“Tell me you will always be Rosa Alvaro.”
We
all have fantasies of the different people we would like to be and the types of
people we would like to know. I have always been into TV shows, movies, and
music so my fantasies always consist of me being in the movie industry and
singing into my hair brush lip sync belting out Kelly Clarkson songs. At twenty-eight
my new fantasies consist of finding a full time job, getting a car, being able
to down my student loans and credit card, and being a somewhat popular YouTuber
who gets invited to conventions and to be a guest on Grace Helbig’s podcast Not
Too Deep. I still have my fantasies about being in the movie industry somehow
but now it is through the digital space and not so much through the traditional
means.
My
fantasies of music and movies when I was younger were never stronger than when I
worked retail. For a few years I was miserable in retail jobs. I would escape
into my mind and think of all my favorite movies and TV shows and characters
and songs. I would dream of being any place but at my lousy job where the
managers and other employees and customers walked all over me. I would just
dream of being anyone else but me. I wanted to be Jennifer Garner as the kick
ass, drop dead gorgeous, confident spy Sydney Bristow from her show Alias. I wanted to be Veronica Mars with
the sharp tongue and quick wit. In short, I wanted to be the tough female
characters I admired in the movies and on TV who were high above working in
retail.
My
rambling about what did (and still kind of does) go on in my head does have a
point to this week’s silent film- What Happened
to Rosa?- I will be reviewing.
Mayme
Ladd (Mable Normand) works in the stock room of a busy department store. In the
back she has her feet kicked up reading a magazine. Mayme right out of her
daydream when the manager comes in looking for her to work on the floor. At the
counter, Mayme looks miserable like she does not want to be there at all. It is
obvious that she is physically there but mentally she is far off in a fantasy
world. Interrupting her fantasies is a handsome young doctor who wants to order
some stockings for his sister named Dr. Maynard Drew. Their encounter is
awkward and it leaves a lasting impression on Mayme. Next, a woman named Madame
Yvette O’Donnell comes up to counter Mayme is working. The woman claims to be a
clairvoyant descended from Egyptians and wants Mayme to come and see her.
Mayme
goes to see Madame Yvette. The clairvoyant claims that she has summoned the
spirit of a Spanish woman named Rosa Alvarez to enter Mayme’s body to make the
stockroom worker more beautiful and desirable. It is not long before Mayme begins
to believe Madame Yvette’s yarn of the spirit of Rosa Alvarez in her body.
Mayme’s mother used to be a dancer and she still has her Spanish dancer’s
costume from one of her shows. She puts it on and she immediately becomes her
new persona Rosa Alvarez. The first thing she fantasies while being Rosa is
capturing the love, admiration, and attention of Dr. Maynard Drew.
For
days and weeks Mayme is obsessed with going around her apartment as Rosa. Her
roommate Gwen is driven mad by Mayme’s Spanish episodes. To get Mayme out of
the apartment and doing something somewhat normal, Gwen takes Mayme to a party
on a yacht. The party is a costume party so of course Mayme goes dressed up as
Rosa. Also at the party is Maynard and he locks eyes with Rosa. He is soon
unable to get enough of this exotic woman. Gwen is frustrated with her friend
and lets Mayme’s boss, who is also at the party, know that Rosa is really Mayme
and she is behaving deplorably. In order to avoid any real trouble and being
found out by Maynard, Mayme jumps ship and swims to shore. Maynard jumps after
her but he cannot find her.
Maynard
cannot think of anything or anyone but Rosa. He has detectives scour the city
for her but they only turn up her clothes which they give to him. Mayme
cleverly puts on an act to get back her costume and to be with Maynard that is
quite silly and quite smart.
What Happened to Rosa? is a really funny
silent film. I believe I have seen Mabel Normand in a film before this but I cannot
for the life of me remember. I loved Normand in this film I can see why she was
a popular comedic actress. I, of course, related to Mayme daydreaming away in
the stockroom and out on the department floor. There were quite a number of
times I remember seeing a really handsome guy come in and being enamored by
them (I actually wound up dating two customers at my one retail job [at
different times], whoops!). I liked the confidence Mayme gained when she was
told she had the spirit of a beautiful Spanish dancer in her. There is nothing
like a little confidence boost to brighten your spirits and how you perceive yourself.
I definitely recommend seeing What Happened
to Rosa? it was fun from start to finish. What Happened to Rosa? is available to view in full on YouTube.
