Girl 27

source: Girl 27

The biggest issue I have with the film besides- his constant focus on himself instead of the story- is that for someone who claims to know MGM and Hollywood so well, he calls Peggy Montgomery, one of the most, if not THE most famous child film star ever, a Hollywood extra. She was Baby Peggy for god's sake. Since he got that huge, very obvious item wrong, it may indicate other research that is not very good either. Could that be why he spends too much time on himself. All of the time on him is wasted time and self aggrandizing. Time to watch "Broadcast News" for tips on why it doesn't work to focus on himself. Pat Douglas's story is important, particularly in light of other famous (Fatty Arbuckle for one), and some more recent, Hollywood rape cases. I, at least, applaud him for telling Pat's even in this not very well handled documentary.

I have rather mixed feelings about this movie. It brings up an interesting, forgotten scandal, which I give it credit for. But I felt the movie was always straining a little too hard to be interesting, as though the filmmaker knew he really only had a 40-minute short but was determined to get a feature length film out of it. The movie is a mix of a documentary about the rape and a documentary about uncovering the rape, and I found that an interesting, fairly successful approach. The various film clips range from relevant to flippant. The filmmaker's worst instincts came out during the interviews with the victim. Tossing in film clips earlier made a certain amount of sense, but doing the same thing during her painful answers felt gimmicky and insensitive and just took away from the power of the scene. Sometimes you have to be willing to let a person or a situation speak for itself, but that doesn't happen in this movie.

GIRL 27 follows writer David Stenn in his search for vanished 1937 rape victim Patricia Douglas. To watch this elderly woman -- with fierce wit and total recall -- break seven decades of self- imposed silence and give the only on-camera interview of her life is just jaw-dropping. You won't forget her, even though MGM tried ruthlessly to make sure the world did. Also loved all the ultra-rare film clips (some unseen since the 1930s) and inclusion of other hushed-up MGM scandals. The depth of research is staggering here -- Stenn proves every point with eyewitness accounts or damning documentation. Not sure why another post claims Stenn hijacks the film, since he disappears once Patricia Douglas is found. (And give the guy a break, "Cool As Ice" was directed by David Kellogg and shot by Janusz Kaminski, so they've all done better since...) Don't miss this one. I'm still haunted by it.

Girl 27 has been criticized for the alleged self-indulgence of director David Stenn. I disagree. Stern's obsessive effort to unearth the truth about Patrica Douglas was riveting, and it could not have been depicted in any other fashion. A dry, factual investigation would never have revealed the intimacies that made this story so compelling to watch. At times I felt uncomfortable with Stenn's invasive style, but this was a terrible story that needed to be told. To gloss it over would only be an injustice to Ms. Douglas. I truly felt Stenn's anxiety at the casino hotel where he awaited his first meeting with Patricia. Some may accuse the director of exploitation, but to me Stenn displayed true compassion for Ms. Douglas and her tragic experience at MGM. An amazing film.

Director and writer David Stenn took the gutsy step of putting himself into the movie. "Gutsy" because others have, and will, find fault with this approach. They misinterpret his goal of sharing each step of investigation. They see it as self-centered. Rather, it's quite the opposite. The technique succeeds in creating a "plot" and building considerable suspense, especially regarding the central figures of the 1937 scandal. I would recommend this movie to any interested in the "Glory Days" of Hollywood, historical research, and the telling of history. Stenn takes a chance in his approach. I think it succeeds.

I was glad to see that many of the other comments felt like I did - that this was a very compelling story - a story that should be brought to light, but that it is very badly handled by the inexperienced filmmaker. Now David Stenn is a talented writer and my friends who devour Hollywood biographies speak very highly of his (I believe he's written about Clara Bow and other big Hollywood Golden Era stars) and it is interesting how he came across this awful scandal that was covered up by MGM but he seems to not trust the power of poor Ms. Douglas' story and I actually was cringing with the horrid decision to add Hollywood movie clips of women being shaken or slapped or pushed down (from various fiction films) - as Ms. Douglas begins to tell of the actual sexual assault and how it destroyed her - the forced clips almost seemed to parody what was happening (which I am sure is the opposite effect the director wanted). The way the story is told, the way he films a lot of the interviews - it is just amateurish. I read the article Stenn wrote in Vanity Fair and that is much more complex and fascinating than the film. Hollywood truly had the power to sweep all of its dirty secrets under a large rug and this story is a perfect example of that. Ms. Douglas was a very brave woman to even try and stand up to MGM but of course they crushed her with newspaper lies and huge powerful law firms. The film is still worth watching because of the subject matter but as far as documentary skill - it truly fails.

This film appalled me when I saw it at Sundance. It was one of the worst I viewed there. This could have been an interesting - possibly touching - film, the underlying story has all such elements. A naive girl abused by a Hollywood salesmen and then betrayed by her mother - it is fascinating; yet Stenn ruins it all. Mr. Stenn seems less interested in bringing the victim's story to life and more interested in thrusting himself into the camera and showing off. It is like an extended promotional reel for a D grade ham actor. The scene of him dancing on the grave (yes *literally* dancing on the grave) of the girl's abuser sickened me. Stenn clearly has no sense of decency or dignity.

David Stenn spent 10 years researching Patricia Douglas and her case and trying to uncover the truth. He presents rare archival footage, film clips and interviews that are compelling and at times even shocking when placed in the proper context. He gives the audience solid historical perspective on how secrets, lies and hypocrisy impacted Hollywood from the top stars on down. The title of the film derives its name from the roster of girls who were at the party. Patricia Douglas was "Girl 27" on the list. About half way through the film, we finally meet Patricia Douglas (which was great great timing since her survival comes as a bit of a surprise). She has a commanding voice and an arresting presence. She is surprisingly sharp and articulate. In spite of what Eddie Mannix claimed, she is alive and living as a recluse in an apartment in Las Vegas. The film tells two interwoven stories of both Patricia's terrible ordeal and of David Stenn's search for the truth about the events surrounding it. Even though she is reluctant, Patricia Douglas finally opens up and tales her story. In doing so, she seems set free and vindicated. Through it all, Patricia and David form a close bond that seems almost like an unconventional love story. Girl 27 is a haunting, compelling and powerful documentary that will stay with you long after the final credits.

The real shame of this ghastly little film is the fact that it could have been - in the hands of a skillful director - a fascinating insight into the power movie moguls once held and the corrupting influence of money of family relations. Unfortunately it ends up as nothing more than a vanity project, a monument to the director/star's colossal ego. Stenn (the writer of the honestly rather better Cool as Ice film about ludicrous white rapper Vanilla Ice) dominates the film with his dreadful personality and self-serving tributes to himself. Save yourself the time and money and give this stinker a miss.