The Lawful Cheater | |
---|---|
Directed by | Frank O'Connor |
Written by | Adele Buffington Frank O'Connor |
Produced by | B.P. Schulberg |
Starring | Clara Bow David Kirby Raymond McKee |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Al Lichtman Preferred Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 1492.91 m (5 reels) |
Country | United States |
Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
The Lawful Cheater, sometimes referred to as Lawful Cheaters, is a 1925 American silent crime drama film written by Frank O'Connor and Adele Buffington. The film was directed by O'Connor for B.P. Schulberg Productions, and starred Clara Bow, David Kirby, and Raymond McKee. [1] [2] After its 1925 U.S. theatrical release, the film was banned by the British Board of Film Censors. [3]
Molly Burns (Clara Bow) is a young woman whose indiscreet behavior causes her to be caught and jailed in a police "round up" of suspicious characters. Her prison experience causes her to reflect upon and reform her own life. She convinces jail authorities that her two brothers and her boyfriend could be dissuaded from a life of crime. After her early release, she attempts to reform her indiscreet friends.
In American Film Cycles: the Silent Era, the film is called an "offbeat crime drama". [1] In noting the film was a "cheaply produced melodrama" with a storyline that was "slight and trite", Hal Erickson of AllRovi wrote that beyond the film benefitting from actual use of New York City locations, Clara Bow acted as the film's "sole redeeming factor." He noted that at one point in the film, Bow's character of Molly Burns appeared in male drag which even if "far from convincing", was "fun to watch." [5]
Frank O'Connor was an American character actor and director, whose career spanned five decades and included appearances in over 600 films and television shows. Early in his career he was also billed as Frank A. Connor and Frank L.A. O'Connor. During the silent film era, he directed or was the assistant director on numerous films; he also penned several screenplays in both the silent and sound film eras. He is sometimes erroneously identified with the Frank O'Connor who was married to author Ayn Rand.
Down to the Sea in Ships is a 1922 American silent romantic drama film about a 19th-century Massachusetts whaling family. Directed by Elmer Clifton, the film stars William Walcott, Marguerite Courtot, and Clara Bow. The film's title comes from Psalm 107, verses 23–24.
B. P. Schulberg was an American pioneer film producer and film studio executive.
Ladies of the Mob (1928) is a 1928 American silent crime drama film directed by William A. Wellman, produced by Jesse L. Lasky and Adolph Zukor for Famous Players–Lasky, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is based on a story by Ernest Booth. This gangster-themed romantic thriller about a criminal's daughter who tries to reform a petty crook whom she loves featured Clara Bow, Richard Arlen, Mary Alden and Helen Lynch.
Kate Lester was an American theatrical and silent film actress. Her family, the Suydams of New York, were staying in Britain at the time of her birth.
Blanche Mehaffey was an American showgirl and film actress.
Proud Flesh is a 1925 American silent comedy-drama film directed by King Vidor and starring Eleanor Boardman, Pat O'Malley, and Harrison Ford in a romantic triangle.
Dancing Mothers is a 1926 American black and white silent drama film produced by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Herbert Brenon, and stars Alice Joyce, Conway Tearle, and making her debut appearance for a Paramount Pictures film, Clara Bow. Dancing Mothers was released to the general public on March 1, 1926. The film tells the story of a pretty mother, who was almost cheated out of life by a heartless husband and a thoughtless daughter. The film survives on 16mm film stock and is currently kept at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Kick In is a 1922 American silent crime drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky, distributed by Paramount Pictures, and starring Betty Compson and Bert Lytell. The picture was directed by George Fitzmaurice, who previously directed a 1917 film version of the story. Both films are based on Willard Mack's 1913 play that was produced on Broadway in 1914 starring John Barrymore. The supporting cast features Charles Ogle, who had played the first screen Frankenstein's monster in the original 1910 version of Frankenstein.
Keene Thompson was a story, scenario and screenwriter who worked in the film industry from 1920 to 1937.
The Drag Net, also known as The Dragnet, is a 1928 American silent crime drama produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures based on the story "Nightstick" by Oliver H.P. Garrett. It was directed by Josef von Sternberg from an original screen story and starring George Bancroft and Evelyn Brent.
My Lady's Lips is a 1925 American silent drama film written by John F. Goodrich and directed by James P. Hogan for B.P. Schulberg and his company Preferred Pictures. The film stars Alyce Mills, and represents an early role for actress Clara Bow. It is the tenth ever film for William Powell, and the first of only two films where Powell and Bow worked together.
Free to Love is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Frank O'Connor. The film stars Clara Bow and Donald Keith.
Shadow of the Law is a 1926 American silent crime drama film starring Clara Bow as a woman sent to prison for a crime she did not commit. Directed by Wallace Worsley, the screenplay was written by Leah Baird and Grover Jones and was based on the novel Two Gates by Harry Chapman Ford. Shadow of the Law is now regarded as lost.
Three Week-Ends is a 1928 American comedy drama film directed by Clarence G. Badger and starring Clara Bow and Neil Hamilton. It is believed lost. "Three Week-Ends" is the title given in the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, with alternate titles being "Three Week Ends" and "3 Weekends".
The Ancient Mariner is a 1925 American silent fantasy drama film based on the popular 1798 poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The film was directed by Henry Otto and Chester Bennett, and it was adapted for the screen by Eve Unsell. The film stars Clara Bow, Gladys Brockwell, Nigel De Brulier and was distributed by Fox Film Corporation. The film is presumed to be lost.
Capital Punishment is a surviving 1925 American silent melodrama film directed by James P. Hogan and starring Clara Bow, Margaret Livingston, Mary Carr, and Elliott Dexter. It was produced by B. P. Schulberg and is now in the public domain. It was written and produced with the intent of challenging the viewing public question the use of capital punishment.
Preferred Pictures was an American film production company of the silent era. Founded in 1920 by the producer B. P. Schulberg following his departure from Paramount Pictures, it was an independent, either distributing its own films or releasing them through First National Pictures. Schulberg's partners were J.G. Bachmann and Al Lichtman, and many of the company's earliest productions featured the actress Katherine MacDonald. She was replaced as the company's leading star by Clara Bow.
The Keeper of the Bees is a 1925 American silent drama film written and directed by James Leo Meehan. It is based on the 1925 novel The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter. The film stars Robert Frazer, Josef Swickard, Martha Mattox, Clara Bow, Alyce Mills, and Gene Stratton. The film was released on September 6, 1925, by Film Booking Offices of America.
Grit is a 1924 American silent crime drama film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Glenn Hunter, Clara Bow, and Roland Young. It is based upon a screen story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald.