Editing Lewis Milestone (section)

==Director: Silent era, 1925–1929==

By 1925, Milestone was writing screen treatments for films at [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] and Warner studios, among them ''[[The Mad Whirl]]'', ''[[Dangerous Innocence]]'', ''[[The Teaser]]'' and ''[[Bobbed Hair (1925 film)|Bobbed Hair]]''. The same year, Milestone approached [[Jack L. Warner]] with a proposal: Milestone would provide the producer with a story free of charge if he was allowed to direct it. Warner agreed to sponsor Milestone's directorial debut ''[[Seven Sinners (1925 film)|Seven Sinners]]'' (1925).<ref>Robinson, 1970 pp. 141–142: "After varied work in Hollywood, he emerged as a writer on [[Alan Crosland]]'s ''Bobbed Hair'' (1925) and a director on ''Seven Sinners'', made later the same year."<br />Barson, 2020: "In 1925 Milestone made his directorial debut with Seven Sinners; he also wrote the screenplay."<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 30: "Milestone offered Warner a story idea he had created himself if he could direct it himself. Warner took the bait."<br />Rhodes, 2020: "Milestone had honed his career in comedies, writing the scripts for ''The Mad Whirl'' (1925), ''The Teaser'' (1925), and ''Bobbed Hair'' (1925), all of which humorously depicted the jazz-crazed youth of the [[Roaring Twenties]]."</ref>

''Seven Sinners'' is one of three films Milestone directed with [[Marie Prevost]], [[Mack Sennett]] and a former female comedian. Jack Warner appointed [[Darryl F. Zanuck]] as screenwriter. The film is a "semi-sophisticated" comedy incorporating elements of slapstick, and was sufficiently successful with critics and the public to allow Milestone, now 29 years old, additional directing assignments.<ref>Canham, 1974 p. 72: "&nbsp;... he was given a chance to direct a [[Marie Prevost]] vehicle, ''Seven Sinners'' (1925)."</ref><ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 30: "Milestone's career as a director was launched."<br />Strago, 2017: "The New York Times critic called Milestone's first feature, ''Seven Sinners'' (1925), made for Warner Bros., the best recent picture he'd seen at Warner's flagship theater, but Milestone chafed at studio demands. Happily, Hughes soon formed his own company and, in 1927, the young director went to work for him."</ref>

Milestone's second Prevost comedy was ''[[The Caveman (1926 film)|The Caveman]]'' (1926), which quickly earned him praise for its "adroit direction". During production, Milestone broke his contract with the studio over his exploitation as a "film doctor": Warners sued for damages and won, forcing Milestone to file for bankruptcy. ''The Caveman'' was his last film for Warner Bros. until ''[[Edge of Darkness (1943 film)|Edge of Darkness]]'' (1943). Undeterred, [[Paramount Pictures]] quickly acquired Milestone.<ref>Millichap, 1981 pp. 30&ndash;31: "By 1926 [Warners] was paying Milestone $400 a week [but] loaning him out as a film doctor at the rate of $1000 a week and more{{nbsp}}.... Milestone demanded the difference" and broke his contract when Warners refused.<br />Canham, 1974 pp. 72&ndash;73: "Warners and Milestone capitalized [on the success of ''Seven Sinners'' by finishing a second comedy vehicle two months later{{nbsp}}... The Caveman (1926){{nbsp}}... contemporary reviewers lavished praise on Milestone's adroit direction, and his ability to switch from sophisticated comedy through slapstick to suspense."</ref>

''[[The New Klondike]]'' (1926), a sports-themed drama based on a [[Ring Lardner]] story, was filmed on location in [[Florida]]. Despite a "lukewarm" response from critics, Paramount was enthusiastic regarding Milestone's prospects, showcasing him with other young studio talent in the promotional film ''[[Fascinating Youth]]'' (1926). An argument  with screen star [[Gloria Swanson]] on the set of ''[[Fine Manners]]'' (1926) led Milestone to walk off the project, leaving director [[Richard Rosson]] to complete it.<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 31: Milestone "a rising talent"and one of "the years graduates of Paramount 'School of Stars" "And "he quarreled with [Swanson] and left the film."<br />Canham, 1974 p. 73: Critics were less pleased with Milestone's ''[[The New Klondike]]'' (1926) "[but] the fact that it was filmed on location in Florida gives some indication of Milestone's rising status as a director."</ref>

