The Matinee Idol

Long believed lost, until a print turned up in France and was beautifully restored with the aid of high definition video, Capra's silent comedy contains much that anticipates his later flair. A Broadway star stumbles on a travelling theatrical troupe of hilarious ineptitude, and hires them for a cheap laugh to appear in the big city. The cruelty of the conceit is happily defused by the exuberant playing of Bessie Love, one of the screen's great comediennes of the '20s and '30s.