The Failure (1915 film)

Last updated
The Failure
Directed by Christy Cabanne
Written byChristy Cabanne
Starring John Emerson
Wahnetta Hanson
A. D. Sears
Cinematography William E. Fildew
Production
company
Reliance Motion Pictures
Distributed by Mutual Film Corp.
Release date
  • May 27, 1915 (1915-05-27)(US) [1]
Running time
4 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Failure is a 1915 silent American drama film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars John Emerson, Wahnetta Hanson, and A. D. Sears, and was released on May 27, 1915.

Contents

Plot

When his girlfriend, Ruth Shipman, is sexually harassed by theater producer Isaac Shuman, Tom Warder investigates the manager's behavior and publishes a blistering story exposing Shuman's predatory tactics. Shuman is forced to leave town, but promises revenging, leaving a note telling Tom that he "will kill him".

Years go by and Tom and Ruth are married and have a baby. Tom has written a play. Shuman finally sees a way to get his revenge. Returning to town, he pretends to befriend Tom and let bygones be bygones. He even expresses interest in producing Tom's play. However, Tom has already agreed to have another producer put his play on. Shuman steals the play and produces it, claiming it as his own. His accusations of theft by Tom work, and Tom is imprisoned.

Tom escapes from prison, but discovers that both Ruth and his child have died while he was in the penitentiary. He decides to get some vengeance of his own, and forces Shuman to agree to meet him in a bar. When they do, Tom takes poison, slips the vial into Shuman's pocket and accuses Shuman of poisoning him. When the police arrive, he provides the note Shuman had sent him all those years ago, proving Shuman's animus towards him. As Tom dies, the police assure him that Shuman will hang for his murder.

Cast list

Production

In April 1915 it was announced that Christy Cabanne would be directing the picture, based on his own screenplay. It was the third Mutual Master-Picture, and starred John Emerson. [2] During production thousands of extras were used. During a theater scene, Cabanne utilized over 1400, and in another scene portraying a parade, he used an addition 4000. [3] In another scene in a bar, when he ran short of actors, Cabanne had his production manager, Frank E. Woods, round up actors, directors and other film personnel who were not busy at the moment. In the scene, he used such notables as Henry Walthall, Charles Clary, Jack Conway, Sam de Grasse, Ralph Lewis, Spottiswoode Aitken, and George Beranger. [4]

Reception

Motion Picture News gave the film a positive review, commending the performances of John Emerson and Olga Gray. [5]

In other media

The film was serialized in the June 26 issue of Picture-Play Weekly magazine. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>My Left Foot</i> 1989 film by Jim Sheridan

My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown, also known simply as My Left Foot, is a 1989 biographical comedy-drama film directed by Jim Sheridan adapted by Sheridan and Shane Connaughton from the 1954 memoir of the same name by Christy Brown. A co-production of Ireland and the United Kingdom, it stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Brown, an Irish man born with cerebral palsy, who could control only his left foot. Brown grew up in a poor working-class family, and became a writer and artist. Brenda Fricker, Ray McAnally, Hugh O'Conor, Fiona Shaw, and Cyril Cusack are featured in supporting roles.

<i>The Musketeers of Pig Alley</i> 1912 film

The Musketeers of Pig Alley is a 1912 American short drama and a gangster film. It is directed by D. W. Griffith and written by Griffith and Anita Loos. It is also credited for its early use of follow focus, a fundamental tool in cinematography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christy Cabanne</span> American film director, screenwriter and actor

William Christy Cabanne was an American film director, screenwriter, and silent film actor.

<i>Enoch Arden</i> (1915 film) 1915 film

Enoch Arden is a 1915 American short drama film directed by Christy Cabanne. It is based on the 1864 poem Enoch Arden by Tennyson. Prints of the film exists at the George Eastman House Motion Picture Collection and the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

<i>The Mystery of the Leaping Fish</i> 1916 silent short film by John Emerson, Christy Cabanne

The Mystery of the Leaping Fish is a 1916 American short silent comedy film starring Douglas Fairbanks, Bessie Love, and Alma Rubens. Directed by John Emerson, the story was written by Tod Browning with intertitles by Anita Loos.

<i>Martyrs of the Alamo</i> 1915 film

Martyrs of the Alamo is a 1915 American historical war drama film written and directed by Christy Cabanne. The film is based on the historical novel of the same name by Theodosia Harris, and features an ensemble cast including Sam De Grasse, Douglas Fairbanks, Walter Long and Alfred Paget. Fairbanks role was uncredited, and was his first role in film, although his first starring role, in The Lamb, was released prior to this picture. The film features the siege of Béxar, the Battle of the Alamo, and the Battle of San Jacinto.

<i>Reggie Mixes In</i> 1916 silent film by Christy Cabanne

Reggie Mixes In, also known as Facing the Music, is an American 1916 silent action/comedy-drama film starring Douglas Fairbanks and directed by Christy Cabanne. The film was produced by Fine Arts Film Company and distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. The film is extant and in the public domain.

<i>The Lamb</i> (1915 film) 1915 film

The Lamb is a 1915 American silent comedy/Western film featuring Douglas Fairbanks in his first starring role. Directed by W. Christy Cabanne, the film is based on the popular 1913 Broadway play The New Henrietta, in which Fairbanks co-starred with William H. Crane, Amelia Bingham and a very young Patricia Collinge.

<i>The Flying Torpedo</i> 1916 silent film by John B. OBrien, Christy Cabanne

The Flying Torpedo is a 1916 American silent drama directed by John B. O'Brien and Christy Cabanne. It was produced by the Fine Arts Film Company and distributed by the Triangle Film Corporation. The film was written by John Emerson, Robert M. Baker and D. W. Griffith. The film is now considered lost.

<i>Conspiracy</i> (1930 film) 1930 film by Christy Cabanne

Conspiracy is a 1930 American pre-Code mystery melodrama film produced and distributed by RKO Pictures and directed by Christy Cabanne. It is the second adaptation of the play The Conspiracy by Robert B. Baker and John Emerson and stars Bessie Love and Ned Sparks.

<i>Everybodys Doing It</i> (1938 film) 1938 film directed by Christy Cabanne

Everybody's Doing It is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Christy Cabanne using a screenplay by J. Robert Bren, Edmund Joseph, and Harry Segall, based on George Beck's story. RKO produced and distributed the film, releasing it on January 14, 1938. The movie stars Preston Foster and Sally Eilers.

<i>Cinderella Swings It</i> 1943 American comedy-drama film directed by Christy Cabanne

Cinderella Swings It is a 1943 American comedy-drama film directed by Christy Cabanne from a screenplay by Michael L. Simmons, based on short stories by Clarence Budington Kelland about small-town philanthropist Scattergood Baines. Produced and Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, it was released on January 22, 1943, and stars Guy Kibbee and Gloria Warren. It was the last of the six films in the Scattergood Baines series and the only one without the word “Scattergood” in the title. Originally called Scattergood Swings It, the picture was renamed because the franchise was declining in popularity.

<i>The Fall of Eve</i> 1929 film directed by Frank R. Strayer

The Fall of Eve is a 1929 American comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer, which stars Patsy Ruth Miller, Ford Sterling, and Gertrude Astor. The screenplay was written by Gladys Lehman, from a story by Anita Loos and John Emerson, and the film was released by Columbia Pictures on June 25, 1929.

Cyclone Higgins, D.D. is a 1918 silent American comedy-drama film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, and Baby Ivy Ward, and was released on May 13, 1918.

<i>Fighting Through</i> (1919 film) 1919 silent film directed by Christy Cabanne

Fighting Through is a 1919 silent American drama film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars E. K. Lincoln, Spottiswoode Aitken, and Millicent Fisher. It was released on January 27, 1919.

<i>The Barricade</i> 1921 film

The Barricade is a 1921 silent American melodrama film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars William H. Strauss, Katherine Spencer, and Kenneth Harlan, and was released on October 2, 1921.

<i>At the Stage Door</i> 1921 film directed by Christy Cabanne

At the Stage Door, also known by its working title Women of Conquest, is a 1921 silent American romantic drama film directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars Billie Dove, Huntley Gordon, and Miriam Battista, and was released on December 11, 1921. The film gives a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes reality of life in the New York theater, as seen by a small town girl trying to make it in the big city. The picture received mixed reviews. This was Dove's first time on film, having moved over from the Ziegfeld Follies.

<i>The Average Woman</i> 1924 film

The Average Woman is a 1924 American silent melodrama film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Pauline Garon, David Powell, and Harrison Ford. It was released on March 1, 1924.

<i>The Absentee</i> (1915 film) 1915 American silent allegory film, directed by Christy Cabanne

The Absentee is a 1915 American silent allegory film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Robert Edeson, A. D. Sears, and Olga Grey. It was released on May 8, 1915.

<i>Black Diamonds</i> (1940 film) 1940 film, directed by Christy Cabanne

Black Diamonds is a 1940 American drama film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Richard Arlen, Andy Devine, and Kathryn Adams. The film was released on July 19, 1940.

References

  1. ↑ "The Failure". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Picture From Cabanne Scenario". Motion Picture News . April 17, 1915. p. 55. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Eight Thousand In Masterpiece Cast". Picture-Play Weekly . July 10, 1915. p. 14. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Indian Writes Scenario". Motion Picture News . May 8, 1915. p. 48. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  5. ↑ ""The Failure"". Motion Picture News . June 5, 1915. p. 70. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  6. ↑ "The Failure". Picture-Play Weekly . June 26, 1915. pp. 10–15. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
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.