Vera Lewis Movies

Elsie Janis was one of the major names of the musical comedy world. In addition to starring in several highly regarded vehicles, she was also a prolific playwright and director, as well as an indefatigable troop-show entertainer during World War 1. The 1915 silent film Caprices of Kitty robbed audiences of the pleasure of Janis's rich singing and speaking voice, but her talent and vivacity still shone through every frame. The star plays a boarding school student who will lose her inheritance if she spends any time with her fiance in the six months prior to her marriage. In order to rendezvous with her beloved, Elsie resorts to clever disguises and elaborate costumes. All's well that ends well in this sprightly romantic comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sometime during the shooting of the landmark The Birth of a Nation, filmmaker D.W. Griffith probably wondered how he could top himself. In 1916, he showed how, with the awesome Intolerance. The film began humbly enough as a medium-budget feature entitled The Mother and the Law, wherein the lives of a poor but happily married couple are disrupted by the misguided interference of a "social reform" group. A series of unfortunate circumstances culminates in the husband's being sentenced to the gallows, a fate averted by a nick-of-time rescue engineered by his wife. In the wake of the protests attending the racist content of The Birth of a Nation, Griffith wanted to demonstrate the dangers of intolerance. The Mother and the Law filled the bill to some extent, but it just wasn't "big" enough to suit his purposes. Thus, using The Mother and the Law as merely the base of the film, Griffith added three more plotlines and expanded his cinematic thesis to epic proportions. The four separate stories of Intolerance are symbolically linked by Lillian Gish as the Woman Who Rocks the Cradle ("uniter of the here and hereafter"). The "Modern Story" is essentially The Mother and the Law; the "French Story" details the persecution of the Huguenots by Catherine de Medici (Josephine Crowell); the "Biblical Story" relates the last days of Jesus Christ (Howard Gaye); and the "Babylonian Story" concerns the defeat of King Belshazzar (Alfred Paget) by the hordes of Cyrus the Persian (George Siegmann).

Rather than being related chronologically, the four stories are told in parallel fashion, slowly at first, and then with increasing rapidity. The action in the film's final two reels leaps back and forth in time between Babylon, Calvary, 15th century France, and contemporary California. Described by one historian as "the only film fugue," Intolerance baffled many filmgoers of 1916 -- and, indeed, it is still an exhausting, overwhelming experience, even for audiences accustomed to the split-second cutting and multilayered montage sequences popularized by Sergei Eisenstein, Orson Welles, Jean-Luc Godard, Joel Schumacher, and MTV. On a pure entertainment level, the Babylonian sequences are the most effective, played out against one of the largest, most elaborate exterior sets ever built for a single film. The most memorable character in this sequence is "The Mountain Girl," played by star on the rise Constance Talmadge; when the Babylonian scenes were re-released as a separate feature in 1919, Talmadge's tragic death scene was altered to accommodate a happily-ever-after denouement. Other superb performances are delivered by Mae Marsh and Robert Harron in the Modern Story, and by Eugene Pallette and Margery Wilson in the French Story. Remarkably sophisticated in some scenes, appallingly naïve in others, Intolerance is a mixed bag dramatically, but one cannot deny that it is also a work of cinematic genius. The film did poorly upon its first release, not so much because its continuity was difficult to follow as because it preached a gospel of tolerance and pacifism to a nation preparing to enter World War I. Currently available prints of Intolerance run anywhere from 178 to 208 minutes; while it may be rough sledding at times, it remains essential viewing for any serious student of film technique. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although a New Yorker by birth, silent screen actress Edith Storey had appeared in westerns as early as 1910 when she was engaged by Gaston Mèliés as the leading lady of his San Antonio-based Star Film Ranch. Storey's career was on the wane, however, when she played the dainty "Colonel Billy" in As the Sun Went Down, a rather commonplace western melodrama in which a romance with a handsome would-be crook (Lew Cody) is rudely interrupted by a blackmailer. A true screen pioneer who was one of the Vitagraph company's strongest assets in the mid 1910s, Storey retired in 1921. