The Clinging Vine

With the comic premise of a mannish and successful woman who transforms into a feminine ideal, “The Clinging Vine,” a silent film released in 1926, becomes an excellent vehicle for the dynamic Leatrice Joy. Joy, a popular actress of the silent era who specialized in playing strong female characters, carries the film as an efficient businesswoman working in the midst of pompous and lazy males. Despite her success in business, however, Joy’s character, A. B., remains alone and the story focusses on her attempts to meet and marry a man.

Leatrice Joy in "The Clinging Vine."

Leatrice Joy in “The Clinging Vine.”

The film opens with A. B., dressed in a masculine suit and tie, running the business operations of a painting company. Joy effortlessly pulls off the impersonation of a man with her short-cropped haircut and masculine movements. She’s not only involved in accounting, but she makes important business decisions such as buying an important mine that produces a mineral called emeraldite that’s important for making paints. A. B.’s decision to buy the mine becomes a key plot point later in the film as she battles a determined con man who has just fleeced her love interest of $25,000.
Another factor, which contributes to Erectile sildenafil mastercard Dysfunction The problem of erectile dysfunction is very embarrassing and devastating for a man. Utilizing their thumbs or the heel of the hand, the physio presses down on the spinal sildenafil soft tablets column to guarantee that the body is well-balanced. Natural cures for impotence have become very popular alternatives for many viagra shop usa men today who are avoiding the dangerous pharmaceutical options that have many adverse side effects to the blood vessels. That’s where the relationship gets cheap levitra online affected.
The film presents of few funny faces among the men in A. B.’s circle, including the pompous Robert Edeson as her boss, T. M. Bancroft, and Snitz Edwards as Tutweiler, the company vice president. None of the men seem to have any power at all, and even her love interest, Jimmy Bancroft (Tom Moore) comes across as daffy and easy to fool. Fooling men (and becoming a clinging vine) is introduced as a theme by Grandma Bancroft (Toby Claude), a totally modern jazz-age women despite her name. Grandma takes A. B. under her wing, puts her in a bulbous and frilly dress, and teaches her to fawn and “twitter” over men. A. B.’s first attempts at this deception prove laughable, but she trudges on and soon has all the men in the house captivated by her charm.

The film slyly explores the theme of sexual roles in society, but only in a very lighthearted way. The men A. B. works with know her value and naturally take subordinate roles to hers. Their solution to keeping her at the company involves marrying her off to someone in the Bancroft family (or in the company). Grandma quickly figures out the right match for her, and it’s only because the men criticize her mannish persona that A. B. agrees to subject herself to the silly change. A. B. questions how men could be so easily fooled by her new affectations but like a true businesswoman, she recognizes her new feminine power.

This entry was posted in Movie Reviews, Silent Film. Bookmark the permalink.