Mary Astor and Glenn Hunter in Second Fiddle (1923)

Glenn Hunter

Mary Astor

Townsend Martin

James Ashmore Creelman

Frank Tuttle

Jim, a boy who has always played second fiddle to his elder brother, Herbert, gets a chance to be a hero when, to protect his mother and sweetheart, Polly, he holds a murderer at bay with an unloaded shotgun. (Herbert took the she...

Second Fiddle

A Stylish Rural Tale

I wasn&apos;t surprised to learn that Frank Tuttle directed this unexpectedly beautiful and stylish film.  A quintessential &quot;rural&quot; story of the younger sibling (ie, the SECOND FIDDLE) breaking out from the oppressive shadow of the favored son.  This is a stylish, briskly paced tale, and although themes of rural poverty, child abuse, and alcoholism conspire to render the proceedings occasionally grave, the acting is uniformly thoughtful and natural, thus occasionally lightening the burden.  Much of this picture was shot out of doors, and during bright times with a consistent windiness about the grasses and trees, lending the piece a rather glowing, nether worldly quality and giving the film an eerie, contemporary feel.  You are literally swept along with the breeze.  It also helps that the leading players are exceptionally non-period, with Glenn Hunter particularly, and with timeless Mary Astor magically so.  Young Mary Astor&apos;s dark beauty was as breathtaking as expected, but nothing prepared the audience for the bewitchingly natural vision captured in that outdoor splendor.  And remarks about her beauty shouldn&apos;t obscure her value as one of the best actresses to ever grace the screen. Glenn Hunter was a lanky man, complete with imperfect teeth and angular face and hair cowlick.  He gives a heart-felt, full-blooded performance as a young man finding himself and saving the heroine along the way.

I wasn't surprised to learn that Frank Tuttle directed this unexpectedly beautiful and stylish film.  A quintessential "rural" story of the younger sibling (ie, the SECOND FIDDLE) breaking out from the oppressive shadow of the favored son.  This is a stylish, briskly paced tale, and although themes of rural poverty, child abuse, and alcoholism conspire to render the proceedings occasionally grave, the acting is uniformly thoughtful and natural, thus occasionally lightening the burden.  Much of this picture was shot out of doors, and during bright times with a consistent windiness about the grasses and trees, lending the piece a rather glowing, nether worldly quality and giving the film an eerie, contemporary feel.  You are literally swept along with the breeze.  It also helps that the leading players are exceptionally non-period, with Glenn Hunter particularly, and with timeless Mary Astor magically so.  Young Mary Astor's dark beauty was as breathtaking as expected, but nothing prepared the audience for the bewitchingly natural vision captured in that outdoor splendor.  And remarks about her beauty shouldn't obscure her value as one of the best actresses to ever grace the screen. Glenn Hunter was a lanky man, complete with imperfect teeth and angular face and hair cowlick.  He gives a heart-felt, full-blooded performance as a young man finding himself and saving the heroine along the way.

Jim, a boy who has always played second fiddle to his elder brother, Herbert, gets a chance to be a hero when, to protect his mother and sweetheart, Polly, he holds a murderer at bay with an unloaded shotgun. (Herbert took the shells when he went for help.) Eventually Jim faints, and Cragg, the killer, overpowers him. Simultaneously, Herbert returns with help; he takes all the credit and makes Jim look like a coward. Later, Jim proves his courage when he saves Polly and overpowers Cragg, now an escaped convict. Herbert bows to Jim and returns to college.

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Second Fiddle

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