UP IN MABEL'S ROOM
Starring Marie Prevost, Harrison Ford and Phyllis Haver
MOTION PICTURE MAGAZINE
August 1926
The bedroom farce has its innings again - and while the crisp dialog is silenced, this story has been treated gingerly enough to make it quite as substantial and interesting as the stage version from which it was adapted. Like all bedroom farces, it calls for much activity on the part of its characters who must make hurried entrances and exits in order to avoid compromises. And the more active they become, the more compromising become the situations. Again, like all bedroom farces, a word of explanation would cause it to topple over before it had half finished. But the characters gesticulate and dodge and run. And explanations are avoided.
It is a bright little number which revolves around a fair divorcee determined to win back her ex-husband. The piece de resistance is some filmy gewgaw which hubby bough in Paris to present to his wife, although for the purposes of the plot, she believes he bought it for someone else. This bit of lingerie starts the fun and finishes it - with most of the high jinks taking place in Mabel's room (Mabel and the others having been invited to a week-end party).
The players act with an admirable mock-seriousness - the pantomime being thoroly (sic) in character. Harrison Ford and Marie Prevost have the honors and display a fine adaptability for farce. And, of course, there is Harry Myers. And Phyllis Haver. It is neatly staged, and the direction is good.
UP IN MABEL'S ROOM
Starring Marie Prevost, Harrison Ford and Phyllis Haver
MOTION PICTURE CLASSIC
August 1926
And still the come - these film farces. This month seems to be devoted to showing them to the exclusion of the straight romantic stuff. One of the newest entries is "Up in Mabel's Room," with Marie Prevost cast as the irrepressible Mabel.
As the title indicates, this farce comedy has to do with a marital mix-up - with the figures making frenzied dashes in and out of Mabel's room. The crisp dialog of the spoken version has been silenced, but, nevertheless, the director knew what he was about. He has timed it well so that the action is projected in gingery fashion.
The piece calls for much activity - and, like all farces, a word of explanation from one of the dozen characters would give it away long before it had run its course. But true to the unwritten law of the theater - these characters keep silent. And so the fun is on as they try to capture the filmy piece of lingerie which is up in Mabel's room.
Now Mabel, mind you, has made up her mind to win her divorced husband over again. She mistrusts the lingerie was intended for another girl. And so it becomes a battle of wits between the quarrelsome love birds - which culminates in a happy reconciliation. The players keep on the move all the time - hence there are no dull pauses.
Marie Prevost demonstrates very capably that she is a clever comedienne - and Harrison Ford plays with that mock seriousness which is necessary to interpret farce correctly. Harry Myers is also in the picture.