The Rainbow Princess

Last updated
The Rainbow Princess
The Rainbow Princess.jpg
"The Rainbow Princess"
Directed by J. Searle Dawley
Written by Shannon Fife
Produced by Daniel Frohman
Adolph Zukor
Starring Ann Pennington
CinematographyH. Lyman Broening (fr)
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
October 22, 1916
Running time
50 minutes
CountryUSA
LanguageSilent..English intertitles

The Rainbow Princess is a lost [1] American silent film released by the Famous Players Film Company on October 22, 1916. The picture was directed by J. Searle Dawley and filmed by cinematographer H. Lyman Broening. The Rainbow Princess was written by Shannon Fife and marked actress Ann Pennington's second appearance on celluloid. [2]

Contents

Reception

The Moving Picture World, 1916

After her very successful debut in Susie Snowflake it was decided to star Miss Pennington in a circus story to be called The Rainbow Princess which is being staged under the direction of J. Searle Dawley. In this picture Miss Pennington plays a little waif who has been adopted by the wife of the proprietor of a circus and is forced to do a great deal of the mean work around the place in addition to learning to do tricks with the animals. Of course there is a lover among the men in the troupe but The Princess, realizing that he is not quite sincere in his attentions, has the good sense to refuse to accept his attentions. She later proves to be not at all the waif that she was thought to be and—but the story is one to be seen on the screen.

The production of this photoplay at this particular time has caused many unexpected difficulties to be placed in the path of Director Dawley, because of the strict quarantines which have been placed upon itinerant citizens because of the paralysis plague. As a result of these numerous obstacles, Mr. Dawley was forced to arrange with one of the circuses which was on Long Island to have it apparently disband and travel back to New York in small units, with the Famous Players studio as their rendezvous. Then the tent was set up in a large vacant lot on the west side and the scenes were taken.

Miss Pennington, who is a remarkably clever athlete and is a trained acrobat, has already done some very startling feats in the "show" and she predicts that she will accomplish even more before the end of the picture [3]

Forest Leaves, 1916

When Ann Pennington was creating a sensation on the stage of the Ziegfeld Follies, the little star decided that she had enough spare time to become a motion picture satellite, constellation or luminary. She accordingly made her debut in Susie Snowflake, in which she scored a decided success. The circus with all the background of billowing canvas, the freaks, the menagerie, the balloon ascent and the parachute drop – all of these and much more that is fascinating – form the setting for the Rainbow Princess. Miss Pennington goes into the lion’s cage, performs aerial tricks, does her celebrated Hula Hula Dance and is her captivating self throughout the entire picture. [4]

Cast

Source, IMDb.com [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Snow White</i> (1916 film) 1916 American silent romantic fantasy film directed by J. Searle Dawley

Snow White is a 1916 American silent romantic fantasy film directed by J. Searle Dawley. Winthrop Ames adapted it from his own 1912 Broadway play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was in turn adapted from the 1812 fairy tale. The film stars Marguerite Clark and Creighton Hale, Clark reprising her stage role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Pennington (actress)</span> American actress, dancer, and singer (1893–1971)

Anna Pennington was an American actress, dancer, and singer who starred on Broadway in the 1910s and 1920s, notably in the Ziegfeld Follies and George White's Scandals.

<i>Rescued from an Eagles Nest</i> 1908 film

Rescued from an Eagle's Nest is a 1908 American silent action-drama film produced by Edwin S. Porter for Edison Studios and directed by J. Searle Dawley. It features the first leading screen role of the legendary American filmmaker D. W. Griffith, whose directorial debut was released just six months after he performed in this production. Griffith's casting in the Edison "photoplay" began when he found himself stranded and broke in New York City after a play he authored had failed. Desperate for money, he responded to Edison's offer to pay $15 to anyone who submitted a useable treatment or scenario based on the Puccini opera Tosca. Porter rejected Griffith's submission, but the studio executive did offer him the lead role in Rescued from an Eagle's Nest. A full print of this film survives in the extensive collection of moving images at the Museum of Modern Art. Only one other film in which Griffith appears as an actor survives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Searle Dawley</span> American director

James Searle Dawley was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, stage actor, and playwright. Between 1907 and the mid-1920s, while working for Edison, Rex Motion Picture Company, Famous Players, Fox, and other studios, he directed more than 300 short films and 56 features, which include many of the early releases of stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Pearl White, Marguerite Clark, Harold Lloyd, and John Barrymore. He also wrote scenarios for many of his productions, including one for his 1910 horror film Frankenstein, the earliest known screen adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel. While film direction and screenwriting comprised the bulk of Dawley's career, he also had earlier working experience in theater, performing on stage for more than a decade and managing every aspect of stagecraft. Dawley wrote at least 18 plays as well for repertory companies and for several Broadway productions.

