A Child for Sale
Encyclopedia
A Child for Sale is a 1920 silent film
directed by Ivan Abramson
, starring Gladys Leslie
and Creighton Hale
.
. Destitute after his wife dies, he is forced to sell one of his children for $1,000 to a childless rich woman. He soon comes his senses however, and backs out of the deal. From there, the story takes a number of twists and turns involving Ruth Gardner (Leslie) (the wife of Dr. Gardner who treats Stoddard's child for illness) and Ruth's parents -- whose father is also Stoddard's landlord and mother is later revealed to be Stoddard's long-lost mother from a prior marriage.
The ad campaign for the film included a faux advertisement for selling a child.(22 September 1920). By the Way, The Outlook (New York)
(29 October 1920). A Child for Sale (ad), Reading Eagle
noted some shortcomings of the film in his review of the "melodramatic opus" in Photoplay
, stating that "Ivan Abramson's idea of what constitutes a coherent and convincing dramatic story, taking this picture as a sample, offer many opportunities for the raucous hoot and the mirthful snort. ...His picture is an inartistic jumble of unrelated incidents to me ..." Other contemporary reviews were of a more non-specific and generally positive nature, such as the review by the New York Clipper
which described the picture as "intensely interesting from start to finish."
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
directed by Ivan Abramson
Ivan Abramson
Ivan Abramson was a director of American silent films active in the 1910s and 1920s.Abramson emigrated to the United States from Russia in the 1880s and soon became involved in Jewish newspaper field. In 1905 he founded an opera company. In 1914, he founded Ivan Film Productions to produce...
, starring Gladys Leslie
Gladys Leslie
Gladys Leslie was an American actress in silent film, active in the 1910s and 1920s. Though less-remembered than superstars like Mary Pickford, she had a number of starring roles from 1917 to the early 1920s and was one of the young female stars of her day.-Film career:Leslie began her movie...
and Creighton Hale
Creighton Hale
Creighton Hale was an Irish-born American movie actor who worked in the silent film era.-Career:While starring in Charles Frohman's Broadway production of Indian Summer, Hale was spotted by a representative of the Pathe Film Company...
.
Plot
Charles Stoddard (played by Hale) is a poor artist living with his wife and two childen in Greenwich VillageGreenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. Destitute after his wife dies, he is forced to sell one of his children for $1,000 to a childless rich woman. He soon comes his senses however, and backs out of the deal. From there, the story takes a number of twists and turns involving Ruth Gardner (Leslie) (the wife of Dr. Gardner who treats Stoddard's child for illness) and Ruth's parents -- whose father is also Stoddard's landlord and mother is later revealed to be Stoddard's long-lost mother from a prior marriage.
The ad campaign for the film included a faux advertisement for selling a child.(22 September 1920). By the Way, The Outlook (New York)
The Outlook (New York)
The Outlook was a weekly magazine, published in New York City.-History:In 1900, the ranking weekly journals of news and opinion were The Independent , The Nation , the Outlook , and in a different class or with a different emphasis, The Literary Digest .-Notable contributors:*Theodore Roosevelt...
(29 October 1920). A Child for Sale (ad), Reading Eagle
Reading Eagle
The Reading Eagle is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the United States. This family-owned newspaper has a daily circulation of 64,000 and a Sunday circulation of 100,000...
Reception
Critic Burns MantleBurns Mantle
Robert Burns Mantle was a well-known American drama critic. He founded the Best Plays annual publication in 1920.. , The New York Times...
noted some shortcomings of the film in his review of the "melodramatic opus" in Photoplay
Photoplay
Photoplay was one of the first American film fan magazines. It was founded in 1911 in Chicago, the same year that J. Stuart Blackton founded a similar magazine entitled Motion Picture Story...
, stating that "Ivan Abramson's idea of what constitutes a coherent and convincing dramatic story, taking this picture as a sample, offer many opportunities for the raucous hoot and the mirthful snort. ...His picture is an inartistic jumble of unrelated incidents to me ..." Other contemporary reviews were of a more non-specific and generally positive nature, such as the review by the New York Clipper
New York Clipper
The New York Clipper, also known as The Clipper, was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924. It covered many topics, including circuses, dance, music, the outdoors, sports, and theatre. It had a circulation of about 25,000. The publishers also produced the...
which described the picture as "intensely interesting from start to finish."
Cast
- Gladys LeslieGladys LeslieGladys Leslie was an American actress in silent film, active in the 1910s and 1920s. Though less-remembered than superstars like Mary Pickford, she had a number of starring roles from 1917 to the early 1920s and was one of the young female stars of her day.-Film career:Leslie began her movie...
as Ruth Gardner - Creighton HaleCreighton HaleCreighton Hale was an Irish-born American movie actor who worked in the silent film era.-Career:While starring in Charles Frohman's Broadway production of Indian Summer, Hale was spotted by a representative of the Pathe Film Company...
as Charles Stoddard - Bobby ConnellyBobby ConnellyRobert Joseph "Bobby" Connelly was an American child actor of silent films. He is one of the first male child stars of American motion pictures beginning his career in 1913 at the age of four.-Career:...
as Walter Stoddard (Charles' son) - Julia Swayne GordonJulia Swayne GordonJulia Swayne Gordon , was an American actress. She appeared in 228 films between 1908 to 1933.Born in Columbus, Ohio, she starred in the first film version of the Lady Godiva legend in 1911...
as Paula Harrison - William H. Tooker as William Harrison
- Anna LehrAnna LehrAnna Lehr was an American silent film actress. She was married to Edwin McKim; their daughter was actress Ann Dvorak. Lehr had ample experience as a stage performer also....
as Catherine Bell (Dr. Gardner's nurse) - William B. DavidsonWilliam B. DavidsonWilliam B. Davidson was an American film actor. He attended Columbia University where he played football. He became a popular football star. This fame eventually led to his foray into motion pictures after he had spent some time as a lawyer...
as Dr. Gardner - "Baby" Ruth Sullivan as Sylvia Stoddard (Charles' daughter)
External links
- A Child for Sale at American Film InstituteAmerican Film InstituteThe American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...