Balladeer’s Blog takes its third and final look at the best silent film comedies of the legendary comedienne Mabel Normand. For 1910-1915 click HERE. For 1916-1920 click HERE.
MOLLY O (1921) – This film was produced by Mabel’s longtime romantic partner Mack Sennett (the musical Mack & Mabel is about them) and co-written by Mary Hunt. Originally 80 minutes long, this comedy was once considered completely lost like so many other silent movies.
Part of the surviving 57 minutes of footage has an unusual survival story. Because the film centers on the romance of a poor struggling Irish girl, Molly O’Dair (Normand) and wealthy MD John Bryant (Jack Mulhall), much of the comedy centers on class stereotypes of Molly’s poor but honest family and Jack’s wealthy but villainous family.
The Soviet Union edited out all the funny parts and presented what was left as one of their propaganda films depicting life in America as one long nightmare of evil rich capitalists ridiculing and being cruel to poor working-class people.
That footage from the fallen U.S.S.R.’s film archives helped UCLA film historians flesh out what surviving footage they held with the chopped-up Russian version to make the 57-minute cut. Luckily the ending is intact and reviews from 1921 help fill in any missing story beats.
Molly’s Irish family runs a laundry and when she delivers some clothing to Dr. John Bryant, they fall for each other. Dr. Bryant is the only decent member of his family, and he & Molly struggle to make their romance work despite the snobbish machinations of his hoity-toity clan who despise the Irish.
The brother of John’s former lady is the main villain and tries to send Molly/ Mabel to her death from a high-flying dirigible in the thrilling finale. Dr. Bryant uses a bi-plane to reach the dirigible and executes a daring leap to board the lighter than air vessel so he can overcome the bad guy and save his true love. Continue reading





APRIL 18th, 2019 – 






JESUS: A PASSION PLAY FOR AMERICANS (1969) – For Easter Week here’s a look at an experimental take on the story of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, all accompanied by music. 




Last March Balladeer’s Blog
A TOURIST IN HAVANA (1908) – A documentary short depicting the sights to be seen by tourists in 1908 Havana. The director was Enrique Diaz Quesada, who founded the first film studio in Cuba alongside his brother Juan. This short debuted on September 15th at Havana’s Payret Theater.
INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT GENERAL JOSE MIGUEL GOMEZ (1909) – Another newsreel, this one filming the inauguration of Magoon’s elected successor.