''The Deadlier Sex'' is a 1920 American silent

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Robert Thornby Robert Thornby (March 27, 1888 – March 6, 1953) was an American film director, director and actor of the silent film, silent era. He directed 75 films between 1913 and 1927. He also appeared in 48 films between 1911 and 1930. He was born i ...

which stars

Blanche Sweet Sarah Blanche Sweet (June 18, 1896 – September 6, 1986) was an American silent film actress who began her career in the early days of the motion picture film industry. Early life Born Sarah Blanche Sweet (though her first name Sarah was ra ...

and features

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

, and was distributed by

Pathé Exchange Pathé Exchange, commonly known as Pathé, was an American film production and distribution company, largely of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's silent film, silent era. Known for its trailblazing newsreel and wide array of short film, s ...

. The screenplay was written by Fred Myton, based on a short story by Bayard Veiller. It was filmed in Truckee, California. This film was recently restored by the

Academy Film Archive The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of mot ...

and still exists.

Plot

Mary Willard (Sweet), who has taken control of her father's interests after his death, has become so exasperated at the unscrupulous business practices of her competitor Harvey Judson (Hamilton) that she has him kidnapped to teach him a lesson and protect her shareholders against him. When Harvey wakes up in the middle of a forest, he initially believes that robbery was the motive until he discovers that no money was taken. He tries to bribe his guide to take him to the nearest settlement but to no avail, and, after two fistfights with a Frenchman (Karloff?) who is also in love with Mary, eventually comes up with a scheme which leads to his being rescued by his friends. When Harvey finds out that Mary was behind the kidnapping, they argue and he accuses her of trying to ruin his business. While on the way to the nearest train station, they have an automobile accident that nearly kills them. At the station, after they are told that the government has seized their property, Mary and Harvey decide to join forces and work together in the future.

Cast

as Mary Willard *

Winter Hall Winter Amos Hall (21 June 1872 – 10 February 1947) was a New Zealand actor of the silent film, silent era who later appeared in sound films. He performed in more than 120 films between 1916 and 1938. Prior to that, he had a career as a st ...

as Henry Willard *

Roy Laidlaw Roy James Laidlaw (born 5 October 1953) is a former Scotland international rugby union player.Bath, pp145, 146 Rugby Union career Amateur career Much of his domestic rugby was played with Jed-Forest RFC, who were in the Scottish Second Divi ...

as Huntley Green *

Mahlon Hamilton Mahlon Preston Hamilton, Jr. (June 15, 1880 – June 20, 1960), was an American stage and screen actor. He was the son of a bartender born in Baltimore, Maryland, the eldest of four children, with the rest of the siblings being girls. Census ...

as Harvey Judson * Russell Simpson as Jim Willis *

as Jules Borney, French fur trader

Reception

While the outdoor scenes were appreciated and the cast described as strong, the story was criticized as being illogical and the characters undeveloped. Tagline: "A Drama of a Modern Girl in Whose Breast Flame the Spirits of Mona Lisa, Cleopatra and Sappho. A Drama of Big Emotions Set in the Big Outdoors. A Super Production You'll Long Remember!" (print ad in the Bourbon News, ((Paris, Kentucky)) 6 December 1921)

Preservation status

''The Deadlier Sex'' was preserved by the

in 2014. The restored print was shown on June 1, 2015 at the

San Francisco Silent Film Festival The San Francisco Silent Film Festival is a film festival first held in 1996 and presented annually at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, California, United States. It is the largest silent film festival in the United States, although the largest ...

. Lobster Films also carries a print.Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog:''The Deadlier Sex''
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References

External links