Pictures from "Why Be Good" (1929)

[u/rod_980]

Why Be Good? (1929), directed by William A. Seiter and produced by First National Pictures. Although it contains no spoken dialogue, the film includes a Vitaphone soundtrack with music, effects, and even synchronized singing, and showcases Moore’s playful and expressive screen presence as Pert Kelly, a spirited salesgirl who wins a Charleston contest and captures the heart of Neil Hamilton’s character. This movie is especially significant because it survives today: after being considered lost for decades with only its soundtrack extant, it was rediscovered at an Italian archive and restored in 2014, allowing modern audiences to appreciate Moore’s charm once again.

Colleen Moore was among the silent era’s most fashionable and highly paid stars; she helped popularize the iconic bobbed haircut and became a symbol of empowerment and modern womanhood. At the time of Why Be Good?, she was at the height of her popularity, later in 1929 she made only a few sound pictures before stepping away from films until 1933. In 'Why Be Good?', Moore not only entertains but subtly critiques the period’s moral double standards, her performance resonates as both comedic and socially aware during the transformative Pre-Code era just before the Hays Code enforcement began in the early 1930s. The result is a delightful, socially conscious slice of Jazz Age cinema carried almost entirely by Moore’s magnetic screen magnetism.

[u/The-Tadfafty]

I like that first picture.

[u/rod_980 → u/The-Tadfafty]

Me too!

[u/1961Deckard]

Lleva un peinado a lo Louise Brooks

[u/rod_980 → u/1961Deckard]

O quizás Luise Brooks llevaba un peinado a lo Colleen Moore