Anna Christie

This silent version of the Eugene O'Neill play is much more honest than the Garbo talkie version. Silent star Blanche Sweet is terrific as the fallen Anna who finds love on a barge. The famous bar room scene is pretty much intact here with Sweet saying "gimme a whiskey." You can almost see the bar man ask if she wants it in a pail. As noted, there is more "background material" on Anna here. In the Garbo film it was mostly implied.

Sweet is terrific as the sad and wounded Anna who can't deal with her own past and almost loses the hulking Mat (William Russell) because of her guilt. George F. Marion, who originated the role of Chris on stage with Pauline Lord as Anna, plays the father here and in the Garbo version. Eugenie Besserer (Mama in THE JAZZ SINGER) plays Marthy.

Whle it's impossible to forget the Garbo version of this film, this 1923 version is quite good on its own terms. Sweet claimed she almost landed the talkie version until MGM figured out it was a perfect vehicle for Garbo. Who knows what this film might have done for Sweet's career. She made only 3 early talkies and then retired, only to come back 25 years later for a few small roles in films and TV.

In her talkie career, Blanche Sweet is vivid in supporting roles as Queenie in THE SILVER HORDE and totally excellent as Donnie in SHOW GIRL IN Hollywood. I've not seen THE WOMAN RACKET. She ranked as a major star in the teens (JUDITH OF BETHULIA) and through the 20s.

Sweet's ANNA Christie is closer to O'Neill's play than the 30s version (including a long preamble about village life in Sweden) because of censorship issues. Despite the dour characters, the silent version has some terrific moments, and Miss Sweet is terrific. Marion and Besserer are also solid. I'm not familiar with Russell at all but he kind of grew on me.