Review of The Matinee Idol

Frank Capra's The Matinée Idol, a film long thought lost, has been restored to its silent glory. It's perhaps lacking a few minutes yet, but it serves as a testament to Capra's genius as a filmmaker. It showcases three of the four qualities that later became commonplace in all Capra's films: comedy, pathos, and romance. Drama would be the fourth. Bessie Love is simply ingratiating as the leader of a small town theatrical troupe. She's equally good at displaying anger as well as sentiment. Johnnie Walker, as the big time Broadway idol/heel, is also good as the actor thrust into the spotlight so to speak in the small town production of an old Civil War chestnut. Lionel Belmore plays Bessie's father, heartbroken because of the exploitation that occurs of his daughter and her acting troupe. While viewers may have seen the plot many times before, few directors besides Capra could still make it fresh and entertaining. Capra provides the proper blend of comedy, pathos, and to a lesser extent romance in this fun-filled farce from the late silent and early sound era. Walker's black-face act, a la Al Jolson, and the treatment of the effeminate actor who plays a villain in the acting troupe's play may raise more than a few eyebrows. The film's a little slow-going at first but picks up significantly when Walker and his big city pals arrive on the scene. **1/2 of 4 stars.