''Forgotten Faces'' is a 1928 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Victor Schertzinger Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include ''Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930 in film, 1930), ''Something to Sing About (1937 fi ...

and starring

Clive Brook Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English stage and film actor. After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged as a leading British actor in the early 1920s. After moving to the Unit ...

, Mary Brian, and

Olga Baclanova Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova (; 19 August 1893 – 6 September 1974), known professionally as Olga Baclanova, was a Russian-born actress who found success in Hollywood films, as well as stage roles in the US and the United Kingdom, she was mainly ...

. The production was overseen by

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...

, a rising young producer at the time. The film was remade by

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

in 1936 as a sound film. The film is preserved with copies 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 ...

and the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

. This film is Paramount's remake of their 1920 film '' Heliotrope''.

Plot

A criminal, “Heliotrope” Harry (

), comes home after a stick-up job and finds his wife Lilly (

) in bed with another man. He shoots his rival and deposits their baby daughter Alice (played later as an adult by Mary Brian) on a rich couple's doorstep. While serving a life sentence, Harry is updated on his daughter's happy life by his old criminal associate Froggy (

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor, known primarily for his film career. Under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin M ...

). For years, his vengeful wife seeks their daughter in vain. When she finally locates their child, the father wrangles parole from a sympathetic warden. He seeks to ensure permanent protection for his daughter by luring his crazed wife into a trap where she shoots him but suffers a prearranged fatal accident while escaping. The father dies in his daughter's arms, who now knows and appreciates his true identity and love for her.

Cast

as Heliotrope Harry Harlow * Mary Brian as Alice Deane *

as Lilly Harlow *

as Froggy *

Fred Kohler Fredrick Louis Kohler (April 20, 1888 – October 28, 1938) was an American actor. Career Fred Kohler was born in Kansas City, Missouri or in Dubuque, Iowa. As a teen, he began to pursue a career in vaudeville, but worked other jobs to suppor ...

as Number 1309 *

Jack Luden Jacob Benson Luden (February 8, 1902 – February 15, 1951) was an American film actor. Early life The son of Jacob and Anna Luden, he grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania. His uncle was confectioner William H. Luden, who developed the menthol cough ...

as Tom * Ernie Adams as Trusty in Hospital (uncredited) *

Symona Boniface Symona Ferner Boniface (March 5, 1894 – September 2, 1950) was an American film actress, most frequently seen in bit parts in comedy shorts, mostly at Columbia Pictures, particularly those of ''The Three Stooges''. She appeared in 120 film ...

as Roulette Player (uncredited)

References

Bibliography

* Dick, Bernard F. ''Engulfed: The Death of Paramount Pictures and the Birth of Corporate Hollywood''. University Press of Kentucky, 2001.

External links

* 1928 films Silent American drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films 1928 drama films 1920s English-language films Films directed by Victor Schertzinger Paramount Pictures films Films produced by David O. Selznick Films with screenplays by Howard Estabrook Surviving American silent films 1920s American films Films set in New York City {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub