Icebound (1924)

It seems like the flashier Cecil B. DeMille made his films, the more intimate were those made by his older brother William C. DeMille. This drama, based on the stage play by Owen Davis, concerns a greedy New England family. The most broad-minded one of the bunch is Ben Jordan (Richard Dix). Ben has a wild streak, and one day he accidentally sets fire to a barn, and has to leave home to avoid being prosecuted. When he learns that his mother (Alice Chapin) is on her deathbed, he returns to find the rest of the family hovering over her like vultures. After she dies, and the will is read, everyone is surprised to find that she has left all her money to her ward, the very nice Jane Crosby (Lois Wilson). But there is a condition--Jane only gets the money if she marries Ben and straightens him out. Jane helps Ben with his legal trouble by bailing him out and having him work for her. But when Ben becomes infatuated with another girl, Jane decides to give up the money. Eventually, Ben realizes that he is a fool and reconciles with Jane. Edna May Oliver, who played the maid Hannah on stage, reprises her role here. It was her first time on film, and she would be reunited with Dix and Wilson again in 1926 in the film, Let's Get Married. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi