Bertram Grassby Movies

"Her Salome Will Steal Your Breath Away" was the classic advertising slogan attached to this opulent Rita Hayworth epic -- a slogan which became laughable whenever a radio announcer would mispronounce Salome as "salami." Using the very sketchy Biblical story of the death of John the Baptist as its springboard, Salome depicts its title character, the stepdaughter of King Herod, as a victim of circumstance rather than a wanton temptress. Banished from Rome because of an unfortunate romance with the nephew of Caesar, Salome (Rita Hayworth) declares that all men are her enemies, but her resolve weakens when she falls in love with Claudius (Stewart Granger), the military commander of Galilee. Meanwhile, Salome's wicked mother, Herodias (Judith Anderson), plots the demise of John the Baptist (Alan Badel), who currently enjoys the protection of the superstitious Herod (Charles Laughton). At this point, the story departs radically from Scripture. Salome is no longer coerced by Herodias to demand the head of John the Baptist; instead, Herodias, on her own, promises Herod that Salome will perform the "Dance of the Seven Veils" for him -- but only if he beheads John first (Salome has been misinformed that the dance will save John from the headsman's sword). Somehow, scriptwriter Jesse Lasky Jr. even manages to concoct a happy ending for poor Salome, which is a lot more than Oscar Wilde or Richard Strauss were able to do. Considered an artistic flop in 1953, Salome seems somewhat better today, if only because of that powerhouse cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Beautiful Cheat was a cute parody of the motion-picture business. Most of the story takes place in a fly-by-night movie studio run by the enterprising Abe Meyer (Alexander Carr). To save his company from bankruptcy, Abe builds a huge publicity campaign around his latest discovery, celebrated Russian actress Maritza Callahansky. Only Abe and his partners know that the divine Mlle. Callahansky is actually Brooklyn-born Mary Calahan (Laura LaPlante). The rest of the film concerns Mary's efforts to pull off her deception, which she does with considerable comic aplomb. The film was adapted from a serialized story in The Saturday Evening Post. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Germaine (Alma Rubens) is unhappy when her parents force her into a marriage with the wealthy Lucien D'Artois (Jack Mulhall). D'Artois cares nothing for appearances, and Germaine had wished for a man with more style and flair. When she upbraids him for his lacks, D'Artois -- who loves her very much -- resolves to go to Paris and make himself over. While he's there, Germaine's mind is poisoned by Andre Delandal (Bertram Grassby), and she writes a note telling D'Artois that she does not want him at all. In his misery, D'Artois spends his entire fortune on dancing girls and high living. Germaine goes to Paris to get a divorce from him, and she sees he has become a polished -- although poor -- gentleman. She goes to his home and finds a girl there who informs her that he only loves his wife. Germaine takes this information to heart and she and D'Artois are reconciled. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Percy Schwartz (Matt Moore) has no desire to go into his father's garbage can manufacturing business. He'd rather write screenplays and marry his sweetheart, Ruth Rand (Patsy Ruth Miller). When he proposes, Ruth insists on getting the consent of her uncle and guardian (Charles Belcher). Dr. Rand thinks Schwartz is a weakling and tests his courage with the help of Kotah (Bertram Grassby), his Indian servant who is also in love with Ruth. Suddenly, Schwartz finds himself at the mercy of a group of mad scientists, but he makes his escape with the help of his friend, street cleaner Diploma (Tom Wilson, playing in blackface, was incomprehensible and offensive to modern-day audiences, but considered quite funny in the 1920s). Ruth has been kidnapped, but Kotah has double-crossed his master and the kidnapping is for real. He takes her on a boat, but Schwartz uses a plane to rescue her. Dr. Rand becomes convinced of Schwartz's bravery and he gives his blessings to the union. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Comedy veteran Dell Henderson directed this obscure silent western starring Cullen Landis as a naive youngster who is sold a phony mine. Landis catches the villain (Stanton Heck) and wins the girl (Mildred Harris Chaplin) in the usual fashion. The only noteworthy aspect of this ultra-cheap western is the appearance in a bit part of Cecil Spooner, a veteran stage star whose main film career dated back to the very early 1910s. Spooner played Hansel in an Edison version of Hansel and Gretel in 1909 and both starred in and directed Nell of the Circus (1914). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Although Milton Sills was a leading man in his own right, he also supported many female stars of the silent era. In this crime drama he plays second fiddle to spunky Viola Dana. As "Angel Face Molly" O'Hara, Dana plays a part that is quite familiar to her fans -- that of a girl crook who reforms. Molly escapes when the police close in on the gang she's a part of and she finds a home with Mrs. Rand (Gertrude Claire). Mrs. Rand has a stock broker son, John (Sills), who is too preoccupied to realize that Molly has fallen in love with him. But then John gets involved in a crooked Wall Street deal and his partners frame him. Molly uses her expertise to break into John's safe so that she can steal a document that will save him. Mrs. Rand's influence has a positive effect on Molly, who becomes worthy of winning John's love. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Although the Warner Bros. version of Rafael Sabatini's novel made Errol Flynn a star in 1935, it wasn't the first time the romantic adventure was made into a film. J. Warren Kerrigan starred as Peter Blood, the physician turned pirate in this silent Vitagraph version. Peter Blood gets lumped in with a group of rebels who have plotted against King James and is sent to the island of Barbados as a slave. He is purchased, along with his friend, Jeremy Pitt (James Morrison), by Colonel Bishop (Wilfred North), at the request of his willful niece, Arabella (Jean Paige). When a Spanish ship takes over the town, Blood leads the slaves and captures the vessel. After becoming the terror of the seas (but never attacking an English ship), Blood and his men rescue Lord Wade (Allan Forrest) and Arabella from a burning ship. When William III ascends to the British throne, Blood aligns himself with the new king, defeats the French fleet and saves Port Royal. He is appointed governor of Jamaica for his heroic deeds, and finally wins the hand of Arabella. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Silent movie audiences must have had an insatiable appetite for mythical kingdoms because it seems like just about anything written by George Barr McCutcheon reached the silver screen. McCutcheon's mythical kingdom in this particular tale is called Japat. Hollingsworth Chase (J. Warren Kerrigan) is the American representative for the British law firm, Brodney's. He travels to Japat where a revolution. Chase meets up with the kingdom's prince and princess, who must marry or relinquish the kingdom to the natives. Before the evening is out he has begun a flirtation with Princess Genevra (Alice Calhoun) and battled with the prince. He is forced to flee to an island retreat where he once again meets up with the princess. Chase winds up being won over to the side of the royals (during the silent era, white people were never seen as villains) and has to rescue Genevra from a group of angry natives. She relinquishes her throne to be with the heroic Chase. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

