The perky, bouncy Betty Hutton was the ideal actress to play the athletic, yet attractive Pearl White in this film. White became the queen of the serials in the silent era of film. Those were the running adventure, action or drama stories presented in weekly segments in theaters. They were most popular during the silent era and lasted into the early-1930s. Audience and studio interest waned then with the fast improving feature plots of sound films.
But during the silent film era, Pearl White's star rose as the heroine of films. And, after "The Perils of Pauline" in 1914, she would reign as the queen of the serials. There had been a few serials before that, but White captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences with her lively, rambunctious, and appealing portrayal of Pauline. She was soon known across America and throughout Europe. She would be the heroine and star in several more serials through the early 1920s.
This film is a highly fictionalized comedy and drama about Pearl White. Her beginnings, youth, and end of life aren't included, and her start in show business is fictional. The portrayal of the silent film studios in New York and New Jersey at the time, and filming of the serial are quite good and realistic. Pearl White did do all of the hair-raising and dangerous acting scenes herself in "Perils" and some following serials. But she injured her spine in the making of "Perils", and after some more injuries and bruises, the studio became worried for her safety. So, stunt men in costume doubled to do the more dangerous scenes in later films. In 1922, one stuntman was killed filming her last serial, "Plunder."
"The Perils of Pauline" film of 1947 is a very good fictional film about the famous silent film star, and the making of her serials. Most of the rest of the film and all the characters are fictional, but they make this a fun and interesting musical comedy.
John Lund plays Michael Farrington. He's a traveling show troupe impressario and star who becomes Pearl's heartthrob. Billy De Wolf and Constance Collier play two of Pearl's friends, Timmy Timmons and Julia Gibbs. One other character comes close to stealing the scenes he's in. That's William Demarest who plays the film director, George "Mac" McGuire. It is he who "discovers" Pearl in a very funny scene with Julia. After Julia gets hired for a short scene and gets a pie in her face, Pearl knocks out the three guys in the cast, and she and Julia stumble through set after set and disrupt several films being shot on adjacent sets.
All of this makes for some fun and a very interesting look at filmmaking in its early years before Hollywood. Oh, yes - all of Pearl's silent films were made In the film studios of New York and New Jersey. Pearl White's later life was a mixture of success in films and business in Europe, two broken marriages, and an early death at age 49 from liver failure due to heavy drinking. But she made more than 200 films in her short career. That's quite a lot more than Hutton, who made fewer than 30 films in her life. And, although Hutton lived to age 86, her personal life was as troubled and sad as that of Pearl White. Her father abandoned the family when she was young, and she herself would have four marriages that ended in divorce.
But during the silent film era, Pearl White's star rose as the heroine of films. And, after "The Perils of Pauline" in 1914, she would reign as the queen of the serials. There had been a few serials before that, but White captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences with her lively, rambunctious, and appealing portrayal of Pauline. She was soon known across America and throughout Europe. She would be the heroine and star in several more serials through the early 1920s.
This film is a highly fictionalized comedy and drama about Pearl White. Her beginnings, youth, and end of life aren't included, and her start in show business is fictional. The portrayal of the silent film studios in New York and New Jersey at the time, and filming of the serial are quite good and realistic. Pearl White did do all of the hair-raising and dangerous acting scenes herself in "Perils" and some following serials. But she injured her spine in the making of "Perils", and after some more injuries and bruises, the studio became worried for her safety. So, stunt men in costume doubled to do the more dangerous scenes in later films. In 1922, one stuntman was killed filming her last serial, "Plunder."
"The Perils of Pauline" film of 1947 is a very good fictional film about the famous silent film star, and the making of her serials. Most of the rest of the film and all the characters are fictional, but they make this a fun and interesting musical comedy.
John Lund plays Michael Farrington. He's a traveling show troupe impressario and star who becomes Pearl's heartthrob. Billy De Wolf and Constance Collier play two of Pearl's friends, Timmy Timmons and Julia Gibbs. One other character comes close to stealing the scenes he's in. That's William Demarest who plays the film director, George "Mac" McGuire. It is he who "discovers" Pearl in a very funny scene with Julia. After Julia gets hired for a short scene and gets a pie in her face, Pearl knocks out the three guys in the cast, and she and Julia stumble through set after set and disrupt several films being shot on adjacent sets.
All of this makes for some fun and a very interesting look at filmmaking in its early years before Hollywood. Oh, yes - all of Pearl's silent films were made In the film studios of New York and New Jersey. Pearl White's later life was a mixture of success in films and business in Europe, two broken marriages, and an early death at age 49 from liver failure due to heavy drinking. But she made more than 200 films in her short career. That's quite a lot more than Hutton, who made fewer than 30 films in her life. And, although Hutton lived to age 86, her personal life was as troubled and sad as that of Pearl White. Her father abandoned the family when she was young, and she herself would have four marriages that ended in divorce.