''Checkers'' is a 1919 American silent

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

film, directed by

Richard Stanton Richard Stanton (October 8, 1876 – May 22, 1956) was an American actor and director of the silent era. He appeared in 68 films between 1911 and 1916. He also directed 57 films between 1914 and 1925. He was born in Iowa and died in Los An ...

. There are no known archival holdings of the film, so it is presumably a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

. The film is based on the screenplay with the same name by

Henry Blossom Henry Martyn Blossom Jr. (May 10, 1866 – March 23, 1919) was an American writer, playwright, novelist, opera librettist, and lyricist. He first gained wide attention for his second novel, '' Checkers: A Hard Luck Story'' (1896), which was succes ...

. Mazie LaShelle Hunt and Marjorie Seely Blossom, the widows of

Kirke La Shelle Kirke La Shelle (September 23, 1862 – May 16, 1905) was an American journalist, playwright and theatrical producer. He was known for his association with such successful productions as ''The Wizard of the Nile'', '' The Princess Chic'', ''Besi ...

and Henry Blossom respectively, filed a lawsuit in the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

against

Fox Film The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American independent company that produced motion pictures and was formed in 1914 by the theater "chain" pioneer William Fox. It was the corporate successor to his earlier Greater Ne ...

regarding the sale of the film. SceneFromCheckers1919

Cast list

* Thomas Carrigan as Checkers *

Jean Acker Jean Acker (born Harriet Ackers; October 23, 1892 – August 16, 1978) was an American actress with a career dating from the silent film era through the 1950s. She was perhaps best known as the estranged wife of silent film star Rudolph Valenti ...

as Pert Barlow * Ellen Cassidy as Alva Romaine * Robert Elliott as Arthur Kendall *

Tammany Young Tammany Young (September 9, 1886 – April 26, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. Early life Born in New York City, Young appeared on Broadway in '' The Front Page'' (1928) by Ben Hecht and '' The New Yorkers'' (1930) by Herbert Fiel ...

as Push Miller *

Bertram Marburgh Bertram Marburgh (May 17, 1875 – August 22, 1956) was an American stage and film actor. Rainey p.67 He appeared as a character actor in around thirty five films between 1915 and 1945. Selected filmography * ''After Dark'' (1915) * ''The Stolen ...

as Judge Barlow *

Edward Sedgwick Edward Sedgwick, Jr. (November 7, 1889 – May 7, 1953) was an American film director, screenwriter, writer, actor and film producer, producer. Early life He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, ...

as Pete *

Peggy Worth Peggy may refer to: People * Peggy (given name), people with the given name or nickname Arts and entertainment * ''Peggy'' (musical), a 1911 musical comedy by Stuart and Bovill * ''Peggy'' (album), a 1977 Peggy Lee album * ''Peggy'' (1916 ...

as Sadie Martin * Frank Beamish as Colonel Warren * Freeman Barnes as Sam Wah * Gene Bucus as Chinese girl * Juliet Crane as A girl of the slums * Anna Neilson as Hag * Dorothy Orth as Ballet dancer * Bret Black as boy

Reception

The Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informati ...

gave it a positive review in July 1920, stating that it as a whole was a "Good, old-fashioned racing meller that contained thrills a-plenty, heart interest, and all the other elements that should make it go ver big; well-acted and well-produced.".

Photoplay ''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film fan magazines, its title another word for screenplay. It was founded in Chicago in 1911. Under early editors Julian Johnson and James R. Quirk, in style and reach it became a pacesetter for fan m ...

also gave it a positive review, writing that it " ..has a speed that never lets down, an electric sort of thrill in its most exciting episodes, and its heroics are of the style that recall those days when we shuffled our feet among the peanut-shells on the gallery floor and nearly fell over the rail whenever the heroine was in peril." By October 1919, the film had been seen by over 1,540,000 people, and had been shown 700 times in New York alone.

References

External links

* * American silent feature films American black-and-white films {{1910s-drama-film-stub