Red Mill, The (DVD)

Silent movies relied upon facial exaggeration; and few faces could top those of multitalented Marion Davies; showcased from slapstick to heartbreak to horror in The Red Mill; deftly directed by William Goodrich; alias Fatty Arbuckle. Like Cinderella; barmaid Tina (Davies) toils under her villainous boss at a small-town tavern; where she scrubs floors by strapping brushes to her skates and keeps a pet mouse inside a wooden shoe. Hope and love's promise beckon in the handsome form of Dennis (Owen Moore); until he falls in love with Tina's girlfriend Gretchen (Louise Faenda); shackled in a looming pre-arranged marriage. Davies herself lobbied for Arbuckle; blackballed because of an earlier scandal -- but as it turns out; an excellent choice for embellishing the hilarious comedy bits and the ensuing tragic scenes at the climax inside the haunted mill.

• comedy
• silent