Tonight's Movie: Children of Divorce (1927) - A Flicker Alley Blu-ray Review

Clara Bow, Gary Cooper, and Esther Ralston star in the silent melodrama CHILDREN OF DIVORCE (1927), available on Blu-ray from Flicker Alley.

CHILDREN OF DIVORCE was previously released by Flicker Alley in a Blu-ray/DVD combo set which is now out of print. Flicker Alley has recently made the film available via a manufactured on demand (MOD) Blu-ray which is the edition I reviewed.

Bow and Ralston play Kitty and Jean, who meet as lonely children (played by Joyce Coad and Yvonne Pelletier) in a convent school. The girls' divorced parents essentially abandon them to the school to raise, only seeing them on vacations -- and maybe not even then.

Jean pledges to marry young Ted (Marion Feducha), and when Ted grows up (Cooper) he reminds her of her promise. Jean wants Ted to make more of himself than being a wealthy layabout and asks him to go to work first, inadvertently leaving the door open for Kitty to steal in and marry Ted herself one night when he's drunk.

Kitty is herself in love with Prince Vico (Einar Hanson) but refused to marry him because they are both poor. Her decision to reject true love for money, stealing her best friend's sweetheart in the process, leads to tragedy.

CHILDREN OF DIVORCE is filled with poignant moments featuring abandoned children, thwarted love, and more, but despite the ongoing sadness I quite enjoyed the movie, which is well-crafted and features a top cast.

I loved seeing Cooper a few years ago in THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH (1926) and enjoyed the chance to see him in another silent film. That said, he really takes a back seat as his character is caught between the two actresses, Bow and Ralston; the somewhat unconventional storyline features them playing women who manage to weather Kitty's betrayal due to the close bond they initially formed as children.

Bow, previously seen by me in HELEN'S BABIES (1924) and GET YOUR MAN (1927), plays a "Jazz baby" flapper whose wild behavior hides her life of pain. Her oft-married mother (Hedda Hopper) viewed her as an encumbrance when she was a child and as a meal ticket once Kitty grows old enough to marry.

Ralston, who was charming as Mrs. Darling in PETER PAN (1924), is equally sweet here as the more reserved Jean. Jean also grew up without the security of parental love, but wealth ("the richest girl in America") has given her the cushion to have, in some ways, an easier life than Kitty.

Throughout their lives, Jean acts as Kitty's protector and conscience. She takes the younger Kitty under her wing in the convent and later refuses to let the unhappy Kitty divorce Ted, not wanting Ted and Kitty's daughter (Mary Louise Miller) to grow up as they did, a child of divorce.

Jean might initially seem unbelievably sweet, but we see that she has a spine of steel, refusing to take what's hers for the asking in order to do the right thing. She gives the audience a sympathetic character to follow throughout the movie, hoping that she'll ultimately find happiness.

Hanson is also quite good as Prince Vico. When we first meet him we assume he's a shallow playboy, but as time goes on it's revealed that Kitty is genuinely his true love. Kitty believed they would come to dislike each other if they married without money, but in refusing him she caused pain for all four parties.

The movie was directed by Frank Lloyd and the uncredited Josef von Sternberg; it was filmed by Norbert Brodine and Victor Milner. The Travis Banton costumes and set design of this Paramount film are all top-notch.

Of note to Western fans: Future cowboy star Bill Elliott is said to be a party guest, in one of his very earliest bit roles; I'll look for him next time!

The Flicker Alley print has a good score performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. It's a very nice print; there are what look like a couple of very brief negative defects in a scene near movie's end, but otherwise the film looks quite good.

Disc extras are the 63-minute documentary CLARA BOW: DISCOVERING THE IT GIRL (1999) and an image gallery.

Flicker Alley has also created a set of "online extras" including a look at the film's fashions by Karie Bible, an article on Kitty and Jean's relationship by Beth Ann Gallagher, an essay on the movie itself by Nora Fiore (the "Nitrate Diva"), and more.

CHILDREN OF DIVORCE is a well-made film, nicely presented by Flicker Alley. Recommended.

Thanks to Flicker Alley for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

CHILDREN OF DIVORCE may be purchased at the Flicker Alley website (fulfilled by Movie Zyng) as well as through retailers such as Amazon.

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