''Sporting Life'' is a lost 1918 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

Maurice Tourneur Maurice Félix Thomas (; 2 February 1876 – 4 August 1961), known as Maurice Tourneur (), was a French film director and screenwriter. Life Born Maurice Félix Thomas in the Épinettes district (17th arrondissement of Paris), his father was a w ...

. It is the first film for sisters

Faire Binney Frederica "Faire" Binney (August 24, 1900 – August 28, 1957) was an American stage actress, stage and film actress.Soister, Nicolella & Joyce p.732 Biography Born Frederica Binney in Morristown, New Jersey, she was the daughter of Horace Binney ...

and

Constance Binney Constance Binney (June 28, 1896 – November 15, 1989) was an American Stage (theatre), stage and film actress and dancer. Biography Born in New York City, Binney was educated at Westover School, a private college preparatory boarding scho ...

, from the Broadway stage. Tourneur would re-film this story again in 1925.

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 ...

, Lord Woodstock (Graves) is in financial difficulties and is counting on a fight and a race to reestablish his fortune. He has plighted his troth to Norah (Binney), daughter of his trainer Miles Cavanagh (Eldridge). His sister Kitty (Binney) is in love with Joe Lee (Richmond), a

Gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

. Malet de Carteret (Craig) and his wife Olive (Kershaw) are anxious to ruin Woodstock for their own gain. Olive attempts to fascinate Joe so that he will throw the fight as, under the rules of the Club, unless Woodstock can pay his debts after the fight he cannot race. Unable to arrange it any other way, Olive has Joe poisoned. Woodstock then goes into the ring himself and wins the fight. His horse Lady Love has been stolen, but Norah cleverly finds her and gets the horse to the track on time. Then Woodstock is seized, bound, and held on a ferry boat. In case of his death, the horse cannot run, and De Carteret claims that Woodstock is dead. Joe learns of the treachery of the de Carterets and risks his life to save Woodstock. Kitty, who had suffered under the hands of Olive, recovers sufficiently to see the race being won. When the police are taking Joe away because his attack against Olive that was necessary to free Kitty, she is told that the charge will never be pressed. In a charming fadeout two sisters become brides of Woodstock and Joe for a happy ending.

Cast

Ralph Graves Ralph Graves (born Ralph Horsburgh; January 23, 1900 – February 18, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director and actor who appeared in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1949. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Graves had already ...

as John, Earl of Woodstock *

Warner Richmond Warner Richmond (born Werner Paul Otto Raetzmann; January 11, 1886 – June 19, 1948) was an American stage and film actor. He began his career as a stock theatre actor and appeared in films in both the silent film and sound eras. His career spa ...

as Joe Lee * Charles Eldridge as Miles Cavanagh * Charles Craig as Malet de Carteret *Henry West as Straker *

as Norah Cavanagh *

as Kitty Cavanagh * Willette Kershaw as Olive de Carteret *Harry Harris as Crake *Eddie Kelly as Woodstock * Clara Beyers (Undetermined Role)

Reception

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

's review was positive, and said that the film would "give satisfaction to any audience."

Censorship

Like many American films of the time, ''Sporting Life'' was subject to restrictions and cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required a cut, in Reel 2, of the two intertitles "Please tell father you want to marry me — if he ever learns the truth" etc. and "The night before Epsom Downs, Kitty endeavors to tell her father her pitiful secret", and, Reel 3, the intertitle "If you had left him alone he would have married me".

References

External links

* {{Maurice Tourneur 1918 films 1918 drama films 1918 lost films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films American black-and-white films American films based on plays American silent feature films English-language drama films Films directed by Maurice Tourneur Films set in England Films set in London Lost American drama films Silent American drama films Lost silent American films