“Camille” brought up to date as the advertisements read, opened at the
Ziegfeld yesterday. It is a modern bobbed haired version of Dumas’ story,
and in my opinion in the shearing and remodeling project has not proven
successful. You know, I don’t think you can ever make over stories like
“Camille”. You can’t bring them up to date. You can’t transpose the coach
and four indelibly engraved upon a memory into a modern six cylinder motor car
on an black and white taxi, and get away with it. We’re not so bloody up to
date that we’re going to have our Juliet’s served to us in knickerbockers or our
Romeo’s in ‘pinch black’ coats and russet oxford. At least, I don’t believe
we are , no matter what beautiful photography or expensive settings do their
best to enhance to so-called versions of famous favorites. Nazimova’s “Camille”
is not sincere. She does some fine acting but she is always acting. The ear you
long to shed for Dumas’ heroine of sin and sacrifice stays right in the
corner where it was before you start to view the picture. Rudolph Valentino as
“Armand” is by all means the best bet in the film. After having witnessed
his work in “The Four Horsemen” however, it is difficult to enthuse over him as
the lover of “the lady of the Camille’s”. The production is the most
magnificent staged. I shall be vulgar and say that producers certainly blew
themselves on the settings. They are sumptuous and exotic. Nazimova’s
get-up is bizarre and striking.
All About Rudolph Valentino 