Italian Straw Hat [DVD] [1927] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

After several outstanding releases by Flicker Alley in recent years, I had high expectations of this latest production by David Shepard, and once again I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by not only the film itself, but the choice of two outstanding musical scores along with a few nice bonus features. The renowned French filmmaker and director of this 1927 silent comedy, Rene Clair, earned his reputation as one of the greatest directors in the early 1930s already, but for many decades his earlier silent films have been overlooked; this farcical comedy being one of them. It is now considered one of Europe's most elegant and wittiest comedies ever made, and as a silent film enthusiast, I noticed other features worthy of mention as well. It impressed me that there were very few intertitles, especially compared to other movies made in 1927, which means that the story was carried along by the action and gestures of the performers in such a way as to make intertitles unnecessary most of the time. To me, this is one of the hallmarks of the perfectly-executed work of art that is the silent film. But the artistry of "The Italian Straw Hat" doesn't end here: the setting in France of 1895 appears beautifully authentic, with close attention to details in every respect, making it feel like an authentic glimpse back in time to that era.

Based on a popular stage comedy, Clair successfully adapted the gags and humour to the moving picture medium, at the same time adding his touch of European sophistication and style. Unlike vaudevillian slapstick, the comedy action in "The Italian Straw Hat" is more subtle, and the story itself is quite amusing on its own. The simple plot takes place on a couple's wedding day, when the groom's horse eats a lady's straw hat which sets off a series chain reaction of events, making it appear as if there is much ado about nothing. This fluffy, light comedy style appears simpler than it is, and the viewer can still become immersed in the settings, characters, costumes and finer details of the film, all the time being enchanted by either the exceptionally good orchestral score by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, or the equally outstanding piano score by Philip Carli. Add to this a beautifully clean and clear black and white picture, and the result is `entertaining art'. Two charming short films of about ten minutes in length also add to the high quality of this DVD release: another Clair film capturing rare and mesmerizing images of the Eiffel Tower, helped along by an unusual harpsichord score, and then another French short film from 1907 entitled "Fun after the Wedding" gives a glimpse into people's lives and sense of humour and entertainment of that time. An instrument made especially to accompany silent films, namely a fotoplayer, is heard with this short film. Along with a glossy booklet about Rene Clair and his work, notes by Rodney Sauer about the musical score, as well as many good photographs, this new release deserves the full 5 stars, and should be part of all serious silent film and general early cinema collections.

It may sound a bit odd to call a 1927 film a salute to early cinema but as silent film enthusiasts know, movies have been around since before the dawn of the 20th century. The earliest narrative films come from France in the movies of Alice Guy and Georges Melies ca. 1896 and it is those along with the films of French comedian Max Linder that Clair is channeling in THE ITALIAN STRAW HAT. The original source material is a play in the popular French farce style of domestic complications that date all the way back to Moliere. The year is 1895. A young man on his wedding day must replace a fashionable Italian straw hat which his horse has eaten or face serious consequences from a hot tempered Hussar (the hat belongs to his lover and she can't go home to her husband without it). The director takes this scenario and turns it into a sophisticated comedy of manners a la Oscar Wilde only it's done without dialogue (and very few title cards). While I found it a little too genteel and slow moving at times, THE ITALIAN STRAW HAT still remains a truly great film when you realize what Rene Clair was trying to do and how well he succeeded.

The only other version I had seen of this was an old but decent VHS copy that ran only 84 minutes. This version, at 105 minutes, is not only complete, but it adds little touches that make the film a richer experience. I was struck throughout at how much Albert Prejean (the groom) resembled Charley Chase. In fact this could have made a fine comedy vehicle for Charley. As is now expected of Flicker Alley, the transfer is first rate and the choice of two scores and an informative booklet enhance the presentation. While Philip Carli's piano score is extremely well done (as they always are), I really enjoyed the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra's chamber score with its liberal use of Offenbach's TALES OF HOFFMANN and Otto Nicolai's MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR Overture. THE ITALIAN STRAW HAT is the ultimate proof that silent comedy could be sophisticated and delicate and, in the hands of a gifted director like Rene Clair, use subtle visuals to help make the story more vivid. This DVD also comes with Clair's short film on the Eiffel Tower (awe-inspiring) and a short 1907 wedding comedy from Ferdinand Zecca. A must for anyone interested in silent European cinema.

"The Italian Straw Hat" (France, 1927)
Director Rene Clair apparently pioneered the "screwball comedy" genre with this feature-length silent, in which a nervous groom unwittingly finds himself in the middle of a romantic triangle, when his horse stops for a snack and eats the hat of a married woman off having a fling with a belligerent army officer... The officer badgers our hero into finding a replacement, which is all very well and fine... except that today is his wedding day, and the guests are all waiting for him to say "I do!" The first half of the film is a little hard to follow, but once it picks up steam, this film is a delight. My enjoyment of the movie was hampered somewhat by the horridly inappropriate soundtrack to the 1991 Connoiseur/Film Preserve edition, which was composed by Emilio Kauderer, and which was so awful and distracting that I had to watch the film with the sound off. Still, it turned out to be a fun movie. By the way, the best role in the film is clearly that of he groom's aggrieved, harried valet, who sees all the chaos unfold at every every turn -- watch for him!