Item: Fashions in Love
Rating: 7
Author: Archivist John

Should you bother?

Honestly, only watch Fashions in Love if you are the kind of person who enjoys rummaging through old bins at an estate sale. If you want a cohesive story, look elsewhere. If you want to see a weird, disjointed parade of famous faces from the 1910s through the 30s, then maybe this is your thing.

People who hate disjointed editing or archival footage will probably find this unbearable. It moves fast, it jumps around, and it has no real point other than saying, "Hey, look at all these famous people kissing."

The experience

Watching this feels like someone flipped through a scrapbook while you were trying to watch an actual movie. It’s disorienting in a way that modern documentaries never are. One minute you’re looking at a scene that feels like it belongs in something as archaic as A Romance of the Air, and the next you’re staring at a clip that looks slightly more modern.

There’s a strange energy to seeing legends like Lillian Gish or Clara Bow chopped up into tiny romantic morsels. It’s not really *acting* anymore; it’s just gestures. A hand on a shoulder. A wide-eyed look. A tilt of the head.

I caught myself wondering why they chose certain clips. Some look like they were pulled from much better features. Others just feel like filler. It’s uneven, obviously, but that’s the charm. It’s not trying to be a masterpiece.

Odd observations

The transitions are jarring. It's like the editor was on a caffeine kick.
Seeing Cary Grant pop up in the mix is a funny reminder of how long some of these careers really stretched.
The music choice in some of these segments is… questionable. It’s almost like they just grabbed whatever record was lying around the office.
Some of the silent era footage looks like it was suffering from neglect, all scratchy and jumpy. It adds character, I guess.

It isn’t a deep study of romance. It’s just a product of its time, really. It feels like a studio project made to fill a slot on a double bill. You can almost feel the dust on the film cans. 🎞️

If you're looking for a plot, you won't find it. You just get this steady stream of longing. It’s weirdly hypnotic if you let it be. Just don't expect it to change your life.