IMDb > The Wicked Darling (1919) > IMDb user comments

IMDb user comments for
The Wicked Darling (1919) More at IMDbPro »

Filter: Hide Spoilers:
Index 7 comments in total 

3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Gritty Despite, 3 July 2005
6/10
Author: Cineanalyst

'The Wicked Darling' is one of some eleven films directed by Tom Browning that stars Lon Chaney. In this one, Chaney has the supporting role of the villain Stoop Connors. He does well enough, and one can see here the beginnings of one of America's greatest silent film actors. As well, Browning's direction is impressive.

The nighttime photography and low-key lighting add grittiness to the story of crime and reform. Chaney's hard-bitten performance also helps. The pacing is rather quick, too, with smooth editing. Even with the typical bad girl turned good through the love of a man story, there are some uncompromisingly real moments during her reform, as well as the suspenseful ones that keep the film going. In one scene at the restaurant, for example, the gutter rose protagonist returns food to a costumer's plate after it falls on the floor.

There is, however, a gaping hole in the story, as I see it. That three criminals, headed by Connors, are seemingly only intent on making the life of the gutter rose miserable is believable enough, I suppose. But, why do Mary and Kent not tell the police that Connors shot Kent? At this time, Kent doesn't know that Mary has the necklace, so it can't be because he's afraid of her arrest, too. I don't understand it, and it's a major fault for a director of films that tend to rely greatly upon their subject matter and characterizations. It seems to be merely an excuse to continue with the story.

(Note: The newly restored version released by Image Entertainment is excellent, except for some deterioration in the form of mottling, which I found easy to ignore. Additionally, some still photos are used in place of some, brief missing footage.)

Was the above comment useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Solid Melodrama With A Fine Performance By Chaney, 15 November 2005
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

A solid melodrama in itself, "The Wicked Darling" is most noteworthy now for the supporting performance of Lon Chaney, in the kind of villainous role that he performed as well as any actor of his time (or just about any other time, for that matter). The movie has recently been restored from one badly damaged print and a few scraps of information, and the restorers have done an impressive job indeed piecing together almost all of the original feature.

Priscilla Dean has the lead role, as a good-natured pickpocket caught up in a bad crowd, among them being Chaney's vicious character. A chain of events leads Mary (Dean's character) to develop a friendship with an upper class gentleman (played by Wellington Playter) who has recently lost both his fortune and his fiancée. The two of them go on to face a series of crises, tests, and menaces, many of them instigated by Chaney's character.

It's a story like many others of its era, but Tod Browning's direction keeps it from being ordinary, adding some good touches and details, and getting good performances from most of the cast. Chaney, though, is the one that stands out. He has no disguises or detailed make-up this time, but he makes full use of every opportunity to portray a cold-hearted crook who forms a formidable obstacle to the happiness of the heroine and the man she loves. As a result, it's quite a bit more interesting and memorable than most movies of its kind.

Was the above comment useful to you?

4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
An early Tod Browning and Lon Chaney picture, 9 October 2000
6/10
Author: psteier from New York

At its heart a cheap melodrama of the time. Lon Chaney as the thief forcing the poor heroine Priscilla Dean into crime is very Lon Chaney.

The reconstructed print was made from material in fair to poor condition and is missing perhaps 15 percent of the original.

Was the above comment useful to you?

Travel to The Slums, 25 July 2009
6/10
Author: FerdinandVonGalitzien (FerdinandVonGalitzien@gmail.com) from Galiza

Human curiosity is one of those primal feelings that the aristocracy share with coarse people; the more bizarre and obscure the subject, the more interested are the aristocrats. Strange places are especially fascinating even if such locales are the slums, the very opposite of aristocratic neighbourhoods.

But to travel to the slums is a dangerous outing so in order to satisfy aristocratic curiosity about these nether regions (while not overlooking the need for protection on these peculiar journeys) aristocrats need an expert guide to be able to take a safe walk on the wild side ( as an old German proverb says) so how can one do better than turning to Herr Tod Browning?

Thanks to Herr Browning's expertise, this Herr Von recently watched (from a safe distance) slum specimens like unscrupulous pawnbrokers, greedy landladies, violent waiters, hardened criminals, ruined men and working girls, all bizarre and curious fauna for an aristocrat ( especially the working girls) that are depicted carefully in the film "The Wicked Darling" (1919).

It is well-known that Herr Browning had a special likeness for those underprivileged persons who were the main characters of many of his films, works that could be great or obscure but were always astounding and unique. "The Wicked Darling" is one of his early silent films that is also one of Herr Browning's many collaborations with Herr Lon Chaney; they were a perfect team.

The film is characteristic of many of Herr Browning films and also displays a sarcastic sense of humour that this Herr Graf likes specially (Surely the ending is meant as a joke with our gutter heroes finding a new and peaceful life as farmers, surrounded by impassive cows rather than dangerous criminals.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must return to the peaceful isolation ward at the Schloss.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

Was the above comment useful to you?

A typical vehicle for Priscilla Dean - Universal's top female star of 1920, 24 June 2008
7/10
Author: kidboots from Australia

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"The Wicked Darling" is remembered today because it is an early Lon Chaney film but when it was made people went to see it because Priscilla Dean was the star. During 1918-19 she was being groomed as Universal's top female star. "The Wicked Darling" was a typical role. She was often cast as an adventuress, a burglar, in "The Exquisite Thief" she played "Blue Jean Billie" whom "you adored even when she robbed you blind". She made 9 features with Tod Browning as director - he knew how to showcase her to advantage.

In "The Wicked Darling" she plays Mary Stevens - "the Gutter Rose" - who is forced to become a pick pocket. One night she is told by "Stoop" (Lon Chaney) to go to the Davenport reception and mingle. While there she steals some pearls that have been accidentally dropped. Adele Hoyt (Gertrude Astor, who was one of stars in "The Cat and the Canary" (1927))learns that her fiancé, Kent Mortimer is now penniless and breaks off their engagement. Adele doesn't return his pearls but loses them when she is leaving.

Running from the police Mary takes refuge in Mortimer's house. His trust in her makes her want to change her ways and she is working as a waitress when she meets him again. I think that Martha Mattox (the creepy housekeeper from "The Cat and the Canary") plays the head waitress. A friendship develops (Mary has not confessed to having the pearls). When Stoop finds her again a scuffle ensues and Mortimer is shot. Even though Mary nurses him back to health, when he learns of her old associations he banishes her back to the gutter.

Lon Chaney is really threatening as "Stoop". He is not above hurting Mary to get what he wants and it is only the presence of the burly bartender (Kalla Pasha) that protects Mary.

The film has a realness about it due to Tod Browning's gritty direction. Some of the night scenes were actually filmed at night (unusual at that time) and real locations were used.

The DVD I have is copied from the sole surviving print preserved by the Netherlands Filmmuseum. It shows damage and mold and there are some missing scenes. The score, which I liked, was arranged from popular songs of the period. I enjoyed it very much and can recommend it.

Was the above comment useful to you?

Good Film, 11 March 2008
Author: Michael_Elliott from Louisville, KY

Wicked Darling, The (1919)

*** (out of 4)

Mary Stevens (Priscilla Dean) is a lifelong criminal now making her living by serving as a pickpocket for "Stoop" Connors (Lon Chaney). Mary meets a guy named Kent (Wellington Playter) and decides to turn her life around but her last gig she stole some priceless necklace and Coonors won't leave her alone until he has them. This is a very sweet romantic drama with a strong morality side to it. Director Tod Browning adds all sorts of class to the film, which is very fast paced and contains a wonderful visual style. Chaney is good as usual but it's Playter who really steals the film.

Was the above comment useful to you?

Interesting film/Chaney & Browning's first, 12 February 2007
7/10
Author: funkyfry from Oakland CA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Chaney and Browning's first collaboration is a more interesting film in the final analysis than what it at first appears to be. Basically on a superficial level what we have here is the basic crime and redemption story. Mary Stevens (Priscilla Dean) is a young thief who hangs out with various questionable sorts, who are led by "Stoop" Connors (Lon Chaney). She steals a necklace from a wealthy lady just before running into her fiancé Kent Mortimer (Wellington Playter) who she promptly falls in love with. Chaney and his fellow criminals (including a bizarre pale-faced fence) try to intimidate Mary into turning over the jewels even though she had decided to turn straight. She does eventually sell some of them in order to help Mortimer pay his rent -- he was wealthy but has now fallen on hard times. One key here is that Mortimer's girlfriend, the one who had the gems stolen from her (Gertrude Astor... perhaps a real socialite to judge by the name?), turned him down for marriage because he wasn't rich enough. So in the end after defeating Connors and his thugs, (SPOILERS) and after a full hour of hearing Mortimer moralize about all kinds of subjects, the two of them use the money from the necklace to run off to the country and start a pig farm. "At least we didn't throw our pearls before swine" they laugh as the credits roll. I don't know if this made much sense in terms of the overall narrative (why was Mortimer so adamant about not wanting to be with a thief, only to change his mind completely in the end?), it sure was more interesting than the ending you would expect.

Chaney's performance is solid but not a stand-out for him. It's basically the same as his work in Browning's subsequent "Outside the Law" (natch for Dean, who at least had honed her saucy demeanor more by the latter effort) except that here he plays only one role. Playter has too much gravity (both literally and spiritually) on screen to be a fun or amusing lead character. Although at the end he does gain some depth I suppose. There are many standouts among the supporting cast, particularly Kalla Pasha who plays the bartender and shows off his patented wrestling moves -- latter day Tor Johnson and Hulk Hogan fans will be pleased. Browning's camera work is characteristically plain, though there is one interesting shot of Mary from the head up that pans down her face through a veil. He brings more realism to the proceedings than is normal with what looks like real night-time photography and the collection of real-life characters (like Pasha) in the supporting cast.

A film that will be of interest to anyone who likes Chaney and Browning or who is interested in the early crime pictures of the 1910s, though "Outside the Law" is a bit more substantial I believe.

Was the above comment useful to you?

Add another comment

Related Links

Plot summary Ratings External reviews
Plot keywords Main details Your user comments
Your vote history