When Olive Thomas escaped to New York from dreary Pittsburgh she immediately entered a competition, "The Most Beautiful Girl in New York", and won!!! So it's safe to say she was pretty ravishing and had men falling at her feet (which she did). Who knows how her career would have fared if she had lived - she was extremely popular, appearing in over 20 films in 4 years. The titles of some, "Youthful Folly", "Madcap Madge", "Darling Mine" and "Everybody's Sweetheart" seem to indicate that the films were playful, innocent fun. She was also one of Myron Selznik's first proteges - after her death he moved on to the far less successful Marjorie Daw. He wanted to get away from the grim realism that was depicted in many films of the time and their film "The Flapper" gave the world a word which defined the new, liberated woman of what became the Roaring Twenties!!!
Ginger King (Olive Thomas) lives in Orange Springs - a town so quiet and moralistic that girls who hob nob at the soda fountain are talked about. When Ginger sneaks off to have an ice-cream soda with - a boy, she is quickly packed off to Miss Paddle's School for Young Ladies. She soon makes friends and joins them in their favourite game - dreaming and imagining things about a mysterious and and dashing man, Richard Chenning, who rides past their school every day. She is also re- acquainted with Bill E. Forbes - the "ice cream boy" - he is at the local military academy. Ginger behaves in true "flapper" style - disregarding rules and regulations and determined in her pursuit of (innocent) pleasure. While out joyriding with Bill in his sleigh, he has assured her he is an expert in all things related to horses (the titles though, indicate that his expertise is only with toy horses)!!! The sleigh overturns and while Bill takes off, Ginger is rescued by the mysterious gentleman. Her friends are dazzled - especially when she informs them of a date she has made with him to go to a dance at the country club that night. She has convinced him (she thinks) that she is a 20 year old "woman of the world" instead of a 16 year old school girl.
Katharine Johnston plays Hortense, the school snitch (the titles are at pains to point out that she is a scholarship girl!!) and quickly informs Miss Paddle of Ginger's misdemeanor. Miss Paddle goes to the dance and creates a stir - Ginger is led from the dance in shame but not before she overhears Richard say some awful things about "sap-headed girls like her". She decides to take her own life but discovers Hortense is involved in her own escapade - she is eloping!!! Not only that - Hortense and her shifty boyfriend have stolen all the school's valuables but plan to make Ginger the scapegoat. Ginger goes to New York (there are some wonderful outdoor scenes) when she receives a mysterious telegram from Hortense. They tell her the stolen articles have been returned and convince her to stay overnight.
The titles are cleverly done - in one scene when Ginger has decided not to kill herself, the title shows a tombstone with a For Sale sign over it. In another when she is trying to show she is a jaded woman of the world in a sophisticated New York club - the title shows bottles of root beer and "Ginger" ale. She finds the stolen jewels and Hortense's love letters, and decides to go back to Orange Springs as a "woman with a past" - Orange Springs is most surprised!!!! Everything works out with the thieves walking right into the police - they think they are perfectly safe in Orange Springs.
Olive Thomas is so charming in this delightful comedy and Norma Shearer can be glimpsed as one of her school friends. Highly Recommended.
Ginger King (Olive Thomas) lives in Orange Springs - a town so quiet and moralistic that girls who hob nob at the soda fountain are talked about. When Ginger sneaks off to have an ice-cream soda with - a boy, she is quickly packed off to Miss Paddle's School for Young Ladies. She soon makes friends and joins them in their favourite game - dreaming and imagining things about a mysterious and and dashing man, Richard Chenning, who rides past their school every day. She is also re- acquainted with Bill E. Forbes - the "ice cream boy" - he is at the local military academy. Ginger behaves in true "flapper" style - disregarding rules and regulations and determined in her pursuit of (innocent) pleasure. While out joyriding with Bill in his sleigh, he has assured her he is an expert in all things related to horses (the titles though, indicate that his expertise is only with toy horses)!!! The sleigh overturns and while Bill takes off, Ginger is rescued by the mysterious gentleman. Her friends are dazzled - especially when she informs them of a date she has made with him to go to a dance at the country club that night. She has convinced him (she thinks) that she is a 20 year old "woman of the world" instead of a 16 year old school girl.
Katharine Johnston plays Hortense, the school snitch (the titles are at pains to point out that she is a scholarship girl!!) and quickly informs Miss Paddle of Ginger's misdemeanor. Miss Paddle goes to the dance and creates a stir - Ginger is led from the dance in shame but not before she overhears Richard say some awful things about "sap-headed girls like her". She decides to take her own life but discovers Hortense is involved in her own escapade - she is eloping!!! Not only that - Hortense and her shifty boyfriend have stolen all the school's valuables but plan to make Ginger the scapegoat. Ginger goes to New York (there are some wonderful outdoor scenes) when she receives a mysterious telegram from Hortense. They tell her the stolen articles have been returned and convince her to stay overnight.
The titles are cleverly done - in one scene when Ginger has decided not to kill herself, the title shows a tombstone with a For Sale sign over it. In another when she is trying to show she is a jaded woman of the world in a sophisticated New York club - the title shows bottles of root beer and "Ginger" ale. She finds the stolen jewels and Hortense's love letters, and decides to go back to Orange Springs as a "woman with a past" - Orange Springs is most surprised!!!! Everything works out with the thieves walking right into the police - they think they are perfectly safe in Orange Springs.
Olive Thomas is so charming in this delightful comedy and Norma Shearer can be glimpsed as one of her school friends. Highly Recommended.