The Masked Bride

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The Masked Bride
Masked Bride lobby card.jpg
Lobby card
Directed by Christy Cabanne
Josef von Sternberg (uncredited)
Written by Carey Wilson (scenario)
Story by Leon Abrams
Starring Mae Murray
Francis X. Bushman
Basil Rathbone
Cinematography Oliver Marsh
Production
company
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • December 13, 1925 (1925-12-13)
Running time
68 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language Silent (English intertitles)

The Masked Bride is a lost [1] 1925 American silent romantic drama film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Mae Murray, Francis X. Bushman, and Basil Rathbone. [2] The film was both produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Contents

Plot

As described in a review in a film magazine, [3] Gaby (Murray) is an Apache dancer at a cabaret in the Montmartre section of Paris whose dancing partner Antoine (Rathbone) and friends are thieves. She meets Grover (Bushman), an American millionaire who is a reformer and making a study of crime. She kids him along, even falling in with her partners' scheme to rob him of a valuable necklace. She plays the game to the extent of preparing for the ceremony, but her better self comes to the fore when she realizes the depth of the American's love and the duplicity of her sweetheart who chose the necklace in preference to her. She finds happiness as the American's wife.

Cast

Production

Josef von Sternberg was originally hired to direct the film. After two weeks of filming, he became frustrated with Mae Murray's behavior on the set and ordered the cameramen to film the rafters. He eventually walked out on the picture and was replaced by Christy Cabanne. [4] [5]

Filming began in early August 1925, [6] and a large Parisian cafe set was constructed at the Culver City MGM studios. [7] In the picture, Mae Murray wears a necklace composed of ninety "violet phosphorescent" diamonds, which Moving Picture World claimed was the only one in existence. They also claimed the necklace was insured for $300,000. [8]

Reception

The Film Daily review was mixed, finding the story to be weak, but the settings lavish and Mae Murray to be entertaining. [9]

The Moving Picture World reviewer C.S. Sewell gave the film a positive review, despite describing the plot as "highly improbable." Mae Murray's performance and dancing were praised, as well as the performances of the rest of the cast. The reviewer noted the return of Francis X. Bushman after two years of absence from the screen, and described his appearance as "handsome as ever." [10]

Variety's review was mostly negative, describing the film as "a melodrama of the hoakiest kind" and the production as if "made in a rush." [11]

Preservation

With no holdings located in archives, The Masked Bride is considered a lost film. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Masked Bride". memory.loc.gov. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  2. ↑ Progressive Silent Film List: The Masked Bride at silentera.com
  3. ↑ Sewell, Charles S. (December 12, 1925). "Through the Box Office Window: The Masked Bride; Pleasing Story of a Dancer of the Paris Underworld Serves as Mae Murray Vehicle". The Moving Picture World. 77 (6). New York City: Chalmers Publishing Co.: 576. Retrieved October 27, 2021.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  4. ↑ Koszarski, Richard (1984). Great American Film Directors: In Photographs. Courier Dover Publications. p. 30. ISBN   0-486-24752-X.
  5. ↑ Ankerich, Michael G. (2012). Mae Murray: The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips. University Press of Kentucky. p. 332. ISBN   978-0-813-14038-4.
  6. ↑ The Moving Picture World. New York City: Chalmers Publishing Company. August 8, 1925. p. 657.
  7. ↑ The Moving Picture World. New York City: Chalmers Publishing Co. August 15, 1925. p. 763.
  8. ↑ The Moving Picture World. New York City: Chalmers Publishing Company. December 5, 1925. p. 431.
  9. ↑ The Film Daily. Media History Digital Library. New York City: Wid's Films and Film Folks, Inc. December 6, 1925. p. 4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. ↑ The Moving Picture World. New York City: Chalmers Publishing Company. December 12, 1925. p. 576.
  11. ↑ Variety. New York City: Variety Publishing Company. December 2, 1925. p. 41.


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