Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley

Starring:Mary Pickford, William Scott, Kate Price, Ida Waterman, Norman Kerry, Fred Goodwins, Margaret Landis, Tom Wilson, George Hackathorne, Marcia Manon, Larry Steers, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Gertrude Short, Herbert Standing, Leo White, Antrim Short, Wesley Barry, Frank Butterworth
Director: Marshall Neilan
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The heart of this spunky, sweetly beautiful film is lovely, feisty Mary Pickford, of the baby face, lush curls, and sturdy little body. Pickford is Amarilly Jenkins, a poor lass from San Francisco's Clothes-Line Alley, hard by Chinatown. She's proud of her heritage, a long line of Irish washerwomen: "I likes scrubbin'!" She's content in her poverty, sharing "Irish turkey" (meatloaf?) dinners with her roly-poly ma, played by Kate Price--one can hear her infectious laughter even though the film is silent--and her five rambunctious baby brothers. Young bartender Terry McGowen (William Scott), with whom Amarilly keeps company, has waited three years for a good-night kiss. Then fate sweeps Amarilly into an entanglement with handsome, upper-crust artist Gordon Phillips (Norman Kerry). It's clear that this won't last. As Amarilly tells Gordon, "You can't mix ice cream and pickles!" But Amarilly and her family have to learn this the hard way, deliberately humiliated by Gordon's snooty aunt (Ida Waterman, as the film's requisite battle-ax).

Amazon.com

The heart of this spunky, sweetly beautiful film is lovely, feisty Mary Pickford, of the baby face, lush curls, and sturdy little body. Pickford is Amarilly Jenkins, a poor lass from San Francisco's Clothes-Line Alley, hard by Chinatown. She's proud of her heritage, a long line of Irish washerwomen: "I likes scrubbin'!" She's content in her poverty, sharing "Irish turkey" (meatloaf?) dinners with her roly-poly ma, played by Kate Price--one can hear her infectious laughter even though the film is silent--and her five rambunctious baby brothers. Young bartender Terry McGowen (William Scott), with whom Amarilly keeps company, has waited three years for a good-night kiss. Then fate sweeps Amarilly into an entanglement with handsome, upper-crust artist Gordon Phillips (Norman Kerry). It's clear that this won't last. As Amarilly tells Gordon, "You can't mix ice cream and pickles!" But Amarilly and her family have to learn this the hard way, deliberately humiliated by Gordon's snooty aunt (Ida Waterman, as the film's requisite battle-ax).

Description

Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley (1918, 67 min.) - Amarilly is the belle of Clothes-Line Alley, a neighborhood near San Francisco's Chinatown. One night, after a fight breaks out in the club where she works as a cigarette girl, Amarilly (Mary Pickford) brings an injured socialite home with her. Grateful for her care, he hires Amarilly to clean his apartment and, over time, begins falling in love with her. But when Amarilly is presented at a posh social gathering, the disastrous results fuel the battle of high and low society. Mary Pickford is thoroughly charming and delightful as the feisty Amarilly.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful Mary Pickford vehicle--as if she needed one !!!.......2007-05-24

Amarilly of Clothes Line-Alley takes place in San Francisco. Amarilly Jenkins (Mary Pickford) comes from a long line of blue collar workers who don't have much money--ever. Her mother, Mrs. Jenkins, does the clothes washing for anyone who can pay for it as she scrambles to get enough business to make a living for her family. Amarilly pitches in, too, trying to get more work for herself and her family and enjoying her romance with Terry the bartender (William Scott).

One day the theater where Mary cleans burns in a horrible fire; and Terry gets Amarilly a much needed replacement job in a much fancier club. It is here that Amarilly meets Gordon, a very wealthy young artist. Gordon notices Amarilly and even offers $150 for the chance to kiss her in a playful bidding match! Amarilly is struck by Gordon's sophistication, good looks and money--but Gordon's stuffy old aunt may spell trouble when she coldly decides to "experiment" with Amarilly when she teaches her about "the better things in life" for Amarilly's "psychological" benefit.

Will Amarilly remain in love with Gordon, who falls in love with her because of the person she truly is? Will Amarilly instead return to Terry and her life in Clothes-Line Alley? What might happen if Gordon's aunt and Amarilly's mother met each other at a social gathering? I'm sorry, folks; you'll just have to watch it for yourself to find out!

Look also for a fine performance by Kate Price as Amarilly's mother who does indeed have an infectious laugh that you can hear even though this is a silent film; and both William Scott and Norman Kerry turn in great performances as Terry the bartender and the young wealthy artist Gordon Phillips.

The quality of the image is excellent; the restoration process worked wonders! The choreography shines best in crowd scenes including the scene in the posh club in which Gordon pays $150 for the privilege of giving Amarilly a kiss. The cinematography shows good judgment as the camera picks up everything it needs to in order to help tell the story well.

Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley is an excellent Mary Pickford film; she deserves to be remembered much, much more than she is remembered. Mary Pickford pours her heart and soul out to give a terrific portrayal of Amarilly Jenkins.

The DVD offers only one extra which is a short film entitled The Dream. This film depicts the plight of an unhappily married couple; and when one of them has a dream that dream just may have an effect on the marriage.

I highly recommend this film for silent film fans and people who enjoy Mary Pickford's wonderful work will be delighted with this film.

Great job, everyone--and thank you forever and ever, Mary Pickford!!!

Cute and charming.......2006-09-29

This film might not be exactly at the same level as something like 'Tess of the Storm Country' or 'Sparrows,' but it is a really fun movie, with all of the usual cuteness and charm in many of Mary's movies. It does start out a little bit slow (this was after all 1918, when most movies weren't quite yet at the same level they were even a few years later, when the silent drama began getting more complex and mature), but once the plot does become established and we really get to know the characters, it starts rolling along very smoothly, really drawing the viewer in. This movie doesn't even really seem all that dated; sure the settings may be different today, far from the world of 1918 with its rigidly-defined social classes, the tenement in San Francisco where Amarilly lives with her mother and five younger brothers, and the wealthy people like Mrs. Phillips and her nephew Gordon (the handsome Norman Kerry) in their posh fancy mansions and lavish parties and social events, but overall the theme has stayed the same. Many upper-class people still unfairly judge the proletariat and the poor, feeling them to be inferior or deserving of being publicly humiliated, the way Mrs. Phillips does to Amarilly's mother and brothers in an attempt to nip Gordon and Amarilly's romance in the bud. People are still debating if heredity or environment is the deciding factor in one's intelligence and character. There's still a huge gulf between the haves and have-nots, with people like the Phillipses who only feel that the have-nots are worthy of their attention, respect, and love if they become "educated" and leave their people and roots behind so they can become one of them. Ultimately Amarilly has to choose between Gordon, who might be handsome and able to offer her a better life but places conditions on the continuation of their romance, and her boyfriend of three years, Terry, who might not be as handsome as Gordon and not have as much to offer but who has a more sincere heart and loves Amarilly just the way she is.

There's also a nothing one-reeler from 1911, 'The Dream,' made by the IMP Company. This isn't a terribly memorable film; while it's not horrible, it's also not one of the greatest one-reelers from the early Teens I've seen. Of the few films Mary made with the IMP which are still known to survive, none of them are widely considered to be among her best work. The studio itself also wasn't nearly at the same professional or quality level as the likes of MGM or even Biograph. Mary herself was also never really satisfied with this studio or the work she did there, and when she was trying to leave the company brrought up evidence such as being forced to have a darkroom boy, not a professional actor, as her leading man.

Overall, this is a thoroughly worthwhile disc, even though it might not be up at the same level as some of Mary's more classic pictures. It's solid cute fun entertainment from the late Teens, the era when feature films were really starting to come into their own and become more mature and complex.

