Lights and Shadows (1914 film)

Last updated

Lights and Shadows
Directed by Joe De Grasse
Written byIda May Park
Starring Tom Forman
Pauline Bush
Lon Chaney
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • November 29, 1914 (1914-11-29)
Running time
2 reels (20 minutes)
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent

Lights and Shadows is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, starring Tom Forman, Pauline Bush and Lon Chaney. The screenplay was written by Ida May Park (De Grasse's wife). A still exists showing Lon Chaney as Bentley, just before he deserts his wife in the film. [1] The picture is now considered to be a lost film. [2]

Contents

Plot

Eve, a poor flower girl, learns that her mother, a singer, had married Bentley (Lon Chaney), the son of a rich man, but Bentley's father disinherited him for marrying a stage performer. So Bentley deserted his wife the night Eve was born, leaving the young mother penniless, and their nurse Matilde raised the girl after her mother died. When the old nurse falls ill, Eve gets a job in a cafe selling flowers to raise money to help the nurse. There she meets Victor Austin who makes advances towards her, but she manages to escape from him. When she returns home, she finds the nurse dead.

Eve discovers some old letters that she thinks could aid her in locating her deadbeat father. Along the way, she is robbed of her ticket and all of her money and joins up with a theatrical troupe who feel sorry for her. The star of the company, James Gordon, falls in love with her, but she learns that he is married and runs away. Gordon later receives an important offer from the New York stage. Meanwhile Eve manages to find her father Bentley who has since come into great wealth. He plans to force Eve to marry the loutish Victor Austin, but then Eve learns that Gordon's wife, who never really loved him, has died. Gordon is now free to remarry. Eve travels to New York and finds Gordon at the New York theatre where they are happily reunited.

Cast

Reception

"This story is slightly too complicated to make a good picture and too much time is covered. The ending is abrupt and one is left to speculate upon the final outcome."—Motion Picture News [3]

"This offering is peculiar in construction, and while not uninteresting, contains much of a semi-morbid character. It lacks bright, attractive scenes and is brought to a very abrupt close. The acting and photography are good."—Moving Picture World [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Back to Life</i> (1913 film) 1913 film by Allan Dwan

Back to Life is a 1913 American silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Pauline Bush, J. Warren Kerrigan, William Worthington and Lon Chaney. This was Chaney's first film with director Allan Dwan, which was followed by a dozen more. The film is now considered lost.

<i>Bloodhounds of the North</i> 1913 film by Allan Dwan

Bloodhounds of the North is a 1913 American silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, and Lon Chaney. The film is now considered lost. Some sources state the film was edited down to one reel and re-released theatrically in 1916 as The Accusing Evidence, but this is disputed.

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.

<i>The Pipes o Pan</i> 1914 film

The Pipes o' Pan is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. It is thought the screenplay was written by De Grasse's wife Ida May Park, but she was uncredited. The film is now considered to be lost.

Virtue Is Its Own Reward is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. It was written by Harry G. Stafford from a story by John Barton Oxford.

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.

Her Escape is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. Lon Chaney not only acted in this film, he also wrote the screenplay. The Blake book on Chaney states the film was actually released earlier on December 13, 1914, but all other sources say December 27. The film is now considered to be lost.

The Sin of Olga Brandt is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. Jon Mirsalis claims the film was written by Ida May Park and that "some sources suggest that the film, which preaches about the high morality of moving pictures, was instigated by (producer) Carl Laemmle, who was involved in censorship fights of his own over some of his releases".

<i>The Star of the Sea</i> 1915 film

The Star of the Sea is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Phil K. Walsh, and starring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. The film is now considered to be lost. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of Tomasco, the hunchbacked fisherman.

The Measure of a Man is a 1915 silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Tom Forman, and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. The film today is considered lost.(Note* - This film should not be confused with the 1916 Universal film of the same title which starred J. Warren Kerrigan).

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.

<i>Where the Forest Ends</i> 1915 film

Where the Forest Ends is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. De Grasse also acted in this film as well, playing "Silent Jordan". The film was written by Ida May Park, based on a story by Olga Printzlau. The film is today considered to be lost.

Outside the Gates is a 1915 American silent fantasy film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. It is thought to have been scripted by Ida May Park. 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 Desert Breed is a 1915 American silent Western film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Tom Forman, and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. It is now considered to be a lost film.

Maid of the Mist is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by James Dayton and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. The film is now considered to be lost. The Blake book on Chaney oddly lists Chaney as playing "Jed, the postmaster" in the film, but all other sources claim Chaney played the heroine's father, Lin.

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.

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.

<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.

References

  1. ↑ Mirsalis, Jon C. "Lights and Shadows". Lonchaney.org. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Silent Era: Lights and Shadows". silentera. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  3. ↑ Blake, Michael F. (1998). "The Films of Lon Chaney". Vestal Press Inc. Page 29. ISBN   1-879511-26-6.
  4. ↑ Mirsalis, Jon C. "Lights and Shadows". Lonchaney.org. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
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.