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Greed (film)
Encyclopedia
Greed is a 1924
American dramatic
silent film
. It was directed by Erich von Stroheim
and starring Gibson Gowland
, Zasu Pitts
, Jean Hersholt
, Dale Fuller
, Tempe Pigott
, Sylvia Ashton
, Chester Conklin
, Joan Standing
and Jack Curtis
.
The plot follows a dentist
whose wife wins a lottery
ticket, only to become obsessed with money. When her former lover betrays the dentist as a fraud, all of their lives are destroyed. The movie was adapted by von Stroheim (shooting screenplay) and Joseph Farnham
(titles) from the 1899 novel McTeague
by Frank Norris
. (The onscreen writing credit for June Mathis
was strictly a contractual obligation to her on the part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(the parent studio), as she was not actually involved in the production.) Originally over ten hours long, Greed was ultimately edited against von Stroheim's permission to about two and a half hours, and the full-length version is a lost film
.
's World Pictures, in 1916 under the title McTeague starring Broadway star Holbrook Blinn
. Under the aegis of the Goldwyn studio, von Stroheim attempted to film a version of the book complete in every detail. To capture the authentic spirit of the story, he insisted on filming on location in San Francisco, the Sierra Nevada mountains, and Death Valley
, despite harsh conditions.
The result was a final print of the film that was an astonishing ten hours in length, produced at a cost of over $500,000 — one of the most costly films yet made (though Stroheim's 1921 film Foolish Wives
was publicized by Universal as costing over a million). Realizing it was far too long to be shown, Stroheim cut it down to six hours, to be screened with intermissions in two nights. However, Goldwyn producers told him to cut it to a more manageable length. With the assistance of fellow director Rex Ingram
and editor Grant Whytock, von Stroheim trimmed the film to about four hours, to be shown in two parts.
However, during production, Goldwyn was merged into MGM. After screening it at full length once to meet contractual obligations, MGM removed Greed from von Stroheim's control despite his protests. The negative was given to MGM's head scriptwriter, June Mathis
, with orders to cut it even further. Mathis gave the print to a routine cutter, who reduced it to 2.5 hours. In the process, key characters were removed from the final version so that it could be screened in a reasonable time frame. This created large gaps in continuity. Existing prints of Greed run at about two hours and twenty minutes.
Although Mathis' actual involvement in the cutting has never been confirmed, she was credited as a writer due to contractual obligations, and thus Stroheim blamed her for destroying his masterpiece. However, Mathis had worked with Stroheim before and had long admired him, so it is not likely she would have indiscriminately butchered his film.
The hours of cut film were destroyed by a janitor cleaning a vault who thought they were unimportant film rolls and threw them in an incinerator (although it appears that much of it survived until at least the late 1950s)
, and this film is known as one of the most famous "lost film
s" in cinema history. The released version of the film was a box-office failure; panned by critics and angrily disowned by von Stroheim. In later years, even in its shortened form, it was recognized as one of the great realistic films of its time. Rare behind-the-scenes footage of Greed can be seen in the Goldwyn Pictures
film Souls for Sale
.
In 1999, Turner Entertainment
(the film's current rights holder) decided to "recreate", as closely as possible, the original version by combining the existing footage with still photographs of the lost scenes, in accordance with an original continuity outline written by von Stroheim. This restoration runs almost four hours. The re-edit was produced by Rick Schmidlin
. (Other classic films with missing footage include Orson Welles
's The Magnificent Ambersons
, Frank Capra
's Lost Horizon, George Cukor
's A Star Is Born
and von Stroheim's Queen Kelly
). In 1991, this film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
by the Library of Congress
as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
1924 in film
-Events:* Entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to create Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
American dramatic
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
silent film
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...
. It was directed by Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim was an Austrian-born film star of the silent era, subsequently noted as an auteur for his directorial work.-Background:...
and starring Gibson Gowland
Gibson Gowland
Gibson Gowland was an English film actor.Early sources had his birth place place as Newcastle. He started work as a sailor and later became mate of a ship...
, Zasu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning to comedy sound films.-Early life:ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie Pitts; she was the third of four children...
, Jean Hersholt
Jean Hersholt
Jean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
, Dale Fuller
Dale Fuller (actor)
Dale Fuller was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 67 films between 1915 and 1935.She was born in Santa Ana, California and died in Los Angeles County, California.-Selected filmography:...
, Tempe Pigott
Tempe Pigott
Tempe Pigott was a silent and sound screen character actress. She had some stage experience before entering silent films as she is given one 1918 Broadway credit by Internet Broadway Database. Her silent and sound film appearances were numerous. She is remembered mainly for playing the mother of...
, Sylvia Ashton
Sylvia Ashton
Sylvia Ashton was an American film actress of the silent era. She appeared in 134 films between 1912 and 1929. She was born in Denver, Colorado and died in Los Angeles, California...
, Chester Conklin
Chester Conklin
Chester Cooper Conklin was an American comedian and actor. He appeared in over 280 films, about half of them in the silent era.-Early life:...
, Joan Standing
Joan Standing
Joan Standing was an English actress. She appeared in 63 films between 1919 and 1940.She was the daughter of Herbert Standing Jr. and granddaughter of Herbert Standing . Her uncles were Wyndham Standing, Sir Guy Standing, Percy Standing, Jr. and Jack Standing...
and Jack Curtis
Jack Curtis (actor)
Jack Curtis was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 157 films between 1915 and 1950. He was born in San Francisco, California and died in Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:* Graft...
.
The plot follows a dentist
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
whose wife wins a lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
ticket, only to become obsessed with money. When her former lover betrays the dentist as a fraud, all of their lives are destroyed. The movie was adapted by von Stroheim (shooting screenplay) and Joseph Farnham
Joseph Farnham
Joseph White Farnham was an American playwright and a film writer and film editor of the silent movie era to the early 1930s. He was also a founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
(titles) from the 1899 novel McTeague
McTeague
McTeague is a novel by Frank Norris, first published in 1899. It tells the story of a couple's courtship and marriage, and their subsequent descent into poverty, violence and finally murder as the result of jealousy and avarice...
by Frank Norris
Frank Norris
Benjamin Franklin Norris, Jr. was an American novelist, during the Progressive Era, writing predominantly in the naturalist genre. His notable works include McTeague , The Octopus: A Story of California , and The Pit .-Life:Frank Norris was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1870...
. (The onscreen writing credit for June Mathis
June Mathis
June Mathis was an American screenwriter and one of the highest paid Hollywood executives in the 1920s. Mathis was the first female executive for Metro/MGM and at only 35, she was the highest paid executive in Hollywood. In 1926 she was voted the third most influential woman in Hollywood, behind...
was strictly a contractual obligation to her on the part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(the parent studio), as she was not actually involved in the production.) Originally over ten hours long, Greed was ultimately edited against von Stroheim's permission to about two and a half hours, and the full-length version is a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
Production
The story of the making of the movie has become a Hollywood legend. The story had been filmed once before by an American film studio, William A. BradyWilliam A. Brady
William Aloysius Brady, Sr. was an American theatre actor, producer, and sports promoter.-Biography:Brady was born to a newspaperman in 1863. His father kidnapped him from San Francisco and brought him to New York City, where his father worked as a writer while William was forced to sell...
's World Pictures, in 1916 under the title McTeague starring Broadway star Holbrook Blinn
Holbrook Blinn
Holbrook Blinn was an American actor, born in San Francisco. He appeared on the legitimate stage as a child, and played throughout the United States and in London. He appeared in silent films, and was the director of popular one-act plays at New York's Princess Theatre.In 1900, he appeared in...
. Under the aegis of the Goldwyn studio, von Stroheim attempted to film a version of the book complete in every detail. To capture the authentic spirit of the story, he insisted on filming on location in San Francisco, the Sierra Nevada mountains, and Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
, despite harsh conditions.
The result was a final print of the film that was an astonishing ten hours in length, produced at a cost of over $500,000 — one of the most costly films yet made (though Stroheim's 1921 film Foolish Wives
Foolish Wives
Foolish Wives is an American drama silent film produced and distributed by Universal Pictures and written and directed by Erich von Stroheim. Although uncredited, Irving Thalberg, aged 22, was in charge of production and would go on to become one of the most famous studio heads of all time at...
was publicized by Universal as costing over a million). Realizing it was far too long to be shown, Stroheim cut it down to six hours, to be screened with intermissions in two nights. However, Goldwyn producers told him to cut it to a more manageable length. With the assistance of fellow director Rex Ingram
Rex Ingram (director)
Rex Ingram was an Irish film director, producer, writer and actor. Legendary director Erich von Stroheim once called him "the world's greatest director."-Early life:...
and editor Grant Whytock, von Stroheim trimmed the film to about four hours, to be shown in two parts.
However, during production, Goldwyn was merged into MGM. After screening it at full length once to meet contractual obligations, MGM removed Greed from von Stroheim's control despite his protests. The negative was given to MGM's head scriptwriter, June Mathis
June Mathis
June Mathis was an American screenwriter and one of the highest paid Hollywood executives in the 1920s. Mathis was the first female executive for Metro/MGM and at only 35, she was the highest paid executive in Hollywood. In 1926 she was voted the third most influential woman in Hollywood, behind...
, with orders to cut it even further. Mathis gave the print to a routine cutter, who reduced it to 2.5 hours. In the process, key characters were removed from the final version so that it could be screened in a reasonable time frame. This created large gaps in continuity. Existing prints of Greed run at about two hours and twenty minutes.
Although Mathis' actual involvement in the cutting has never been confirmed, she was credited as a writer due to contractual obligations, and thus Stroheim blamed her for destroying his masterpiece. However, Mathis had worked with Stroheim before and had long admired him, so it is not likely she would have indiscriminately butchered his film.
The hours of cut film were destroyed by a janitor cleaning a vault who thought they were unimportant film rolls and threw them in an incinerator (although it appears that much of it survived until at least the late 1950s)
, and this film is known as one of the most famous "lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
s" in cinema history. The released version of the film was a box-office failure; panned by critics and angrily disowned by von Stroheim. In later years, even in its shortened form, it was recognized as one of the great realistic films of its time. Rare behind-the-scenes footage of Greed can be seen in the Goldwyn Pictures
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
film Souls for Sale
Souls for Sale
Souls for Sale is a silent film written, directed, and produced by Rupert Hughes from his novel of the same name. The film featured Eleanor Boardman in her first leading role, having won a contract with Goldwyn Studios through their "New Faces of 1921" contest just two years prior.The film is most...
.
In 1999, Turner Entertainment
Turner Entertainment
Turner Entertainment Company, Inc. is an American media company founded by Ted Turner. Now owned by Time Warner, the company is largely responsible for overseeing its library for worldwide distribution Turner Entertainment Company, Inc. (commonly known as Turner Entertainment Co.) is an American...
(the film's current rights holder) decided to "recreate", as closely as possible, the original version by combining the existing footage with still photographs of the lost scenes, in accordance with an original continuity outline written by von Stroheim. This restoration runs almost four hours. The re-edit was produced by Rick Schmidlin
Rick Schmidlin
Rick Schmidlin is a film preservationist and silent film scholar, and an occasional producer-director whose work has focused on restorations, reconstructions and documentaries...
. (Other classic films with missing footage include Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
's The Magnificent Ambersons
The Magnificent Ambersons (film)
The Magnificent Ambersons is a 1942 American drama film written and directed by Orson Welles. His second feature film, it is based on the 1918 novel of the same name by Booth Tarkington and stars Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt, Agnes Moorehead and Ray Collins...
, Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
's Lost Horizon, George Cukor
George Cukor
George Dewey Cukor was an American film director. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO and later MGM, where he directed What Price Hollywood? , A Bill of Divorcement , Dinner at Eight , Little Women , David Copperfield , Romeo and Juliet and...
's A Star Is Born
A Star Is Born (1954 film)
A Star Is Born is a 1954 American musical film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay written by Moss Hart was an adaptation of the original 1937 film, which was based on the original screenplay by Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, and Alan Campbell...
and von Stroheim's Queen Kelly
Queen Kelly
Queen Kelly is the title of an American silent film produced in 1928-29 and released in 1929, originally by United Artists. The film was directed by Erich von Stroheim, starred Gloria Swanson in the title role, and also starred Walter Byron and Seena Owen. It was produced by Joseph P...
). In 1991, this film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Cast
- Gibson GowlandGibson GowlandGibson Gowland was an English film actor.Early sources had his birth place place as Newcastle. He started work as a sailor and later became mate of a ship...
as John McTeague - ZaSu PittsZaSu PittsZaSu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning to comedy sound films.-Early life:ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie Pitts; she was the third of four children...
as Trina - Jean HersholtJean HersholtJean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
as Marcus - Dale FullerDale Fuller (actor)Dale Fuller was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 67 films between 1915 and 1935.She was born in Santa Ana, California and died in Los Angeles County, California.-Selected filmography:...
as Maria - Tempe PigottTempe PigottTempe Pigott was a silent and sound screen character actress. She had some stage experience before entering silent films as she is given one 1918 Broadway credit by Internet Broadway Database. Her silent and sound film appearances were numerous. She is remembered mainly for playing the mother of...
as McTeague's mother - Jack CurtisJack Curtis (actor)Jack Curtis was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 157 films between 1915 and 1950. He was born in San Francisco, California and died in Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:* Graft...
as McTeague's father (uncredited) - Silvia AshtonSylvia AshtonSylvia Ashton was an American film actress of the silent era. She appeared in 134 films between 1912 and 1929. She was born in Denver, Colorado and died in Los Angeles, California...
as 'Mommer' Sieppe - Chester ConklinChester ConklinChester Cooper Conklin was an American comedian and actor. He appeared in over 280 films, about half of them in the silent era.-Early life:...
as 'Popper' Sieppe - Joan StandingJoan StandingJoan Standing was an English actress. She appeared in 63 films between 1919 and 1940.She was the daughter of Herbert Standing Jr. and granddaughter of Herbert Standing . Her uncles were Wyndham Standing, Sir Guy Standing, Percy Standing, Jr. and Jack Standing...
as Selina
Uncredited
- James F. Fulton as Prospector Cribbens
- Cesare GravinaCesare GravinaCesare Gravina was an Italian actor of the silent era. He appeared in 60 films between 1912 and 1929.He was born in Naples, Italy.-Selected filmography:* The Fatal Ring * Madame X...
as Junkman Zwerkow - Frank HayesFrank Hayes (actor)Frank Hayes was an American film actor of the silent era. He appeared in 73 films between 1913 and 1924. An actor with a unique hatchet face appearance he appeared mostly in comedies...
as Charles W. Grannis (The Modern Dog Hospital proprietor) - Austen Jewell as August Sieppe
- Hughie MackHughie MackHughie Mack was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 195 films between 1910 and 1928.He was born in Brooklyn, New York and died in Santa Monica, California.-Selected filmography:...
as Mr. Heise (harness maker) - Tiny Jones as Mrs. Heise
- J. Aldrich Libbey as Mr. Ryer
- Reta Revela as Mrs. Ryer
- Fanny MidgleyFanny MidgleyFanny Midgley was an American film actress of Hollywood's early years, mostly in silent films.Midgley was born Fanny B. Frier in Cincinnati, Ohio, making her move to Hollywood to pursue an acting career in the earliest days of film making, in 1911...
as Miss Anastasia Baker - S.S. Simon as Joe Frenna
- Max Tyron as Uncle Rudolph Oelbermann
- Erich von Ritzau as Dr. Painless Potter
- William Mollenhauer as Palmist
- William Barlow as The Minister
- Lita Chevrier as Extra
- Edward Gaffney as Extra
- Bee Ho GrayBee Ho GrayBee Ho Gray was a Western performer who spent fifty years displaying his skills in Wild West Shows, vaudeville, circus, silent films and radio...
as Extra and Knife Thrower used in saloon scene - Harold HendersonHarold HendersonLieutenant-Colonel the Hon. Harold Greenwood Henderson CVO , was a British Conservative politician.Born in Brentford, Henderson was the eldest son of Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Faringdon of Buscot Park in Berkshire , and his wife Jane Ellen...
as Extra - Florence Gibson as Hag
- James Gibson as Deputy
- Oscar GottellTwinA twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
as A Sieppe twin - Otto GottellTwinA twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
as A Sieppe twin - Hugh J. McCauley as Photographer
- Jack McDonaldJack McDonald (actor)Jack McDonald was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 71 films between 1912 and 1930.He was born in San Francisco, California.-Selected filmography:* Show Boat * Don Q, Son of Zorro...
as Placer County Sheriff - Lon Poff as Man from the Lottery Company
- Erich von StroheimErich von StroheimErich von Stroheim was an Austrian-born film star of the silent era, subsequently noted as an auteur for his directorial work.-Background:...
as Balloon vendor - James Wang as Chinese cook
External links
- Greed at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
- Literature on Greed
- Production photographs from Greed, The Bancroft Library
- Greed at silentera.com database
- Roger Ebert on Greed