Manhandled (Blu-ray Review)

Manhandled (1924)
Directed by Allan Dwan
Screenplay by Frank W. Tuttle
Released by Kino Lorber

I have to admit that I've never seen Gloria Swanson in her prime until I watched this movie. The only role I've ever seen her in was playing a silent film star at her nadir in Sunset Boulevard...a role that pretty much reflected her own life at that time. She struck me as a really creepy actress. Very strange looking, and not at all beautiful. So I didn't know how I would react to seeing her in this movie. She was great and I plan on buying Stage Struck, another Swanson silent that was also released by Kino Lorber this week.

Swanson plays a shopgirl named Tessie McGuire that works in the clearance section of a superbusy department store for $17 a week. She has a workaholic boyfriend named Jim (who looks 20 years her senior) that is a mechanic by day and a taxi driver at night that she really loves. Problem is that he's so busy working he hardly has time to spend any time with her. They're supposed to get married but Tessie can't really envision any future but one of continuing drudgery and struggling to get by financially.

Tessie's fortunes seem to turn when she is invited to a party that is attended by important artists and rich businessmen. I think they invite her just to liven the party up a bit but also because of her looks. At the party, she is warned again and again that she shouldn't get too involved with the men she meets there because they probably only want her for one thing. But she wants to make more money so she takes jobs with the men, knowing that one of the reasons, even the MAIN reason they are hiring her is that they are attracted to her.

The thing that surprised me the most about this movie is how modern it seems. It reminded me of something the #MeToo movement has overlooked. That women use sex or the implication of sex to get things THEY want sometimes. I have read accounts of women that claim they were sexually abused or exploited by celebrities like Matt Lauer but if you read closely, particularlly in his case, some of the women were trying to use HIM to further THEIR careers and only bailed out of the relationships when their hoped for promotions, special treatments etc came to an end.

In this movie, Tessie takes jobs with different men, all of whom she has been warned are mashers, simply because they offer her a lot of money. In essence, she is using them as much as they are using her. She dumps each one as soon as they make a move or want more. Then she's on to the next guy as long as they are going to give her a pay raise.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about her ethics. I like the fact that she's trying to use the system. She deserves more. I liked that she was using the cads. I just think this kind of behavior is ignored by the #MeToo movement where all women are pure snow white virgins who are being preyed upon by abhorrent wolves.

I loved Gloria Swanson in this movie. I still think she is kinda odd-looking, almost mannish, but she has a great screen presence and charisma. She's very expressive but not in a over-acting K-drama way. I like the way she moves. The way she gestures. And the fact that this movie is a comedy with some social commentary gives her a lot of range and emotions to deal with, from sadness and seduction to physical comedy and joy. That was a thing that was cool about her. She could switch from sad to gladness in a heartbeat.

The director, Allan Dwan, had an extensive directing career but the only film of his I've ever seen before this is The Sands of Iwo Jima that came out about 20 years after this. I was really impressed by the direction in this film, especially any scenes that involved crowds such as the famous subway scene and in the department store. I'm so used to CG that it's nice to see very busy shots that don't involve computer generated actors. There's just so much more life to old movies like this even though all the actors are dead.

The film quality of this Blu-ray isn't that great but is to be expected from a film released almost a hundred years ago. It's the best version you will probably ever get. It was mastered in 2K from 16mm film elements. This is the most complete version currently available.

I really loved this movie and will also be picking up Stage Struck which reunites Swanson and Dwan again. This Blu-ray also features a lovely piano score by Makia Matsumura and an audio commentary by film historian Gaylyn Studlar.

My Grade: A+