Rating: 
Summary: dlm
Review: Even people who don't enjoy silent movies should enjoy this one. Mary Pickford and Buddy Rogers are wonderful in this movie. I would highly recommend this, especially at the price it is being sold and also the book that has recently come out on Ms. Pickford.
Rating: 
Summary: My First Silent Movie Experience...and it was Fun!
Review: I saw this movie at the library and decided to give it a try, for I had never seen a silent film and I wondered what it would be like to watch something where noone is talking. I wondered what it was like when my Grandma was young and this was all the movies they had to go to...I also thought it would be an educational experience for my children to view a silent film, and educational for myself and my 19 yr. old daughter to see how camera technique and all that was done for a silent film (We have been studying the art of film in a casual way).Well, this was really a good watch. I was prepared to be bored, you know, with no talking. But the film quality was beautiful (sepia tones for all day shots, and a darker blue hue was used for the night scenes, the images very clean and crisp)and the music that went along was very nice. I was amazed at how you could easily follow what was going on,(I found I was able to lip read the movie characters quite well!) and that very few "dialog cards" were needed. My children (ages 19, 10, and 4) all enjoyed this movie. The 2 young ones got a lot out of the humorous moments. This movie impressed my 4 year old; for a few days later he was playing and quoted one of the dialog cards (we had read them out loud so he could know what they said), one about, "Let's get busy and open this crate of mouse traps". He will quote many lines from movies, but it was funny that he would quote from a SILENT one! It was fun to see a picture of life in the 1920's, with the old cars, strange fashion, etc. It was a very good story, and although I wouldn't want a steady diet of silent films,we would be happy to see more silent movies of this quality, and with Mary Pickford. At the end was a nice silent short of Mary Pickford and how the leading man in this film became her husband.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Charming Silent I've seen Yet!
Review: I'm just sobbing like a baby! My husband just surprised me for my birthday with 'My Best Girl'. I have been building my silent movie collection for almost 2 years, and not one actress has ever moved me so much as Mary Pickford! I adore her in every film I've seen thus far, and all the others are DEFINITELY worth buying--bad prints or no, but this...this film is now my favorite Pickford film and in my Top 10 for all silents. I am not a sappy girl, nor do I fall for romance-type films, but 'My Best Girl' is SO winsome, and SO charming! Please go off and read at least one Pickford biography and then rewatch 'My Best Girl'. I was so skeptical, b/c I'm not a big girly movie fan, but this is one you HAVE to own if you love Pickford! Her leading man in the film is Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, the man she married 10 years after this film was made. At the time, her idyllic marriage to Douglas Fairbanks was just beginning to falter. They divorced in 1935, and two years later, she became Mrs. Buddy Rogers. Buddy is so smitten (in a tastefully restrained way) in every scene, in real life, and it's so lovely to watch him falling nutty-head-over-heels for Mary. It's anyone's guess if Mary felt the same--a tribute to her gifts as an actress--but it was pure bliss trying to guess if she had been! Funny, smart and BEAUTIFULLY shot (if you've seen a lot of silents, you can tell that this one was made toward the end of the era. You're in for SUCH a treat--the shots are nothing like any in other silents of the same age.) I laughed out loud, and shed big ol' 'I'm not a girly movie fan' tears! Treat yourself, and buy the Milestone copy. An excellent, clean print, with wonderful sharpness and great picture quality. The few and far between muddy spots go away SO quickly. And the score is so thoughtful, and complements the action and the period impeccably. Buy it up, and send a message to the Pickford Foundation that we want more of these DVDs QUICK! There are a few home movies & newsreel clips from the Pickford Foundation collection included on the MILESTONE DVD, and watching them just tickled me to no end. All of them were private reels of Mary and Buddy at their wedding, their honeymoon, and later. Again, being not a terribly romantic girl, I sure surprised the heck outta myself by sobbing out loud after reading that "Buddy was always fond of saying that he'd married his 'best girl.'" A sap I was not, until now!
Rating:
Summary: The Most Charming Silent I've seen Yet!
