by Hal Erickson
synopsis
The Charmer was a vehicle for Ella Hall, inarguably one of the most charming ladies of the pre-1920 silent screen. The plot is essentially a fairy tale for grown-ups, complete with an imperiled heroine named Ambrosia Lee (Hall) and a modern-day Knight in Shining Armor in the form of Don Whitney (James McCandless). Belle Bennett, whose greatest fame lay ahead of her as star of the 1925 version of Stella Dallas, here played a conventional "nemesis" role. Many reviewers wrote off The Charmer as a "kid picture," suggesting that no intelligent adult would waste his or her time with the film. The reviewers, it must be added, were wrong.
