“The Garden of Eden” (1928)

“The Garden of Eden” (1928) is a silent romantic comedy starring Corinne Griffith, Louise Dresser and Charles Ray. Directed by Lewis Milestone, this film is nicely balanced between romance and comedy.

The story begins with a naïve young woman, Toni LeBrun, played by Corinne Griffith, who decides to pursue a career as an opera singer. One night, Toni sneaks out of her aunt and uncle’s house to catch a train for Budapest. She arrives alone in the big city and goes to the cabaret, Palais de Paris, to audition for a role. It is at the cabaret that Toni meets the wicked owner Madame Bauer, played by Maude George. She is a businesswoman who wants to pimp her out to Henry D’Avril, one of Bauer’s wealthy customers, played by Lowell Sherman. When Madame Bauer provides a private room for Toni and D’Avril, Toni refuses his advances, and Rosa, the wardrobe mistress, played by Louise Dresser, helps her escape and they are both fired. What Toni doesn’t know is that Rosa is a baroness whose husband was killed in the Great War. She works all year and when she gets her late husband’s pension, she lives in Monte Carlo until her money runs out and then returns to Budapest. When Rosa’s pension arrives, she legally adopts Toni and takes her on a Cinderella-like adventure where she is pursued by two men, Richard Dupont, played by Charles Ray, and Colonel Dupont, his uncle, played by Edward Martindel.




“The Garden of Eden” (1928) is a delightful romantic comedy. I was really impressed with the photography and Corinne Griffith’s graceful performance. Charles Ray, who had been a popular actor in the 1910’s under the direction of Thomas H. Ince, delivers a solid performance. What I liked most about the film were the scenes with Corinne Griffith and Louise Dresser. They were perfect foils for each other, and their faces were so expressive.


Corinne Griffith was born Corinne Mae Griffin in Texarkana, Texas on November 21, 1894. She was a leading lady with Vitagraph from 1916 to 1922, appearing in more than forty films. From Vitagraph, Corinne moved on to First National where she headed her own production unit and where she would remain until 1930, except for one film, “The Garden of Eden” (1928), released by United Artists. Of the more than twenty-five First National films, three stand out: “Black Oxen” (1924), “Lilies of the Field” (1924) and “The Divine Lady” (1929). Corinne did appear in a couple of 1929 features with sound sequences, followed by two complete talkies, “Lilies of the Field” and “Back Pay” in 1930. With those films, her First National contract ended and her film career was over. Corinne was married four times, first to her Vitagraph director Webster Campbell then to producer Walter Morosco. In 1936, she married George Marshall, owner of the Boston Braves, and became a baseball fan. Corinne wrote her experiences in a 1946 “Saturday Evening Post” article, “My Life with the Redskins.” It was the first of six books that Corinne was to author, including “Papa’s Delicate Condition (1952), which was filmed in 1963 as a vehicle for Jackie Gleason. Corinne divorced George Marshall in 1958, and in 1965, she married realtor and singer, Dan Scholl. He was 44 and she was 71. The couple separated after six weeks and the divorce proceedings were extraordinarily messy. At the time of her death, Corinne’s estate was valued at $150 million dollars. She was one of the wealthiest women in the world.

Silent Film Star: Louise Dresser.

Louise Dresser (October 5, 1878 – April 24, 1965), was a Vaudeville singer at age fifteen and her first film was, The Glory of Clementina (1922). A story about Clementina Wing, a well known portrait painter who sacrifices everything for her art. Fellow artist Tommy Burgrave, asks her to paint a portrait of his wealthy Uncle Quixtus. Quixtus is about to be taken advantage of by Lena Fontaine, an adventuress, when Clem intervenes. At a dinner party given by Quixtus, Clem is transformed from drab into a beautiful young woman and impresses Quixtus. Will Hammersley, an old friend whom Quixtus had suspected of an affair with his wife, dies and entrusts his daughter to Clementina and Quixtus.

Louise Dresser, first starring role was in the film, The City that Never Sleeps (1924). A story about Mother O'Day, who runs the saloon after her husband, Tim, is killed in a barroom fight, but wanting a better life for her daughter, Molly, she sends her to live with Mrs. Kendall, a refined society woman. Years later, in the prohibition era, Mother O'Day's saloon has now become a cabaret frequented by Molly and adventurer Mark Roth. Mother O'Day knows Roth to be a crook and with the aid of reporter Cliff Kelley, Molly's childhood sweetheart, exposes him to Molly, now recognizes her mother and is reunited with her.

During the first presentations of the Academy Awards in 1929 she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for, A Ship Comes In. A film directed by William K. Howard. The story begins in New York harbor where one of the families arriving by ship are from Veshala: Peter Placzmik his wife, "Mama" and their three children, Eric Marthe and Katinka . After finding a place to live, in an apartment building, Peter befriends neighbor, Dan Casey, who helps him find work as janitor in the federal building. Peter witnesses Judge Gresham swearing in immigrants as citizens of their "adopted country," an honor he will have in five years. Soon after Peter's swearing in as U.S. citizen, things take a turn for the worst. Son Eric enlists in the Army during the outbreak of the World War, and the arrest and conviction of Peter, for supposedly placing an bomb inside a cake box intended for Gresham, causing him serious injury and killing secretary.

