INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis-based film historian Eric Grayson has restored the classic 1918 film, Little Orphant Annie, starring Colleen Moore, and based on the James Whitcomb Riley poem. The poet makes a cameo appearance, using footage from the Indiana Centennial film shot two years earlier just before Riley died.
The story features Annie, an imaginative young orphan girl (Moore), who is sent to live with her abusive uncle, who then sends her to live with another family. She is smitten with love for a farmer who intervenes on her behalf, stopping the abuse. Along the way, we are treated to Annie’s fantasies as she imparts moral lessons on other orphans and on the children of her new family. Goblins run out of the screen, nasty boys are kidnapped by huge bats or dumped by witches in steaming cauldrons.
Grayson’s lengthy restoration process, performed in cooperation with the Library of Congress, included the reinstatement of about five minutes of the film and the recreation of the elaborate tinting that was only seen in the 35mm nitrate prints. The result, available on DVD and Blu-Ray, is made up of five different prints, including parts of a deteriorating nitrate and several 16mm prints. “The prints don’t always match flawlessly, and they can’t,” Grayson said, “but this film is a highly unusual delight for silent film fans and it’s the oldest surviving film starring Colleen Moore.” He added, “This is one of those films that everyone has seen, but never in a good print.”
The DVD/Blu-Ray package ($25) includes an original piano score by Ben Model; commentary by Jeff Codori, Moore’s biographer, on the film star and the history of the film; commentary by Eric Grayson and Glory-June Greiff on the restoration and Riley; an interview with Grayson at the premiere of the restoration; and a reading by Greiff of “Little Orphant Annie” and excerpts from “Where is Mary Alice Smith?,” both of which are referenced in the film. Also included is a 16-page booklet with pictures and more background information on the film.
The film is available from Amazon.com (www.drfilm.net/annie) and from the James Whitcomb Riley Boyhood Home & Museum in Greenfield (jwriley@greenfieldin.org or 317-462-8539).
