''The Nth Commandment'' is a 1923 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

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage ( né Borzaga; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an American film director and actor. He was the first person to win the Academy Awards, Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director for his film ''7th Heaven ...

and starring

Colleen Moore Colleen Moore (born Kathleen Morrison; August 19, 1899 – January 25, 1988) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable (and highly-paid) stars of the era and helped po ...

. It is based on a story, ''The Nth Commandment'', by

Fannie Hurst Fannie Hurst (October 18, 1889 – February 23, 1968) was an American novelist and short-story writer whose works were highly popular during the post-World War I era. Her work combined sentimental, romantic themes with social issues of the ...

, a well-known novelist of the day. The film's title jests somewhat

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

's upcoming epic ''

The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten C ...

'' (1923) which was released later that same year.

Cast

as Sarah Juke * James W. Morrison as Harry Smith * Eddie Phillips as Jimmie Fitzgibbons *

Charlotte Merriam Charlotte Merriam (April 5, 1903 – July 10, 1972) was an American motion picture actress. Career Charlotte Merriam was the daughter of army colonel Henry Clay Merriam (1879-1955) and born in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Her film career began ...

as Angine Sprunt * George Cooper as Max Plute *Mary Marguerite as Little Girl (uncredited)

Preservation

An incomplete copy of ''The Nth Commandment'' is in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

collection.The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''The Nth Commandment''
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References

External links

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1923 films American silent feature films Films directed by Frank Borzage Films based on short fiction Paramount Pictures films 1923 drama films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films Films with screenplays by Frances Marion Films based on works by Fannie Hurst 1920s American films 1920s English-language films English-language drama films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub