Daisy Doodad's Dial - 1914
ABOUT THE FILM : Daisy Doodad's Dial
British Film InstituteYear: 1914
Mr and Mrs Doodad decide to enter a face-making competition but Daisy is confined to bed with raging toothache. She is green with envy when her husband returns the winner so when a second competition is announced she is determined to outdo him. Daisy practises making faces on a trip to town traumatising fellow passengers on the train and in the street so much that she is arrested as a public nuisance.
Daisy Doodad’s Dial reveals the incredibly elastic face of Florence Turner, one of America’s first film stars and a big hit during her short career in Britain.
Nationality: English
Actors: Florence Turner, Larry Trimble, Tom Powers
Length: 8' 18"
Genre: comedy
Sound: silent with soundtrack
Original elements: black & white
Producer: Turner Film Company
Composer: Jonathan Bell
Original language: English
A BRIEF HISTORY : Daisy Doodad's Dial
Daisy Doodad’s Dial is a comedy, filmed by Florence Turner (1885-1946) in 1914. A native American, the young actress began her career in the Vitagraph studios in 1906, becoming one of its key stars. In the early years, stars weren’t identified by name thus Florence Turner was known only as “The Vitagraph Girl”.
In 1910 Florence Turner was hired to take part in a tour of all Brooklyn’s theatres which was a huge success. In June 1910 the New York Dramatic Mirror spoke very highly of her and referred to Florence Turner as a “film star”, a unique compliment at a time when few women were known and recognised in the film industry.
In 1913 while her success seemed to stagnate in the United States of America, Florence Turner was head-hunted by a British theatrical impresario. On arrival she and Larry Trimble (1885-1954) rented space at the Hepworth studios and produced her own comedies under the brand of the Turner Film Company. She produced thirty or so films during her career in Britain including East is East (1916) a romantic feature with Britan’s biggest star, Henry Edwards (1882-1952) and My Old Dutch, opposite legendary music hall star, Albert Chevalier (1861-1923).
For ten years or so Florence Turner managed to juggle her American and British careers, in popular theatre and comedy but after the Second World War, offers became increasingly rare and Florence Turner left Great Britain, where the film industry was in a slump, for Hollywood. But success no longer materialised and after a few supporting roles for MGM offered by her friend Louis B. Mayer(1885-1957), Florence Turner withdrew from the scene permanently. She died almost forgotten in 1946.
Florence Turner nonetheless remains one of the biggest film stars between 1910 and 1920 and in Daisy Doodad's Dial you can’t help but laugh at the rebellious and not very feminine attitude of the character she plays, this woman who refused to accept authority whether simply from a man or the police.
The original music for this film was composed in 2010 by Jonathan Bell in the context of the 2009-2010 partnership with the CNSMDP (Paris Conservatory of Dance and Music).
