The White Sister (1923)

[Ollie]

"Ann Harding" turned me onto this film, showing during the wee-hours over Sunday night-Monday morning. Here's IMDB's page on it:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0014605/

This is a Lilian Gish-Ronald Colman film but I am hoping Christine ("AnnH") would discuss this version's importance. A soundtrack, I recall?

This film has CHARLES LANE listed for making an appearance, but apparently this isn't The Charles Lane. That should be interesting to catch this actor.

IMDB is listing "Algeria" as a shooting location. Was this a relatively uncommon event for Hollywood films to be shot so far from orange-grove confines? Was this film, then, a 'big deal' because of it's location shooting?

Next, the large number of Italian-names in the cast... Looking thru their catalogs, I see a mixed bag of veterans-by-1923 and others that had few films, before or after. Several of the actors were obviously starting from the early days of cinema and would continue into the '50s and '60s. Good, long careers. Did Italy have a central location for its cinema like the USA had "Hollywood"? I assume that, if it did, it'd be Rome but then again, Hollywood wasn't quite a capital of anything when it got started - and that's why it was selected.

But I don't recognize the names - I wonder if I'll recognize their youthful faces? Or will my limited imagination let me not connect them with other roles in later years? Any tips like, "Watch for ____" in this film?

[MissGoddess]

TCM is showing this tonight? I'll be sure to record it, I've only seen the talkie version. I remember reading in one of my Colman biographies that audiences thought RC must have really been Italian, since their first real gander at him in starring roles was when he played Italian characters!

[Mr. Arkadin]

Another one I have been waiting for. Thanks for the reminder.

[charliechaplinfan]

This is a great movie, I'm glad TCM is showing it, it's worth recording.

[feaito]

A superb movie indeed. Much better than the talkie version.

[Ann Harding]

Dear Ollie,

The White Sister is unusual for the time as it was shot entirely on locations in Italy: Rome, Naples, Capri (and also some scenes in Lybia). It was the first American production to be shot in Italy. The cinematography reveals the beauty and light of Italy and gives to the film a very special atmosphere.
Funnily, TCM broadcast the film first on TCM France in 2006, but without music. Their print is gorgeous compared to the nasty looking VHS and 16mm print DVD floating around.
The film is notable as well as being the film that made Ronald Colman a star. He is really one of the best partners Lillian Gish ever had on the screen.

Anyway, I would say: watch or record it. But, don't miss it!


A beautiful portrait of Ronald Colman and Lillian Gish in White Sister (by James Abbe)

[Ollie]

Thanks for the comments about the then-unique location shooting for a Hollywood film. I wonder how risky the American producers considered this project?

(And oh my - I am just ASSUMING this is an American production! How foolish I'd be if that wasn't true! "Director Henry King" led to me assume that. That's my only excuse! The production company didn't survive 1930, it appears.)

I wonder if they partnered with Italian friends who could assure them of cast, technicians, equipment, or if all of that was shipped over - which had to be a fraught with other risks, as well. And after this film's production, I wonder if the involved parties joined forces for other cinema adventures?

I am setting this up for recording BUT I hope others will, too. My equipment almost always works BUT the one fatal flaw is our Time Warner cable company running their monthly "emergency warning" on-screen sirens and notices that destroy the watchability of these. So, I hope others will record this so that, IF such a banner occurs on my system, someone can 'cover' for me.

[Ann Harding]

The White Sister was produced by Inspiration Pictures which was almost an 'indie' company at the time. Richard Barthelmess, Lillian Gish and Henry King were shareholders in the company. Henry King controlled every aspect of the production: script, technicians, actors. I think it's one of his very best pictures. He also hired local (Italian) actors and technicians. The indoors sets were made by Italians.
Gish was also a very important 'actor' in the film: she did the editing of the version you're going to see tonight (10 reels).
This film is a real example of a film produced and directed by a director far away from 'supervising Hollywood producers'. They didn't have to compromise to please a producer which gives the film a very special flavour I feel.

[feaito]

The same company and crew made another period film in Italy after this one: "Romola" (1924). Have you seen it Christine?

[Ollie]

Feaito, thanks for the note about ROMOLA afterwards. That says they got along well enough for at least another one.

Christine's correction about King's production - yes, obviously this isn't an American conglormeration but a small 'indie-style' group that got most of cinama's history going. Not "American" or nationalistic at all, but individuals doing what individuals have to do best.

All of this makes the film's experience more exciting.

[moira finnie]

I heard that this broadcast of The White Sister (1923) is probably going to be the restored version, which is said to look much better than recent copies, (thank goodness).

I can't find a copy of the photo of Ronald Colman that is featured on the back cover of my edition of Juliet Colman's biography of her father, Ronald Colman: A Very Private Person, but if anyone has ever seen that image, which shows Colman looking down, seemingly unaware of the camera while lost in thought, it is among the best still images I've ever seen of the actor. Of course the film works in part because director Henry King was at the top of his game and who else could better portray a woman truly divided by spiritual and romantic pulls but Lillian Gish? Filming in Italy probably didn't hurt either.

I agree with Fernando. The silent version of The White Sister is much more vivid and convincing than the sound version (made in 1933 with Clark Gable and Helen Hayes very ill at ease under Victor Fleming's uncredited, uncharacteristically awkward direction).

Juliet Colman on her father's lasting appeal:

"We all have ideals, whether of a partner or parts of ourselves we wish to better. I think that RC's audience responded not only to his physical charms but to the part of himself that he brought to the screen. He truly was a gentleman to the core, incapable of any hint of vulgarity, graced with a voice to melt hearts and looks to match, plus he had a depth, maturity, intelligence and kindness, all of which jumped off the screen. We would probably all like to be kind, to strive and do better, and I think these aspirations resonated in his audience."

[JackFavell]

Ollie, thanks for starting the thread... I am very excited to see this movie. I have only seen photos from it long ago in a beautiful Gish sisters book that belonged to my own sister.

All this information only makes me want to see it more. I also believe this is going to be the restored version with a score added by the winner of the last young composer's contest (I hope it's a good one).

Moira, thank you for posting that beautiful quote from Juliet Colman's biography of her father. Her words express exactly why I love Ronald Colman.

[silentscreen]

Still having trouble posting images here ever since the update, but here is the photo from the back cover of Juliet Colman's book. One of my favorite photos of RC as well! Tried to resize on photobucket as well, so I hope the size isn't too large.

[moira finnie]

Thanks, Silentscreen! That's the picture from the book. I can see it after bracketing the web address of the image with [img] before it and /img within brackets after it. I hope others can see this now too.

[Ann Harding]

The same company and crew made another period film in Italy after this one: "Romola" (1924). Have you seen it Christine?

Alas, Romola is very disappointing. First, only a 16 mm print has survived which is truly awful when you can see some stills of the marvellous costumes and sets. The film itself is slow moving and even at the time, critics complained about it. Coman's part is negligible. But you can see William Powell (with a moustache) playing an evil character with gusto. It seems that the film suffered from producers interference. King left the production before the cutting stage. Overall a really disappointing feature.