Video: First of 5.




She went on to portray Empress Elizabeth in the film, The Scarlet Empress (1934). A historical drama about the life of Catherine the Great. It was directed and produced by Josef von Sternberg, with Emanuel Cohen as executive producer, from a screenplay by Eleanor McGeary, based on the diary of Catherine arranged by Manuel Komroff. The film stars: Marlene Dietrich, John Davis, Sam Jaffe (in his film debut), Louise Dresser, and C. Aubrey Smith and Maria Riva plays.

The story begins when Sophia Frederica, is brought to Russia by Count Alexei to marry the half-wit Grand Duke Peter. Her husband's aunt, Empress Elizabeth, renames her Catherine and awards her the Order of St. Catherine.

Catherine finds solace with Alexei, but he begins wooing the much-older Elizabeth. Catherine finds lovers among the Russian Army. When the old Empress dies, Catherine takes to the Russian throne, knowing full well that her husband would kill her at the slightest provocation. Soon her power is greater than Peter's, and the opportunistic Alexei now comes back into her life. Soon Catherine is triumphant over all her enemies.


Dresser's last film was, Maid of Salem (1937). Directed by Frank Lloyd, and starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. It tells the story of a young girl in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, who has an affair with adventurer. She is sentenced as a witch, but saved by him.

On television, she appeared in an episode spotlighting Buster Keaton on Ralph Edwards's program, This is Your Life. She had known Keaton since he was a small boy with his parents in vaudeville.

Partial Filmography:
The Next Corner (1924)
The Eagle (1925)
The Goose Woman (1925)
The Third Degree (1926)
Mr. Wu (1927)
The Garden of Eden (1928)
Madonna of Avenue A (1929)
Mammy (1930)
State Fair (1933)
The Scarlet Empress (1934)

“The Goose Woman” (1925)

“The Goose Woman” (1925) is a silent drama starring Louise Dresser, Jack Pickford, and Constance Bennett. Directed by Clarence Brown, this film was inspired by the notorious Hall-Mills murder case in which a woman known as the “Pig Woman” was wheeled into court on her sickbed to provide damning testimony. In this film, Louise Dresser plays Marie de Nardi, a celebrated opera diva who loses her voice and her reputation after giving birth to an illegitimate son. Returning to her given name of Mary Holmes, she goes back to her hometown living in a filthy shack and raising geese. Years later, a headline-making murder case is played in her town. Hoping to get publicity and restart her career, Mary claims to be a witness to the murder. Unfortunately, her dreams of glory fade when she discovers that her son Gerald, played by Jack Pickford, is implicated in a crime he did not commit.


























“The Goose Woman” is a true tearjerker that is worth watching just for Louise Dresser’s top-notch performance. Dresser is very poignant as a woman who turns to drink and brings up her illegitimate son with neither love nor affection. Both Jack Pickford, Mary Pickford’s brother, and Constance Bennett, who plays Pickford’s fiancée, give subtle but moving performances. An excellent film, “The Goose Woman” is a great story of mother-love and redemption. Unfortunately, the quality of the Televista print is not the best, and may deter some from enjoying the film.


Born on October 22, 1904, in New York City, Constance Bennett was the eldest of the three daughters of Richard Bennett and Adrienne Morrison, both stage players. All three Bennett sisters, Constance, Joan and Barbara, were brought up in the theatrical tradition, and it was no surprise when all three took up the family trade. Constance grew up attending the best schools. She made her first screen appearance as a nymph in her father’s film “The Valley of Decision” (1915). She briefly wed Chester Moorhead in 1921, but that was quickly annulled. At 18, Constance embarked on her film career, making two small appearances in “Reckless Youth” and “Evidence,” both in 1922. She worked her way slowly up the cast lists, playing supporting roles, and by 1925, Constance began getting starring roles. One of Constance’s first hits, “Sally, Irene, and Mary” (1925), showed her unusual star quality. She appeared in an impressive nine films in 1925 and signed an MGM contract late in the year before suddenly giving it all up for Philip Plant, whom she married that same year. Their son Peter was born in 1929, the same year their marriage ended. In 1929, Constance was ready to resume her career. She signed with Pathe and stayed with the studio through the early 30’s. During her time at Pathe, Constance starred in the society drama, “Rich People” (1929), the romantic comedy, “This Thing Called Love” (1929) and the glamorous drama, “Common Clay” (1930). When Pathe was bought out by RKO in 1931, Constance made six films, most of them racy and sophisticated women’s pictures like “The Common Law” (1931) and “Rockabye” (1932) with Joel McCrea and “Our Betters” (1933) and “After Tonight” (1933) with future husband Gilbert Roland. In most of her pre-Code films, Constance wore gorgeous clothes while she loved and suffered. Women flocked to see her movies and made her one of the most popular female stars of the 1930’s. In the 1940’s, Constance made fewer films, working in radio and theater. Married a total of five times, Constance’s fourth husband was actor Gilbert Roland, the father of her two daughters. Constance died soon after filming “Madame X” (1966) on July 24, 1965. She was 60 years old. I’ve enjoyed watching many of Constance’s films through the years, and my favorite is “What Price Hollywood?” (1932), which I consider her best performance.