William Haines was undoubtedly one of the best actors of the silent screen and to prove my point all you have to do is watch WEST POINT, starring Haines and Joan Crawford. Although it's a silent, I saw it with a marvelous musical score by David Davidson that hit the mark all the way and in what appears to be a restoration that puts it in mint condition. It gets the comic treatment most of the time with Haines as a spoiled rich boy being tamed to become a good cadet and win the girl in the end as well as the respect of his team mates. His assurance in broad comedy is a delight to behold, mugging in a way that Cary Grant would envy--a very appealing performance.
Fun to see William Bakewell in an early role too. As host Robert Osborne pointed out, he probably got his biggest moment of fame in GONE WITH THE WIND as the soldier on horseback who tells Scarlett O'Hara she better get out of Atlanta quickly. Here he plays the hero-worshipper friend of Haines, a not too subtle characterization as contrasted to Haines' ability with silent screen technique.
Enjoyable fluff, with titles that seem more modern in their slang than most silent films manage to do. Nothing new here, but it's still fresh in its appeal.
Joan Crawford is barely recognizable long before her make-over as a full-fledged star but does well with an ingenue role. The film belongs to Haines and he makes the most of it.
Fun to see William Bakewell in an early role too. As host Robert Osborne pointed out, he probably got his biggest moment of fame in GONE WITH THE WIND as the soldier on horseback who tells Scarlett O'Hara she better get out of Atlanta quickly. Here he plays the hero-worshipper friend of Haines, a not too subtle characterization as contrasted to Haines' ability with silent screen technique.
Enjoyable fluff, with titles that seem more modern in their slang than most silent films manage to do. Nothing new here, but it's still fresh in its appeal.
Joan Crawford is barely recognizable long before her make-over as a full-fledged star but does well with an ingenue role. The film belongs to Haines and he makes the most of it.