The Gilded Spider

Last updated

The Gilded Spider
The Gilded Spider.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Joe De Grasse
Screenplay by Ida May Park
Based onThe Full Cup
by Ida May Park
Produced byBluebird Film Co.
Starring Lon Chaney
Louise Lovely
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • May 8, 1916 (1916-05-08)
Running time
5 reels (50 minutes) [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesSilent
English intertitles

The Gilded Spider is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park and starring Lon Chaney and Louise Lovely. [2] A print exists in the Museo del Cine Pablo C. Ducros Hicken film archive. [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

Giovanni (Lon Chaney), his wife Leonita, their daughter Elisa and his wife's mother Rosa all live in a small Italian village where Giovanni carves plaster statuettes for a living. An American millionaire named Cyrus Kirkham spots Leonita dancing and becomes obsessed with having her. During an attempt to kidnap her, Leonita jumps off the millionaire's yacht and drowns. When Kirkham goes back to America, he marries a woman named Norma Winston, who was in love with a poor man named Burton Armitage, but she marries Kirkham instead for his money. Armitage later comes into money, but he squanders it all away.

Years pass and Giovanni moves his family to America. Giovanni's daughter Elisa grows up into a young lady and becomes involved with a young artist named Paul Winston, who hires her as a model. Giovanni finds out where Kirkham lives, and plans to kidnap Kirkham's wife Norma and hold her for ransom, but his kidnap plan is foiled. Kirkham suffers a heart attack when he sees Giovanni appear at a party in his home, and when Giovanni sees his daughter Elisa dancing at the party, he loses his sanity, reliving his wife's tragic death in his mind, and jumps off the roof to his death. In the end, with Kirkham dead, Norma winds up marrying her old flame Armitage, and Paul Winston winds up with Elisa.

Cast

Reception

"The theme here presented is familiar but that might pass unnoticed if it were developed after a better fashion. The principal characters are not as well defined as could be.... Miss Lovely, we must confess, is not what one would associate with the Latin type of woman. She is pretty to the extreme, but her features are anything but Italian. Perhaps though that prettiness will triumph over the casting, it will with the trousered portion of the audience, anyway...Lon Chaney's Giovanni is a strong piece of character portrayal." --- Motion Picture News [6]

"In many ways attractive, blessed with fine types and an excellent cast, THE GILDED SPIDER brings criticism on itself by way of unprofessional construction. The story rambles considerably and gives the impression of being loose-jointed. Louise Lovely...plays well the role of Leonita...Lon Chaney also gives a good impersonation of the Italian." --- Moving Picture World

"Bluebird seems to have the idea that spending a lot of money on a production, with a good cast, is all that is required for the turning out of successful features. The Gilded Spider is a hodge-podge melodrama, expensively visualized...(it) is not on a par with the best Bluebird releases." --- Variety [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lon Chaney</span> American actor (1883–1930)

Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney was an American actor and makeup artist. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted, characters and for his groundbreaking artistry with makeup. Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques that he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces".

<i>Almost an Actress</i> 1913 film

Almost an Actress was a 1913 American silent short comedy film directed by Allen Curtis and starring Louise Fazenda, Max Asher, Lon Chaney and Silvion de Jardin. A surviving still from the film shows Lon Chaney as the exasperated cameraman, grimacing in frustration as chaos envelops the film set. The film is now considered lost. It is unknown when the film was lost, but if it was in Universal's vaults it would have been deliberately destroyed along with the remaining copies of Universal's silent era films in 1948.

<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>The Tragedy of Whispering Creek</i> 1914 film

The Tragedy of Whispering Creek is a 1914 American silent short Western film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, and Lon Chaney. Chaney expert Jon Mirsalis says Chaney also wrote the screenplay, based on a story by Elliott J. Clawson, but the Blake book says the film's director Allan Dwan wrote the screenplay himself. A print exists in the Deutsche Kinemathek film archive, making it Chaney's earliest surviving moving picture. A still exists which shows Chaney in his role as "The Greaser".

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".

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. A still from the film can be seen online.

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.

<i>Alas and Alack</i> 1915 film

Alas and Alack is a 1915 American silent drama short film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Cleo Madison. An incomplete print of the film survives in the BFI National Archive.

A Mother's Atonement is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and featuring Lon Chaney and Cleo Madison. Chaney played a dual role as Ben Morrison. Two stills exist showing Lon Chaney in both of the roles he plays in the film.

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.

Father and the Boys is a 1915 American silent comedy film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and co-starring Lon Chaney and Digby Bell. It is based on a popular 1908 Broadway play produced by Charles Frohman, called Father and the Boys by George Ade. This was Louise Lovely's American film debut after emigrating from Australia. She made a total of 8 films with Chaney during this time period.

Stronger Than Death is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Bess Meredyth, and featuring Lon Chaney and Arthur Shirley. The film is notable for featuring two expatriate Australian actors together in the cast, Louise Lovely and Arthur Shirley. This was Louise Lovely's first American film - indeed it was the first time the actor, whose real name was Louise Carbasse, was credited as "Louise Lovely". The stage name was given to her by Carl Laemmle. Chaney had a relatively small role in this film as the attorney.

Dolly's Scoop is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney. It was written by Ida May Park, based on a story by Hugh Weir. This was one of the few silent films that subtitled the actors' dialogue at the bottom of the screen, instead of using title cards. Also, this was one of the only Lon Chaney films in which Chaney wound up getting the girl at the end of the picture. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of the reporter, Dan Fisher.

The Grip of Jealousy is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park and starring Lon Chaney and Louise Lovely. It was based upon Ida May Park's story "Love Thine Enemy". The film is today considered lost. Two still exist showing Lon Chaney in somewhat different make-ups, one as the character Silas Lacey, and the other as an older version of him

<i>Tangled Hearts</i> 1916 film

Tangled Hearts is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and starring Lon Chaney and Louise Lovely. A small fragment of the film survives in a private collection. A still exists showing Chaney in the role of John Hammond, menacing his wife Enid with a pistol.

<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 Grasp of Greed</i> 1916 film

The Grasp of Greed is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and starring Lon Chaney and Louise Lovely. The screenplay was adapted from an 1888 H. Rider Haggard story called "Mr. Meeson's Will". The film was released in England as Mr. Meeson's Will. The plot concerns a marooned man's will tattooed on the back of a woman. Chaney had a relatively small part in the film, but in one scene, he does a few dance steps, which show off his grace and agility.

<i>A Dolls House</i> (1917 film) 1917 film

A Doll's House is a 1917 American silent drama film based on the eponymous 1879 play by Henrik Ibsen. The film was written and directed by Joe De Grasse, and stars Lon Chaney, William Stowell and Dorothy Phillips. Film historian Jon C. Mirsalis stated that director De Grasse's wife Ida May Park wrote the screenplay, but most sources attribute both the writing and directing of the film to De Grasse himself. The film is today considered lost.

References

  1. ↑ Mirsalis, John C. "The Gilded Spider". Lonchaney.org. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Silent Era: The Gilded Spider". silentera. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
  3. ↑ Bennett, Carl. "The Gilded Spider". silentera.com. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  4. ↑ The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Database:The Gilded Spider
  5. ↑ Mirsalis, John C. "The Gilded Spider". Lonchaney.org. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  6. ↑ Blake, Michael F. (1998). "The Films of Lon Chaney". Vestal Press Inc. Page 62. ISBN   1-879511-26-6.
  7. ↑ Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 61. ISBN   978-1936168-68-2.
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.