California Research Trip: Day Five

Time to watch ALL the silent and early talkies!

Happy Sunday, everyone! Merry Christmas!!! We have started decorating our Christmas tree—a tradition my husband and I have started on the first weekend of November since we first got together. I think the more time to enjoy the decorations, the better.

Also, on Friday, November 1st, I celebrated Laura La Plante’s 120th birthday with her annual birthday cake. This time, I got to share the love of her with my coworkers. I brought the cake into the office. It was such a great time!!

Now, let’s jump back in time and relive Day Five of my California Research Trip. We spent the ENTIRE day at UCLA watching a mixture of five silent and early talkies.

*Quick disclaimer: in the forthcoming biography on Marian Nixon, more thorough descriptions of the films listed below will be included. For now, this will be just a short taste of what we got to see.*

Wednesday, October 2nd.

Can I just say I LOVE UCLA? The campus and atmosphere feel like home to me. Perhaps it is because we spent two days there last year for Laura La Plante’s research, but coming back for Marian Nixon felt so special…and comforting. I just LOVE the vibe.

Powell Library was undergoing construction, so sadly, my photoshoot from last year couldn’t commence in the same way. Pardon our pixie dust, as Disney would say. Still, the inside of the library was just as beautiful, even if the outside looked a little sad.

Big Dan (1923)

The first film of the day was Big Dan (1923) with Marian Nixon playing opposite Charles Buck Jones. This was Marian’s first credited role, as before, she only played extra/bit parts; she played Dora Allen, the daughter of a sculptor. After her father dies, Dora gets in with a rough crowd, and it is Dan (Jones) who saves her and brings her to his Aunt’s ranch for fresh air and a better life.

For this being Marian’s first credited role, she did wonderfully. Her acting was a little over the top with the dramatic scenes, but for such an amateur actress at the time, she did very well. The storyline was interesting, and the quality of the film held up for it being over 100 years old.

Best of Enemies (1933)

Our second film of the day, an early talkie/musical, was SUCH a joy and one of my favorite talkies I’ve ever seen. The film featured Marian Nixon playing opposite Buddy Rogers as a young couple who fall in love despite their feuding families. Marian’s father owned a Biergarten in America until Buddy’s father had it closed down due to prohibition. Both men have never forgiven each other.

Marian and Buddy have great chemistry together, and their two fathers, played by Joseph Cawthorn and Frank Morgan (aka The Wizard of Oz!!!!), are tremendously hilarious and believable at playing rivals. There is an iconic scene where Cawthorn and Morgan bond over beer and sloppily decide to go into the brewery business together. This film would do wonders if it were to break out of the “vault.” Here’s hoping someday! Any Buddy Rogers fans want to get the ball rolling? Please?

Once to Every Bachelor (1934)

Now, onto the third film of the day: Once to Every Bachelor (1934) with Marian Nixon and Neil Hamilton. Marian’s character, “a slippery dame,” is on the run from the police after an incident with a gang. Neil meets her and suggests they get married only out of business matters to assist with her running away. As time goes on, Neil begins to fall for Marian, but it takes her time to trust him as he has a reputation for being a player.

I enjoyed this film but found the gang/gambling plot a bit hard to follow. The plot felt rushed to me as well. What’s so funny is there is just about no information about this film online, not even a picture or film still that I can find. Hopefully, as I dig deeper into the archives, I can find more information on it in terms of reviews. From what I can tell, it was a poverty row picture.

Sporting Life (1925)

The fourth and final Marian Nixon picture we saw was Sporting Life (1925) with Bert Lytell and a small cameo of Myrna Loy!! Marian played the role of a horse trainer’s daughter. Her character is kidnapped in a blackmailing attempt to keep Bert’s character from entering his horse, Lady Love, in the race.

Sadly, the quality of the film wasn’t too great, and a few scenes were cut out, which made it tricky to understand certain plot lines. Overall, this probably was my least favorite of Marian’s films we saw that day mainly due to the quality, but also, the horse racing storyline didn’t capture my attention as much as the others.

The Office Scandal (1929)

Even though the Marian Nixon films were done for the day, we still had time for a “bonus” film—The Office Scandal (1929) with Phyllis Haver, Raymond Hatton, Margaret Livingston, and Leslie Fenton. Perhaps I am writing about one of these people for a future biography book… Hmm… ;)

The Office Scandal was WONDERFUL. It takes place in a newspaper office where Phyllis’s character plays a Nancy Drew-type role to solve a murder mystery. Her outfits were adorable (I drew a few in my notebook while watching to remember it all), and her character was feisty, witty, and a feminist icon.

Whew. There you have it. Five films in one day. I have to say, this was one of my favorite days of the trip because watching these rare pictures is such a joy and an honor. I feel a great amount of gratitude every time I am able to see one of my favorite actresses in a new-to-me film.

After this, my mom and I visited Marion Davies’s Beach House, the Santa Monica Pier, and lastly, the American Girl store. We had another fun-filled and informative day!

I hope you enjoyed this recap, and I hope you have a great week.

Until next time!!

Sincerely,

Laura Jerrolds