Stella Maris

It is a production for which the director, Marshall Neilan, must receive unstinted credit. It is a revelation in exterior locations and interior settings and the titling is exceedingly clever.

Neilan's imagery is largely theatrical -- he seldom cuts meaningfully within scenes, he treats his locations almost as stage sets, and his idea of subtle lighting is using a narrow bar of light to illuminate the eyes of a murderess.

For all its humor, romance, and state-of-the-art special effects, though, Stella Maris never sugarcoats the title character's advantages as a woman with looks, education, and wealth, even as she's no better or kinder than the unlucky Unity.

For the first time in her career Mary Pickford essays to portray dual roles, and her most recent picture, Stella Maris, is truly a remarkable revelation of the star's versatility.