User Reviews

I am not a Constance Talmadge fan. I don't think she's particularly attractive and although she's certainly a pushy person, hers is not a screen character for whom I have a great affinity.

"The Love Expert" (1920) is a typical vehicle in which the Talmadge character bosses everyone else around in order to get her own way.

Although the screen writers, John Emerson and Anita Loos, are also credited as producers, the real producer, of course, was none other than Miss Talmadge herself – and she sure makes real sure that she keeps herself center screen.

Sister, Natalie Talmadge, and John Halliday are supposed to be in the film too, but I didn't spot them. (They may have been left on the cutting-room floor when this particular print was made).

Director David Kirkland is competent, but he doesn't exert himself in any way.

To sum up: This movie is strictly for Constance Talmadge fans. A quite view-able copy of the cut-down Kodascope version, is available on a good quality Alpha DVD.

Husband and wife silent screen scenario writing team Emerson and Loos came up with a very funny script about a college girl, played delightfully by Constance Talmadge, who is majoring in Love, while her friends concentrate on gymnastics or intellectual pursuits. She warns her friends that if they want to get married their husbands will soon grow bored with them constantly talking about their own interests, while she, Babs, will concentrate on making her husband her primary focus in life and so therefore they will always be happy.

Because of her constant man-crazy ways her father grows exasperated with her and when even the local minister is turned on by her pretty flirtatious ways he knows it's time to ship his daughter to boring Boston to stay with a maiden aunt for the summer.

However things don't quite work out the way the father intended because Babs falls for her maiden aunt's own fiancé. For the rest of the movie we watch Babs play matchmaker for all the females in the picture so that she can get them out of the way and secure the love of her life, her aunt's intended, played sweetly and shyly by a very young John Halliday.

Many of the title cards are like works of art, and are very funny. The movie is a pleasant, fun romp for those who enjoy silent romantic comedies. It's great to see Connie Talmadge in yet another silent. Not too many of her films survive. I enjoyed personally restoring this picture and adding a custom soundtrack.

While she was almost too good in her role as the "Mountain Girl" in "Intolerance" Constance Talmadge made a great friend of Anita Loos who appreciated her "sense of humor and irresponsibility". When she moved (along with her sister) to First National, Schenck called in Loos and John Emerson, wanting them to fashion the same style of breezy comedies for her as they had for Douglas Fairbanks. They were so successful Schenck was amazed - he had only taken Constance on to appease her mother, he never dreamed she had the makings of a star!!

"The Love Expert" is a variation on Jane Austen's "Emma" - Constance plays Babs who is majoring in Love and arms herself with "Heart Throb", "Poems of Passion" and "Self and Sex" to be her text books!! Her behaviour is put down as being "boy mad" by her father and she is sent, as a punishment, to her Aunt Emily's in Boston but she still finds plenty of scope for her "love expertise"!! Emily, for instance, is engaged to Jim Winthrop (John Halliday, years before he became a debonair silver haired leading man of the pre-codes, but doesn't have a chance to shine here because it is Constance's show all the way) - but cannot marry because his unmarried sisters need to find husbands first, to say nothing of his cantankerous Aunt Cora!!

Enter Babs - she soon has the glasses and severe hairstyle off the youngest Dorcas (a very radiant Natalie Talmadge) to reveal a sweet girl who is eager to fall in love with Bab's father's business associate!! The older sister and Aunt Cecily are harder to manage but there are some fun scenes, including Aunt Cecily doing the shimmy and Matilda (another sister) being paired off with a blind man!! But what's this - Babs has fallen for Jim herself and judging by his throbbing heart he returns the affection!! That's okay because Emily has fallen for a botanist and Babs is pretty hurt when she comes across the pair cutting up Jim's flowers for specimen samples!! With a "when did you last have a thrill" shouted into Cora's ear trumpet, Babs is a girl who will be noticed where-ever she goes!!

Also watch for Ned Sparks (even though he is not listed in the cast) as an early suitor of Babs and he sure gets a thrill from her!!

Very Recommended