NOTA BENE: There are SCADS of docs on these films, so I decided to start posting what I had rather than wait until I had them perfectly done. These were GREAT years for Lionel Barrymore in film, and his star was very, very high in Hollywood.
1920 marked Lionel Barrymore's return to films, coming after a string of stage plays, two with brother John (The Jest and Peter Ibbetson). When we last saw him on screen, in 1917, he had just finished playing in The Millionaire's Double (and a short bit in the National Red Cross Pageant). Indeed, all three of his 1917 films had him playing B-named characters: Bide Bennington, Byron Bennett, and J. Dabney Barron. I have no idea why.
But on his return, fresh from a massive stage success (his biggest as a solo star) with Augustus' Thomas' Civil War-era play The Copperhead, Lionel Barrymore gave a tremendous performance in the film of the play, released early in 1920. The rest of his films of this two-year period were all feature length and showcased his serious dramatic chops in a variety of scenarios. Let's look!
THE COPPERHEAD Milt Shanks Released January 25, 1920. Directed by Charles Maigne and also starring Mrs B (Doris Rankin) as Milt's wife. Her brother Arthur Rankin also appears as their son Joey, and other co-stars were William P Carlton and Frank Joyner. The film ran 1 hour 10 minutes, and was filmed in and around Elmhurst and NYC. The play was based itself on a novel by Frederick Landis and is indeed extant online and on DVD from several sources online.
THE MASTER MIND Henry Allen Released September 12, 1920. Whitman Bennett film directed by Kenneth Webb from a stage play and starring as well people such as Gypsy O'Brien and Ralph Keller. The film was also known as Sinners Three. AFI avers there may have been some cuts made for certain parts of the US. IMDB sayeth: "The defense attorney who was unable to obtain the acquittal of an innocent young man concocts a complicated and diabolical scheme to revenge himself upon the prosecutor. ". This was a HEAVILY promoted film! Ads say this was Mr. B's first film for First National, which he would go on to work for again. Many times, it seems. Alas, it does not seem extant.
TCM/AFI sayeth, intriguingly: "The "master mind" is that of Henry Allen, a brilliant psychologist obsessed with the idea of exacting vengeance on District Attorney Wainwright for his role in executing Allen's brother. In order to torture his victim, Allen mails Wainwright a series of cards warning him of his impending fate. Discovering that Wainwright worships a portrait of Maggie Flynt, who rescued him from a car accident, Allen searches for the girl, finds her in prison and wins her release. Allen then provides Maggie with a fine education and arranges for crooks to play the girl's mother, father and brother. Time passes and Wainwright is now a candidate for governor when he meets Maggie and marries her. When the election is at hand, Allen springs his trap by revealing that the D. A.'s family is composed of convicts. Wainwright is about to tender his resignation when Maggie's devotion to her husband moves Allen so deeply that he relinquishes his revenge."
THE DEVIL'S GARDEN William Dale Released November 22, 1920. Also directed by Kenneth Webb for Whitman Bennett, this drama stars then-Mrs. B as well, Doris Rankin.This seems to have been an intense film, wherein one man discovers his wife gave in to her employer's advances so she could keep her job. Said man kills said employer.The film was based on a book by William Maxwell. It also is not extant, per LOC.
MORE TO COME!
THE GREAT ADVENTURE Priam Farll
JIM THE PENMAN James Ralston
IMAGES FORTHCOMING:
BOOMERANG BILL Boomerang Bill
THE FACE IN THE FOG "Boston" Blackie Dawson
1920 marked Lionel Barrymore's return to films, coming after a string of stage plays, two with brother John (The Jest and Peter Ibbetson). When we last saw him on screen, in 1917, he had just finished playing in The Millionaire's Double (and a short bit in the National Red Cross Pageant). Indeed, all three of his 1917 films had him playing B-named characters: Bide Bennington, Byron Bennett, and J. Dabney Barron. I have no idea why.
But on his return, fresh from a massive stage success (his biggest as a solo star) with Augustus' Thomas' Civil War-era play The Copperhead, Lionel Barrymore gave a tremendous performance in the film of the play, released early in 1920. The rest of his films of this two-year period were all feature length and showcased his serious dramatic chops in a variety of scenarios. Let's look!
THE COPPERHEAD Milt Shanks Released January 25, 1920. Directed by Charles Maigne and also starring Mrs B (Doris Rankin) as Milt's wife. Her brother Arthur Rankin also appears as their son Joey, and other co-stars were William P Carlton and Frank Joyner. The film ran 1 hour 10 minutes, and was filmed in and around Elmhurst and NYC. The play was based itself on a novel by Frederick Landis and is indeed extant online and on DVD from several sources online.
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| Magazine ad for the film |
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| From the published play |
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| From the published play |
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| From John Barrymore's Confessions of an Actor |
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| June 1922 review |
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| Motion Picture Classic May 1918 |
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| Review from Motion Picture Classic May 1918 |
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| edit and color mine |
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| Film still |
THE MASTER MIND Henry Allen Released September 12, 1920. Whitman Bennett film directed by Kenneth Webb from a stage play and starring as well people such as Gypsy O'Brien and Ralph Keller. The film was also known as Sinners Three. AFI avers there may have been some cuts made for certain parts of the US. IMDB sayeth: "The defense attorney who was unable to obtain the acquittal of an innocent young man concocts a complicated and diabolical scheme to revenge himself upon the prosecutor. ". This was a HEAVILY promoted film! Ads say this was Mr. B's first film for First National, which he would go on to work for again. Many times, it seems. Alas, it does not seem extant.
TCM/AFI sayeth, intriguingly: "The "master mind" is that of Henry Allen, a brilliant psychologist obsessed with the idea of exacting vengeance on District Attorney Wainwright for his role in executing Allen's brother. In order to torture his victim, Allen mails Wainwright a series of cards warning him of his impending fate. Discovering that Wainwright worships a portrait of Maggie Flynt, who rescued him from a car accident, Allen searches for the girl, finds her in prison and wins her release. Allen then provides Maggie with a fine education and arranges for crooks to play the girl's mother, father and brother. Time passes and Wainwright is now a candidate for governor when he meets Maggie and marries her. When the election is at hand, Allen springs his trap by revealing that the D. A.'s family is composed of convicts. Wainwright is about to tender his resignation when Maggie's devotion to her husband moves Allen so deeply that he relinquishes his revenge."
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| Ho looks a lot like John in this poster |
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| Magazine ad--there was a big publicity push for this film |
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| Lobby card |
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| An ad with multiple (very positive) reviews |
THE DEVIL'S GARDEN William Dale Released November 22, 1920. Also directed by Kenneth Webb for Whitman Bennett, this drama stars then-Mrs. B as well, Doris Rankin.This seems to have been an intense film, wherein one man discovers his wife gave in to her employer's advances so she could keep her job. Said man kills said employer.The film was based on a book by William Maxwell. It also is not extant, per LOC.
MORE TO COME!
THE GREAT ADVENTURE Priam Farll
JIM THE PENMAN James Ralston
IMAGES FORTHCOMING:
BOOMERANG BILL Boomerang Bill
THE FACE IN THE FOG "Boston" Blackie Dawson
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