Betty Compson Movies

Monroe Salisbury is Naval Lieutenant George Blenton, who has a fatal attraction to alcohol. His drinking causes him to lose his fiancée, Jane Ravenslee (Betty Compson), when he behaves badly at a military reception. He doesn't take this as the cue to tone down his alcohol consumption, and during another drunken bout, he loses a naval code book which falls into the hands of the enemy. For this careless and shameful act, Blenton is expected to kill himself. When he refuses, he is put ashore on Tafofu, a remote tropical island. He lives with a native woman who eventually discards him, but then he meets another girl, Lehula, who aids him in his regeneration. Jane, meanwhile, has realized that she still loves Blenton, and goes looking for him. Her ship is torpedoed and she is taken prisoner on the attacking submarine. But she still manages to make her way to Tafofu, where she finds her former fiancé has completely regenerated. Although he is killed by a German gun shot, he dies an honorable man. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

"Campus Carmen," "As Luck Would Have It" and "Her Bridal Nightmare" are the silent short stories featured in this series from producer Mack Sennett. Performances include silent screen stars Carole Lombard, Colleen Moore and Betty Compson. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

A week after Vitagraph released its own version of the James M. Barrie story, Paramount came out with this one, starring Betty Compson. Compson, however, made a better showing as Lady Babbie than Vitagraph's star, Alice Calhoun. On the other hand, George Hackathorne, as Gavin Dishart, the "little minister," shows more authority but a bit less sex appeal than Vitagraph's James Morrison. Babbie is known in the Scottish town of Thrums as a fiery Gypsy girl, and they are scandalized when their minister, Dishart, falls in love with her. But Babbie is really the ward of Lord Rintoul (Edwin Stevens), and when the truth comes out -- that she is actually Lady Barbara -- the couple are able to wed. In addition to Vitagraph's version, this story was filmed twice before in the 1910s, and then as a talkie in 1934, with Katherine Hepburn. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This dramatic adventure finds the flirtatious Cherry O'Day (Betty Compson) as the daughter of the Shanghai saloon keeper Terrence (Spottiswood Aitken). She works in the dive and entertains the patrons, sending them away after they cease to amuse her. Cherry falls for Gordon Deane (Milton Sills), the American writer and adventurer who barely notices her. When her father dies, she marries banker William Blaine (Joseph Kilgore). MacGregor (Mitchell Lewis) is the unrefined sailor who vows to return from a year at sea to marry the disinterested Cherry. The marriage crumbles, and Cherry is shipwrecked on an island with a lighthouse where she meets Gordon, MacGregor, and a financially ruined young man. The young man and MacGregor engage in a fierce battle over Cherry on the deck of the lighthouse high above the jagged rocks below. She watches in horror as the rail breaks and both men fall to their deaths. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Angela Gaskill (Betty Compson) travels to the South Seas to help sailor John Somers (John Bowers) kick his addition to alcohol. The two are marooned on a desert island after her sober father Captain Gaskill (J. Farrell MacDonald) wrecks the boat, but the drunken sailor has the wherewithal to save everyone from maritime disaster. John takes to the bottle again when he is wrongly accused of stealing. Angela, inexplicably left with several changes of clothes during their island isolation, tries to get John to give up the sauce and repay the loan he took out to purchase his small schooner. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

The Willard Mack stage play Kick In starred John Barrymore on Broadway and was made into a motion picture in 1917, with Ouida Bergere writing the scenario. Bergere was at the typewriter once again when the story returned to the screen in 1922. This production, with its more lavish budget and fine direction by George Fitzmaurice, was an improvement on the earlier version. After serving time in Sing Sing, Chic Hewes (Bert Lytell) wants to go straight, but when he refuses to be a stool pigeon for the cops, they hound him mercilessly. Hewes witnesses a car accident in which Jerry Brandon (Robert Agnew), the son of the district attorney (John Miltern), runs over a child. He also meets Molly, the D.A.'s daughter (Betty Compson). Because he feels the child's mother was treated unfairly, Hewes decides to pull one last heist to square things. But while attempting to rob the D.A.'s safe, he's surprised to find that Jerry has beaten him to it. Jerry tries to lay the blame on Hewes, but Molly stands up for him. Hewes' brother Benny (Gareth Hughes) is killed while stealing a necklace and Hewes finds himself in more trouble when he tries to dispose of the body. Molly comes to his aid, and the D.A. lets him go. Hewes goes out West to start all over again and Molly follows a year later. A talkie version of this crime drama would be made in 1931, starring Clara Bow as Molly. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This epic historical romance, based on the novel by Mary Johnston, was one of Paramount's big releases for 1922, and it featured some of the studio's best talent. King James I (Raymond Hatton) gives his consent to the marriage between Lord Carnal (Theodore Kosloff) and Lady Jocelyn Leigh (Betty Compson). Lady Jocelyn, however, does not want to wed the evil Lord Carnal, and makes her escape on a bridal ship headed for Jamestown, VA. When it lands, a ruffian tries to take Jocelyn as his bride, but Captain Ralph Percy (Bert Lytell) rescues her by marrying her himself. The marriage, however, is in name only, as Jocelyn wants little to do with Percy. Lord Carnal arrives in Jamestown and has both Jocelyn and Percy arrested. He prepares to ship Jocelyn back to England, but Percy escapes and saves her. Percy, Jocelyn, and Carnal all wind up shipwrecked on an island inhabited by a pirate gang. Percy convinces them he is a pirate leader. He, Jocelyn, and Carnal manage to escape and arrive back in England. Carnal announces once again that he and Lady Jocelyn are engaged, but the Duke of Buckingham (Lucian Littlefield) arranges a duel between Carnal and Percy. Carnal loses the duel and takes poison. A real wedding takes place between Percy and Jocelyn. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

