''Richelieu'' is a 1914 American silent

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction s ...

film written and directed by

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

, based on the play ''Richelieu'' written by

Edward Bulwer-Lytton Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (; 25 May 1803 – 18 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secr ...

. It featured Lon Chaney, Murdock MacQuarrie and Pauline Bush. This was Allan Dwan's last film for Universal, as he moved to New York afterward to work at the Famous Players Company and married his lead actress Pauline Bush in 1915. Originally released in March 1914 at six reels in length (making it Chaney's first full-length feature), Universal eventually cut it down to four reels and put it out on Sept. 26, 1914 as part of its regular programme of pictures. Upon viewing the original 6-reel version, Moving Picture World had written in their review, "A six-reel production of the celebrated Cardinal Richelieu, following the lines of the famous play by that name.... The plot is a highly interesting one toward the close, but the action in the first three reels is rather slow and confusing. This would have been much stronger as either a three or four reel production." The film is now considered to be lost. Neither the 6-reel nor the 4-reel version survives.

Plot

In 17th-century France, Cardinal Richelieu sends Adrien de Mauprat, who is in love with Richelieu's ward Julie de Mortemar, off to fight the Spanish, as punishment for his disobedience in an earlier military conflict. Baradas (Lon Chaney), a favorite of King Louis XVI, is also in love with Julie, and envies de Mauprat's victories when he winds up winning in battle and returning home a hero. Baradas convinces de Mauprat that the cardinal is plotting against him and draws him into a scheme to kill the cardinal and seize the throne. Richelieu learns of the plot and De Mauprat is imprisoned and sentenced to be executed. Julie pleads for the release of her lover and winds up getting permission to marry him, and de Mauprat is released. Baradas is imprisoned instead, Julie winds up marrying de Mauprat, and Richelieu is restored to power.

Cast

* Murdock MacQuarrie as

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religi ...

* William C. Dowlan as Adrien de Mauprat * Lon Chaney as Baradas * Pauline Bush as Julie de Mortemar * James Robert Chandler as Sieur de Beringhen *

Edna Maison Edna Maison (born Carmen Edna Maisonneuve or Carmen Edna Maisonave; August 17, 1892 – January 11, 1946) was an American silent film actress. Maison was born Carmen Edna Maisonave in San Francisco. Her father was a Frenchman and her moth ...

as Marion de Lormer * James Neill as The King * Richard Rosson as François *

Edythe Chapman Edythe Chapman (October 8, 1863 – October 15, 1948) was an American stage and silent film actress. Career Born in Rochester, New York, Chapman began her stage career as early as 1898 when she appeared in New York City in ''The Charity Ball''. ...

as The Queen * William Lloyd as Joseph * Frank Rice as Huget

Reception

Motion Picture News The ''Motion Picture News'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1913 to 1930. History The publication was created through the 1913 merger of the ''Moving Picture News'' founded in 1908 and ''The Exhibitors' Times'', founde ...

wrote: "It is hardly necessary to say that (Allan Dwan) has succeeded in really reproducing this section from this momentous and troubling time in France.....Mr. MacQuarrie's portrayal of Richelieu is really a fine piece of acting." Moving Picture World wrote: "This finely photographed four-reel production of "Richelieu", besides being good entertainment, has a pleasing historical interest...The costuming is pleasing throughout this production, the photography is exceptionally smooth and inviting, and the choice of settings admirable."

Censorship

The

Chicago Board of Censors The Chicago Board of Censors was a film censorship committee based in Chicago that was founded in 1907 as the Police Censor Board, and operated until 1984. It was the first film censorship board in the United States. The board had great influence o ...

cut out the close-up of the executioner with his axe, and removed the intertitle "Your husband knows the King's degrading suit and deems it honor."

References

Bibliography

* Frederic Lombardi. ''Allan Dwan and the Rise and Decline of the Hollywood Studios''. McFarland, 2013.

External links

* {{Allan Dwan 1914 films 1914 lost films 1914 drama films 1910s historical drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films American historical drama films Lost American drama films Films based on works by Edward Bulwer-Lytton Films directed by Allan Dwan Universal Pictures films Films set in the 1620s Films set in the 1630s Films set in France Films set in Paris Biographical films about politicians Cultural depictions of Cardinal Richelieu Cultural depictions of Louis XIII 1910s American films Silent American drama films English-language historical drama films Lost silent American films