You Never Know Women

William A. Wellman, who directed the first film to win an Academy Award for best picture (1927’s Wings), scored his first major box-office hit and critical success with this slight but stylish and sly 1926 romantic drama. Florence Vidor stars as Vera, a beautiful dancer and magician's assistant in a Russian theatrical troupe performing on the American stage, and Lowell Sherman is Eugene Foster, the millionaire cad who she thinks saved her life. Vera is dazzled by Eugene’s charm and manners as he tries to seduce her and she is blind to the authentic affections of the serious and stalwart Norodin (Clive Brook), the troupe's star magician and escape artist. It's a classic love triangle melodrama set against a colorful backdrop of acrobats and stage magic, and Wellman delivers with excellent pacing, inventive imagery, and dynamic sequences, from Norodin's big escape acts (modeled on Houdini) to the finale, which involves both a magic prop and a knife-throwing act. Although not as famous as many silent films of the era, this is a fine production, newly restored for Blu-ray and DVD. Featuring a new piano score by Donald Sosin, extras include audio commentary by William Wellman Jr., and a booklet with an essay by filmmaker Gina Telaroli. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)