Review: I'm just sobbing like a baby! My husband just surprised me for my birthday with 'My Best Girl'. I have been building my silent movie collection for almost 2 years, and not one actress has ever moved me so much as Mary Pickford! I adore her in every film I've seen thus far, and all the others are DEFINITELY worth buying--bad prints or no, but this...this film is now my favorite Pickford film and in my Top 10 for all silents. I am not a sappy girl, nor do I fall for romance-type films, but 'My Best Girl' is SO winsome, and SO charming! Please go off and read at least one Pickford biography and then rewatch 'My Best Girl'. I was so skeptical, b/c I'm not a big girly movie fan, but this is one you HAVE to own if you love Pickford! Her leading man in the film is Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, the man she married 10 years after this film was made. At the time, her idyllic marriage to Douglas Fairbanks was just beginning to falter. They divorced in 1935, and two years later, she became Mrs. Buddy Rogers. Buddy is so smitten (in a tastefully restrained way) in every scene, in real life, and it's so lovely to watch him falling nutty-head-over-heels for Mary. It's anyone's guess if Mary felt the same--a tribute to her gifts as an actress--but it was pure bliss trying to guess if she had been! Funny, smart and BEAUTIFULLY shot (if you've seen a lot of silents, you can tell that this one was made toward the end of the era. You're in for SUCH a treat--the shots are nothing like any in other silents of the same age.) I laughed out loud, and shed big ol' 'I'm not a girly movie fan' tears! Treat yourself, and buy the Milestone copy. An excellent, clean print, with wonderful sharpness and great picture quality. The few and far between muddy spots go away SO quickly. And the score is so thoughtful, and complements the action and the period impeccably. Buy it up, and send a message to the Pickford Foundation that we want more of these DVDs QUICK! There are a few home movies & newsreel clips from the Pickford Foundation collection included on the MILESTONE DVD, and watching them just tickled me to no end. All of them were private reels of Mary and Buddy at their wedding, their honeymoon, and later. Again, being not a terribly romantic girl, I sure surprised the heck outta myself by sobbing out loud after reading that "Buddy was always fond of saying that he'd married his 'best girl.'" A sap I was not, until now!
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite silent
Review: I've seen quite a lot of silent and this one, even if it's not technicaly or visualy in the class of Sunrise, Metropolis or the other great masterpieces of the silent era, has a special place in my heart. I can compare the viewing experience I had with the one I had with The quiet man. Why? Everyone in this movie seems to have fun, same thing with The quiet man.This was I think the second or third Mary Pickford film I saw and up to this point I though she was funny, charming and beautiful but with her performance in this movie you can say that she can do anything. She played drama splendidly and she can break your heart with a smile or a facial expression. If you're a fan of Mary like me, this is probably you're favorite too, some of the other movie she did were more technical or more visual but this one is simply magical. The chemistry with her future husband of the time (Buddy Rogers) is as strong as Bogie-Bacall or Hepburn-Tracy . The story is basic and simple and there's no visual feast like in some other classics but it works and Mary shows us that she was and will always be, the one and only america's sweetheart. She was a very good actress and it's too bad she doesn't get the respect she deserves. Thank god for restoration of the old silent movies, other generations than our grandparents can watch her greatness and see that Chaplin was not alone as a great silent star. Back to the movie, the restoration is pretty good and the film looks great for a 1927. It's not the best transfer I've seen on DVD but it always depend of the source print.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Romantic Comedy
Review: Mary Pickford is not especially famous for her comedy skills, but in My Best Girl she shows that she could be extremely funny. This film is at times hilarious, but it is also deeply touching. It is Pickford's ability to convey emotion which makes her so irresistible. The viewer believes in her character and cares about what happens to her. This was Pickford's last silent film which is a great pity for it is one of her best. Her career in talkies did not last and this is a further pity for her acting ability was such that she could have gone on to play character parts in the way that Lillian Gish did. My Best Girl should thus be treasured as one of her last great films and one of her last great roles. The print used for this DVD is sepia tinted for day scenes and blue tinted for night scenes. For the most part it looks wonderful, but there are a few places where it shows its age. There are some brief moments where the print shows decay, but this damage does not in any way spoil the enjoyment of the film. The DVD includes as an extra feature some brief footage of Pickford's marriage to her My Best Girl co-star Charles 'Buddy' Rogers. Some of the other Milestone Pickford DVDs include as extras examples of her early short films. I would have preferred one or two of these rather than the newsreel footage included here. But this is to quibble for this DVD remains indispensable for silent film fans.
Rating:
Summary: Mary Pickford "America's Sweetheart" now on DVD!!!!!!
Review: Mary Pickford was the most powerful, popular and influencial woman of Hollywood from 1910 - 1937. Co-founder of United Artists Studios in 1919, wife of Douglas Fairbanks the swashbuckling Silent film star (1919-1936). Owner of numerous companies and the hostess to the most lavish Hollywood parties during this period at her famous estate "PickFair" (named after her & husband Fairbanks). Mary Pickford has been absent from the general public but the "Mary Pickford Foundation" has restored and digitalized some of her most memorable films. (She did over 200 such 2 & 3 reelers films from 1908-1927). "My Best Girl" was her last silent film and one of her best with actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers her frequent and later her husband (1937 - 1976). This movie has chemistry with her and Buddy. It provides us with an emotional roller coaster ride and a love story everyone will enjoy. Mary Pickford has screen presence and you quickly understand why she became "America's Sweetheart" and even had the title of the "Worlds Sweetheart" abroad. The new "orignal symphonic score" by David Michael Frank is absolutely fantastic and adds to this delightful silent classic. You haven't many choices to see digitally restored Silent Classic Film Stars of old but with Foundations like Mary Pickfords we can once again enjoy the magic of silent storytelling through the genious of visual acting talents of the great ones like Mary Pickford. Included extras are some home movies of Mary and Buddy. A nice personal touch to their private & public lives. Enjoy this silent romantic comedy and escape for 79 minutes to another time in Hollywood. Mary Pickford is "My Best Girl" and "America's Sweetheart".
Rating: 
Summary: Not Pickford's best.
Review: Mind you, I like silent films, but---if you are not particularly clued-in herein---you should be aware that many silents have a reputation that just cannot be second-guessed. Almost all, if not all, reviews of silents deemed to be classics are raved about. I'm inclined to this view owing to the fact that it appears only silent film fans remain interested in this genre. If you have seen at least a dozen such films you are in a minority. Most folks, I'd reckon, have either seen dozens or but a handful. It's rather understandable, consequently, who would be inclined to take the time to write a review & this goes a long way in explaining the almost universially positive responses. My Best Girl, staring Mary Pickford, is not one of the greatest films you're likely to come across. Neither is it one of the great romantic comedies of all time. Rather, it is an amusing film generally, with a few stand-out scenes. For its time it can be a host of things, but viewed non-historically, it's a simple film. Pickford meets a guy in her place of work. She takes a liking to him as she tries to show him the ropes of her department. Little does she know that he is simply trying to prove something to his father by working---under an assumed name, of course---in his father's store. He is already engaged to a ritzy gal, but nevertheless begins to fall for Pickford. The two gals bump into one another; Pickford runs off in a huff. He chases after her. Her employer/the man's father then attempts to bribe her with $10,000 if she'll turn her back on the supposed man of her dreams. Then follows the worst scene in this film as she marquerades in her kitchen, trying to make her guy believe her affections were all a put-on; ie., that she knew all along who he really was & that she was, and remains, a gold-digger. Then she collapses into his arms from exhaustion, not being able to effect this lie with any success. End of story for Cinderella and her prince. That's what many say about this film---that it's a wonderful Cinderella story. You would, however, be much better served---and entertained---were you simply to watch the real Cinderella; or so would be my advice. Long live the silents, I say. But let's be realistic too---not every effort by Pickford, Chaplin, Lillian Gish, Harold Lloyd, Keaton, Gilbert, et al. can stand the test of time. Cheers!
Rating:
Summary: Pickford's best film, without argument
Review: There are those films that I would recommend to people who like that genre (EG "for those who like silent films, they would like this one"), but on a rare occasion I will recommend one to anyone.
Mary Pickford plays the accumulation of all the best parts of her former roles as the archetypal "sweet-faced Mary", a stock girl at a fictional five-and-dime store... if you read Amazon's review you know the basic plot, which probably isn't the most original. Here's why you should see it:
For a change, Mary Pickford isn't the only reason to see the film. About every character is a delight to see, and Ma and Pa deliver some of the best laughs, although Pickford holds her own at some very funny moments. Try not to smile at the scene when she first appears. The goofy melodrama with Liz and her beaux could make another feature comedy by itself, but here it adds to the richness of the film. And the blase look on Millicent's face when Joe runs off to find Maggie is priceless. For that matter, so is the look on Maggie's face after she tells Joe about the "Dramatic club" her sister belongs to. The soundtrack undermines some of the comedy at times, but that's no reason to turn the volume off. You'll find yourself humming the catchy jazz theme that plays when Nick Powell is present.
So, "for those who like silent films," this is one of the most harmlessly enjoyable, and for those who don't -- well, this is one you should see. It might change your mind.
Rating:
Summary: Well crafted, fun comedy, great print
Review: This is a dazzlingly clear print of a very good Pickford light romantic comedy. Keep your eyes open for the one stunningly sophisticated directorial triumph: Pickford and Rogers walking through a busy street on a rainy night, oblivious to the cars and bicycles whirring past, around, and even between them. It is a long, moving camera shot that perfectly expresses their delightful absorption in each other. I have never seen this scene mentioned in any historical film book but it well deserves to be there. Bravo!
| 
