" Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. has grown a mustache and cropped his hair in back for this melodrama of a young Russian aristocrat who attempts to dodge capture in the revolution by posing as a peasant. It has suspense.
The story gets off to a jerky start with scene of gay Moscow life; news reel shots of Revolutionary mobs give a synthetic effect; and the story goes pure movie for a time when a pretty American heiress ( Sheila Terry) appears on the scene, and Lilyan Tashman, a baroness who has turned to crime, almost inveigles Doug into duping the girl to buy some fake jewels. But the close, when the emigres meet again, is authentic drama.
Young Doug is excellent as the dare-devil escape artist. Nancy Carroll does sincere work as a peasant girl who worships him inarticulately. Their scenes together are the high spots of the picture."
I must share a few thoughts on " Scarlet Dawn " because it was the first Nancy Carroll movie I saw in its entirety. Although this movie was clearly meant to showcase the talents of the young Fairbanks heir, Nancy immediately grabbed my attention. From the very moment she is seen scurrying across the room, tray in hand, I was captivated. Just the way she said the word "tea " immediately tugged at the heartstrings of this tea-lover. The expression in her eyes -- a mixture of fear, loyalty and admiration as Fairbank's Prince Nikiti puts the moves on Nancy's Tanyusha clearly shows why Nancy was an instant success in silents. Her eyes tell the story, and tell it well. Nikiti eventually gets the message. Tanyusha will never give herself to him willingly, without marriage. Because "Scarlet Dawn" is readily available at several internet movie/video shops, I will not reveal the entire plot or the ending, however, Nancy's portrayal of a faithful servant who struggles to "resist" the charms and arms of her prince, even when traveling and living with him in refuge in Constantinople, should not be missed.
Nancy swoons and emotes with the best of them and her facial expressions and body language are wonderful. One of the most poignantly spoken lines in this film, " It's horrible. " belongs to her. Nancy's stage and silent film experience clearly shine through in her performance. I enjoyed this movie and as primative as it is, I liked the way in which authentic reel footage has been incorporated into the film. I must confess that Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is so charmingly handsome in this film that I am tempted to completely overlook his character's display of blatant sexual harassment.
Adina Ophira Zidon (astrologist@earthlink.net)
Massachusetts, USA
Date: 14 November 1999
Summary: So Bad It's Good
"While I don't understand how in 1932 a movie could be made sympathizing with the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, I do understand that Scarlet Dawn is a pre-Code film. Like most movies made between 1928 and 1934 (six of the best years in moviemaking, if you ask me), the lighting, sets, and photography are flawless. The print that is on video has perfect sound and picture quality. The costumes are delightfully ornate. Doug Jr. as Nikita Krasnoff is perfect, probably because he was the only actor on the Warners lot in 1932 with enough sex appeal to get away with what he got away with in the movie (i.e. sexual harassment). Nancy Carroll is his faithful servant and, later on in the film, wife. Lilyan Tashman plays a gossipy, scheming, glamour-gal mistress. While Lil and Nan sort of steal the show, their talents are slightly wasted. It's Doug who really captivates throughout, and considering how absolutely luscious he looks, the already short movie (just under an hour) flies by effortlessly. Scarlet Dawn is underrated, but extremely interesting, and the vintage 1917 war footage is a cute touch."