The Show Off / The Plastic Age

Brooks and Bow
Both of the films on this DVD are enjoyable and worth seeing, but neither can be classed as being among the great films of the silent era. These films are no doubt typical of the sorts of films people saw on a day-to-day basis. The silent films which are most seen today are the classics so it is interesting, for a change, to see some more routine programmers.

The Show Off is the story of a truly obnoxious man played by Ford Sterling who is pompous and foolish. For some reason, which is not at all clear, Lois Wilson decides to marry him. This leads to all sorts of comic misadventures and disasters, including a very funny car journey with the incompetent Sterling causing chaos on the streets of Philadelphia. Louise Brooks is not the star of this film, but she has enough screen time to satisfy her fans. She is easily the best actor in the cast and, of course, looks stunning with her familiar bobbed hair. The print of The Show Off is very good. It is black and white and really clear...

Delightfully entertaining
This double-feature DVD is very enjoyable to watch, not only for the two popular "Jazz Age" stars, Louise Brooks and Clara Bow, but for the overall light and 'feel-good' themes. Despite being of the light entertainment variety, both films have a good story and message with a satisfying ending, and all other aspects of both films are of high quality. There might be a few little disappointments however: while stunning and unmissable, Louise Brooks plays only a small part in "The Show Off", and the picture quality of "The Plastic Age" is nowhere near as good as the pristine quality of the first film. These things aside, I thoroughly enjoyed "The Show Off" and Ford Sterling's entertaining performance as the big-mouthed braggart who gets on everyone's nerves except for Amy, who thinks he's wonderful and ends up marrying him despite her family's disapproval. It's not all laughs, though: Amy's family falls on bad times and "The Show Off" gets a chance to use his big-talk talent for a...

Excellent fun
Great silent movie! The DVD is EXCELLENT quality. I wasn't sure if it was correct projection speed when I ordered it, but it turned out to be - and what a movie! The orchestral score is perfect. All the characters are developed nicely and this was a great role for the leading actor; memorable screen presence. The movie wouldn't be nearly as good without Louise Brooks, but I was hoping for more screen time from her.
This is a great movie from the Roaring Twenties with a lighthearted plot that is effective and fun.

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