Kiki

This is the exception confirming the rule. This is perhaps the only film that is exactly the way I've read about it. The fiasco that buried Mary Pickford's career, although she did have an excellent sound film debut. Mary transformed Norma Talmadge's silent hit into sound and gave her more adult image a chance. By the mid-1920s it was clear she couldn't play children anymore, but by the early 1930s, she was still miles away from becoming a believable Kiki. The awkwardness, amateurism, and boredom were the result of Mary's attempt at a style that could have parodied Betty Boop but went even further. The little emaciated legend shed her curls and degraded herself to a whiny, crazed snitch who would arouse contempt even among the carousers. The quality of Mary and Sam Taylor's collaboration died out in 1929, after which they should never have met again. The only person worthy of positive mention here is Margaret Livingston, and that's really not enough. (05/01/2010)