BONNIE ANNIE LAURIE (Motion Picture Art Portfolio 1927)
BONNIE ANNIE LAURIE (Motion Picture Art Portfolio 1927)
Motion Picture Art Portfolio
February 1927 Vol.1, No.1
BONNIE ANNIE LAURIE
Famed in song and poetry has taken pictorial form in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production directed by John Robertson with Lillian Gish in the title role.
In the days of fierce feudal rivalry between the Scottish clans when women were treated with alternate brutality and tender affection, Annie Laurie was conceived by the poet as a delicate object of femininity, born for chivalrous consideration but thrown into the arena of life with inconsiderate, half savage warriors.
Born for man and desiring his advances but shy and fearful of his strength, Annie Laurie lived in the primatively artistic atmosphere of cold grey castles and rough clad men who wrote tender poems to her beauty in one moment and fought to despoil her or kill a rival in the next.
John the Great, of the MacIan clan, who wooed her in manly fashion when she seemed elusive, turned and mistreated her with savage brutality when her love brought her to his castle at Glencoe.
Annie’s arrival at Glencoe to warn the Maclans of an attack planned by her own clan, is pictured on the opposite page. John the Great is seen toasting her in mock ceremonious greeting.
It was through such trials as this that woman has struggled upward to the pedestal of respect and adoration on which she stands today.
In support of Miss Gish as “Annie Laurie,” Norman Kerry appears as John Maclan, while Hobart Bosworth, Henry Kolker, David Torrence, Brandon Hurst and Creighton Hale are seen in important roles.
The half savage exploits of warring Scottish clans of the 12th Century; the strenuous struggle for existence on barren lands ; and the fierce battles of rival clans; in and about picturesque feudal castles; is the subject matter of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production “Annie Laurie.”
Pictorially, the subject is rich in artistic appeal and the players selected by the producers are splendidly representative of the powerful, picturesque mountaineers who made Scotland famous for its fighting men.
“Annie Laurie” is a picture of the men of clan Campbell and clan Maclan who harbor mutual hatreds over wrongs so old that their nature had been forgotten—the children of clan Campbell were taught to hate the Maclans, and the Maclans were reared to hate the Campbells, for grievances of which even the parents were ignorant. And so for centuries, pillage for clan glory, and assassination for clan honor was carried on by the kilted warriors of medieval Scotland ; in much the same spirit as modern nations conduct war; but with the ancient, artistic color elements of battle axe and dagger; rather than the prosaic poisoned gases of civilized massacres.
The romantic element in “Annie Laurie,” pictures the love of Annie of clan Campbell, for John the Great; the handsome, stalwart young chieftan of clan Maclan who is quite as fascinating in appearance as the famous “Shiek” and equally as audacious in impulsive love making.
Lillian Gish is in the title role supported by Norman Kerry, Hobart Bosworth, David Torrence, Creighton Hale, Brandon Hurst, Patricia Avery, Joseph Striker, Russell Simpson and Frank Currier—Oliver Marsh photograph—the production under the direction of John Robertson.
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