The Perils of Pauline

This largely fabricated musical biopic of silent serial star Pearl White, The Perils Of Pauline (1947), gives us a nostalgic, often hilarious look at silent filmmaking.

Betty Hutton is Pearl White, who goes from nobody to superstar to retiree in a decade (actually 97 minutes). William Demarest is perfect as the megaphone-toting director. And Paul Panzer recreates the villain he played in this film's inspiration, the 1914 serial The Perils of Pauline.

Director George Marshall (Destry Rides Again, Ghost Breakers) coaxed a number of silent screen stars out of retirement for the many cameos that run throughout the picture. Marshall and one of the screenwriters, Frank Butler (Road To Bali), were veterans of the silents. Which explains the film's feel for early Hollywood.

Frank Loesser's song "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" was nominated for an Oscar. But the hit was Hutton's "Poppa Don't Preach To Me."

Ray Renahan was responsible for the eye-popping Technicolor, but some critics feel the satires of silent pictures would've worked better in black and white. Why not turn the color down on your TV and decide for yourself?