How perfect was the casting of misty Helen Chandler in the title role? I consider myself fortunate to have seen this rare picture, one of the better Tiffany productions, at the Bay City/Saginaw event recently, and I can tell you the audience found it beautifully made and sensitively acted. It is the third (and final!!) version of an old, old play by Edward B. Sheldon, filmed in 1915, and again in 1921 with Pauline Starke as Nell. They altered the above plot description for this early talkie version, with Nell still joining the Salvation Army, but in order that she may raise her young son while the man she loves serves time. The fact that there are no easy solutions here, and that this Nell becomes a powerful force to reckon with warrant a revival and restoration. Like they said about Lillian Gish, Helen Chandler appears to be a delicate flower of a beauty, who was strung together with steel wires, and her performance is delicate as well, a delicately layered, richly textured turn to witness. Ralph Graves makes a heavy-handed object of her adoration, but at least he is so handsome you can sort of comprehend Nell's pitiful obsession. Two actresses surprise and delight as well - the rarely seen Charlotte Walker (mother of character actress Sara Haden!) as Maggie, the seasoned Salvation Army pro, and a marvelous, thoroughly captivating performance by often-maligned Sally O'Neil as the randy, reliable, and outspoken Myrtle (the prostitute!). Early talkies like ON WITH THE SHOW may have caught her unprepared, perhaps, but by the time SALVATION NELL was made, she had certainly found her acting chops. Director James Cruze deserves to have it placed alongside his famous silent achievements, for time has not diminished, but merely kept hidden, this picture. The best thing about this film is that it is not a bowl of ancient, out- dated mush. On the contrary, it is a powerful accounting of women making choices in a tough time, and certainly a product much in demand for today's troubled world.
2 Reviews
Ethereal Helen Chandler
drednm8 August 2015
Salvation Nell (1931) is an odd piece of work. This Tiffany production directed by James Cruze has a creaky plot about a woman seduced and abandoned who finds a life with the Salvation Army, but it offers three terrific performances. The always-ethereal Helen Chandler plays the tragic Nell, a rather simple soul who finds great strength and touches the lives of others. Ralph Graves plays the loutish Jim who eventually finds peace. Sally O'Neil is a major surprise in a fine performance as the sluttish Myrtle. Seems like a low-budget affair but it's suited to the milieu of bars, prisons, and dumpy apartments. Others in the cast include Charlotte Walker as Maggie, Jason Robards Sr. as Williams, Matthew Betz as Mooney, Rose Dione as the madam, and Wally Albright as the kid.
My copy is from an ancient TV broadcast on SPN in the 80s under the title of The Good Woman and starring Ralph Graves and runs about 80 minutes. The film was considered to be lost for decades but as titled, it would be hard to identify. Filmed previously in 1915 and 1921.
My copy is from an ancient TV broadcast on SPN in the 80s under the title of The Good Woman and starring Ralph Graves and runs about 80 minutes. The film was considered to be lost for decades but as titled, it would be hard to identify. Filmed previously in 1915 and 1921.
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