LILAC TIME (First National Pictures, 1928), a John McCormick Presentation under the direction by George Fitzmaurice, became the studio's contribution to current trend of war related themes that rebirth the cycle with THE BIG PARADE (MGM, 1925). Borrowing the aerial battle used heavily from Paramount's WINGS (1927) and the romantic angle highlighted from either WHAT PRICE GLORY (Fox, 1926) or SEVENTH HEAVEN (Fox, 1927), LILAC TIME benefits from the aforementioned titles right down from borrowing Gary Cooper from his few minutes in WINGS to co-starring status opposite Colleen Moore, then one of the most popular actresses of the silent screen. Though Moore is remembered most as a flapper hair-styled comedienne, she demonstrates her great ability in heavy dramatics as proven in LILAC TIME. Coming late into the silent era that would soon end with the new medium of talkies, LILAC TIME, regardless of its age, holds up remarkably well today, in spite of how forgotten it has become through the passage of time.
Taken from the popular 1917 stage play by Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin, the story, set during the Great War in 1918, opens in a Lilac farm near a French village where lives Jeannine Berthelot (Colleen Moore) and her Aunt Marie (Eugenie Besserer). British fliers land their airplanes nearby to use their farmhouse for rest and relaxation until orders are given for them to fly out the next day. Jeannine is a young French girl with her love for lilacs and passion for Joan of Arc. Her biggest fear is seeing the lives of seven British fliers diminish with few returning from their dangerous air battle. After a crashlanding that puts the "Unlucky One" (Arthur Lake) out of commission, he is soon substituted by Captain Philip Blythe (Gary Cooper). Because Jeannine accidentally caused him to crash land on her farm, Philip, not knowing she's a girl dressed in mechanic's clothes, gives her a swift kick. Forming a strong dislike for one another, Philip, who happens to be engaged to Lady Iris Rankin (Kathryn McGuire) begins to have second thoughts about Jeannine. As the pilots receive orders to fly a suicide mission where they are not to return until all enemies are killed, Jeannine promises to wait on the farm for Philip. During his absence however, Jeannine and the other villagers are forced to evacuate with no means of knowing where they are going and whether she'll ever see Philip again. Co-starring Burr McIntosh (General Blythe); George Cooper (The Mechanic's Helper); Cleve Moore (Captain Russell); Emile Chautard (The Burgomaster) and Paul Hurst.
Although a straight drama with well-acted love scenes, LILAC TIME includes some amusements, including that from George Cooper (no relation to Gary) as a mechanic's helper, to Colleen Moore lifting the spirits of the fliers by dressing herself as a mustached soldier juggling champagne bottles.
Reportedly released with original musical scoring, sound effects and theme song to "Jeannine, I Dream of Lilac Time," circulating prints, either accompanied by organ (90 minutes) or piano scoring (110 minutes) bearing different length times are currently available either on Youtube or DVD from a private collector. To date, LILAC TIME has never been televised. It had been scheduled to show on Turner Classic Movies in 2016 only to be cancelled and substituted by another movie instead. If LILAC TIME should ever be televised, be sure not to miss it. (***)
