened to Rosa (1920)
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Cast
| Cast overview: | |||
| Mabel Normand | ... | Mayme Ladd / Rosa Alvaro | |
| Doris Pawn | ... | Gwen Applebaum | |
| Tully Marshall | ... | Percy Peacock | |
| Hugh Thompson | ... | Dr. Maynard Drew | |
| Eugenie Besserer | ... | Madame Yvette O'Donnell | |
 |
Buster Trow | ... | Jim |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
A fortune teller tells a store clerk with a romantic disposition that she was a Spanish noblewoman in an earlier life. The girl begins to live the part of the Spanish noblewoman and romance and comedy ensue.
Genres:
ComedyParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
December 1920 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Rosa Alvaro See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
SilentColor:
Black and White (tinted)Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Several comics of the silent era did variations on the "mannequin leg" gag in which someone mistakes a mannequin leg for a real woman's leg. Mabel Normand put a unique twist on the gag for her version by deliberately pretending the fake legs were real. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Reincarnation and spiritualism were popular at the time What Happened To Rosa? was made. There was also much skepticism, too. What Happened To Rosa? draws upon both a little belief and skepticism.
Daydreaming Mayme Ladd lets Madame O'Donnelly convince her that in a previous life she was a Spanish woman, Rosa Alvaro. From there the story unfolds as Mayme, pretending to be Rosa, pursues the man of her dreams, Dr. Maynard Drew, at a masquerade party. Dr. Drew falls deeply in love with the mysterious Rosa while Mayme's friends try to stop her from making a fool of herself. The way Mayme finally gets back to Dr. Drew is classic.
The written dialogue for Mayme and her friends and co-workers is written in a big city vernacular that further sets her apart from the doctor she desperately wants to meet. When acting the part of Rosa her dialogue turns into an exaggerated European accent. Although the film is silent, the implied accents actually work very well.
Mabel Normand could hold her own in slapstick comedy, but in this film the physical comedy was not the focus of the humor. The situation was the driving force of the plot and action. There was no comedic routine for the sake of adding filler. Every scene was important to the story, never deviating from the plot.
Although What Happened To Rosa? is almost an hour, it feels much shorter than that. Perhaps that is because the movie is so well done that it left me wanting more.