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Bebe Daniels stars in this adaptation of the Miriam Michelson novel (and play), In the Bishop's Carriage. Thief Tom Dorgan (Wade Boteler) has trained an orphan, Nance Olden (Daniels) to be his accomplice. At a station she pretends to faint so that Dorgan can steal a diamond necklace from a man's pocket. She then hides in a carriage which turns out to belong to Bishop Van Wagenen (Herbert Standing). To cast off any suspicion she pretends to be crazy, so the Bishop feels sorry for her and takes her to his friend's home. Mr. Ramsey (Z. Well Covington) is the man Dorgan robbed, so Nance has to keep up her ruse. Later that night, Dorgan enters Nance's room and is caught. He's sent to prison for his deeds. Meanwhile, Nance has fallen for William Latimer (Emory Johnson), who is engaged to Nellie Ramsey (Ruth Renick). He's onto her, but he teaches her the meaning of right and wrong. When Nance has reformed, they marry. This was an odd, and not very satisfying vehicle for rising star Bebe Daniels -- it was primarily a drama, and as Harold Lloyd's former foil, she was already known for her comedic talents. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Laurette Taylor played the orphan Peg for so long on stage that by the time she starred in the motion picture, she was undoubtedly too old for the part. But then, when Marion Davies starred in the 1933 talkie version, she was 36. The performances of both women in their respective pictures were surprisingly good, considering that in those days film was considered a medium tailor-made for dewy-eyed youth. When her mother dies, Margaret O'Connell, better known as Peg, has to leave her father (Russell Simpson) in Ireland to live with her snooty English relatives so that she can inherit a lot of money. But her relatives -- Mrs. Chichester (Vera Lewis), Ethel Chichester (Ethel Grey Terry), and Alaric Chichester (D.R.O. Hatswell) abuse her and her dog Mike. Only the presence of their neighbor, Sir Gerald Adair (Mahlon Hamilton) -- whom she calls Jerry -- makes things even remotely tolerable. But Peg finally decides she can't stand the Chichesters any longer and returns to Ireland. Jerry goes after her to declare his love and they marry. King Vidor directed -- it was an unusual type of picture for him, but critics singled his work out for praise. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Madalyn Harlan (Estelle Taylor), the daughter of wealthy socialites, falls in love with the chauffeur Jerry Ryan (David Butler) in this uneven society drama. She and Jerry are secretly married, but Jerry's mother tells Madalyn that Jerry is through with her. She takes poison in the cabaret that holds so many happy memories. Jerry moonlights as a cabbie and discovers too late that the drunken woman at the bar is his own wife. He steers the cab towards the river as he considers plunging to his death. The film suffers from uneven editing. Although credited, performances of Noah Beery, Frank Currier, and Hank Mann have bee eliminated, Marguerite de la Motte, John Bowers, and Walter Long co-star. The apparent lack of communication between studio heads, the editor, and those in charge of continuity give an ironic twist to the term "the silent era." Watch for comedian Chester Conklin in a small part. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Ultra suave Adolph Menjou plays an urbane, filthy rich bachelor who finds himself falling for a socialite just as carefree as he. At first he is delighted by her gadabout ways, but after a while her cocquettish ways towards others begin to grate upon him. Deciding he needs a break from shallowness he lets a room in a boarding house for theater people. There he meets a struggling ex-convict. Her prison record causes her to lose her job. Smitten by her beauty and earthiness, the playboy takes her in and tries to help her integrate into his glittering world by telling people that she is his ward. things are finally looking up when a crooked detective appears and tries to blackmail her. Fortunately, her millionaire hero isn't about to let her life be destroyed again. