The Devil's Pass Key (1920 film)
Encyclopedia
The Devil's Pass Key was a 1920 silent
drama film
directed by Erich von Stroheim
.
The film was produced by Universal Pictures
and distributed under their Jewel banner. The film was von Stroheim's second directorial effort, and considered one of best screen exhibitions of August 1920, with The New York Times
later calling it "One of the best photodramatic productions of the year".
The last known prints of the movie were discovered to have disintegrated in 1941, and the film is today famous as a lost film
. Because this film has been lost
for so long, historians often omit it when discussing or writing about the canon of von Stroheim's film work.
), an American playwright living in Paris. Grace is living beyond her means and owes dressmaker Renee Malot (Maude George
) money.
Malot suggests that Grace contact American army officer Captain Rex Strong (Clyde Fillmore) who might be able to assist her financially. Rex offers Grace a loan, but only if she grants him sexual favors. Grace refuses, and Malot, angered at losing an opportunity for money, attempts unsuccessfully to blackmail Grace.
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...
drama film
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...
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:...
.
The film was produced by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
and distributed under their Jewel banner. The film was von Stroheim's second directorial effort, and considered one of best screen exhibitions of August 1920, with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
later calling it "One of the best photodramatic productions of the year".
The last known prints of the movie were discovered to have disintegrated in 1941, and the film is today famous as 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...
. Because this film has been lost
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...
for so long, historians often omit it when discussing or writing about the canon of von Stroheim's film work.
Plot
Grace Goodright (Una Trevelyn), is the wife Warren Goodright (Sam de GrasseSam De Grasse
Samuel Alfred De Grasse was a Canadian actor. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he trained to be a dentist....
), an American playwright living in Paris. Grace is living beyond her means and owes dressmaker Renee Malot (Maude George
Maude George
Maude George was an American actress of the silent era. She is remembered primarily as a regular of director Eric von Stroheim's stock company of actors appearing in four of von Stroheim's lengthy films in the 1920s....
) money.
Malot suggests that Grace contact American army officer Captain Rex Strong (Clyde Fillmore) who might be able to assist her financially. Rex offers Grace a loan, but only if she grants him sexual favors. Grace refuses, and Malot, angered at losing an opportunity for money, attempts unsuccessfully to blackmail Grace.
Cast
- Sam de GrasseSam De GrasseSamuel Alfred De Grasse was a Canadian actor. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he trained to be a dentist....
as Warren Goodright - Mae BuschMae BuschMae Busch was an Australian film actress who worked in both silent and sound films in early Hollywood. In the latter part of her career, she appeared in many Laurel and Hardy comedies, where she frequently played Hardy's shrewish wife.-Early life and career:Born in Melbourne, Australia, Busch was...
as La Belle Odera - Maude GeorgeMaude GeorgeMaude George was an American actress of the silent era. She is remembered primarily as a regular of director Eric von Stroheim's stock company of actors appearing in four of von Stroheim's lengthy films in the 1920s....
as Renee Malot - Leo WhiteLeo WhiteLeo White was a stage performer and appeared as a character actor in many Charlie Chaplin films. He started his film career in 1911 and in 1913 moved to the Essanay Studios. In 1915, he began appearing in Chaplin's comedies and continued through Chaplin's Mutual Film comedies...
as Amadeus Malot - Jack Mathis as Count De Trouvere
- Albert Edmondson as Alphonse Marior
- Una Trevelyn as Grace Goodright
- Clyde Fillmore as Captain Rex Strong
- Ruth King as Yvonne Strong
- Edward Reinach as Director of Theatre Français
- Additional cast
- Alice TerryAlice TerryAlice Terry was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era, appearing in thirty-nine films between 1916 and 1933.-Career:...
- Valerie Germonprez
- Evelyn Gosnell
- Alice Terry
External links
- The Devil's Passkey at Turner Classic MoviesTurner Classic MoviesTurner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
- The Devil's Passkey at American Movie Classics
- The Devil's Pass Key at Silent Era
- lantern slide plate to the film