''The Avalanche'' is a 1919 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 ...

about gambling directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and Film producer, producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940 ...

who also served as the film's art director. William Scully was the assistant director to Fitzmaurice. The film stars

Elsie Ferguson Elsie Louise Ferguson (August 19, 1883 – November 15, 1961) was an American stage and film actress. Seen by some as an early feminist, she promoted suffrage, which she discussed in interviews, and supported animal rights. Early life Born in ...

and

Warner Oland Warner Oland (born Johan Verner Ölund; October 3, 1879 – August 6, 1938) was a Swedish-American actor. His career included time on Broadway and numerous film appearances. He is most remembered for playing several Chinese and Chinese-American ...

. Ferguson plays a dual role in the film, portraying both mother and daughter. This is the first film that teamed director Fitzmaurice and star Ferguson. Some scenes were filmed in Lake Placid, New York. Ferguson's gowns were by the designer

Callot Soeurs Callot Soeurs () was one of the leading fashion design houses of the 1910s and 1920s. Origins Callot Soeurs opened in 1895 at 24, rue Taitbout in Paris, France. It was operated by the four Callot sisters: Marie Callot Gerber, Marthe Callot Be ...

.''The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1911-20'' published by The American Film Institute, 1988 edit.

Cast

as Chichita / Madame Delano / Helene *

Lumsden Hare Francis Lumsden Hare (17 October 1874 – 28 August 1964) was an Irish-born American film and theatre actor. He was also a theatre director and theatrical producer. Early years Hare was born in County Tipperary, Ireland. He studied at St. Duns ...

as Price Ruyler *

Zeffie Tilbury Zeffie Agnes Lydia Tilbury (20 November 1863 – 24 July 1950) was an English-American actress.
profile at Cinemorgue. < ...

as Mrs Ruyler *

Fred Esmelton Frederick Bryant Esmelton, known as Fred Esmelton (born Frederick Batty Green Bryant; June 22, 1872 – October 23, 1933) was an Australian-born American film actor, as well as a stage actor and director. He appeared in 30 films, usually in ...

as John Harvey * William Roselle as Ferdie Derenforth * Grace Field as Sybil Price *

as Nick Delano

Plot

After her father, the owner of a gambling house in Spain, is murdered and her husband, a hardened gambler, commits suicide, Chichita takes her little girl and abandons her in a convent. There, little Helene will be raised by the nuns until, fifteen years later, now grown up, the girl escapes. She meets and marries novelist Price Ruyler. Soon domestic life bores the young bride who, in New York City, becomes fascinated by nightlife and gambling. One of the gambling saloons she frequents belongs to Nick Delano, Chichita's second husband. Helene, addicted to gambling, suffers heavy losses. She tries to cover them with her jewelry, even stealing money from her husband's wallet, but gets in over her head. Her mother, who has recognized her, wants to help her but Delano, discovering the bond between the two women, telephones Price. Helene struggles with Delano, who accidentally falls from the balcony and dies. To protect her daughter, Mrs. Delano blames herself for her husband's death and, in prison, poisons herself. Years later, sitting in front of a burning fireplace, Helene quietly embroiders while Price embraces her affectionately. Elsie Ferguson-Lumsden Hare in The Avalanche

Elsie Ferguson-Lumsden Hare in The Avalanche

Preservation

With no prints of ''The Avalanche'' located in any film archives, it is considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

. In February 2021, the film was cited by the

National Film Preservation Board The United States National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) is the board selecting films for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. It was established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988. The National Film Regis ...

on their Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films list.

References

External links

*
''The Avalanche'' at silentera.comElsie Ferguson and Lumsden Hare in a still photo from ''The Avalanche'' (Univ. of Washington, Sayre Collection)ELSIE FERGUSON IN THE AVALANCHE, SILENT FILM THEATER GLASS SLIDE 1919 LOST FILM''The Avalanche'': Directed by: George Fitzmaurice, USA, 1919Scene still with Elsie Ferguson and Warner Oland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avalanche (1919 film), The 1919 films 1919 drama films 1919 lost films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films American black-and-white films American silent feature films English-language drama films Films based on American novels Films based on works by Gertrude Atherton Films directed by George Fitzmaurice Films with screenplays by Ouida Bergère Lost American drama films Lost silent American films Paramount Pictures films Silent American drama films

Cast

Plot

Preservation

See also

References

External links