Proving again that restoration miracles still happen, Miss Mend burst into our consciousness in late 2009 when its DVD release was announced by Flicker Alley, followed shortly thereafter by its world television premiere on Turner Classic Movies. Completely unknown to western audiences, Miss Mend was, we are told, a huge popular hit in the Soviet Union, where it was shown as a three-part serial inspired by the adventures of America's Pearl White. Remarkably, the result is a film bursting with imagination and energy (thanks, Yanks!), but also clearly in debt to the technical proficiency and inventiveness of Soviet filmmakers of the time. Amongst the highlights are superb miniature work, some hilarious references intended to underscore the film's faux-American locations (Rocfeller and Co., Pasadena Jazz, etc.), and a sexy lead in the shape of Natalya Glan, who shows quiet a bit more leg than we'd likely see from Pearl White. Frankly, Miss Mend leaves American serials in the dust!