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Eve Quinn (Marie Prevost) is the classic, flirty, 1920s flapper. She easily outshines her quieter, more reserved half-sister, Cornelia (Helene Chadwick). So even though Cornelia loves Lewis Dike (Monte Blue), Eve is the one who wins him. Dike's love is not enough for Eve -- almost immediately after the wedding she begins carrying on with Wilfred Meadows (John Patrick). Although Cornelia finds out about their liaisons, she keeps her mouth shut out of loyalty to Eve. The secret eventually comes out and Dike tries to convince Eve to stop seeing Meadows. She refuses to listen to him so he leaves her. Cornelia, meanwhile, has decided to travel to Europe. Dike meets her at the ship and tells her that he and Eve are getting a divorce. After he declares his love for her, Cornelia takes off, knowing he will be waiting for her when she returns. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Eve's Secret is that she's not the elegant society woman she seems to be. In fact, Eve (Betty Compson) is an unkempt country girl who's been "transformed," Pygmalion style, by European duke Poltava (Jack Holt). He has done this because he's fallen in love with her and wants her to be accepted by polite society. The duke begins to regret his decision when Eve's beauty attracts other men. Indeed, she begins dallying with a nouveau riche peasant boy from her own province. It takes a duel to the (almost) death for Eve and the duke to renew their love. This convoluted concoction was based on The Moon-Flower, a play by Zoe Akins and Lajos Biro. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of the silent era's most popular tearjerkers, this soapy melodrama was adapted by legendary screenwriter Frances Marion from the 1923 novel by Olive Higgins Prouty. Belle Bennett stars as Stella Dallas, a small town girl who is devastated by her father's death and quickly marries the upper class Stephen Dallas (Ronald Colman), with whom she has nothing in common. After the birth of a daughter, Laurel, the Dallases go their separate ways, Stephen returning to New York. As Laurel (Lois Moran) grows into a spirited young woman, Stella realizes that Stephen can provide their daughter countless opportunities she'll never have while living with a destitute single mother, and so Stella makes a selfless sacrifice and sends Laurel to live with Stephen and his new family. Stella Dallas (1925) would later be remade at least twice, its most beloved and famous version being the 1937 King Vidor classic starring Barbara Stanwyck in the title role. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Silent film star Colleen Moore and Charlie Plumb's comic strip character Ella Cinders had two basic things in common: their dutch-bob haircuts and their winsome, wide-eyed charm. As played by Ms. Moore, Ella is a moviestruck small-town girl who wins a talent contest purportedly sponsored by a film studio. First prize is a trip to Hollywood and a screen test, but when Ella arrives in Tinseltown, she discovers that the contest was a fraud. Momentarily disheartened, Ella vows to get into pictures by any means possible. Finally wangling a screen test, Ella convinces producers that she is a great dramatic actress by reacting in terror to a fire that has accidentally broken out on the set. She realizes her dream of becoming a star--at least until her hometown boyfriend Lloyd Hughes offers a "lifetime contract" of his own. A thoroughly delightful minor effort, Ella Cinders displays Colleen Moore at her peak, notably in one sequence in which she imitates her contemporary Lillian Gish; there's even time left over for a brief cameo from comedy great Harry Langdon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a 1923 novel by Edward Phillips Oppenheim and directed by film pioneer J. Stuart Blackton, this silent society drama featured May McAvoy, Gardner James, and Willard Louis attempting to free themselves from the negative influence of their guardian, De Witt Jennings. In London, McAvoy goes on the stage and fails, but is courted by the play's author, Holmes Herbert. That doesn't sit well with either James or Louis, the former drinking himself half to death, the latter marrying a wealthy widow (Vera Lewis) out of spite. Intent on breaking up her engagement to Holmes, Louis persuades McAvoy to become a model for Madame Mathilde (Louise Fazenda) and then schemes to seduce her. The ploy backfires, however, when Vera Lewis catches her new husband in the act, so to speak, and then proceeds to ruin him socially as well as financially. James, meanwhile, secures a publishing deal and is happily reconciled with McAvoy. Young leading man Gardner James was married at the time to the film's screenwriter, Marion Blackton, who was also the sister of the director. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide