''The Deciding Kiss'' is a 1918 American

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

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of var ...

. The film was 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. ...

for decades. A print was discovered at the French archive

Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée The Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (; CNC; ) is an agency of the French Ministry of Culture, and is responsible for the production and promotion of cinematic and audiovisual arts in France. The CNC is a publicly owned establis ...

Fort de Bois-d'Arcy The Fort de Bois-d'Arcy (), also called the Batterie de Bois-d'Arcy (), is one of the forts constructed at the end of the 19th century to defend Paris. It is located in the commune of Bois d'Arcy in the Yvelines département of France. The fort ...

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 ...

, Eleanor Hamlin (Roberts), who has been living with an old and impoverished couple, is adopted by two couples, Mr. and Mrs. Sears and Beulah Page (Greenwood) and Peter Bolling (Unterkircher), young people who have read of cooperative parenting and wish to try out the theory. It works very well until Jimmy Sears (Cooley) loses control of himself under the spell of his adopted daughter's kisses. This passes, however, but then Peter falls in love with her. Beulah then tells Eleanor that she is engaged to Peter, and the heart-broken little girl goes back home. After an exhaustive search, Peter fails to find her, and he and Beulah complete their engagement. Eleanor returns, sees the true state of things, and asks God to let her be always their little girl.

Cast

* Edith Roberts as Eleanor Hamlin *

Winifred Greenwood Winifred Louise Greenwood (January 1, 1885 – November 23, 1961) was an American silent film actress. Early life Born in 1885 in Geneseo, New York, Greenwood studied to be a teacher but left New York Normal School to perform in vaudevil ...

as Beulah Page *

Hallam Cooley Hallam Burr (February 8, 1895 – March 20, 1971), known by his stage name Hallam Cooley, was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1913 and 1936. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and died in Tib ...

as Jimmy Sears (credited as Hal Cooley) *

Hans Unterkircher Hans Unterkircher (22 August 1894 – 27 May 1971) was an Austrian stage,film actor and film director. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1916 and 1971. He was born in Graz, Austria and died in Vienna, Austria. Selected filmography * ...

as Peter Bolling (credited as Thornton Church) * Lottie Kruse (as Lottie Kruze) *

Edmund Cobb Edmund Fessenden Cobb (June 23, 1892 – August 15, 1974) was an American actor who appeared in more than 620 films between 1912 and 1966. Biography Cobb was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the son of William Henry Cobb and Eddie (Edmun ...

(credited as Edwin Cobb) * William Courtright (credited as William Cartwright)

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''The Deciding Kiss'' was subject to restrictions and cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required, in Reel 4, that the kissing scene at the piano be shortened by eliminating the last half.

References

External links

* *Kelly, Ethel M. (1917),
Turn About Eleanor
', Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, on the Internet Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Deciding Kiss, The 1918 films 1918 comedy films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films 1910s rediscovered films American black-and-white films American silent feature films Films directed by Tod Browning Films with screenplays by Bernard McConville Rediscovered American films Silent American comedy films Surviving American silent films Universal Pictures films