My Best Girl (1927)

Director:

Sam Taylor

Writers:

Kathleen Norris (story)
Hope Loring (adaptation)

Release Date:

31 October 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Have you seen it yet?

Plot:

Joe Merrill, son of the millionaire owner of a chain of 5 and 10 cent stores, poses as Joe Grant, and...

Plot Keywords:

Class Distinction | Shopgirl | Arrest | Butler | Courtship

Cast

Mary Pickford	...	Maggie Johnson
Charles 'Buddy' Rogers	...	Joseph 'Joe' Grant (as Charles Rogers)
Sunshine Hart	...	Ma Johnson
Lucien Littlefield	...	Pa Johnson
Carmelita Geraghty	...	Elizabeth 'Liz' Johnson
Hobart Bosworth	...	Robert E. Merrill
Evelyn Hall	...	Esther Merrill
Avonne Taylor	...	Millicent Rogers
Mack Swain	...	The Judge
John Junior	...	Nick Powell

Runtime:

80 min (1998 version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Spain:T | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn/Warner Hollywood Studios - 1041 N. Formosa Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mary Pickford Company

Trivia:

Mary Pickford's last silent film, released just after The Jazz Singer (1927) with Al Jolson.

Quotes:

Ma Johnson: I've been to the loveliest funeral, Pa.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The American Experience: Mary Pickford (#17.6)" (2005)

Absolutely marvelous and so full of charm,...not to be missed!

Wow, what a wonderful little film! While I have a VERY hard time giving movies a rating of 10, this one sure came close. No, on second thought, it is about the best example of the genre in silent form, so it merits a 10. For its day, it's an absolutely great romantic comedy that is sure to even get the curmudgeons out there to smile! And, the best part about it is that film is not overly sentimental or sappy--it just exudes quality and craftsmanship.

Mary Pickford stars as a sweet and simple girl who works as a stock girl for a 5 and 10 cent store. A new employee (Buddy Rogers--the future husband of Ms. Pickford in real life) is hired and it's her job to train him. Unknown to her and the other employees, the young man is actually the son of the owner of this large chain of stores--in other words, he's loaded! But, his father is a practical man and wants him to try to work his way up the company ladder and find out about it from the inside.

At the same time, the boy is already engaged to a rich society girl that the boy's mom has picked out for him. However, over time, Mary's sweetness wins him over--all during which she has no idea who he really is.

Instead of telling you more (and thus spoiling the film), I want to point out just why the film excels. While very romantic and even a tad melodramatic at times, the film keeps a pretty light mood as well--striking a wonderful balance. The production values are absolutely top-notch--excellent direction, acting and cinematography--with the exception of one small scene in the end as the car races to the ship--it did look pretty cheesy. But this can certainly be forgiven because the film is also written so well and really draws you in to caring about the young couple. This film is about as good as it gets for a Mary Pickford film, though I also greatly enjoyed her films DADDY LONG LEGS and SUDS.

PS--The video by Milestone was great. The print was nearly perfect, the music excellent and after the movie was over, they included home movies of Mary's real-life marriage to Buddy Rogers in 1937--a wonderful addition to this great film.