THE DUMB GIRL OF PORTICI (1916) ¢ ¢ 1/2
D: Lois Weber, Phillips Smalley
Anna Pavlova, Rupert Julian, Wadsworth Harris,
Douglas Gerrard, Jack Holt, Betty Schade,
Edna Maison, Hart Hoxie, William Wolbert
A silent tragedy set in 17th-century Italy, about a mute peasant girl whose romantic encounter with a young nobleman helps trigger a rebellion. The broad-gesture acting and static camerawork tell you something about when the movie was made - it hasn't aged real well - but the production values are epic - a first for a female director. The only movie to star legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova, whose lively physical performance and bony physique stand out in a picture from the period. She does some dancing, too.
