"Rookies" (1927)

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Out Yonder 1919 The Woman God Forgot 1917 That Model from Paris 1926 For Better for Worse 1919 Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall 1924

OUR DOCUMENTARY

We are proud to present to all silent film lovers our multiple award-winning documentary! In March 2015 it won the distinction "Award of Merit" at the San Francisco Film Awards. In May it won the Silver Award at the 2015 International Independent Film Awards. In September 2015 it won the Award of Recognition at the Accolade Global Film Competition. Of equal merit is the inclusion of the documentary in the Official Selection of the San Jose International Short Film Festival in October 2015. In December the documentary won the extremely prestigious Diamond Award at the 2015 California Film Awards. The amazing run of recognition for our documentary continued in 2016. In February it was included in the Official Selection of the Buffalo Niagara International Film Festival.

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Marceline-Day-and-George-Arthur-and-Carl-Dane-in-Rookies-poster

A nice poster for the film starring Marceline Day

Directed by              Sam Wood
Written by       Joe Farnham, Bryan Morgan
Starring    Karl Dane, George K. Arthur, Marceline Day
Cinematography    Ira H. Morgan
Distributed by    Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date      April 30, 1927
Running time     70 minutes
Country       United States
Language               Silent, English intertitles

"Rookies" is a classic comedy. We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Marceline Day.

Warner Bros. keeps a copy of the film locked in their vaults. They do not plan to release it on DVD. They have also refused our multiple requests to make a copy of the film available to Silent Hall of Fame, so we can show it to the public. Until and if that happens, we have to rely on newspaper articles about the film from the 1920ies.

Here are just a few of the reviews for this film:

Much pertinent humor and several sequences that turned out riotously funny judging from the capitol audience. (Film Daily)

The super comedy-drama of the year, "Rookies," featuring the screen idols Karl Dane, George K. Arthur, with Marceline Day. The story tells of the doings at a citizens military training camp, and centers round the adventures of a raw trainee and a very tough sergeant, who tread on each other's corns at every possible moment in their endeavours to "get square"' with each other. It is crammed full of screamingly funny incidents, a particularly good thrill. Betty Wayne, a piquant little sundae shopkeeper, is largely responsible for the unsoldierly antagonism. Marceline Day is in the role of the girl, whom all the boys adore. (Cairns Post)

"Rookies" is a genuine comedy. The action moves smoothly, for "Rookies" is not an assembly of "gags," but a coherent story.

There is nothing sentimental or finicky about "Rookies". The humor is that of the boys in the tents, and the horseplay, bullying and fun which goes on is all shown with startling realism. Mr. Dane and Mr. George K. Arthur present a remarkable contrast as a comedy team, both in appearance and method, and Miss Marceline Day is the nice girl of the story who has a sense of humor. (The Advertiser)

If you want to treat yourself to an hour's side-splitting laughter, and incidentally to see the oddest pair of comedians ever filmed, make a special point of seeing "Rookies," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's contribution to the classics of film comedy. It is crammed full of screamingly funny incidents, a particularly good thrill being provided by a balloon ascent wherein the raw rookie proves that the heroes are sometimes wrapped up in small and funny parcels. (Northern Argus)

Karl Dane and George K. Arthur, aided by Marceline Day, were responsible for many an aching side, when they took the big parts in that intensely funny screen comedy, "Rookies," the big audience - the hall was full in every part - being kept in roars of laughter right through the long film, every foot of which was a foot of humour. The adventures of the irresistible pair of soldier boys was a regular scream, and it is quite safe to say that not for many years has such continuous laughter been heard for a solid hour as that which accompanied the showing of "Rookies". (Southern Argus)

The little hero calls into play a circus trick, and manages to save the party, win the girl, and crushingly humiliate the bullying sergeant. Each player in "Rookies'' has performed well, and the general judgment of the comedy cannot be other than eulogistic. (The Register)

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