Lorna Doone [Import]

Thanks to Kino Video we are able to enjoy more of director Maurice Tourneur's beautiful work, such as "The Blue Bird" and "Lorna Doone" - two very different films but both have that special artistic Tourneur touch which makes his films visually very appealing and delightful to watch. The smooth editing and attention to some fine details when it matters set Tourneur apart from other directors of the silent era, and "Lorna Doone" is a good example of his fine techniques. It is an historic drama set in England several centuries ago, and is essentially a love story about two people who meet as children and find each other again later as Lorna goes from being kidnapped into a family of outlaws to reclaiming her rightful noble inheritance - only to give up her title to be with her beloved `lowly farmer's son'. There are unexpected twists and turns in the story to keep up suspense, and Tourneur's attention to lighting, photography and smooth and careful editing further enhance the film. Watching "Lorna Doone" was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me, and some scenes lingered on in my mind afterwards; not for anything outstanding or particular, but in some subtle way very impressive, and this seems to be the style Tourneur was renowned for in his day, as brought out in a 1922 review of "Lorna Doone", which is a special feature on this DVD. There is also a bio and filmography of Maurice Tourneur, and a stills gallery. The picture quality is very good throughout, and overall this is another great Kino Video DVD which silent film enthusiasts are sure to enjoy.

Filmed in the twenties, Lorna Doone is a silent film about the romantic relationship between Lorna (countess of Lorne), and her simple peasant lover John Ridd. Madge Bellamy plays an excellent Lorna... But the real star of this show is the actor who played the Count Doone. I found myself moved to tears when the old villain finds himself protecting Lorna despite being seriously ill.

I felt John Ridd's 'bucolic peasant persona' was a little over-done. He seemed to be a borderline idiot (playing in the river, and YES falling over a waterfall).

Overall, a fun film, sure to elicit a few chuckles, and yes, maybe even a few tears.

In Olde England, highwaymen in the wilds of Devon kidnap a nobleman's young daughter, abandoning her mother. Years pass. Little Lorna Doone grows into womanhood, meeting a dashing young man down by the river. But will the Devon gang approve? Atmospheric director Maurice Tourneur correctly credited the birth of the motion picture to Eadward Muybridge's multiple-sequence photographs taken on Leland Stanford's horse farm in California in 1878. Kino has just released the DVD of Tourneur's 1922 "Lorna Doone". The full-frame, color-tinted transfer includes a bio, a stills gallery, and an original New York Times review. Maurice Tourneur was born near Paris in 1873. He moved to World Pictures in New Jersey in 1915. He became renowned for "his mastery of set design and thoughtful lighting." He shot through arches and canyons to trumpet "Lorna Doone" in 1922. Tourneur moved to Hollywood. But at MGM, his last American film was 1929's "The Mysterious Island", a clumsy jumble of tacky miniatures and filmed conversation. Someone else finished the movie. Tourneur lost a leg in a car accident in 1949. Maurice Tourneur died in Paris in 1961. The lead role in "Lorna Doone" is played by Madge Bellamy. Later, in 1932, Bellamy took a leading role in "White Zombie" to bolster a fading film career. But just three years later, she had a small role in "Metropolitan" that was uncredited. John Bowers stars as John Ridd in "Lorna Doone". Though a movie star, Bower's career was also ironic. The advent of sound ended his career. After attending a party, the distraught 36-year-old Bowers committed suicide by rowing into the ocean and drowning himself. It is believed that his demise was the inspiration for the fictional Norman Maine in "A Star is Born". Legacies are long-lasting. Maurice Tourneur was the father of Jacques Tourneur, who directed "Curse of the Demon" in 1957, and "The Comedy of Terrors(1964)" starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and Basil Rathbone.