Monday, September 14, 2009

Helen's Babies (1924)



My dear friend Amy Jeanne of It'll Take the Snap Out of Your Garters! had sent this to me in a bundle of DVDs, which I'm finally tackling. ("Just Imagine" is next, Amy! I swear!)

This is pegged as a Clara Bow picture, but in reality it's a Baby Peggy vehicle. That's not to say I didn't like it - it turned out to be kind of cute, if a rather strange viewing experience.

The transfer I saw was missing the title card and had quite a bit of deteriation damage...I've since learned it was the best print available. I'm not a snob about those things - in fact, sometimes a little damage can heighten the sense of tangible history. What made it downright weird was the lack of musical accompaniment. I haven't watched a silent like that yet, and it took some getting used to (and made me want to sit at the piano REALLY BADLY).

All that aside, the picture was formulaic but sweet. Edward Everett Horton plays a man who, despite having written a best-selling book on raising children, doesn't have the slightest clue how to handle them himself. Through a series of events he winds up having to babysit Toodie (Baby Peggy) and her sister (Jean Carpenter, whom I know nothing about) - and then the hijinks ensue! The scene I liked best involved the girls "helping" Uncle Harry (Horton) to unpack. Clara plays the girl-next-door (literally) and becomes Harry's love interest (surprise there). She doesn't get very much screen time; it's obvious that this heavily-made-up, restrained young woman hasn't hit her prime yet.

I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this picture, but I can see why Baby Peggy, with her wide-eyed facial expressions, was popular in her day. Not a bad way to pass an afternoon.

I give this one:

9 comments:

Amy Jeanne said...

Oh dear, I haven't watched that movie in about 10 years, but Clara was EEH's love interest?? LOL! Wow. Even in the beginning they were sticking her with leading men who just didn't "go." Don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE EEH, but....um. Yea....

Avalon76 said...

Tristan: welcome! If you look at the top of the screen, you'll see a toolbar. There should be a button marked "follow blog". Click it, and you're golden! ^_^

Lolita Kane said...

I really hope that more classics (and less-classic-classics like this one) will get restored! Watching a silent without music is a weird experience. I did it once, can't remember what it was though... Anyway, very weird. Feels almost hard to concentrate!
Great review anyway! Edward Everett Horton is a dahling!

agstout said...

Clara Bow is my favorite actress and I have been looking for a copy of this film for a couple of years. I knew it was still around but couldn't find anybody that had it. Is there any way I could get a copy from you please?
Ang

Avalon76 said...

agstout: Let me see if I'm able to do it on my computer. I'll keep you posted. ^_^ What other films of Clara's have you seen?

agstout said...

That would be fantastic, thank you!!!

Of Clara's films I have:
Down to the Sea in Ships (1922), Black Oxen (1923-incomplete), Capital Punishment (1925), Parisian Love (1925), The Primrose Path (1925), Free to Love (1925), The Plastic Age (1925), My Lady of Whims (1925), Dancing Mothers (1926), Mantrap (1926), Kid Boots (1926), It (1927), Wings (1927), Hula (1927), Get Your Man (1927), The Wild Party (1929), Dangerous Curves (1929), The Saturday Night Kid (1929), True to the Navy (1930), Love Among the Millionaires (1930), No Limit (1931), Call Her Savage (1932), Hoop-la (1933).

My faves are Mantrap, It, Hula, The Wild Party, The Saturday Night Kid, and Call Her Savage. The one I want to see the most is Children of Divorce which has been restored and a copy is housed in the Library of Congress. It has my two very faves (Clara and Gary Cooper) and I think I would probably faint if I could ever see it. I actually found Clara by watching Wings b/c Gary was in it. The site Sunrise Silents has just released a really nice print of Mantrap and Hula (Hula just came out today so I haven't seen it yet but Mantrap looks beautiful). Here's the link.

http://www.sunrisesilents.com/

agstout said...

I've forgotten to get back to you on this but have you had any luck copying Helen's Babies?

Ang

Avalon76 said...

agstout: no luck - I'm very sorry!

Avalon76 said...

agstout: no luck - I'm very sorry!