Bound on the Wheel

Last updated

Bound on the Wheel
Directed by Joe De Grasse
Written by Ida May Park (screenplay)
Jules Furthman (story)
Produced byRex Motion Picture Co.
Starring Lon Chaney
Elsie Jane Wilson
Distributed by Universal Film Manufacturing Company
Release date
  • July 25, 1915 (1915-07-25)
Running time
3 reels (approximately 30 minutes)
CountryUnited States
LanguagesSilent
English intertitles

Bound on the Wheel is a 1915 American short silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney. It was written by Ida May Park (De Grasse's wife), based on a story by Jules Furthman. The film is now presumed lost. [1]

Contents

Plot

Bound on the Wheel was a three act feature. [2] The film is set in the east-side tenements of New York City. Elsie Jane Wilson plays the "embittered" Cora Gertz who lives in a tenement room with her parents, and Lon Chaney plays Tom Coulahan, a "drink-numbed 'good-for-nothing'" who lives on the floor below them with his alcoholic parents. [3] Tom wants to take Cora away with him to live in a place of their own, but his parents create such a fuss that after they are married, Cora agrees to stay in the same building and live with Tom and his parents.

Soon after, Cora's parents return to live in Germany and Tom's father dies. Mrs. Coulahan and Cora are forced to take in washing, while Tom devolves into a drunken lout. When Mrs. Coulahan dies, the entire burden of the household is now on Cora's shoulders. Hans, a family friend from Germany, tells Cora that he is looking for a good investment for his life's savings. Tom plots to steal the thick bankroll Hans is carrying.

Tom tries to bully Cora into helping him steal Hans' money, but Cora warns Hans of Tom's plot. Meanwhile, a drunken Tom accidentally mistakes a bottle of poison for his booze and drinks it. Cora finds her husband dead, and she and Hans are now free to marry.

Cast

Reception

"A strong drama that goes right to the point without any consideration for delicacy...This is produced very well, with much attention being paid to the atmosphere of the tenement district. Lon Chaney as the husband does some excellent character work." --- Motion Picture News

"Every moment is full of action, suspense, heart interest and thrills. A true to life drama that will hold your keenest interest from start to finish." --- Motion Picture Weekly [4]

The Modesto Evening News described the film as a "close and accurate study of life in the poor district of a large city, and like an Ibsen drama it looks squarely at life, omitting none of the sordid details. [5]

Related Research Articles

The year 1914 in film involved some significant events, including the debut of Cecil B. DeMille as a director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph De Grasse</span> Canadian film director (1873–1940)

Joseph Louis De Grasse was a Canadian film director. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he was the elder brother of actor Sam De Grasse.

Her Bounty is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and written by his wife Ida May Park, and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. This was the first film Chaney worked on with the filmmaking team of Joe De Grasse and Ida May Park, to be followed by many more. The film is now considered to be lost.

The Lion, the Lamb, the Man is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Tom Forman and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. Though once believed to be lost, a shortened version of the film was preserved by the Museum of Modern Art in 2008, and was re-premiered at the 2017 Cinecon Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, California.

The Threads of Fate is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Tom Forman, and featuring Pauline Bush, William C. Dowlan and Lon Chaney. The film is now considered to be a lost film. A still exists showing Lon Chaney made up as "The Count" trying to persuade the heroine of the film to marry him.

When the Gods Played a Badger Game is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and written by Ida May Park, and featuring Pauline Bush and Lon Chaney. The film's working title was The Girl Who Couldn't Go Wrong. The film is today considered lost.

Such Is Life is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney, Pauline Bush and Olive Carey. The film is now considered to be lost.

<i>All for Peggy</i> 1915 film

All for Peggy is a 1915 American silent drama short film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by his wife Ida May Park and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. The film is now considered to be lost. Lon Chaney had a very small role in the film. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of Seth, the stable groom.

The Grind is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and featuring Lon Chaney, Pauline Bush and Queenie Rosson. The film is now considered to be lost. The film was released in England as On The Verge of Sin. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of Henry Leslie.

The Girl of the Night is a 1915 American silent crime film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney. The film is now considered to be lost. The film was re-released later as Her Chance. Joe De Grasse played a major role in the film, playing the attorney, Arthur Langham. A still exists showing Chaney in the role of Jerry, the petty thief.

Steady Company was a 1915 short silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. It was written by Ida May Park, based on a story by Julius G. Furthman. The film is now considered to be lost.

Mountain Justice is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Arthur Shirley. It was written by Ida May Park, based on a story by Jules Furthman. The film is now considered to be lost.

Lon of Lone Mountain is a 1915 American short silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, witten by Ida May Park, and featuring Lon Chaney and Arthur Shirley.The film is now presumed lost. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of "Lon", the mountain man.

The Millionaire Paupers is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park and featuring Lon Chaney and Grace Thompson. The film's working title was Fate's a Fiddler. Actress Olive Carey was advertised in an early promo piece, but apparently did not appear in the finished film. Only a fragment of the film survives in a private collection, having been discovered in the early 1990s.

<i>Bobbie of the Ballet</i> 1916 film

Bobbie of the Ballet is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Louise Lovely, Gretchen Lederer and Jay Belasco. It was written by Ida May Park, based on a story by Grant Carpenter.

<i>The Mark of Cain</i> (1916 film) 1916 film

The Mark of Cain is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Stuart Paton, and starring Lon Chaney and Dorothy Phillips. The film's tagline was "A Thrilling Drama of the Long Arm of the Law With an Absorbing Love Interest". The film's working title was By Fate's Decree.

<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.

<i>The Girl in the Checkered Coat</i> 1917 film

The Girl in the Checkered Coat is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Dorothy Phillips and William Stowell. It was written by Ida May Park, based on the short story by E. Magnus Ingleton. The film today is considered lost. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of Hector Maitland.

<i>Pay Me!</i> 1917 film

Pay Me! is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Dorothy Phillips, and William Stowell. In the United States, the film is also known as The Vengeance of the West. The screenplay was written by Bess Meredith, based on a story by Joe De Grasse. This film was Universal Pictures' first "Jewel Production" release. Once considered to be a lost film, an incomplete (23-minute) print was rediscovered in the Gosfilmofond archive in Russia in 2019. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of the villainous Joe Lawson.

<i>Oliver Twist</i> (1916 film) 1916 film by James Young

Oliver Twist is a lost 1916 silent film drama produced by Jesse Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by James Young. It is based on the famous 1838 novel, Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens and the 1912 Broadway stage version of the novel.

References

  1. ↑ "Silent Era: Bound on the Wheel". silentera. Retrieved June 23, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Lyric Theatre (Ad)". Santa Ana Register (Santa Ana, California). August 14, 1915. p. 2. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Beautiful Elsie Jane Wilson in Photodramatic Debut at Orpheum". The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana). July 25, 1915. p. 16. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ Mirsalis, Jon C. "Bound on the Wheel". Lonchaney.org. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Amusements". Modesto Evening News (Modesto, California). August 26, 1915. p. 10. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.