<i>The Charm School</i> (film) 1921 film

The Charm School is a lost 1921 American silent comedy film starring Wallace Reid. Produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures this James Cruze directed film was based on a 1920 Broadway stage play and novel by Alice Duer Miller that starred veteran actress Minnie Dupree. It is currently a lost film. It was filmed on the campus of Pomona College in Claremont, California.

<i>On the Broad Stairway</i> 1913 American film

On The Broad Stairway, from Edison Studios, was a 1913 American silent film (short) written and directed by J. Searle Dawley. The film was the second of three "Kate Kirby's Cases" detective tales produced in 1913 before Dawley and actress Laura Sawyer left Edison to continue the series later that year with the Famous Players Film Company. On The Broad Stairway was released in the United States on July 19, 1913.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Courtleigh Jr.</span>

William Thomas Courtleigh Jr. was an American silent film actor whose career was cut short after he fell victim to the 1918 flu pandemic.

<i>Susie Snowflake</i> 1916 film by James Kirkwood

Susie Snowflake is a lost American silent film released by Paramount Pictures on June 25, 1916. The picture was directed by James Kirkwood, Sr. and filmed by cinematographer Ned Van Buren. Susie Snowflake was written and adapted for the screen by Shannon Fife and introduced to American filmgoers, actress Ann Pennington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Fife</span> American journalist

Manning Shannon Fife was an American journalist, humorist and film scenario writer. He worked on at least 86 motion pictures over the silent film era before returning to journalism to write for magazines and newspapers.

The following is a list of films by Edwin S. Porter, head producer at the Edison Manufacturing Company owned by Thomas A. Edison, between 1901 and 1909. Other films were produced at the Rex Motion Picture Company and Famous Players Film Company.

<i>A Coney Island Princess</i> 1916 film by Dell Henderson

A Coney Island Princess is a lost 1916 silent film comedy drama directed by Dell Henderson and starring Irene Fenwick. It is based on the play Princess Zim-Zim by Edward Sheldon. This film was Fenwick's first for the Famous Players Film Company and was partly filmed on location at Coney Island.

<i>Still Waters</i> (1915 film) 1915 film by J. Searle Dawley

Still Waters is a 1915 silent film starring Marguerite Clark and directed by J. Searle Dawley. It was produced by Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company. It was distributed by Paramount Pictures and is now lost.

<i>Rich Man, Poor Man</i> (film) 1918 American film

Rich Man, Poor Man is a lost 1918 American silent romantic drama film starring Marguerite Clark and directed by J. Searle Dawley. It is based on a 1916 Broadway play by George Broadhurst. It was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

<i>The Seven Swans</i> 1917 American film

The Seven Swans is a lost 1917 silent film fantasy starring Marguerite Clark. Famous Players Film Company produced and J. Searle Dawley directed.

<i>Miss George Washington</i> 1916 film by J. Searle Dawley

Miss George Washington is a lost 1916 silent film comedy directed by J. Searle Dawley and starring Marguerite Clark. It was produced by Adolph Zukor through his Famous Players Film Company and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

The Little Boy Scout is a lost 1917 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players Film Company and released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Francis J. Grandon and starred Ann Pennington. The motion picture was also known as “The Little Soldier Girl.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Sturgis</span> American actor

Eddie Sturgis (1881–1947), also known as Edwin Sturgis, Ed Sturgis, or Edward Sturgis, was an American character actor of the silent and sound film eras.

<i>The Diamond Crown</i> 1913 American film

The Diamond Crown, from Edison Studios, was a 1913 American silent film (short) written and directed by J. Searle Dawley. It was the first of three "Kate Kirby's Cases" detective stories made in 1913 for Edison before Dawley and actress Laura Sawyer left Edison for Famous Players Film Co. later that year, where they produced three more. This film was also Justina Huff's debut in motion pictures. The Diamond Crown was released in the United States on July 12, 1913. This film is considered lost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawson Film Find</span> 1978 discovery of 533 silent-era films

The Dawson Film Find (DFF) was the accidental discovery in 1978 of 372 film titles preserved in 533 reels of silent-era nitrate films in the Klondike Gold Rush town of Dawson City, Yukon, Canada. The reels had been buried under an abandoned hockey rink in 1929 and included lost films of feature movies and newsreels. A construction excavation inadvertently uncovered the forgotten cache of discarded films, which were unintentionally preserved by the permafrost.

<i>The Mad Dancer</i> 1925 silent film

The Mad Dancer is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Burton L. King and starring Ann Pennington, Johnnie Walker, and Coit Albertson.

References

  1. The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Rainbow Princess
  2. 1 2 "The Rainbow Princess (1916)" . Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  3. The Moving Picture World, Volume 29; July–September 1916; pg. 1521; Free Google Books
  4. Forest Leaves, Vol. 10; January 7, 1916; pg. 287 Free Google Books