''The Forbidden Path'' is a 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 J. Gordon Edwards and starring

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

. The film is now considered lost.

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 ...

, while posing for Felix Benavente (Mason) for a painting for a church, Mary Lynde (Bara), a true Madonna type unaware of the wiles of men, meets Robert Sinclair (Thompson) and, believing him sincere, accepts his attentions. Her father (Law) casts her from his home, and Mary goes to live at Sinclair's mountain lodge. However, Sinclair betrays her and deserts her. The death of her child takes the last bit of ambition from her and she sinks to the lowest depths. Felix, in search of a model to represent the end of the path of sin, rescues her. The appearance of Sinclair and his fiancée Barbara Reynolds (Martin) at the studio brings a desire for revenge to Mary, and she forces Sinclair to establish her in an apartment and supply her with money. To do this, Sinclair is forced to steal, and with this evidence Mary makes Sinclair promise to marry her. Sinclair tries to kill her, but on the morning of the wedding Mary goes to the church and confesses everything. Sinclair leaves in disgrace while Felix goes to comfort Mary.

Cast

as Mary Lynde * Hugh Thompson as Robert Sinclair * Sidney Mason as Felix Benavente * Walter Law as Mr. Lynde * Florence Martin as Barbara Reynolds * Wynne Hope Allen as Mrs. Lynde *

Alphonse Ethier Alphonse Ethier (December 10, 1874 – January 4, 1943) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1910 and 1939. His first name was sometimes spelled Alphonz. Ethier acted on stage before he began making films wi ...

as William Sinclair * Lisle Leigh as Mrs. Byrne * Reba Porter as Tessie Byrne

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''The Forbidden Path'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors issued the film an Adults Only permit and required cuts, in Reel 4, of all interior views of the house of ill fame showing inmates (leave in scene where three young women rush out to aid Mary and last scene in house where woman shows Mary the dead baby) to include all views of statuary in background, Reel 5, young woman soliciting man, closeup of alleged sex pervert knitting in foreground, all but one view of men of same character being ejected from resort to conform with National Board eliminations, and, Reel 6, a shooting scene.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Forbidden Path, The 1918 films 1918 drama films 1918 lost films Silent American drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films based on short fiction Films directed by J. Gordon Edwards Fox Film films Lost American drama films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films English-language drama films Lost silent American films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links