Ben Lyon Movies

That old David Belasco barnstorming play Heart of Maryland was given a worthwhile filmic treatment by Vitagraph in 1921. Crane Wilbur, later a prolific playwright/director, stars as a Maryland-born officer who casts his lot with the North upon the outbreak of the Civil War. This causes a rift between himself and his fiancee Catherine Calvert, whose heart belongs to Dixie. All differences are swept away when Catherine rescues Wilbur from a firing squad. Heart of Maryland was refilmed in 1927 by Warner Bros., which had acquired the failing Vitagraph studios in 1926. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This picture practically defined the Roaring Twenties and shot Colleen Moore to superstardom. Because she is neglected by her husband (Phillips Smalley), Mona Fentriss (Myrtle Steadman) begins living a frivolous, jazzy lifestyle. Two of her daughters, Connie (Betty Francisco) and Dee (Sylvia Breamer), follow in her footsteps and make unhappy marriages, but Mona tries to instill some sort of old-fashioned values in her youngest daughter, Pat (Moore). Heart trouble leads Mona to an early death, but before she dies, she reveals to her friend, Doctor Bobs (Elliott Dexter), that her one true love was Cary Scott (Milton Sills). Pat grows up to be a jazz baby, but Scott returns and becomes her one stabilizing influence. Although they fall in love, Scott must get a divorce from his estranged wife before they can wed. Pat is hesitant to marry at all because of all the unhappy matches around her. She becomes involved with a violinist who traps her on a yacht and she is forced to jump into the sea to save herself. She becomes gravely ill and Doctor Bobs and Scott do what they can to bring her back from the brink. It's the spirit of her mother, however, which really saves Pat so that she can recover and marry Scott. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Colleen Moore may have been The Perfect Flapper, but as an actress she longed to spread her creative wings. She insisted on portraying the lead character in this adaptation of Edna Ferber's novel -- a 19th century girl doomed to a life of drudgery, who ages over 30 years throughout the course of the film. While So Big made a credible show at the box office (and Moore received accolades for her performance) it didn't compare to the block-busting sales of her flapper comedies. Selina Peake (Moore) lives a privileged existence until the death of her father (Sam DeGrasse). The girl is shocked to discover that he was killed in a gambling den, and she is left without a dime. She goes to work as a school teacher in a Dutch colony at High Prairie and marries Purvis DeJong (John Bowers), a farmer who is none too bright. The one light of her life is a son, Dirk. After Purvis' death, Selina is forced to sell vegetables door to door. She is finally given aid by the father of an old school chum and after much hard work she manages to make the farm turn a profit, which enables her to send Dirk (Ben Lyon) to school. He becomes an architect and has a romance with Dallas O'Meara (Phyllis Haver), an artist. But Pauline Storm (Rosemary Theby), a married woman who has helped him, convinces him to run off with her. Selina discovers the plan and begs the illicit pair to reconsider. Pauline's husband (Henry Herbert) walks in and threatens to name Dirk as corespondent in a divorce suit. Selina talks him out of it and Dirk returns to Dallas. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Based on the play Mary the Third by Rachel Crothers, Wine of Youth concerns Mary (Eleanor Boardman), a flapper whose mother (Eulalie Jensen) and grandmother (Gertrude Claire) were also named Mary. The first two Marys worked all their feminine wiles to snare their husbands, but the youngest Mary doesn't know if she really wants to be tied down. Two young men vie for her hand: sweet natured Lynn (Ben Lyon) and the charming but aggressive Hal (William Haines, playing the type of character that would later make him famous). Mary can't choose between the two of them, so, after a wild party, she decides to take them both on a camping trip, along with her pal, Tish (Pauline Garon), and Tish's sweetheart, Max (William Collier Jr.). Tish and Max decide to "do the right thing" and get married. It doesn't take long for Mary, meanwhile, to disqualify the pushy Hal, and insist that the party return home. When Mary enters her house she overhears her mother and father (E.J. Ratcliffe) arguing over her escapade, and she believes that they no longer love each other. This revelation causes her to lose all faith in the institution of marriage. Her mother decides to leave. When she faints, her husband believes she has been poisoned. This makes him realize how much he really does care. When Mary sees this she decides to accept Lynn's proposal. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Silent star Pola Negri and director Dmitri Buchowetzki had worked together in Europe, and Negri's American studio, Paramount, sent for Buchowetzki to direct her again. Like their prior Paramount picture, Men, this drama carries a Continental flavor. After her mother goes insane, Lily Czepanek (Negri) goes to work in a bookstore. A young lieutenant, Richard Von Prell (Ben Lyon), falls in love with her. But his superior, Colonel Von Mertzbah (Noah Beery, who nearly steals the film), decides he wants her too. Von Mertzbah gets his chance when Von Prell has temporarily disappointed Lily. After she weds the colonel, Lily renews her relationship with Von Prell, and Von Mertzbah catches them together. He seriously wounds Von Prell in a duel and throws Lily out of the house. When she doesn't hear from Von Prell, Lily becomes the mistress of Karl Dehnecke (Raymond Griffith), a wealthy roué. Von Prell finally comes back with his uncle, Walter Von Prell (William J. Kelly), in tow. Lily has to act unsophisticated and innocent so the uncle will give the union his approval, but Dehnecke ruins her pose by showing up with a group of drunken friends and denouncing her. The uncle refuses to let Von Prell have anything to do with her and her romance is destroyed. But all is not lost for Lily -- a remorseful Dehnecke proposes to her and she accepts. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Seven years after its end, there was a resurgence of films about World War I. This one, based on the novel Invisible Wounds by Colonel Frederick Palmer was pretty good, but a couple of weeks later, The Big Parade would come out and trounce every other World War film that was in distribution. Billy Morrow (Ben Lyon), who comes from a wealthy family, is sailing to Europe with his father (Holbrook Blinn) on their yacht. Along for the ride is Mrs. Parr (Claire Eames) and her stepdaughter. Near the French coast, Billy discovers that Mrs. Parr wants to arrange a marriage between him and the girl, so he escapes and takes a lifeboat ashore. He makes it to Paris, where he meets Rene Darcourt (Blanche Sweet), an American girl who is temporarily working as a model for Picard (Pedro de Cordoba), an artist. Billy and Rene fall in love, but he suspects she is having an affair with Picard, so he enlists when war breaks out. He is wounded in the fighting and taken to a chateau, where he finds Rene working as a nurse. They are united, and Billy learns a new commandment: thou shalt not doubt. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Ben Lyon and Viola Dana co-star in this heavy society drama -- not exactly the forte of either of these stars. Charming but irresponsible Dick Jerome (Frank Mayo) wins Frances (Gladys Brockwell) over his rival, the more responsible David Devanant (Thomas Holding). Jerome is a drunk and a womanizer, and in an attempt to straighten him out, Devanant sends him on an assignment to South America. He dies there, a victim of a brawl. Back home, Frances dies too, and she asks Devanant to marry her so that her son, Frank, will have a father. He agrees, and also adopts a girl, Shirley Holmes. Frank grows up (to be played by Lyon), and proves to be every bit as irresponsible as his father. He marries Hattie (Mary Thurman), an adventuress who wants money to annul the marriage. When Devanant refuses, some bonds are stolen from him. He accuses Frank and sends him to South America to earn back the money lost. Frank works hard until a friend insists that Devanant is only trying to get rid of him so he can marry Shirley
(Dana), who both he and Frank love. Frank returns to the States to stop the wedding, but Devanant reveals that he knew that Frank did not take the bonds -- he just wanted to make a man of him. Devanant has a heart attack and dies, so Frank and Shirley are able to wed. This picture was based on a book written by future Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Stephen Vincent Benet. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Prince of Tempters was adapted from The Ex-Duke a story by prolific author E. Phillips Oppenheim. The story focuses on two Benedictine monks, the virtuous Francis (Ben Lyon) and the wavering Mario (Ian Keith). With papal dispensation, Francis is voluntarily released from his vows to assume the responsibilities of an inherited earldom. Meanwhile, Mario rejects his vows without permission, hoping to lay claim to Francis' title and wealth. The drama reaches its peak when Mario enlists the aid of the beautiful Dolores (Lya de Putti) to discredit Francis in the eyes of his sweetheart Monica (Lois Moran). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Belle Bennett, the unforgettable star of the original Stella Dallas (1926), again suffers nobly through the "mother love" melodrama Reckless Lady. Just to make Bennett feel at home, she is here reunited with her Stella Dallas co-star Lois Moran. Bennett is cast as the prodigal Mrs. Fleming, whose mounting gambling debts oblige her to have an affair with wealthy Russian nobleman Feodor (Lowell Sherman). Mrs. Fleming's husband (James Kirkwood) files for divorce, demanding custody of the couple's daughter Sylvia (Lois Moran). With Sylvia in tow, our heroine flees to Monte Carlo, where she is able to recoup her gambling losses by intelligently playing the gaming tables. Mrs. F. is on the verge of getting back on her feet financially when who should re-enter her life but Feodor, who now makes a play for the virginal Sylvia. When Mrs. Fleming begs him to leave Sylvia alone, he laughs and threatens to tell the girl everything about her mother's checkered past. At her wit's end, Mrs. Fleming loses her money and contemplates suicide, but her ex-husband, who still loves her, shows up in the nick of time to straighten everything out. This high-gloss soap opera was based on a novel by Philip Hamilton Gibbs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dance Magic was one of the earliest directorial efforts of Victor Halperin, of White Zombie fame. Hoping to make it big as a dancer, small-town girl Pauline Starke storms into the office of a Manhattan theatrical agent, demanding an interview. Impressed by her spunk, the producer arranges for Starke to work in the chorus of a major musical production. One night, the star gets sick, and our heroine goes on in her place. By rights, she should be able to return to her hometown in triumph, but this is not to be. Back home, dancing is considered sinful, and Starke is regarded as a Jezebel. Only by renouncing her "sins" in the pulpit is our heroine absolved and allowed to marry the hero (Ben Lyon). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Recently fired by comedian Harry Langdon, young director Frank Capra found it difficult to line up any new projects. He was finally afforded the opportunity to direct a New York-based production originally titled Hell's Kitchen, but eventually released as For the Love of Mike. The story is the old bromide about three men -- Irishman O'Malley (Hugh Cameron), German Schultz (Ford Sterling) and Jewish Katz (George Sidney) -- who adopt an orphaned lad named Mike (played as an adult by Ben Lyon) and finance his education. Once he gets into Yale, Mike nearly falls in with a bad crowd but in the end is redeemed by the love of pert coed Mary (Claudette Colbert, in her movie debut). Despite a strong supporting cast and worthwhile production values, For the Love of Mike was sabotaged by distribution problems and ended up a failure -- and worst of all, Frank Capra was never paid for his participation. Completely on the outs in Hollywood, Capra was forced to take a job at bottom-barrel Columbia Pictures, which in the long run turned out to be immeasurably beneficial for both director and studio. As for newcomer Claudette Colbert, she too managed to survive the For Love of Mike debacle, eventually winning an Academy Award for her work in the Frank Capra-directed It Happened One Night. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Perfect Sap was based on Not Herbert, a popular stage farce of the period. Ben Lyon stars as Herbert Alden, a wealthy but hopelessly nerdish would-be detective. Herbert gets his chance to prove his deductive skills when a robbery is committed at a costume party. His pursuit of the crooks leads Herbert and his sweetheart Polly Stoddard (Pauline Starke) too a crumbling old mansion, where the villains do their best to convince the couple that the joint is haunted. Featured in the cast were two long-time cronies of W.C. Fields, character actors Sam Hardy and Tammany Young. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide