KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?

GazerRise Fantastic!

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

zpzjones Having seen "Outside the Law", the second Browning-Chaney-Dean feature, I can say "The Wicked Darling" feels almost like a prelude to that film. When you watch this film it looks like some of the sets were used in "Outside the Law". Browning seems to want to finish in "Outside the Law" what he started in this film. There's even a gruesome fight scene (two in fact) with Chaney & the hero here(Wellington Playter) as there would be between Chaney & Wheeler Oakman in "Outside the Law". Priscilla Dean is one of the best actresses of the silent era & I look forward to checking out her other silent films like Browning's "The Virgin of Stamboul" (unfortunately minus Chaney). The version of this film comes from the remaining 35mm print in the Nederlands Filmmuseum and it has tremendous beginning stages of nitrate decomposition. Fortunately this film was rescued in the knick of time. Dean's character at the opening of the film comes off as a thief in cahoots with Chaney but its insinuated that she also moonlights as a prostitute with Chaney her pimp. Browning seemingly sets up the viewers imagination on Dean's activity while early in the film showing Gertrude Astor as a 'kept woman' for Wellington Playter. Astor leaves Playter after he goes broke. With good chunks of the film lost and this being an abridged foreign release anyway, more imagination is still left to the viewer. But Browning's customary last act of redemption for the crooked Priscilla Dean is identical in Outside the Law.

FerdinandVonGalitzien Human curiosity is one of those primal feelings that the aristocracy share with coarse people; the more bizarre and obscure the subject, the more interested are the aristocrats. Strange places are especially fascinating even if such locales are the slums, the very opposite of aristocratic neighbourhoods. But to travel to the slums is a dangerous outing so in order to satisfy aristocratic curiosity about these nether regions (while not overlooking the need for protection on these peculiar journeys) aristocrats need an expert guide to be able to take a safe walk on the wild side ( as an old German proverb says) so how can one do better than turning to Herr Tod Browning?Thanks to Herr Browning's expertise, this Herr Von recently watched (from a safe distance) slum specimens like unscrupulous pawnbrokers, greedy landladies, violent waiters, hardened criminals, ruined men and working girls, all bizarre and curious fauna for an aristocrat ( especially the working girls) that are depicted carefully in the film "The Wicked Darling" (1919).It is well-known that Herr Browning had a special likeness for those underprivileged persons who were the main characters of many of his films, works that could be great or obscure but were always astounding and unique. "The Wicked Darling" is one of his early silent films that is also one of Herr Browning's many collaborations with Herr Lon Chaney; they were a perfect team.The film is characteristic of many of Herr Browning films and also displays a sarcastic sense of humour that this Herr Graf likes specially (Surely the ending is meant as a joke with our gutter heroes finding a new and peaceful life as farmers, surrounded by impassive cows rather than dangerous criminals.And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must return to the peaceful isolation ward at the Schloss.Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

kidboots "The Wicked Darling" is remembered today because it is an early Lon Chaney film but when it was made people went to see it because Priscilla Dean was the star. During 1918-19 she was being groomed as Universal's top female star. "The Wicked Darling" was a typical role. She was often cast as an adventuress, a burglar, in "The Exquisite Thief" she played "Blue Jean Billie" whom "you adored even when she robbed you blind". She made 9 features with Tod Browning as director - he knew how to showcase her to advantage.In "The Wicked Darling" she plays Mary Stevens - "the Gutter Rose" - who is forced to become a pick pocket. One night she is told by "Stoop" (Lon Chaney) to go to the Davenport reception and mingle. While there she steals some pearls that have been accidentally dropped. Adele Hoyt (Gertrude Astor, who was one of stars in "The Cat and the Canary" (1927))learns that her fiancé, Kent Mortimer is now penniless and breaks off their engagement. Adele doesn't return his pearls but loses them when she is leaving.Running from the police Mary takes refuge in Mortimer's house. His trust in her makes her want to change her ways and she is working as a waitress when she meets him again. I think that Martha Mattox (the creepy housekeeper from "The Cat and the Canary") plays the head waitress. A friendship develops (Mary has not confessed to having the pearls). When Stoop finds her again a scuffle ensues and Mortimer is shot. Even though Mary nurses him back to health, when he learns of her old associations he banishes her back to the gutter.Lon Chaney is really threatening as "Stoop". He is not above hurting Mary to get what he wants and it is only the presence of the burly bartender (Kalla Pasha) that protects Mary.The film has a realness about it due to Tod Browning's gritty direction. Some of the night scenes were actually filmed at night (unusual at that time) and real locations were used.The DVD I have is copied from the sole surviving print preserved by the Netherlands Filmmuseum. It shows damage and mold and there are some missing scenes. The score, which I liked, was arranged from popular songs of the period. I enjoyed it very much and can recommend it.

Cineanalyst "The Wicked Darling" is one of some eleven films directed by Tom Browning that stars Lon Chaney. In this one, Chaney has the supporting role of the villain Stoop Connors. He does well enough, and one can see here the beginnings of one of America's greatest silent film actors. As well, Browning's direction is impressive.The nighttime photography and low-key lighting add grittiness to the story of crime and reform. Chaney's hard-bitten performance also helps. The pacing is rather quick, too, with smooth editing. Even with the typical bad girl turned good through the love of a man story, there are some uncompromisingly real moments during her reform, as well as the suspenseful ones that keep the film going. In one scene at the restaurant, for example, the gutter rose protagonist returns food to a costumer's plate after it falls on the floor.There is, however, a gaping hole in the story, as I see it. That three criminals, headed by Connors, are seemingly only intent on making the life of the gutter rose miserable is believable enough, I suppose. But, why do Mary and Kent not tell the police that Connors shot Kent? At this time, Kent doesn't know that Mary has the necklace, so it can't be because he's afraid of her arrest, too. I don't understand it, and it's a major fault for a director of films that tend to rely greatly upon their subject matter and characterizations. It seems to be merely an excuse to continue with the story.(Note: The newly restored version released by Image Entertainment is excellent, except for some deterioration in the form of mottling, which I found easy to ignore. Additionally, some still photos are used in place of some brief missing footage.)