The Silence of Dean Maitland (1934) Online

Everyone who is fascinated by the history of the cinema should see this one! The central character is a clergyman who through the course of the story, rises to the significant position of Dean of the Cathedral. But Dean Maitland is a man with a secret or two:- a steamy affair, a love-child and ...... something even worse! What is the terrible secret about which the Dean remains silent for twenty years?

This movie was created at a time when it was considered highly inappropriate to present "a man of the cloth" in anything other than a favourable light. Depicting the Dean as a lusty and deceitful sinner raised disapproving eyebrows.

But even more scandalous was the nudity! This is the first, the very first film to reveal a nipple!

Well, you have to be very quick to catch it! It's right near the beginning. The pretty little nympho Alma Lee has been having a dip in the ocean, spied upon by not one but two men. She changes, partly behind a rock and partly (but only partly) behind a small towel. (None of these bath-sheets!) The towel slips down .... and there for an instant is a nipple! She hitches it up and there for an instant is a buttock!

And this really is Movie Making History!

The movie is filmed with considerable artistry and a great deal of wit, albeit of a very Australian kind. Some of the scenes, the camera placement and angles make us forget that this really is a very old film. Ken Hall was a daring genius.