''Crooked Streets'' is a 1920 American silent drama spy film directed by Paul Powell and produced by

Famous Players–Lasky The Famous Players–Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Companyoriginally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Playsan ...

and distributed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

. It is one of star

Ethel Clayton Ethel Clayton (November 8, 1882 – June 6, 1966) was an American actress of the silent film era. Early years Born in Champaign, Illinois, Clayton attended St. Elizabeth's school in Chicago. Career Clayton debuted on stage as a professional a ...

's rare surviving silent films with a copy at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

. The film is based on a short story, "Dinner at Eight", by Samuel Merwin.

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, Gail Ellis (Clayton) is employed as a secretary by Professor Lawrence Griswold (Fillmore) prior to his departure from San Francisco for Shanghai, ostensibly in that city to purchase some rare vases. In the city she meets with adventures while trying to find the headquarters of the pottery merchants and is saved from molestation by Englishman Rupert O'Dare (Holt), who has to battle a drunken sailor in a boxing ring before the latter will leave her alone. As the Griswolds are about to depart for America, having purchased several cases of vases that contain

opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...

, Rupert causes them to be arrested. They overpower him and are about to escape when Gail arrives with officers and apprehends them. Rupert then confesses that he is a member of the British secret service and Gail says that she is Ellis of the U.S. Secret Service, and that Rupert had forced her hand as she had intended to arrest the Griswolds in San Francisco. They find happiness in each other's company, and later sail to England as Mr. and Mrs. O'Dare.

Cast

as Gail Ellis * Jack Holt as Rupert O'Dare *

Clyde Fillmore Clyde Fillmore (October 25, 1874Who Was Who on Screen''Silent Film Necrology'' p.170 2nd Edition by Eugene M. Vazzana c.2001 – December 19, 1946), born Clyde Fogle, was an American actor of stage and screen. He is best remembered for a 192 ...

as Lawrence Griswold
Clyde Fillmore
*

Clarence Geldart Clarence Geldart (June 9, 1867 – May 13, 1935) was an American film actor. He appeared in 127 films between 1915 and 1936. He was sometimes credited as C.H. Geldart or Charles H. Geldart. He was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and died i ...

as Silas Griswold *

Josephine Crowell Josephine Bonaparte CrowellSlide, Anthony (1973). The Griffith Actresses'. South Brunswick: A.S. Barnes. pp. 22, 24. . (January 11, 1859– July 27, 1932) was a Canadian film actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 90 fil ...

as Mrs. Griswold *Fred Starr as Sailor Hugh

References

External links

*
Period advert
(Wayback Machine) 1920 films American silent feature films Films based on short fiction Films directed by Paul Powell (director) Paramount Pictures films 1920 drama films American drama films American black-and-white films 1920s American films Silent American drama films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub