Perch of the Devil

Last updated
Perch of the Devil
Perch of the Devil.jpg
Lobby card
Directed by King Baggot
Written by Mary O'Hara
Based onPerch of the Devil
by Gertrude Atherton
Produced by Carl Laemmle
Starring Mae Busch
Pat O'Malley
Jane Winton
Cinematography Charles J. Stumar
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • March 6, 1927 (1927-03-06)
Running time
70 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language Silent (English intertitles)

Perch of the Devil is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by King Baggot and starring Mae Busch, Pat O'Malley, and Jane Winton. [1] It is based on the 1914 novel of the same title by Gertrude Atherton. [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

As described in a film magazine, [4] Ida Hook, a virile and slangy product of the West, casts eyes upon Gregory Compton, a young mining engineer, and determines to marry him. Gregory is prospecting for gold on his ranch near Butte where the young couple afterwards live in a rudely constructed house. Accustomed to the excitement of conquest, Ida complains bitterly of her lonely life on the ranch. Ora Blake, a wealthy young widow, stops at the ranch and hears Ida's tale of woe. She sympathizes with the young self-pitying wife at the same time making herself so agreeable to Gregory that he thinks he has found in her a kindred spirit. He agrees to let Ora take Ida to Europe. In fashionable continental capitals, Ida gains polish and wins the love of Lord Mobray, but in time she tires of the gay life of Europe and the gallant nobility loses its fascination. She now realizes that her husband is the man she really loves. A cable announces the discovery of gold on the Compton ranch. Ida can have anything that money will buy, but she craves only the love of Gregory. She replies with a loving message which Ora politely offers to take care of. The latter changes the wording, making Ida appear to be a mercenary wife. They take the first boat for America. Upon arriving in Butte, Ida does not know what to make of it when Greg fails to meet her at the train. The chauffeur takes her to a magnificent house inhabited only by the servants. When she phones Greg at the ranch, he refers her to his lawyer and hangs up abruptly. Upon the arrival of Lord Mobray, Ida holds a house party in his honor and prevails upon Greg to attend. She is crestfallen when he leaves with the other guests. She learns from the English peer that Ora is expecting to marry Greg. This is her first intimation of her companion's perfidy. She gets into her car and speeds to Ora's bungalow, where she finds the two in embrace. Greg is called out by a danger alarm from the mine. Ida's European polish is a thing forgotten. With a paper knife in her hand, she advances on her enemy. Ora flees from the house and takes refuge in the mine shaft where she is cornered by Ida. The two women fight. Ida finally gaining a strangle hold. Greg sees that one of the mine corridors is filling with water. To avoid a calamity he orders the men to dynamite the end of the shaft and let the water flow into the lower shaft. The struggling women are carried away by the flood. Ora clings desperately to the brink of a deep shaft and pleads with Ida to save her life. Ida gives in and extends a helping hand. Hearing that two women have entered the lower shaft, Greg comes to the rescue. Ida throws the limp form of Ora at his feet in scorn and goes home. She orders her maid to pack up for a journey, but Greg comes in and takes her in his arms. He is back to stay.

Cast

Preservation

With no prints of Perch of the Devil located in any film archives, it is considered a lost film. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Duel in the Sun</i> (film) 1946 film by King Vidor

Duel in the Sun is a 1946 American psychological Western film directed by King Vidor, produced and written by David O. Selznick, and starring Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck, Lillian Gish, Walter Huston, and Lionel Barrymore. Based on the 1944 novel of the same name by Niven Busch, it follows a young orphaned Mestiza woman who experiences prejudice and forbidden love, while residing with her white relatives on a large Texas ranch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mae Busch</span> Australian-born American actress (1891–1946)

Mae Busch was an Australian-born actress who worked in both silent and sound films in early Hollywood. In the latter part of her career she appeared in many Laurel and Hardy comedies, frequently playing Hardy's shrewish wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Perrin</span> American actor (1896–1967)

Jack Perrin was an American actor specializing in Westerns.

<i>Bucking Broadway</i> 1917 film

Bucking Broadway is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by John Ford, probably his sixth feature film. Long thought to be lost, along with about 60 of Ford's 70 silent films, it was found in 2002 in the archives of the CNC. It was subsequently restored and digitized and is available on the Criterion Blu-Ray of John Ford's Stagecoach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Devry</span> American actress (1930–2023)

Elaine Devry was an American actress.

<i>Ramona</i> (1910 film) 1910 film

Ramona is a 1910 American short drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, based on Helen Hunt Jackson's 1884 novel Ramona. Through a love story, the early silent short explores racial injustice to Native Americans and stars Mary Pickford and Henry B. Walthall. A copy of the print survives in the Library of Congress film archive. The film was remade in 1928 with Dolores del Río and 1936 with Loretta Young.

<i>Headin West</i> 1922 film

Headin' West is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by William James Craft and featuring Hoot Gibson. It is not known if the film survives.

<i>The Show</i> (1927 film) 1927 film

The Show is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Tod Browning, based upon Charles Tenney Jackson's 1910 novel The Day of Souls.

<i>Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley</i> 1918 film directed by Marshall Neilan

Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley is a 1918 American silent romantic comedy film starring Mary Pickford that was directed by Marshall Neilan and written by Frances Marion based upon a novel by Belle K. Maniates.

<i>The Mine with the Iron Door</i> (1924 film) 1924 film

The Mine with the Iron Door is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Sam Wood and produced by Sol Lesser. The film is based on the novel of the same name by American author Harold Bell Wright that was published in 1923.

<i>The Flame</i> (1920 film) 1920 film

The Flame is a 1920 British silent romance film directed by Floyd Martin Thornton and starring Evelyn Boucher, Reginald Fox and Dora De Winton. It was based on a novel by Olive Wadsley.

<i>Love Insurance</i> 1919 film by Donald Crisp

Love Insurance is a lost 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Donald Crisp, produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is based on the novel of the same name by Earl Derr Biggers, Love Insurance.

<i>Melody of Love</i> (1928 film) 1928 film

Melody of Love is a 1928 American sound romantic drama film produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, directed by Arch Heath, which starred Walter Pidgeon and Mildred Harris, each their first sound film.

<i>Tomorrows Love</i> 1925 film

Tomorrow's Love is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Paul Bern, written by Charles Brackett and Howard Higgin, and starring Agnes Ayres. Pat O'Malley, Raymond Hatton, Jane Winton, Ruby Lafayette, and Dale Fuller. It was released on January 5, 1925, by Paramount Pictures.

Cassidy of Bar 20 is a 1938 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston. The film stars William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Frank Darien, Nora Lane, Robert Fiske and John Elliott. The film was released on February 25, 1938, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Dead 7</i> 2016 American TV series or program

Dead 7 is a 2016 post-apocalyptic zombie horror western film written by Nick Carter, directed by Danny Roew and produced by The Asylum. It aired on SyFy on April 1, 2016 in the United States.

<i>The Branding Iron</i> 1920 film

The Branding Iron is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Reginald Barker and starring Barbara Castleton and James Kirkwood. It was produced by Barker and Samuel Goldwyn and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures. Castleton appeared nude in the film, which caused the particular scene to be cut in some parts of the country. Pennsylvania banned the film altogether due to the topic of infidelity.

<i>Red Hot Leather</i> 1926 film

Red Hot Leather is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Jack Hoxie, Ena Gregory, and Billy Engle.

<i>Boy Crazy</i> (film) 1922 film directed by William A. Seiter

Boy Crazy is a 1922 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Beatrice Van. The film stars Doris May, Fred Gamble, Jean Hathaway, Frank Kingsley, Harry Myers, and Otto Hoffman. The film was released on March 5, 1922, by the Robertson-Cole Distributing Corporation. With no copies listed as being held in any film archive, it is likely to be a lost film.

<i>The Man from Wyoming</i> 1924 film

The Man from Wyoming is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring Jack Hoxie, Lillian Rich, and William Welsh.

References

  1. ↑ McCaffrey & Jacobs p. 60
  2. ↑ Progressive Silent Film List: Perch of the Devil at silentera.com
  3. ↑ "Perch of the Devil". afi.com. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Universal Synopses: Perch of the Devil". Universal Weekly. New York City: Motion Picture Weekly Publishing Company. 26 (5): 38. 10 September 1927. Retrieved 15 December 2023.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  5. ↑ "American Silent Feature Film Database: Perch of the Devil". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 22, 2024.

Bibliography

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.