Review from Variety, December 1, 1916
NANETTE OF THE WILDS
Nanette Gautier Pauline Frederick
Constable Thomas O'Brien Willard Mack
Joe Gautier Charles Brant
Andy Joyce Frank Joyner
Harry Jennings Wallace MacDonald
Baptiste Flammant Macey Harlan
Sargeant Major O'Hara Daniel Pennell
Marie Beaudeaut Jean Stewart
Constable Jevne Robert Conville
Pure, unadulterated melodrama of an exceedingly cheap type is "Nanette of the Wilds," a Famous Players feature, written by Willard Mack in which Pauline Frederick is starred, with the author as the principal member of her supporting cast. The picture is a "bad baby," and even Miss Frederick cannot do anything to save it. Regarding this feature there is a little story that has drifted from the studio, to the effect that the director who produced it met with so many difficulties placed in his path by the author and star, that he would not permit his name to be placed on the picture. Those that saw the feature cannot blame him. Mr. Mack took the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police and their work as the basis for his story. He has made Miss Frederick the daughter of a bootlegger who is smuggling American booze into the lumber camps of Canada. He chose for himself the role of the heroic "copper" who runs down the bootleggers and incidentally unravels a double murder mystery. In construction the story is poor. The murders are played up in the forepart of the story and later they become only incidental to the capture of the whisky smugglers. Miss Frederick hasn't the type of role that she shines in. Not only is the role of the star a poor one as to type, but it does not give her enough to do. As to Mr. Mack's acting--the least said the better. He overacts for the most part and his close-ups are far from impressing. The picture is not up to the Paramount standard.
Fred.
Greta de Groat, 16.01.2011