It seems like nearly everything written by George Barr McCutcheon found its way to the silent screen. Castle Craneycrow was one of his lesser novels, and this Universal picture starring the studio's matinee idol Herbert Rawlinson as the dashing hero, was one of the lesser adaptations. While on a trip to Vienna, American Philip Quentin (Rawlinson) attends a party held by Prince Ugo Riccardi (Bertram Grassby). There he meets his former sweetheart, Dorothy Garrison (Eileen Pearcy), and discovers that she has agreed to marry the prince. Quentin recognizes Ugo as a past acquaintance who had been involved in scandalous circumstances, and he warns Dorothy against him. Prince Ugo, who realizes that there is still a romantic spark between Quentin and Dorothy, attempts to get Quentin involved in a duel. He wisely refuses, even though he is considered a coward. In spite of all the attempts to discredit him and get him out of the way, Quentin is able to win Dorothy and expose the prince as a first-class scoundrel. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

When Erich Von Stroheim was casting Foolish Wives, he discovered a model named Patsie Hannon who he cast as Mrs. Hughes. He also gave her the stage name Miss DuPont, and Universal Studios tried unsuccessfully to build her up into a star. This unbelievable drama, released before Foolish Wives, is one of the studio's vehicles for the fledgling star. Although Marie Moselle (Miss DuPont) is a member of the aristocracy, she keeps herself busy by pursuing a career as a sculptress. She's not thrilled with her wimpy fiancé, Theophile Grusant (Bertram Grassby), but when an Apache (a member of the French underworld -- not an American Indian) breaks into her Paris studio, she falls in love. The Apache, Louis duBois (Herbert Heyes), becomes her model, but when he tries to carry her off, she shoots him. She is immediately sorry for her action and dashes to his bedside. She nurses him back to health and discovers he is really a nobleman who was shell-shocked during World War I. No w that his mind has been shocked into normalcy, they can have a life together. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

This curious story seems even odder when you know it came from the pen of Western writer Zane Grey. Mercedes McDonald (Claire Adams) is the niece of the Countess de Elberca (Rose Dione). The Countess and Don Felipe de Cristobal (Frank Leigh) both want to arrange a marriage between Mercedes and Don Felipe's nephew, the Duke of Othomo (Bertram Grassby). The girl, however, is already engaged to Sandy Buchanan (Carl Gantvoort), a young engineer who is working on the Countess's oil fields. To get Buchanan out of the way, the Countess fires him and Don Felipe hires a hit man, Pedro (H. Gordon Mullen), to kill him. But nothing Pedro does works -- Buchanan always manages to escape harm. Finally, with the help of some circus people camping nearby, Buchanan forces Pedro to confess by sticking him in a cage with a tiger. Before he is reunited with Mercedes, the young American finds himself at the mercy of a mob of peons. Mercedes comes to his rescue by releasing the circus animals from their cages.
~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Although Agnes Ayres is best-known today as Rudolph Valentino's co-star in The Sheik, she was a substantial star in her own right in the 1920s. She has a dual role in this drama, which has spiritual undertones. Edith (Ayres) is the jazz-loving wife of James Wayne, a rather stolid young man (Milton Sills). She believes that Wayne is neglecting her, and her attentions turn to his cousin, Clyde Meredith (Casson Ferguson). As their affair deepens, Dora Becket (also Ayres) anxiously watches from beyond the grave. Dora, an ancestor of Edith's, made the same mistake in her day and she is determined to put a halt to the illicit relationship. Edith plans to meet Meredith at Becket's point and sail away with him. She is oblivious to Dora's warnings until an old servant tells her Dora's story -- Dora was drowned when she tried to return to her child after running away with another man. Edith gets the message just in time and is reunited with Wayne and their own little boy. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Clara Kimball Young (as directed by her then-husband, Harry Garson) suffers for her past indiscretions in this drama. Although Vera Stanford (Young) truly loves her husband, Jack (J. Frank Glendon), she's still haunted by a liaison from long ago -- at a masquerade party, she succumbed to a moment of weakness with her escort, Herbert Brooks (Bertram Grassby). Since then Brooks has married a fat older woman, Grace (Gerard Alexander) -- who also has a lot of money. While vacationing at Bar Harbor, Vera and her husband run into Brooks and his wife. Vera's guilt eats away at her and she finally confesses her one-night stand to Jack, without revealing who the man was. Stanford assumes that it is Hugh Graham (Jack Pratt), an artist friend of Vera's and her pal, Isabel Dane (Kathlyn Williams). Stanford's behavior becomes so petty and mean that the couple come close to divorce, but by the end they have reconciled. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi