Peter Pan

Rating:
Summary: The silent screen classic of the boy who would not grow up
Review: This 1924 silent film version of James M. Barrie's timeless story is an exquisite little film. Barrie himself selected Betty Bronson to be the screen's first Peter Pan. The performances by Bronson and Ernest Torrence as Captain Hook are both excellent and much better than we have come to expect from the silent era. However, it is the photography which stand out more than anything else, which turns out not to be surprising because "Peter Pan" was one of the early film shot by the great cinematographer James Wong Howe. The film is directed by Herbert Brenon, who made the silent version of "Beau Geste" two years later. This 102 minute version is fully restored from the original nitrate materials, with authentic color tints and a new musical score. I doubt I am alone in thinking that this version is even more charming that the television specials and cartoon versions most of us watched growing up.

Rating:
Summary: The silent screen classic of the boy who would not grow up
Review: This 1924 silent film version of James M. Barrie's timeless story is an exquisite little film. Barrie himself selected Betty Bronson to be the screen's first Peter Pan. The performances by Bronson and Ernest Torrence as Captain Hook are both excellent and much better than we have come to expect from the silent era. However, it is the photography which stand out more than anything else, which turns out not to be surprising because "Peter Pan" was one of the early film shot by the great cinematographer James Wong Howe. The film is directed by Herbert Brenon, who made the silent version of "Beau Geste" two years later. This 102 minute version is fully restored from the original nitrate materials, with authentic color tints and a new musical score. I doubt I am alone in thinking that this version is even more charming that the television specials and cartoon versions most of us watched growing up.

Rating:
Summary: the unsung masterpiece
Review: This film is the unsung masterpiece of cinema, along with Harold Lloyd's KID BROTHER and a couple of others. Enchanting and ravishing in the most deepest meaning of these words. Though I cry easily, this one got me crying all along - tears of joy. And there are no words to describe that kind of tears. Kino's edition is a must and it should be in every collection. It would even be better if this film was to be the first element of a new collection - it has everything to make you want to see more things like this. But I believe it's one of a kind.

Rating:
Summary: Lovely silent
Review: When I showed this to my friends, (none of whom are silent-movie addicts) the comment was unanimous: LOVELY! These are guys who normally watch Men in Black and Armageddon for kicks.

But how true it is: Peter Pan is a lovely picture. Or rather, a picture-play, with the stress on play. There are rather few set-ups: The children's bedroom, the forest, the underground cave and the pirate boat. The linking sequences are very short. You can imagine this has been lifted more or less intact from the theatre, with a few extras, such as the mermaids on the beach and the flying-sequences.

Herbert Brenon's direction is OK, though not very impressive. No matter. Once you get into the J.M. Barrie story, you are transported anyway. Like the foreword says: Every character in this play is a child, and you have to become a child to understand it.
Betty Bronsons balletic pantomime as Peter is enchanting, the Lost Boys are genuinely charming and the villains are deliciously stupid. When the end comes, you've had an experience worth having.
Technically, the film holds up well, the photography and lighting is sensitive and first-rate. The grey tones are velvety, and there are very few scratches. Excellent! The DVD-copy is struck from a marvellous print.

The new music score is in character and just right for a 1920's movie. The extras include a 35 minute interview with Esther Ralston, where she talks about her career and her part as Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan. There is some juicy stuff about Louis B. Mayer here!