My Best Girl (Silent)

My Best Girl (Silent)
In My Best Girl, Mary Pickford demonstrates the winsome charm that won her the title "America's Sweetheart." She plays Maggie Johnson, a sensible stockroom girl at Merrill's, a five-and-ten-cent store. This is the heyday of the big five-and-dimes and Robert Merrill (Hobart Bosworth), the store's wealthy owner, is clearly a stand-in for F.W. Woolworth. The opening shot of Maggie displays Pickford's prodigious gift for physical comedy. She stumbles onto the selling floor laden with pots and pans, kicking them out of her way and wearing them like shoes. Then, when a salesgirl takes a break, Maggie is given the chance to be a salesgirl herself for a fateful few moments.

Maggie's first and only customer is the owner's son, Joe Merrill, (fresh-faced and sunny Charles "Buddy" Rogers). Maggie has no clue of the young man's pedigree, as he is slumming as "Joe Grant." His father has insisted that he work his way up as a humble store clerk without benefit of his famous name. The chemistry between Joe and Maggie is instantly apparent. Maggie takes him down to the stockroom, where he's helpless with the simplest tasks. "You know, you're awfully dumb," she tells him. But thanks to her patient training, he's eventually promoted to the position of her boss. (It's an appealing role reversal of the principals in the "Pygmalion"/"My Fair Lady" tale.) In the meantime, of course, they fall in love.

The moment when Maggie realizes Joe's true identity is stunning. She runs back to her humble family on "Goat Hill": fumbling father, (Lucien Littlefield), lachrymose mother (Sunshine Hart), and reprobate sister (Carmelita Geraghty). Is Maggie and Joe's love affair doomed? Or will they sail away to paradise together? Only those who see My Best Girl can learn the answers to these burning questions. --Laura Mirsky
Customer Review: Beautiful, Romantic, Funny
Did you know Mary Pickford met her 3rd husband, Charles "Buddy" Rogers during casting for this film? Anyway, that's what gives this movie an extra intrigue for me. I mean, here she was married to the dashing Douglas Fairbanks at the time when she's canoodling with Buddy Rogers in the movie... And Buddy's sooo handsome and charming! (Have you seen him in 'Old Man Rhythm' 1933) Mary's performance is wonderful too, she's got the character down (her mannerisms and facial expressions are right on). So, endearing, this movie is one of my fave silents.
Customer Review: When You Gotta Pick a Pickford Flick...
This is the Pickford Flick to Pick! You simply can't go wrong with MY BEST GIRL. The plot is one you've seen a million times, but it just doesn't matter. This film is so engrossing and transporting that you'll swear it's all brand new. The performances, direction, settings, music, humor, you name it -- all are pitch perfect. If you've never seen a silent film, this is the one to see. If you know someone who thinks silents aren't worth seeing, show them this one. If you'd like to see a silent film that really holds up in the 21st century, search no further. If you're feeling down or depressed, see this film. If you need a date movie in a pinch, grab this one. If you'd just like to sit back, relax and watch a DVD that's fun, entertaining and top-notch in virtually every way... well, you know the answer. If there is a flaw -- and this is nitpicking -- it would be an extended sequence toward the end that veers dangerously close to going over the top. Otherwise, it's sweet, charming, romantic and old-fashioned in the best possible sense, but never cloying or saccharine. It's simple, straightforward, predictable... and perfect. MY BEST GIRL is one of the very few films, silent or otherwise, that I can't imagine anyone disliking. And it has tremendous rewatchability -- an important factor when considering a purchase. A word about the new musical score: David Michael Frank NAILS this movie. This is, hands down, one of the best silent film scores I've heard. It adds major impact to an already strong film, and don't be surprised if the breezy themes bounce around your head for weeks after viewing. Am I gushing? You better believe it! After writing all of this, I just can't help myself... I gotta go watch MY BEST GIRL!