The Red Kimono

Last updated

The Red Kimono
Red Kimono poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Walter Lang
Dorothy Davenport (uncredited)
Written by Adela Rogers St. Johns (story)
Dorothy Arzner (adaptation)
Malcolm Stuart Boylan (intertitles)
Produced by Dorothy Davenport (as Mrs. Wallace Reid)
Starring Priscilla Bonner
Carl Miller
Virginia Pearson
Tyrone Power, Sr.
Mary Carr
Cinematography James Diamond
Production
company
Mrs. Wallace Reid Productions
Distributed byVital Exchanges Incorporated
Release date
  • November 16, 1925 (1925-11-16)
Running time
77 minutes (7 reels
1,937.00 meters)
CountryUnited States
Language Silent (English intertitles)

The Red Kimono (spelled as "The Red Kimona" in the opening credits) is a 1925 American silent drama film about prostitution produced by Dorothy Davenport (billed as Mrs. Wallace Reid) and starring Priscilla Bonner. [1] This is the debut film of Director Walter Lang.

Contents

The Red Kimono advertisement in Motion Picture News, 1925 The Red Kimono ad in Motion Picture News, September-October 1925 (page 368 crop).jpg
The Red Kimono advertisement in Motion Picture News, 1925

The title comes from a red-colored dress shown through the film, meant to symbolize the main character's occupation as a "scarlet woman" (a prostitute).

Plot

Gabrielle Darley shoots Howard Blaine in the back as he is buying a wedding ring, then asks pardon and expresses love to his corpse as she awaits arrest. At her trial she narrates her story. Blaine courted and claimed he would marry her, and she went with him to New Orleans. Blaine took her to a sleazy house where a mirror vision of herself in bridal attire gave way to a red dress, indicating she was entering prostitution. For love of Blaine, she spent several miserable years servicing men he sent.

The prosecutor suggests she shot Blaine in jealousy that he was going to marry another; she acknowledges this idea and says he was buying the ring with money she earned. Women in the courtroom cry. The all-male jury finds her not guilty.

Gabrielle says she wants to redeem herself by helping people, and she drops the red dress on the floor. Beverly Fontaine, a society matron who gets publicity by helping reformed criminals, invites her to live at her house. There, she is displayed at parties for Beverly's friends and tormented by questions about her prostitution. Chauffeur Terrance O'Day takes her on a date to an amusement park, and she realizes that there is a good kind of man she never has encountered.

Beverly tires of her and goes on a trip with Terrance driving, leaving Gabrielle to train as a nurse. The superintendent recognizes her and throws her out. She loses her job as a maid when she gets upset at seeing her defense attorney's wife wearing the ring she had had to give him as her fee. Starving and desperate, she telegraphs her friend Clara in the brothel in New Orleans to send her the train fare to return to her old profession.

The telegraph operator, a friend of Terrance, tells him of this plan. Terrance commandeers Beverly's car to drive to the train station to stop Gabrielle, but he is too late. He catches the next train, and in New Orleans, takes a taxi to the address on the telegram. Meanwhile Gabrielle has been attacked by a brute and hit by a car as she runs from him. Terrance sees the accident without realizing it is her. Hearing from Clara that she has not sarrived yet, he hangs around the street looking for her for days.

Recovering in hospital, Gabrielle hears that, due the flu pandemic and U.S. entering World War I, they desperately need nurses and helpers. She is hired, and she is scrubbing the hospital floor when Terrance enters in uniform, having enlisted as an ambulance driver. He asks her to marry him before he goes overseas. She declares her love but postpones their marriage until he comes back and she has worked longer and become worthy of a happy life with him.

A woman who has been keeping an album of clippings about Gabrielle, who seems to be Beverly's maid, tells us that this happy life was attained for these two. However, Gabrielle is only one of many women in this terrible situation, and it is up to all women to help their unfortunate sisters.

Cast

Production

The film is notable today for being one of the few independent productions produced and written by women. This is the third of Davenport's "social conscience" releases, preceded by Human Wreckage (1923) on the topic of drug addiction (released five months after Wallace Reid's death from morphine), and Broken Laws (1924) about excessive mother-love.

The film is based on a real case of prostitution that took place in New Orleans in 1917. This film, billing itself as a true story, used the real name of the woman played by Priscilla Bonner, and as a consequence, the woman sued producer Dorothy Davenport and won. [2] The case, Melvin v Reid, has been cited recently in the emerging "right to be forgotten" cases around the world as an early example of one's right to leave a past one wishes to forget. In the ruling of the California Appellate Court (Melvin v. Reid, 112 Cal.App. 285, 297 P. 91 (1931)) the court stated "any person living a life of rectitude has that right to happiness which includes a freedom from unnecessary attacks on his character, social standing or reputation." [3]

As with Davenport's earlier Human Wreckage in 1924, this film was banned in the United Kingdom by the British Board of Film Censors in 1926. [4] In the 1920s, the film was banned in Chicago. [5] [6]

Preservation status

A copy of this film is preserved at the Library of Congress. [7] A DVD edition was released in the early 2000s.

Related Research Articles

<i>It</i> (1927 film) 1927 film

It is a 1927 American silent film directed by Clarence G. Badger and Josef von Sternberg, and starring Clara Bow. It is based on the serialised novella of the same name, republished in "It" and Other Stories (1927), by Elinor Glyn, who adapted the story and appears in the film as herself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Davenport</span> American actress (1895–1977)

Fannie Dorothy Davenport was an American actress, screenwriter, film director, and producer.

<i>Forever</i> (1921 film) 1921 film

Forever is a 1921 American silent romance film, also known as Peter Ibbetson, that was written by Ouida Bergère and directed by George Fitzmaurice. It was adapted from George du Maurier's 1891 novel Peter Ibbetson, which was made into a play of the same name by John N. Raphael.

<i>The Road to Ruin</i> (1934 film) 1934 film

The Road to Ruin is a 1934 pre-Code exploitation film directed by Dorothy Davenport, under the name "Mrs. Wallace Reid", and Melville Shyer, and written by Davenport with the uncredited contribution of the film's producer, Willis Kent. The film, now in the public domain, portrays a young woman whose life is ruined by sex and drugs.

<i>Across to Singapore</i> 1928 film

Across to Singapore is a 1928 American silent romantic drama film directed by William Nigh, and starring Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford and Ernest Torrence. The plot involves a love triangle between a woman and two brothers, set on board ship and in Singapore. The screenplay was written by Ted Shane based on the novel All the Brothers Were Valiant by Ben Ames Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Clifford</span> American actress (1900–1998)

Ruth Clifford was an American actress of leading roles in silent films whose career lasted from that era into the television era.

<i>The Red Lily</i> 1924 film

The Red Lily is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Fred Niblo and starring Ramon Novarro, Enid Bennett, and Wallace Beery. A print of the film exists.

<i>The Place Beyond the Winds</i> 1916 film

The Place Beyond the Winds is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, and starring Lon Chaney, Gretchen Lederer and Dorothy Phillips. It was written by Ida May Park, based on the novel by Harriet T. Comstock. The director De Grasse also played a role in the film. The film's original working title was Mansion of Despair. A still exists showing Chaney in the role of Jerry Jo, the homeless man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priscilla Bonner</span> American actress (1899–1996)

Priscilla Bonner was an American silent film actress who specialized in portraying virginal, innocent heroines.

<i>Twinkletoes</i> 1926 film

Twinkletoes is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Colleen Moore. The film, as with most of Moore's vehicles at this time, was produced by her husband John McCormick with the couple distributing through Moore's resident studio First National. This film is one of Moore's surviving films from the late silent era and is available on DVD.

<i>Broken Laws</i> 1924 film by Roy William Neill

Broken Laws is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Roy William Neill, remarkable for the appearance of Dorothy Davenport, who is billed as "Mrs. Wallace Reid".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nellie Bly Baker</span> American actress

Nellie Bly Baker was an American actress active in the silent film era and early sound films, mostly playing minor roles. She is often confused with the journalist Nellie Bly (1864–1922). Baker's career as an actress took place from 1921 to 1934, and she performed in 13 films. She was never the star or had the main role in any films, playing minor or supporting characters. Many of these films were made by Associated First National Pictures, First National Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. Most of the films she performed in were silent.

The False Alarm is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Frank O'Connor and starring Ralph Lewis, Dorothy Revier, and John Harron.

<i>The Devils Bondwoman</i> 1916 film by Lloyd B. Carleton

The Devil's Bondwoman is a 1916 American silent Melodrama directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. The film was based on the story by F. McGrew Willis and scenarized by Maie B. Havey and Fred Myton. The movie features Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson and employed the same cast seen in other Red Feather films, e.g., Barriers of Society, Black Friday.

<i>Barriers of Society</i> 1916 American silent drama film

Barriers of Society is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. Universal based the film on the story written by Clarke Irvine and adapted for the screen by Fred Myton. The feature film stars Dorothy Davenport, Emory Johnson, and an all-star cast of Universal contract players.

<i>A Yoke of Gold</i> 1916 film

A Yoke of Gold is a 1916 American silent black and white melodrama directed by Lloyd B. Carleton and starring Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson. Based on an original story by Rob Wagner, it is a period piece set in the early days of the California missions.

<i>Doctor Neighbor</i> 1916 movie by Lloyd B. Carleton

Doctor Neighbor is a 1916 American silent feature film black and white melodrama. The film was directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. It stars Hobart Bosworth and pairs Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson in leading roles.

<i>Mothers of Men</i> 1917 silent film and its 1921 re-edited version

Mothers of Men is a 1917 silent film directed by Willis Robards, promoting woman's suffrage. The seven-reel drama is considered lost. A five-reel re-edited version also directed by Robards was released in 1921—following ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment—under the title Every Woman's Problem. This version survives through a single 35mm print preserved by the British Film Institute. The 1921 re-release was restored in 2016, in a collaboration between the BFI and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

<i>The Mansion of Aching Hearts</i> 1925 film

The Mansion of Aching Hearts is a lost 1925 American silent drama film directed by James P. Hogan and starring Ethel Clayton, Barbara Bedford, and Priscilla Bonner.

<i>Love and Glory</i> (film) 1924 silent film

Love and Glory is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Rupert Julian and starring Charles de Rochefort, Wallace MacDonald, and Madge Bellamy.

References

  1. Progressive Silent Film List: The Red Kimono at silentera.com
  2. Friedman, Lawrence Meir (2007). "The Red Kimono[ sic ]: The Saga of Gabriel Darley Melvin". Guarding Life's Dark Secrets: Legal and Social Controls over Reputation, Propriety, and Privacy . Stanford University Press. pp.  217–225. ISBN   978-0-8047-5739-3.
  3. "Melvin v. Reid, 112 Cal.App. 285 : Casetext Search + Citator". Casetext: Smarter Legal Research. casetext.com. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  4. The Red Kimono at the silentera.com database
  5. "The Red Kimono (1925)". UC Berkeley Library. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  6. Black, Gregory (1994). Hollywood Censored: Morality Codes, Catholics, and the Movies. p. 35. ISBN   9780521565929 . Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  7. Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artist Collection at The Library of Congress by the American Film Institute, c. 1978