The Half-Way Girl
Encyclopedia
The Half-Way Girl was a silent picture
filmed around the Jersey Shore
in 1925
.
plays Poppy La Rue, an actress who winds up stranded in Singapore
when her theatrical troupe goes bust. She winds up in the Red-light district
where she works as a "hostess" (generally a silent film euphemism for prostitute), where she meets Philip Douglas, a down-at-the-heels Brit (Lloyd Hughes
).
While drunk, he kills a man in self-defense, and Poppy helps him to escape. Jardine (Sam Hardy), a plantation owner, is determined to have Poppy, and when she wants to escape from the Oriental underworld, he offers to help, provided she accompanies him to Penang
. They board a ship. Douglas is also on board and when a fire breaks out in the hold, he rescues Poppy from Jardine's advances. They manage to get in a lifeboat just before the ship explodes, and are picked up by a passing vessel. Douglas' father (Hobart Bosworth
) wants the couple to separate, but finally he accepts Poppy as his daughter-in-law.
The spectacular fire aboard an ocean liner was shot in color, and to make it even more exciting, a leopard also breaks free on the ship. The Corvallis, a 270-foot wooden-hulled freighter that was surplus from World War I
, was purchased from the U.S. government by First National Pictures for a fraction of its original cost. First National Pictures bought it for the sole purpose of blowing it up in The Half-Way Girl.
In June 1925, under the supervision of the United States Coast Guard
, the Corvallis was towed 45 miles offshore, loaded with dynamite, and blown up while the cameras rolled. After the explosion, the stern remained afloat and had to be sunk by the Coast Guard.
No copies of this film are known to exist today.
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...
filmed around the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
in 1925
1925 in film
-Events:*November 5: The Big Parade holds its Grand Premier*December 30: premier of Ben-Hur the most expensive silent film ever made costing 4-6 million dollars -Top grossing films :...
.
Plot
Doris KenyonDoris Kenyon
Doris Kenyon was a popular actress of motion pictures and television.-Youth:She grew up in Syracuse, New York, where her family had a home at 1805 Harrison Street. Her father, Dr. James B. Kenyon, was a Methodist Episcopal Church minister at University Church. Kenyon studied at Packer College...
plays Poppy La Rue, an actress who winds up stranded in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
when her theatrical troupe goes bust. She winds up in the Red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
where she works as a "hostess" (generally a silent film euphemism for prostitute), where she meets Philip Douglas, a down-at-the-heels Brit (Lloyd Hughes
Lloyd Hughes
Lloyd Hughes was an American silent film actor.-Life and career:Born in Bisbee, Arizona, Hughes received his education at the Los Angeles Polytechnic School. He sought a career as an actor early in life, and his clean-cut appearance and ability soon gained him recognition...
).
While drunk, he kills a man in self-defense, and Poppy helps him to escape. Jardine (Sam Hardy), a plantation owner, is determined to have Poppy, and when she wants to escape from the Oriental underworld, he offers to help, provided she accompanies him to Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
. They board a ship. Douglas is also on board and when a fire breaks out in the hold, he rescues Poppy from Jardine's advances. They manage to get in a lifeboat just before the ship explodes, and are picked up by a passing vessel. Douglas' father (Hobart Bosworth
Hobart Bosworth
Hobart Bosworth was an American film actor, director, writer, and producer.-Early life:Born Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth, he was a direct descendant of Miles Standish and John and Priscilla Alden on his father's side and of New York's Van Zandt family, the first Dutch settlers to land in the New...
) wants the couple to separate, but finally he accepts Poppy as his daughter-in-law.
The spectacular fire aboard an ocean liner was shot in color, and to make it even more exciting, a leopard also breaks free on the ship. The Corvallis, a 270-foot wooden-hulled freighter that was surplus from World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was purchased from the U.S. government by First National Pictures for a fraction of its original cost. First National Pictures bought it for the sole purpose of blowing it up in The Half-Way Girl.
In June 1925, under the supervision of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, the Corvallis was towed 45 miles offshore, loaded with dynamite, and blown up while the cameras rolled. After the explosion, the stern remained afloat and had to be sunk by the Coast Guard.
No copies of this film are known to exist today.
Cast and crew
- Directed by: John Francis DillonJohn Francis Dillon (director)John Francis Dillon was an American film director and actor of the silent era. He directed 130 films between 1914 and 1934...
- Cinematography by: George J. Folsey (as George Folsey)
- Film Editing by: Marion Fairfax
- Art Direction by: Milton Menasco
Writing credits
- Joseph F. PolandJoseph F. PolandJoseph F. Poland was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 136 films between 1913 and 1974.He was born in Waterbury, Connecticut and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:...
(as Joseph Poland) - E. Lloyd SheldonE. Lloyd SheldonE. Lloyd Sheldon was an American screenwriter, film producer and editor. He wrote for 43 films between 1916 and 1942...
story - Earle Snell (as Earl Snell)
Cast (in credits order)
- Doris Kenyon as Poppy La Rue
- Lloyd Hughes as Phil Douglas
- Hobart Bosworth as John Guthrie
- Tully Marshall as The Crab
- Sam Hardy as Jardine
- Charles Wellesley as Gibson
- Martha O'Dwyer as Miss Brown (as Martha Madison)
- Sally Crute as Effie
External links
- The Half-Way Girl at Star Pulse