"Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley" is a somewhat interesting film technically and is rather representative of its times. Francis Marion and Mary Pickford departed from Pickford's persona as a child character for this one, which I consider a good thing. And, Marion's scenario involving two characters from opposing social classes, two story-lines that begin separately but are destined to collide, is something that was becoming more common in cinema as a means of making social commentary. The rapid crosscutting, in addition to the extensive scene dissection (changes of camera placement within a scene), was also cutting edge.
The print quality isn't the best now, the look of the images (the tinting and such) probably alters too frequently, and the editing and construction seems rather unpolished at times, but the film does remain fresh today compared to the slower films from around this time and before. This film isn't especially innovative in any of this, as D.W. Griffith probably deserves the most credit, but it is representative of the way Hollywood films were going. Future films would be less hasty in their montage, creating images that are more lasting.
The social commentary isn't particularly enlightening: the rich ones come off badly, and the film mostly explores contrasts. Much in the intertitles is vernacular, too. Nevertheless, "Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley" is entertaining enough, although the film's conclusion is odd, including Marion drawing attention to herself as the film's author. That was more up fellow screenwriter Anita Loos's alley; she unraveled Douglas Fairbanks's (soon to be Pickford's husband) comedies in clever, self-referential ways. Anyhow, Pickford is fun to watch as a lower-class hoyden in her lighter vehicles, and Kate Price is especially amusing in the supporting role of her mother in this one.
The print quality isn't the best now, the look of the images (the tinting and such) probably alters too frequently, and the editing and construction seems rather unpolished at times, but the film does remain fresh today compared to the slower films from around this time and before. This film isn't especially innovative in any of this, as D.W. Griffith probably deserves the most credit, but it is representative of the way Hollywood films were going. Future films would be less hasty in their montage, creating images that are more lasting.
The social commentary isn't particularly enlightening: the rich ones come off badly, and the film mostly explores contrasts. Much in the intertitles is vernacular, too. Nevertheless, "Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley" is entertaining enough, although the film's conclusion is odd, including Marion drawing attention to herself as the film's author. That was more up fellow screenwriter Anita Loos's alley; she unraveled Douglas Fairbanks's (soon to be Pickford's husband) comedies in clever, self-referential ways. Anyhow, Pickford is fun to watch as a lower-class hoyden in her lighter vehicles, and Kate Price is especially amusing in the supporting role of her mother in this one.