Young Romance (1915)
(George Melford, US 1915, 59 min., 35mm)
This breezy, wonderful romantic comedy marks the screen debut of Broadway actress Edith Taliaferro, and is the only of her three films to still exist today. Romance magazine–obsessed Nellie Nolan (Taliaferro) reads a story about a young American who pretends to be a duke and wins the love of a royal princess. Inspired by the story, Nellie vacations at a Maine seaside resort under an assumed name, looking for love. She meets Tom Clancy (Tom Forman) on the beach when he rescues her from being stranded in the ocean. What neither of them realize is that Tom has read the same story. Written by William C. de Mille and produced by brother Cecil B. DeMille, this film is being rediscovered and appreciated as part of their filmographies.
Live piano accompaniment by Dr. Philip C. Carli.
35mm preservation print courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive.