The Social Secretary (1916)
Direcy John Emerson
Cast:
Norma Talmadge
Kate Lester - Helen Weir
Gladden James - Herbert French
Eric von Stroheim - Nathaniel Sack
Mayme goes from one secretarial job to another fighting off the advances
of her employers. To solve the problem she decides to work for a woman.
As a precaution against any romantic notions that her employer's son
may have she makes herself as ugly as possible. 52 minutes.

The Forbidden City (1918)
Directed by Sidney Franklin
Norma Talmadge .... San San/Toy
Thomas Meighan .... John Worden
E. Alyn Warren .... Wong Li
Michael Rayle .... Mandarin
L. Rogers Lytton .... Chinese Emperor
Reid Hamilton .... Lieutenant Philip Halbert
The daughter of a Chinese mandarin is sentenced to death for her secret
marriage to an American. Their child, raised in the mandarin's palace,
grows up and escapes to seek her father, now a high-ranking official
in the Philippines. 62 minutes.

Norma Talmadge is the star is this brisk 1916 comedy-drama, and she's quite good. She plays a secretary who keeps getting unwanted attention from her male bosses, so she makes herself dowdy and goes to work as the social secretary for a rich woman. She then gets involved in the household dramas of the rich family in a series of episodes. She is beautiful and a very good actress. It's easy to see why Norma Talmadge was one of the biggest stars of the 20s.

This is a good little film, which also boasts Erich von Stroheim as the Buzzard, Gladden James as the boy friend, Kate Lester as the matriarch, Helen Weer (listed as Helen Weir in the IMDb) as Elsie, Herbert French as the Count, and Nora Cecil and Vivia Ogden as the spinster secretaries who "never have a problem with men."

This film was directed by John Emerson, written by Anita Loos (who once said that Norma Talmadge was the picture of romance until she opened her mouth), and filmed in New York City. Interestingly, this plot was used 20 years later as Ever Since Eve, the last film Marion Davies would star in.

She is, unfortunately, also remembered as being one of the biggest victims of "talkies." Talmadge made 2 talkies (New York Nights and DuBarry, Woman of Passion), which both flopped and then retired from films. Talmadge was rather infamously married to George Jessel (1934-39) and appeared on his radio program in the 1930s. Few of Talmadge’s films have survived.

Norma Talmadge stars as San San, a Chinese woman who falls in love with an American (Thomas Meighan) and is killed when the local war lord discovers she has had a baby. The baby is brought up in the household but made fun of as being "American." Talmadge also stars as the grown up daughter who falls in love with an American (Reid Hamilton) and is reunited with her father. Somber tale has good sets and decent makeup. Talmadge is very good in the dual roles, and Meighan is also good, especially as the younger man. Most of the cast is buried under heavy makeup, but Talmadge and Meighan look good. The execution of San San in the hall of draperies is the highlight of the film.

No major silent film star has suffered the loss of reputation as much as Norma Talmadge. All the other major silent stars made successful transitions to talkies. But Norma and her sister Constance (who never even TRIED to make a talkie) were the biggest names to fade from the screen when sound came in. And while many of the silent stars were gone by the mid-1930s, they at least had a few successes in the new medium.

There’s a famous story about Talmadge rebuffing an autograph hound in the early 30s, saying "I don’t need you any more." Her failure was so great, that Billy Wilder named his central character in Sunset Boulevard after her, knowing that the association of Norma Desmond with Norma Talmadge would set the doomed character in the public’s mind.

Most of Norma Talmadge’s great silent hits of the 20s are lost, so it’s a rare treat to see a few of her early films. The Forbidden City, coupled with The Social Secretary on this DVD, at least gives us a glimpse of this legendary star.

Excellent quality and wonderful music (Robert Israel?)