Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Through the Back Door is a satisfying formulaic drama tailored to Mary Pickford's
star qualities. She plays a ten-year old child who later becomes a sixteen year-old
war refugee sneaking into the haunts of the rich. Pickford is her usual self, spunky and mischievous
with a heart of solid gold. Eighty-five years later, the movie is an opportunity to examine
the beginning of the star system and how well Pickford stage-managed her persona as
America's Sweetheart.
Synopsis:
In Belgium, young Jeanne, aged 5, is left with her nanny Marie (Helen
Raymond) when her mother Hortense (Gertrude Astor) remarries to Elton Reeves (Wilfred
Lucas), a man who doesn't want small children around. When Hortense returns for her
child five years later, Marie lies and says she has died because she doesn't want
to give Jeanne up. More time passes. Jeanne (now Mary Pickford) leaves with other
refugees when the Germans invade. Taking two orphans she picks up on the road, the
young girl goes to New York. But Jeanne cannot get her Mother's attention - so she becomes a
maid in the house, 'sneaking in through the back door.'
Through the Back Door is cleverly contrived to bring out all the possibilities
in Mary Pickford's screen personality. She starts as a fun-loving farm girl, playing
tricks like pretending she's caught a huge fish from a mud puddle in the road. After
tracking mud into the house, she cleans the floor by using two scrubbing brushes as
ice skates, turning the floor into a soapy rink.
Pickford was riding a firmly established screen persona. She maintained the illusion
of a golden-curled child angel just by dressing in a pinafore and surrounding herself
with tall people. Jeanne is introduced sitting next to an unusually large dog, a trick
that makes her look like a tot - at age 29. The rest of her performance is a combination
of wistful looks for close-ups and cutesy mugging, especially a popular pursed-lip
"ooh!" expression. Opening her eyes wide and staring about guarantees an interpretation
of unspoiled innocence.
The scenario adroitly hits every stop on the Pickford checklist. For emotionalism we
have Mother Love and the adoption of war orphans. Every scene makes room for
knockabout comedy, as when the Belgian orphans run about like the Katzenjammer kids.
The 'innocent' farm life of the first reels is contrasted with the hoity-toity upper
crust on Long Island. Jeanne must play the maid in her own mother's house, not daring
to come forward and declare who she really is. She gets her opportunity to save the
day (and Mom's marriage) by uncovering a dastardly plot by a husband-wife confidence
team to alienate stepfather's attentions. Following typical convention, the females
are 100% responsible for male behavior - when dad strays, it's the other woman's fault.
While locked in a closet, Jeanne gets the goods on the crooked houseguests, one of
whom is played by a very young Adolphe Menjou. Jeanne naturally prevails and takes
her rightful place as a pampered rich girl in fancy clothes, now being pursued by a
handsome young man. He's from a good family but won our approval by being attracted
to her when she was still a maid.
Through the Back Door is shot in a straightforward manner on handsome sets,
with direction shared by Pickford's brother Jack and Alfred Green, a pioneer who
would be an industry fixture for almost five decades. Southern California shows its
versatility by providing appropriate backgrounds for a Belgian farm, a refugee-clogged
road and a New York mansion.
We're also treated to good examples of the silent movie art of inter-titles, which
carry dialogue while setting up scenes and major plot points. The title cards
on this offering are particularly witty. All that is needed to establish the location
of the Hotel Knickerbocker is a single card reading:
"If it were not for New York hotels, where would elopers, divorcees and red
plush furniture go?"
Milestone and Image's DVD of Through the Back Dooris a good transfer of
a reasonable film print that exhibits moderate flickering and constant fine dirt
and scratches. The scenes are nicely tinted. Perhaps the best feature is Robert Israel's
sensitive and classy orchestral score. The film is presented by The Mary Pickford Foundation.
An added extra is Pickford's 1914 version of Cinderella, a primitive but
charming feature that runs 52 minutes. America's Sweetheart is a good fit for the
glass slipper story, which holds the interest despite the one scene - one camera
angle direction. There are also some stills from the main feature. The cover art is
a reproduction of what now is probably a priceless stone litho one-sheet.
Image's menu interface shares with Warner Home Video a welcome feature: Hit the menu
button during the opening logos and the disc jumps right to the 'start' picture' screen,
skipping everything in between.
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor,
Through the Back Door rates:
Movie: Very Good
Video: Good
Sound: Excellent
Supplements: stills, second feature Cinderella (1914)
Packaging: Keep case
Reviewed: May 26, 2005
Republished by permission of Turner Classic Movies.
DVD Savant Text © Copyright 2007 Glenn Erickson
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