''[[Two Arabian Knights]]'' (1927), which is considered Milestones most outstanding work during the silent era, was inspired by the [[Maxwell Anderson|Anderson]]–[[Laurence Stallings|Stallings]] stage play ''[[What Price Glory? (play)|What Price Glory?]]'' (1924), and director [[Raoul Walsh]]'s [[What Price Glory? (1926 film)|1924 screen adaptation]] of it. It was the first film in a four-year contract with [[Howard Hughes]]' [[The Caddo Company]] and is Milestone's only film of 1927. The film garnered Milestone an Academy Award for best comedy direction in 1927, prevailing over [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s ''[[The Circus (1928 film)|The Circus]]'' (1927). During World War I, [[doughboy]]s [[William Boyd (actor)|William Boyd]] and [[Louis Wolheim]], and love-object [[Mary Astor]] form a comic triangle.<ref>Canham, 1974 p. 73: "He made only one film during 1927, but it proved to be his most important silent work [Two Arabian Knights]" and "He left Warners after the Prevost pictures, working under several banners over the next few years [among them] the Caddo Company{{nbsp}}... owned by [[Howard Hughes]]" and "his first war film{{nbsp}}... the comical adventures of two American doughboys" and pp. 73&ndash;74: ''Two Arabian Knights'' "was made to cash in on the popularity of director [[Raoul Walsh]]'s ''[[What Price Glory? (1926 film)|What Price Glory]]'' (1926), for the relationships between the central characters are identical, and the two films shared one of the writers, James T. O'Donahue. Whereas Walsh's film won plaudits for an earthy, rugged humor, Milestone's relied on intelligent acting at the expense of any slapstick comedy, a quality which helped win him the Academy Award for best direction."</ref><ref>Silver, 2010: "he had won a "Best Comedy Direction" statuette for ''Two Arabian Knights'' (1927), beating out Charles Chaplin's ''The Circus''.<br />Barson, 2020: Barson notes that "In 1930 the comedy and drama categories were merged" by the Academy of Arts and Sciences.<br />Millichap, 1981 pp. 31&ndash;32: "Milestone's talents were recognized when he signed a four-year contract [with] Caddo" and p. 32: "triangle"<br />Koszarski, 1976 p. 317: "his silent films were hailed for their freshness and vigor{{nbsp}}... the best of them ''The Caveman'', ''Two Arabian Knights'', ''The Racket''"</ref>

''[[The Garden of Eden (1928 film)|The Garden of Eden]]'' (1927) was made under a Caddo releasing agreement with [[Universal Pictures]]. The film is "a variation on the Cinderella story{{nbsp}}... of acidic sophistication", and was adapted by screenwriter [[Hans Kraly]]; it resembles, in both script and visual production, the works of [[Ernst Lubitsch]]. The project benefited from the lavish sets [[William Cameron Menzies]] designed and the cinematography of [[John Arnold (cinematographer)|John Arnold]]. The film stars [[Corinne Griffith]].<ref>Canham, 1974 pp. 74–75: Written by "one of Lubitsch's favorite writers{{nbsp}}... The Garden of Eden was a comedy-drama{{nbsp}}... written by [[Hans Kraly]], and once more Milestone's deft direction of players enhanced the often acidic sophistication of his material."</ref><ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 32: "Milestone's visual production obviously recalls the work of Lubitsch" and "impressive production included lavish sets [by] Menzies and excellent camera work by John Arnold."</ref> Milestone's cinematic rendering of ''Two Arabian Knights'' and ''The Garden of Eden'' established him as a skilled practitioner of "rough and sophisticated" comedy.<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 32</ref>

Milestone was wary of being stereotyped as a comedy director, and he shifted to an emerging genre director [[Josef von Sternberg]] popularized with his gangland fantasy ''[[Underworld (1927 film)|Underworld]]'' (1927).<ref>Robinson, 1970 p. 43: "The most distinguished early gangster films were unquestionably the [[Josef von Sternberg|von Sternberg]] series (''Underworld'', ''[[The Drag Net]]'', ''[[The Docks of New York]]'') and Lewis Milestone's [[The Racket (1928 film)|The Racket]]. Gangster films were however to reach their notable peak in the next decade."<br />Canham, 1974 p. 75: "Possibly to avoid type-casting as a comedy director, he change pace with his third picture for Hughes, [[The Racket (1928 film)|The Racket]] (1928), a gutty drama of gang-war and political corruption."<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 32: "The Racket{{nbsp}}... influenced by Josef von Sternberg's Underworld (1927)."<br />Cady, 2004 TCM: "The Racket (1928) was one of the movies that started the cycle of gangster pictures that led to ''Little Caesar'' (1931), ''The Public Enemy'' (1931) and ''Scarface'' (1932)."</ref> ''The Racket'', a "taut and realistic" depiction of a mobster-controlled police department, distinguished Milestone as a capable director of the genre but its reception was lessened by a flood of inferior gangster films in the late 1920s. ''The Racket'' was nominated for Best Picture at the 1928 Academy Awards.<ref>Canham, 1974 p. 75: Reception was "marred by a release date among a plethora of similar gangster films of variable quality."<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 34: Best Picture nomination.</ref>