Camille (1921)

After first resisting his romantic advances, a high living courtesan (Alla Nazimova) succumbs to the charms of a young law student (Rudolph Valentino). Their bliss is short lived however as her growing illness and objections from his father threaten to destroy their relationship. Alexandre Dumas' 1848 novel has had many screen incarnations, the most famous being George Cukor's 1936 film with Garbo. This one switches the original period setting for the roaring twenties and it actually works quite well. Alla Nazimova isn't much talked about today but she was an excellent actress and quite respected in her day, mostly for her stage work. Here, she makes for a lovely Lady Of The Camelias, almost as good as Garbo. Valentino had just made a sensation in 4 HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE and if he seems rather stiff here, one can see why he was a Star. The art direction and costumes by Natacha Rambova (Mrs. Valentino) are quite unique and eye catching. The version I saw had an excellent underscore by Peter Vantine which contributed much to the film. With Patsy Ruth Miller and Rex Cherryman.