The Dryden will screen A Manly Man (aka His Gratitude, Thomas H. Ince, U.S. 1911, 12 min., 35mm), and My Best Girl (Sam Taylor, U.S. 1927, 90 min., 35mm) with live piano accompaniment by Philip C. Carli

Of the more than thirty one-reelers Mary Pickford made in Cuba for Carl Laemmle's Independent Moving Pictures Company, A Manly Man is one of few that survives. Pickford plays Lola, a young Filipino woman who falls in love with Duncan (William E. Shay), a white man sent to her village on business.

"After nearly 15 years as the silver screen's reigning 'Queen of the Movies,' Mary Pickford lovingly concluded her silent movie career with one of her best films—the utterly charming romantic comedy, My Best Girl. Featuring future husband Charles "Buddy" Rogers as her leading man, Pickford shines as a department store Cinderella who falls in love with the owner's son, once again exhibiting the wide-ranging talent that had made her a sensation the world over. . . . Director Sam Taylor honed his comedy chops directing and co-directing a string of classic Harold Lloyd films (including Safety Last!, 1923, and The Freshman, 1925), and his experienced hand is especially evident in the film's overall polish and by the engaging way he textures the strange and quirky characters that populate the shop girl's milieu." — Steven K. Hill, UCLA

[source: George Eastman Museum calendar, 2015-Nov-17]