The Drums of Jeopardy (1923 film)

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The Drums of Jeopardy
The Drums of Jeopardy (1923) - 1.jpg
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Directed by Edward Dillon
Written by Alfred A. Cohn (titles)
Arthur Hoerl (writer)
A. Carle Palm (titles)
Based on The Drums of Jeopardy
by Harold McGrath
Produced by M.H. Hoffman (producer)
Starring Elaine Hammerstein
Wallace Beery
Cinematography James Diamond
Edited by Alfred A. Cohn
A. Carle Palm
Production
company
M.H. Hoffman Inc.
Distributed by Truart Film
Release date
  • November 1923 (1923-11)
Running time
70 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language Silent (English intertitles)

The Drums of Jeopardy is a 1923 American silent mystery film directed by Edward Dillon, written by Arthur Hoerl and featuring Wallace Beery. [1] It is based on the 1920 novel of the same name by Harold McGrath which was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post. [2] The film was released by Tru-art Film Company in November 1923. [3] [4] [5] The name of the villain in the story was originally called Boris Karlov, but when the actor Boris Karloff rose to prominence circa 1923, the character's name was changed to Gregor Karlov to avoid confusion. It was changed back to Boris again in the 1931 remake of the film which starred Warner Oland as the villain. [1]

Contents

Producer M. H. Hoffman rose to prominence in Hollywood as a result of this film's success. He later became president of Tiffany Pictures, and founded Allied Pictures in 1931. Actress Elaine Hammerstein (the daughter of Arthur Hammerstein) also starred in the 1915 film version of The Moonstone, but her career declined after the end of the silent film era. She and her politician husband were killed in a car accident in Mexico in 1948. [6]

Plot

As described in a film magazine review, [7] Jerome Hawksley, confidential secretary to Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, is bequeathed upon the death of the Duke during the Russian Revolution two jewels known as the "Drums of Jeopardy." Because the jewels are of great value and believed to possess a supernatural power, Gregor Karlov attempts to secure them. The jewels are sent to the United States with a trusted friend and given to Banker Burrows for safekeeping. Gregor, in an attempt to steal the jewels, kills the banker and kidnaps Jerome. Dorothy Burrows teams with Cutty, a secret service man, and are determined to bring the culprit to justice. Gregor is traced to Little Russia, a café in New York City, and is killed during a fight. Jerome and Dorothy agree to marry and the jewels are returned to him.

Cast

Preservation

A copy of The Drums of Jeopardy is housed at the Library of Congress. [8]

Related Research Articles

This is an overview of 1923 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.

This is an overview of 1922 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.

This is an overview of 1921 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.

1917 in film was a particularly fruitful year for the art form, and is often cited as one of the years in the decade which contributed to the medium the most, along with 1913. Secondarily the year saw a limited global embrace of narrative film-making and featured innovative techniques such as continuity cutting. Primarily, the year is an American landmark, as 1917 is the first year where the narrative and visual style is typified as "Classical Hollywood".

The year 1916 in film involved some significant events.

The year 1915 in film involved some significant events.

1913 was a particularly fruitful year for film as an art form, and is often cited one of the years in the decade which contributed to the medium the most, along with 1917. The year was one where filmmakers of several countries made great artistic advancements, producing notable pioneering masterpieces such as The Student of Prague, Suspense, Atlantis, Raja Harischandra, Juve contre Fantomas, Quo Vadis?, Ingeborg Holm, The Mothering Heart, Ma l’amor mio non muore!, L’enfant de Paris and Twilight of a Woman's Soul.

The year 1912 in film involved some significant events.

The year 1911 in film involved some significant events.

The year 1910 in film involved some significant events.

L'Homme qui vendit son âme au diable is a 1921 French silent film comedy directed by Pierre Caron. The plot was similar to Faust and The Student of Prague, about a man who makes a diabolical deal with the Devil.

Au Secours! is a 1924 short French silent comedy film directed by Abel Gance and starring Max Linder. The French title translates into English as "Help!". The film is also known as The Haunted House in some reference books. The film was made on a dare, with Gance filming the entire project in three days, with the help of his friend, actor Max Linder. Linder had just returned to France after several years of trying to start an acting career in Canada.

The Other Person is a 1921 Dutch-British silent mystery film directed by Maurits Binger and B.E. Doxat-Pratt. It was a co-production between a Dutch film company and a British film company.

Esmeralda is a 1922 British silent film and an adaptation of the 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo, with more emphasis on the character on Esmeralda rather than Quasimodo. It was directed by Edwin J. Collins and starred Sybil Thorndike as Esmeralda and Booth Conway as the hunchback. The film is considered lost, but extant still photos show a 40-year-old Thorndike who appears to be too old for the role of the young and virginal Esmeralda. This version emphasized romance and melodrama over horror.

<i>The Drums of Jeopardy</i> (1931 film) 1931 film

The Drums of Jeopardy is a 1931 American pre-Code horror film directed by George B. Seitz and starring Warner Oland, June Collyer and Lloyd Hughes. It is the second film adaptation of Harold McGrath's novel of the same name, and stars Oland as Dr. Boris Karlov.

The Grinning Face, aka The Man Who Laughs, is a 1921 Austrian-German silent horror film directed by Julius Herska and starring Franz Höbling, Nora Gregor and Lucienne Delacroix. It is an adaptation of the 1869 novel The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo.

Figures of the Night (German:Nachtgestalten) is a 1920 German silent horror film written, directed and produced by Richard Oswald and starring Paul Wegener, Conrad Veidt, Reinhold Schünzel and Erna Morena. It is based on the novel Eleagabal Kuperus by Karl Hans Strobl. Strobl was the editor of a German horror fiction magazine called Der Orchideengarten which was said to have been influenced by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Strobl was an anti-Semitic and later willingly joined the Nazi Party, which may explain why he has become an obscure literary figure today.

Madness (German:Wahnsinn) is a 1919 German silent horror film directed by Conrad Veidt and starring Veidt, Reinhold Schünzel and Grit Hegesa. The film's art direction was by Willi Herrmann.

The Lost Shadow is a 1921 German silent film directed by Rochus Gliese and starring Paul Wegener, Wilhelm Bendow and Adele Sandrock. The cinematographer was Karl Freund. The film's sets were designed by the art director Kurt Richter. It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin. For some reason, the film was only released in the US in 1928. It is today considered a lost film.

<i>Go and Get It</i> 1920 film

Go and Get It is a 1920 American silent comedy-drama mystery film directed by Marshall Neilan and Henry Roberts Symonds and written by Marion Fairfax. The film stars Pat O'Malley, Wesley Barry, Noah Beery Sr. and Agnes Ayres. The cinematographer was David Kesson. The film was released on July 18, 1920 by First National Exhibitors' Circuit.

References

  1. 1 2 Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 259. ISBN   978-1936168-68-2.
  2. Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 211. ISBN   978-1936168-68-2.
  3. "The Drums of Jeopardy". afi.com. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  4. "The Drums of Jeopardy". AllMovie. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  5. "The Drums of Jeopardy". TCM.com. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  6. Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 260. ISBN   978-1936168-68-2.
  7. Morgan, Len (March 22, 1924). "Box Office Reviews: The Drums of Jeopardy". Exhibitors Trade Review. New York: Exhibitors Review Publishing Corporation: 24. Retrieved October 6, 2022.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  8. Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: The Drums of Jeopardy