This film is a typical Mary Pickford vehicle from the middle phase of her career. Mary plays the spoiled granddaughter of ruthless industrialist Alexander Guthrie (Ralph Lewis) whom her father, sociologist John Burke (T. D. Crittenden), takes on a study- and book-writing trip to the slums of New York. There she has a change of heart... There are several things I liked about this picture, which Mary Pickford's own company produced and which she consequently strongly influenced. In particular the scenes in the slum - 'slum' not in the sense of shanty town but rather in that of cheap neighbourhood - are well done and historically highly interesting. They were evidently filmed on location and offer insights into how recent immigrants of diverse ethnic backgrounds and poor New Yorkers were living in the early 20th century. It is also very well-acted. Pickford is lively and at least in the latter part of the film charming, Lewis plays the industrialist with aplomb and Pickford's love interest Kenneth Harlan convinces as well. On the other hand: Pickford begins by playing a little girl. She acts in front of slightly oversized furniture so that she appears to be maybe 8 or 10 years old. In the space of what, according to the plot of the film, can only be a few months she turns into a teenager and finally into a young woman whose marriage we are witnessing. Strange. Also, her conversion from spoilt brat to understanding young woman is handled poorly. All that is necessary is her father telling her that in order to get on with the people in the slum she has to become one of them. Suddenly she dresses as if she had spent all her life in that neighbourhood, speaks the slang and generally gets on famously with kids and adults alike. Still, all in all this is an interesting and entertaining film. I am happy I watched it.
Review of The Hoodlum
