Summary
In a society rigidly stratified by lineage and wealth, the silent film 'Almost Human' cleverly employs the canine world to mirror human class distinctions. John Livingston, a scion of privilege, owns Paul, a pedigreed dog whose brief, opportunistic liaison with the free-spirited Maggie Mutt results in an unexpected offspring, Hank. Deserted, Maggie tasks her son, Hank, with finding a 'human' of his own. Hank's journey leads him to Mary Kelly, a compassionate, homeless woman, and the two form an unbreakable bond. Fate intervenes when a shared act of heroism—Paul and Hank saving a child from drowning—brings their respective humans, John and Mary, into contact. A burgeoning romance between the disparate pair is quickly met with fierce opposition from John’s aristocratic mother, Ethel Wales, who staunchly upholds societal 'pedigree' and has already arranged a suitable match with the high-society Cecile Adams. Unbeknownst to the snobbish matriarch, the very 'pedigree' she reveres is inextricably linked to the 'lowly' Hank, whose true parentage threatens to unravel her carefully constructed world.
Synopsis
John Livingston is a rich mama's-boy, who owns a blooded dog named Paul. Paul meets Maggie Mutt, and Paul, being a pedigree canine and somewhat of a cad, lures trusting Maggie to the barn to have his way. He then departs for his palatial doghouse at the Livingston estate. Meanwhile Maggie is brokenhearted and also finds that she is in a "family way", and gives birth to a pup she names Hank. Maggie tells Hank to find his "human", and departs the scene. Hank goes to the park, meets a "human" named Mary Kelly, who is a homeless waif and sweetheart of poverty, and the two adopt each other. Later on in the park Paul comes strolling along with his "human", John. A child falls into the lake and Paul and Hank team up to save her. This leads their "humans" to strike up a conversation, and the male human falls in love with the female human, and takes her home to meet his aristocratic mother and expresses his desire to marry Mary. John's mother is having none of this and objects strongly, especially since neither Hank nor his human, Mary, have a pedigree. But of course John's mother does not know that Hank is Paul's illegitimate pup. Also John's mother has other plans for him which include his marriage to Cecile Adams, who has a high-society pedigree but does not have a dog.
Review Excerpt
"Is 'Almost Human' worth watching today? Short answer: yes, but with significant caveats that demand a specific kind of viewer. This 1927 silent film is a fascinating historical artifact, a charming if somewhat quaint exploration of class and connection, best suited for cinephiles with an appreciation for the era's unique storytelling rhythm, and absolutely not for those seeking fast-paced, contemporary narratives or technical perfection.
This film works because of its novel narrative device—usin..."
