Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

JohnHowardReid Fortunately, Norma Talmadge partly rejuvenated the reputation of the Sisters for me in Grapevine Video's Going Straight (1916), directed by the Franklin Brothers, Chester and Sidney. Take no notice of the duped black-and-white opening (which fortunately is only a half-reel). With reel two, we are back in the genuine, original, tinted Kodascope footage. Produced on a marvelously generous budget, this movie is splendidly acted by Talmadge, Ralph Lewis (as her husband), Eugene Pallette (a really sinister blackmailer) and Georgie Stone (as Pallette's child-of-the-streets accomplice). Going Straight is a silent thriller that holds up particularly well over more than a whole century after it was made.

CJBx7 Directed by Sidney Franklin. Norma Talmadge and Ralph Lewis star in GOING STRAIGHT (1916). A well-to- do couple, the Remingtons, happily raise their children in the suburbs of New York, but there is a secret from their past that threatens to destroy their happiness. Years before, both of them were involved in a gang of thieves. The husband served his sentence but the wife never got time. Years later, a member of the gang, Dan Briggs, runs into Mr Remington and blackmails him. How far will they go to make sure their past doesn't destroy their future?This film was quite brisk and economical in its pacing. The plot takes some intriguing turns and presents the characters with difficult decisions. It plays a bit more like a modern movie - the story of a couple who have a past that threatens to surface is one that has been used more in recent films than in the silent era. One can feel sympathy for the central couple, and the narrative features enough layers to keep things interesting. Norma Talmadge is very good as Grace Remington, acting with a nuanced naturalism that is quite remarkable. Where many actresses of the time would have done lots of clutching and bug-eyed gestures, Talmadge conveys her character's trepidation with the utmost realism. She uses her large expressive eyes to memorable effect, and gives a solid performance. Ralph Lewis is effective in his role as a husband striving to protect his family. He and Norma Talmadge have good chemistry together despite the obvious age difference. Perhaps most memorable of all was Eugene Palette in his role as the menacing Briggs. His body language, appearance, and overall air of criminal decadence seems like a foreshadowing of Robert Mitchum's performance in CAPE FEAR (1962). Palltte makes an unforgettable heavy, just shifty enough without overplaying. Child actor Georgie Stone is also charming and distiguished as Jimmy, a street waif whom Briggs uses for his schemes, but who finds a sweet and convincing rapport with the Remington children. The direction was quite good, and the editing and cinematography were quite accomplished. There are some interesting touches, like near the end where Remington sees Briggs entering his house - this is conveyed through a reflection on the windows of a china cabinet. Norma Talmadge is given a number of expressive close-ups. Tinting is used effectively as well. One can see some of the influence of Cecil B DeMille in the use of light and shadow. Overall, the movie is visually striking.My wife and I watched this film. She is not as into silent movies as I am, but has been good enough to watch them with me on occasion. She felt that the movie was quite interesting. In my opinion this would be a good picture to introduce newcomers to the world of silent film. Many have the idea of silents as hokey films with overly fast movement and acting of the stagger-and-clutch variety. This film would help to clear up misconceptions about silent movies and may fuel more interest in cinema of this period.GOING STRAIGHT is an excellent film, featuring an interesting plot, memorable and nuanced performances, and accomplished cinematography and direction. Definitely worth checking out for silent movie fans, and even if you're not one, you may find it entertaining. SCORE: 8/10

Cineanalyst In this early Norma Talmadge picture, "Going Straight", her and her husband are former criminals blackmailed by their old partner in crime to be accessories for one last job. It's a melodramatic, generic and morally flimsy narrative, but it's at least competently made. An exciting flashback sequence early on introduces our couple's shady past; narratively, I appreciate the flashback here instead of a completely chronological plot. The three leads: Talmadge, Ralph Lewis and Eugene Palette do well in their parts, especially making good use of their close-ups to flesh out their characters. That alone is a significant improvement over the earlier Talmadge feature "Children in the House" (1916) included on the same Grapevine DVD. Talmadge has a nice wide-eyed, distressed look on her face through much of the film. "The Social Secretary", though, is the gem of Talmadge's few Fine Arts/Triangle vehicles in circulation today.(Note: The print had many, continuous scratches, but is, overall, clear and of relatively good quality and much better than the dark print of "Children in the House".)

Silents Fan This story of a family trying to escape its criminal past is highlighted by a fine, expressive performance by Norma Talmadge. Ralph Lewis is solid in his performance of a locksmith, turned safe cracker, turned ex-convict turned successful businessman. But if you have never seen Eugene Palette in a film of this vintage, you will be most surprised by his performance as a career criminal. Palette is slim and trim, and only his eyes are recognizable to fans of his later films. His performance as the career criminal who tries to drag the family back into a life of crime is riveting. The actor usually known for his genial performances as a doting father racks up theft, assault, blackmail, breaking and entering, Faginism, attempted rape, attempted murder and the near murder of a child along the way. There are several good fight scenes, including a brawl and shootout between a criminal gang and the police that would do credit to a small war. This is a fine film for its vintage and well-worth watching for Talmadge's and Palette's performances alone.