''Spangles'' is a 1926 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 ...

produced and distributed by

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. It was directed by Frank O'Connor and starred Marian Nixon, Pat O'Malley, and Hobart Bosworth.

Plot

As described in a film magazine review, Robert 'Big Bill' Bowman, owner of the circus, is engaged to 'Spangles' Delancy, the pretty bareback rider, but she loves Dick Hale, a young fugitive she has shielded from the police as she believes him innocent of the murder he is accused of committing. Bowman finally gives Dick a chance in the chariot race, but rivalry from a jealous rider antagonizes Dick and spoils the race. Dick is fired and, when threatened with exposure by Bowman, he turns himself in at the nearest police station. There Dick learns that the real murderer has confessed to the crime. Dick returns to the circus lot but is threatened with

lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged or convicted transgressor or to intimidate others. It can also be an extreme form of i ...

by a mob who think that he is responsible for the killing of Bowman, who was mysteriously murdered the previous night. It is later discovered that Bowman was killed by Sultan, the huge circus elephant. Spangles and Dick are now free to wed.

Cast

* Marian Nixon as 'Spangles' Delancy * Pat O'Malley as Dick Hale, Dick Radley * Hobart Bosworth as Robert 'Big Bill' Bowman * Gladys Brockwell as Mlle. Dazie *Jay Emmett as Jack Milford *James Conly as Biff, a Halfwit *Grace Gordon as Davidina, the Bearded Lady *Paul Howard as Armless Man * Tiny Ward as Goliath, A Giant *Charles Becker as Little Tommy Tumtack, a Dwarf *Nellie Lane as Fat Lady *Clarence Wertz as Rawlins *Harry Schultz as Strong Man *Herbert Shelly as Skeleton * Walter Brennan as Lunch Counterman (uncredited) *Joe Martin as Joe Martin, The Chimp (uncredited)

Preservation

A print of ''Spangles'' is located at the UCLA Film and Television Archive,

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 George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection, and it has been released on DVD.Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''Spangles''
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References

External links

* * (8mm raw scan) 1926 films American silent feature films Universal Pictures films Films based on American novels 1926 drama films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by Frank O'Connor 1920s American films 1920s English-language films English-language drama films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub