The Ocean Waif 1916 - Carlyle Blackwell

Film Review and Rating / Synopsis

• The Ocean Waif (1916) - Plot Summary - "NIGHT - When all is peace and beauty sleeps, genius wakes and the robber creeps" - a choice title card from this film. Silent film telling the tale of Ronald Roberts (Carlyle Blackwell), a successful young novelist who goes ashore from his yacht to work on his next book. He finds an abandoned manor house, reputed to be haunted by a female ghost, and decides it's the perfect place to write. But - unknown to him the house is already inhabited, and not by a ghost, but by a pretty young lady named Millie aka "The Ocean Waif" who has found refuge in the house after running away from her cruel, bad-tempered "foster father". As Millie snitches food, Ronald's valet gets spooked - but soon the mystery of the "girl ghost" is solved as Ronald finds her asleep in the attic. Yes, she's real attractive, so naturally he falls for her. But - soon his "fiancee" - a-hum - arrives and catches him kissing Millie, so Millie heads back home to her foster father. Though by all appearances it doesn't seem like she's been gone all that long, the father suddenly realizes she is a woman and he "ain't her father" and asks to marry her - ugh and double ugh. Soon a crime, then a trial puts Ronald and his relationship with the fiancee in jeopardy - and all's well that end's well, you might say.
  
  Review - This is a rather charming film, though it was hampered by quite a bit of nitrate deterioration to the print as well as missing footage here and there. Still - I found what could be followed of the story entertaining and the two lead stars very appealing and attractive. Carlyle Blackwell, so popular during the teen era of silent film, is, well, handsome and charismatic - I love his smile. Actress Doris Kenyon, who plays Millie, is rather delightful and looks very cute when she's dressed in overalls. The Kino DVD release of this film features a really nice piano score done by Jon Mirsalis. Nice film. Rating - * 8/10 stars *
  
  Director: Alice Guy-Blaché
  Film Genre: Romantic Melodrama
  Film Runtime: 40 minutes

Links / Resources

• IMDb film listing for The Ocean Waif (1916), cast and crew, trivia
• AFI Catalog Listing, cast, summary, tech details