For the finale I was in close proximite to Sophie
Linder-Lee and, blasting out a triumphal Workin’
in Flickers, she looked straight at me, completely in character and totally
in the moment with a look of pure joy in celebrating performance and the legend
of The Biograph Girl herself, Miss Mary Pickford. It’s dangerous being in the
audience at the Finborough, you just might leap up and join in and, whatever
else happens, you won’t fail to be uplifted!
Lillian Gish was in the audience at the Phoenix Theatre when Victor Spinetti’s original production
opened in 1980. Silent film fascinates because whilst it is now almost out of human range it is so visibly still with us; giving us a chance to really see how
our grand and great-grandparents lived. Cinema was not only a new medium it was
also a new artform and from the very beginnings in the 1890s to the birth of
bigger business in the 1900s, it struggled for legitimacy against traditional
theatre and publishing. There’s been nothing like it since… at least until the
world-wide web.
Composer David Heneker was born in 1906 and was old
enough to remember the Great War years and the flourishing of the studio system
that let to the increasingly commercialisation of film but the truth is that
even in the noughties film was big business; it just hadn’t been tamed yet. Heneker
is best known for writing Half A Sixpence and he also wrote Expresso Bongo
(which I love). The libretto has been revised
for this production by its original co-writer Warner Brown and includes songs
cut from the West End premiere production – so, this is a restored edition in silent film terminology…
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| Back row - Lauren Chinery. Nova Skipp. Emily Langham. Joshua C Jackson. Front row - Matthew Cavendish. Charlie Ryall. Jason Morell. credit Lidia Crisafulli |
In some ways Griffith is the tragic hero of The Biograph Girl, with both Mary and Lillian owing him a debt. Gish was
certainly always very loyal but even she moved on, always acting on stage and in memorable films such as Night of the Hunter, The Unforgiven (1960) and her last screen appearance in 1987's Whales of August (at 94!), but DW was a Victorian
soul bewildered by the post-war World let alone talkies. He did innovate and
was certainly responsible for the consolidation of new technique in his ambitious
films of which Intolerance more than the undoubtedly-tainted BoaN can be regarded as the definitive statement.
Based on a true story, with more than a few pragmatic liberties for the silent nerd to spot… The Biograph Girl sings us through the heart-warming story of how
these mighty talents helped create the motion-picture world we still inhabit
from every wall-mounted flat screen to the mini-cinema in our pockets. It’s
quite literally A Star is Born as, in the early days, the performers weren’t
named and even Gladys Smith/Mary Pickford was initially only known only as The
Biograph Girl.
It’s 1912 and we join the Gish family, Momma (Nova Skipp),
Dorothy (Lauren Chinery) and Lillian (Emily Langham who has something of Lil's febrility) an itinerant
theatrical family who are in New York and intent on seeing their old stage pal
Gladys who’s making flickers. They meet a tall stern man, Mr Griffith (Jonathan
Leinmuller) who talks in visionary terms of this new art form and tries to
convince Lillian that it can be juts as effective in conveying "thought”
as the theatre.
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| Lillian Gish dances with Mack Sennett even though they never met (it doesn't matter, it works!!) |
Their friend bounces into the room and it is Gladys no
longer but the newly-named Mary who is earning $300 a week churning out one and
two reelers for the Biograph Company run by Griffith. His assistant Rose is well played by Charlie
Ryall and his money man Epping by Joshua C. Jackson and, for the silent film
buff, it’s lovely to see one of the greatest cinematographers of all time,
Billy Bitzer (Jason Morell) as part of the story he played a major part in
making… who else kept cranking whilst descending over that massive set of
Babylon?!
Griffith convinces the Gish’s that there’s worth in films
and has a vision to make art features that take on serious subjects including
his adaptation of The Clansman which, for him as a Southern Man, was historical
fact (at least in this version). He is sincere and, like many a visionary, is
driven by his own ways, leaving others to the highway. Rose, Epping and Bitzer
keep him on course but he’s possessed.
Lillian becomes his perfect heroine – delicate, pretty
but tough as anything; Gish was almost method in her submersion into character
and it’s harder to think of any more challenging subject for an actress but Emily
Langham does superbly well with a mix of the resolute vulnerability,
unbreakable conviction and total honesty that made her subject so precious. Her
voice is clear and true especially on Every Lady, Gish’s love song to Griffith’s
leadership spirit… if Lilian sang, she would sound like this.
 |
| Emily Langham, Charlie Ryall, Jason Morell and Jonathan Leinmuller. credit Lidia Crisafulli |
And, if we had historical record of Mary Pickford
negotiating contracts with Adolph Zukor (Jason Morell too) then it would
probably be very much like Sophie Linder-Lee. She’s the girl with the curls, 19
going on 12 but with a business head the equal of the head of Famous Players Laskey/Paramount
and any other man in Hollywood. Pickford it was who drove the creation of
United Artists – with Doug, Charlie and DW – and who continued to produce well
into the 50’s…
Linde-Lee catches her spirit and especially her charm; street smart
but caring too. It’s a nuanced characterisation of a complex woman and, again,
if we could hear Mary sing… she would have Linde-Lee’s ass-kicking exuberance! I Like
to be the Way I am in My Own Front Parlour: of course she does!
The pace is fast and content so high – from Matthew
Cavendish excellent Sennett skit – slapstick, and the full-Buster right in front
of us! – to the delicious harmonies of Put it in the Tissue Paper, sung with elegant
poignance by Cavendish, Linder-Lee and Emily Langham - my favourite song of the
night. Jonathan Leinmuller is well cast as the visionary Griffith, a man who
cannot update himself and gets left behind by the change and the people he
helped make…
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| Linde-Lee takes centre stage. |
The Biograph Girl plays on at the Finborough until
Saturday 9th June and I would get in quick if you want to pick uptickets!!
IthankyouTheatre Rating: **** Some of the most important
figures in cinema brought to life with much vibrancy, some great tunes and enough energy
to light that big sign on the hill.
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