Adorable.......2006-04-17

Mary Pickford, affectionately known as America's Sweetheart, may have been the single most important figure in the development of motion pictures. One of the most influential yet beloved of the small group of film pioneers, it is difficult in today's climate of instant access to grasp fully just how popular Mary Pickford was in her day.

She was embraced by the entire world and, reportedly, every twenty-four hours 12.5 million people saw her at the movies. She perfected her craft in an era of film when very few people actually saw her natural acting style for the hard work and genius it was. George Cukor called her the first method actor. She is simply wonderful in "Amarilly of Clothes-line Alley" and her glowing performance offers fans a rare treat.

Director Marshall Neilan crafted this funny yet telling look at love and life on differing social levels from a book by Belle K. Maniates adapted by Frances Marion. Beautifully photographed by Walter Stradling, this silent from 1917 was sophisticated and brilliant for its time. Even today, the underlying message and story seem fresh despite its age.

Amarilly lives with her mom (Kate Price) and young brothers in a poor neighborhood. Amarilly is a sweet girl who has a boyfriend of three years named Terry (William Scott) still trying to get his first kiss. He loves Amarilly very much. One scene which has Pickford about to let him have that kiss, then teasing him when her brothers prevent it, is quite endearing.

Pickford is subtle in all she does here, her performance flawless for this or any other day. She is real and natural in her expressions and gestures. There is not the histrionic acting you sometimes see in silent films, but rather a fresh and modern performance. She is as charming as the film itself.

When she loses her cleaning job at a theatre, Terry gets her a job at the Cyclone Cafe where he tends bar. It is here that she will come into contact with Gordon Phillips (Norman Kerry), a man far above her on the social ladder. When she takes him home to mend after a brawl in the cafe, he takes her into his home as an employee but soon falls in love with her.

All the talk in the neighborhood crushes Terry. It isn't long, however, before Amarilly's plain but honest mother is invited to tea by Gordon's family in an effort to get him back. There is a moving scene where you can see the pain on Pickford's face when she realizes high and low society do not mix. Neilan shows a scene near the end where Amarilly's mother, back home with her friends, laughs and jokes about her experience as part of high society.

Still in need of that kiss, Terry will spend 50 cents for violets he once would not pay 15 cents for in an effort to have his Amarilly back. She has initiated the romance, knowing what a mistake it was to leave Clothes-line Alley. But before he can come to supper, he is shot on the street quite by accident.

This is a realitstic and sophisticated film in that Amarilly doesn't become Cinderella and win over the Prince. She instead finds her place in both life and love. This is shown in sweet fashion by Neilan in a terrific ending I will not spoil for the viewer.

This film is very stylish and was decades ahead of its time. The same can be said of Mary Pickford's performance here. Those who like silent films of high caliber will be tremendously happy with this one. Music from the Mont Alto Orchestra fits perfectly and is quite unobtrusive.

For Mary Pickford's legions of fans, this is an adorable performance and a cherished look at America's Sweetheart.

a mature classic from as early as 1918.......2006-01-31

kevin brownlow,silent movie historian and critic,labelled this movie as a marvel of delight.one simply is astonished by this film.the vigor and verve,the pulse of life,the pathos and comedy of events in simple lives seems caught on the wing.there is not just narrative beauty but beauty of filmic form and image and unselfconscious camera movement which would be a marvel today,albeit 1918 is the unbelievable date of this movie.pickford's performance could not be improved upon.the dvd quality is better than average.strongly recommended.

One of Mary's Best.......2004-11-14

Better than most of Pickford's other feature film roles, Amarilly shows one of her best qualities on screen: she has an ability to create a facial expression that perfectly seals the comic moment. Just look at the way she winks to her mother before confronting her beaux (not the FACT that she winks, but the WAY she winks), or her expression (and body language) as she makes the ice cream-and-pickles remark.
I can't tell if the ending was meant to be melodrama or a spoof of a melodrama, but it's wacky enough and unexpected enough to work on both levels. I couldn't help but smile, even if that wasn't the film's intended effect.
This isn't a must see, but if you like silent movies you won't regret it.

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