Released – November, 1922 

Directed By - John S. Robertson

Starring - Mary Pickford (Tessibel ‘Tess’ Skinner), Lloyd Hughes (Frederick Graves), Gloria Hope (Teola Graves), David Torrence (Elias Graves).

Description – Wealthy landowner Elias Graves is determined to remove the squatters from his land. Tess Skinner is the 17 year old daughter of the squatters. She is equally determined to help her family stay.

Elias’ son Frederick is sympathetic to the squatters and finds himself attracted to young Tess as she is to him. When Frederick’s sister Teola suggests that her father can remove the squatters by claiming that they are fishing illegally on Graves land a murder takes place that is blamed on Tesses father.

The murder victim is the father of Teola’s soon to be arriving child. About to have a child out of wedlock, Teola thinks about commiting suicide. Although al unlikely allie, Tess decides to help by claiming the child as her own. Another murder follows as the involvement of the innocent continues to deepen.

NOTABLE: This was the role chosen by Mary Pickford to follow the critical disappointment of Little Lord Fauntleroy. It was her second turn as Tess Skinner having previously done the role in 1914 which proved to be a showcase for her talent.

Tess of the Storm Country

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released - January, 1922 

Directed By - Erich von Stroheim

Starring – Rudolph Christians (Andrew J. Hughes), Miss Dupont (Helen Hughes), Maude George (Her Highness Olga Petchnikoff), Eric von Stroheim (Count Wladislaw Karamzin).

Description – This silent drama tells the story of a conman who poses as a Count in order to seduce rich women and extort money from them. Combining charm with aristocratic behaviour, his con game has been extremely successful.

Working in Monaco and Monte Carlo, with two lovers posing as his cousins, the Count has his sights set on the gullible wife of American ambassador Andrew J. Hughes. Helen Hughes, bored and looking for a little excitement, is easily seduced by the Count who proceeds to try and relieve her of 90,000 francs.

Enjoy a little seduction, suicide, and murder.

NOTABLE: In 2008 this motion picture was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

This film was produced by Irving Thalberg, who uncredited in this film, went on to become one of the legendary studio heads at MGM.

The films production costs exceded $1 million dollars making it the most expensive film of its time. Always considered to spend excessively, there was no denying von Stroheim’s attention to detail.

von Stroheim originally intended the film to run from 6-10 hours. Understandably upset, the Universal studio heads edited the film to 130 minutes.

Actor Rudolph Christians died from pneumonia during filming and was replaced by Robert Edeson who only showed his back in the film.

Foolish Wives

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released – June, 1927 

Directed By – Tod Browning

Starring – Lon Chaney (Alonzo the Armless), Norman Kerry (Malabar the Mighty), Joan Crawford (Nanon Zanzi), John George (Antonio Zanzi).

Description – This Lon Chaney silent classic is about a seemingly armless knife thrower and the carnival girl (Joan Crawford) he hopes to marry.

Alonzo keeps his arms tightly strapped to his sides appearing armless and amazing his audience with his knife throwing ability using his feet. He is in love with his assistant Nanon, who has a pathological fear of being touched by a man,

Zanon witnesses the murder of the carnival manager but, only sees the thumb of the killer. In an effort to both cover up his crime and to remove Zanon’s fear of being touched, Alonzo blackmails a doctor to amputate both of his arm. He believes that by doing this he can win the heart of Zanon without her fear of being touched by a man getting in his way.

This proves to be a huge mistake as Zanon loses her fear and is now interested in the carnival strong man. Finding this out, Alonzo become enraged and plots his revenge.

NOTABLE:  Joan Crawford has always stated that she learned more about acting working with Chaney in this film that the rest of her career put together.

Burt Lancaster considers Chaney’s performance to be the most emotionally compelling performance that he has ever seen.

Included in The Lon Chaney Collection 

TCM Archives – The Lon Chaney Collection (The Ace of Hearts / Laugh, Clown, Laugh / The Unknown)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released – September, 1920

Directed By - D.W. Griffith

Starring – Lillian Gish (Anna Moore), Richard Barthelmess (David Bartlett), Lowell Sherman (Lennox Sanderson), Burr McIntosh (Squire Bartlett).

Description – Anna, a poor country girl, is tricked into a fake marriage by wealthy Lennox Sanderson who leaves her upon learning that she is pregnant. Her baby dies shortly after birth forcing Anna to try to rebuild her life. 

Anna finds work with Squire Bartlett who has a son that falls in love with her. Shamed by her past she rejects him, but continues with her work  until Lennox Sanderson again shows up. 

NOTABLE: Way Down East proved to be one of D.W. Griffith’s most successful films, becoming the fourth highest grossing movie in silent film history. 

Filming the climatic final scene of Anna floating on ice over a waterfall caused Gish problems for the remainder of her life as a result of extended filming of her hand in the icy water.

The waterfall scene was filmed at Niagara Falls.

Way Down East

D. W. Griffith Silent Classics (Orphans of the Storm (1921) / Intolerance (1916) / Way Down East (1920) / Birth of A Nation (1915) / Broken Blossoms (1919)) (5-DVD)

 Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store