Product: Oliver Twist [VHS] (1922)
Rating: 4.0
An interesting double-feature
The main feature on this disc, 'Oliver Twist' (1922), is a pretty decent adaptation of the well-known Charles Dickens novel, though, as just about all movies based on books are wont to do, it naturally can't cover everything from the book. The sets bring Victorian England to life pretty well, particularly the settings in the orphanage and in Fagin's house. Life was no picnic for the poor in Victorian England, with no system of social welfare as yet set up, and many poor people were forced to either go to an almshouse, or, if they were desperate enough, to turn to a life of crime like Fagin and his cohorts. However, since it is based on a novel, it doesn't always work very well as a silent. While there are some great silents adapted from works of literature, this one seems really chatty and like it could have been even better as a talkie. There also isn't enough character development, particularly of Fagin (Lon Chaney), who, though he's great in all of his scenes, just doesn't have a lot to do. This was a starring vehicle for the adorable Jackie Coogan (in spite of Lon's picture being on the DVD cover), so it seems natural that the producers would have wanted to emphasise his title character in the storyline, even though at times it seems more like a showcase for Jackie instead of a showcase of the Dickens novel. There could have been more meat on the plot and greater character development if they hadn't done this; as cute and talented as Jackie was, he wasn't the only important character. The print also is a bit worn, though since it was considered lost until 1972, one can't expect too much in terms of print quality. However, I wish there had been a more elaborate score beyond an organ.The bonus film, 'The Light of Faith' (1922), is a 33-minute excerpt from 'The Light in the Dark,' a six-reel feature that was considered lost in its entirety until the George Eastman House found it and did a restoration of in 2003. The film kind of starts in media res, but that becomes more understandable when one knows that this is only about half of a longer film, not the entire film itself or the only surviving part of it. A young woman has run away from home and her boyfriend back in England, and finds a room to rent in New York. (She's identified as Elaine in this film, though in the full-length version her name is Bessie.) Tony Pantelli (Lon Chaney) notices how pretty she is and that she's not the type of woman he's used to in his life as a street rogue. When she falls down the stairs one day, Tony thinks it's because she's hungry, but the landlady believes it to be a failing heart. Tony devotedly helps her back to health, showing himself to be a criminal with a heart of gold underneath. One day there's a story in the paper about her boyfriend, who is now in New York with what may be the Holy Grail, and Tony is so inspired by the story Elaine tells him about this ancient artifact and its healing powers that he resolves to break into her old boyfriend's house to steal it, desperately hoping that if she touches it, she will be fully cured. This looks like a pretty interesting film, and probably is even better and more developed in the longer version. As always, Lon plays this social outcast, this person whom one might ordinarily shun or run away from in fear because he's a criminal, with such heart and soul, making him into a sympathetic character whom one quickly comes to feel empathy for. He's also looking like his normal self in this role, without any of the elaborate makeup or disguises he's famous for. Though he wasn't what most people would consider one of the world's most beautiful people, he did clean up really nicely and even seems kind of handsome, in a nonconventional way.Overall, these are two solid features, even though I wouldn't consider either one to be top-notch silent classics. They're still far from being little more than curios. However, 'Oliver Twist' is very recommendable for seeing Jackie Coogan (who seemed to be terrific in just about everything he did as a child star) and for seeing Chaney's unforgettable Fagin. Still, neither film would be one I'd recommend to someone just getting into Lon's films or just silents in general.