The premise is clichéd -- it's the usual tale of a pretty girl from the sticks trying to break into movies -- but this satire gives it a number of unexpected turns. In addition, just about every star in Hollywood -- not just those at Paramount, the releasing studio -- has a cameo at one point or another during the film's eight reels. Ironically, nearly all of the lead actors are unknowns (although George K. Arthur would become a noted character comedian). Angela Whitaker (Hope Brown) of Centreville is convinced she has a chance in Hollywood -- all her friends tell her so. So she heads West with her Uncle Joel (Luke Cosgrave) in tow. But Angela has no luck in Tinseltown, while her uncle starts landing roles left and right because of his curious image. Eventually the rest of the family, including Angela's sweetheart Lem Lefferts (Arthur), her grandmother (Ruby Lafayette), and her aunt (Eleanor Lawson) come to Hollywood. All Angela's relatives get movie work because they're character types. Finally a screenwriter tries to help Angela out, but Lem winds up landing a role instead. He becomes a star, which suits Angela just fine because she has married him. The couple have twins, and the babies -- not to mention the couple's pet parrot -- wind up in films, while Angela remains at home. The most notable cameo in this picture is Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who had been shunned in motion pictures since the 1921 scandal surrounding a Labor Day party that allegedly resulted in the death of starlet Virginia Rappe. Here he returns as a man standing in a casting line. When it's his turn to come up to the window, it is shut in his face and a "closed" sign put out. Unfortunately this gag turned out to be all too true; Arbuckle was not seen in front of a camera again until 1932. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This Hawaiian romance was the last picture directed by Julia Crawford Ivers, who also penned the screenplay. Although it was later rumored she left Hollywood after the murder of director William Desmond Taylor (even though she was guiltless, she was embroiled in the scandal), she continued writing screenplays throughout the rest of the silent era. Ivers died in 1930, when sound was still in its infancy. This nicely done picture ended her directing career on a good note. Konia Markham (Betty Compson) is the daughter of an Hawaiian mother and American father. (Hawaii at the time was not yet a state, and wouldn't be for another 36 years.) She and her father, John (Edward Martindel), live on the islands, and when the handsome Bob Rutherford (Edmund Lowe) sails in from the States, she falls madly in love with him. She only discovers that Rutherford is engaged to Ethel Granville (Arline Pretty) when the girl shows up on the island. Konia tracks down a native priest and tries to have him pray Ethel to death (something some native priests were said to be capable of doing). But she repents her action and halts the proceedings just in time. Riddled with guilt, she prepares to throw herself into a volcano. Rutherford comes to her rescue. Ethel, realizing that her fiancé really loves Konia and not her, willingly gives him up. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Dalla (Betty Compson) is an untamed orphan of the South African veldt. She falls in love with Colonel Valentia, a noted English hunter (Warner Baxter), but his refined friends make fun of her crude ways. Hurt by their taunts, she decides to wed wealthy Boer Barend DeBeer (Noah Beery), under the condition that he wait three years before consummating the marriage. During that time, she goes to England and learns to become a lady. During a lion hunt back in South Africa, Dalla is left alone in her tent. Clon Biron (Freeman Wood) tries to seduce her. DeBeer, however, returns and Biron kills him. Dalla is accused of his murder, but Biron is finally found to be the guilty party. With DeBeer out of the way, Dalla is able to find happiness with Valentia. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This breezy summer comedy-drama was shot on-location in Florida. It was typical fun 1920s fare, which Moving Picture World called "a jazz picture from the word go." The trade magazine referred Betty Compson's character, Joan Bruce, as "a girl whose only thought was the mad pursuit of pleasure and thrills and the conquest of the other sex." Of course, the pleasure-mad maiden will come down to earth by the film's end, but not before becoming involved in a lot of hijinks. Joan chases after Grant North (Benjamin F. Finney Jr.), who, much to her surprise, refuses to have anything to do with her. When she gets in a motorboat accident, he rescues her and their romance finally begins. He leaves on a short business trip and although Joan has sworn to be good, she is lured to a yacht belonging to Ranson Tate (Lawford Davidson), a bootlegger. Because the incident has caused a rift with his wife, Tate threatens to cause a scandal unless Joan breaks her engagement to North. This she does by diving into a pool completely naked (or, as naked as 1920s censorship would allow). She then accompanies Tate to an island. North, who knows she still loves him, chases after them with his friend, Colonel Forbes (J. Barney Sherry). Tate is attacking Joan as North arrives to rescue her. Not long after, the Coast Guard shows up to arrest Tate and his bootlegging crew. North forgives Joan's peccadillos and they are reunited. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide