Philo McCullough Movies

Frank Lloyd, who directed The Sea Beast, tried to create another epic with this Rex Beach tale of the 1897 gold rush. The story, however, isn't all that interesting, and there are too many important characters that muddy the plot. Pierce Phillips (a miscast Ben Lyon) loses his stake in a shell game and winds up hiring himself out to carry goods for the McCaskeys to the next camp. He meets and joins up with Tom (Claude Gillingwater) and Jerry (Charles Crockett), two old prospectors, and also meets the beautiful Countess Courteau (Anna Q. Nilsson). Phillips helps her take her belongings through the rapids, but they are estranged when she reveals that she is already married. Phillips gets work as a gold weigher in a dancehall, where Laura (Dorothy Sebastian) tries to vamp him. When he turns her down, she teams up with McCaskey (Fred Kohler). They try to frame Phillips for a robbery. The Count (Philo McCullough) has gone to inform the police, but he is killed en route. Phillips is blamed for this too, but it's finally revealed that one of McCaskey's clan did the job. After all these confusing events, Phillips and the Countess find happiness. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

A cuckolded husband discovers that he is in love with his ex-wife's cousin in this domestic melodrama from independent producer B. P. Schulberg. Although agreeing at first to give up custody of their child, the ex-wife changes her mind when she discovers the truth. But the child is almost killed in a freak accident and the haughty wife, who wants to go off with a new lover, finally agrees to the divorce settlement. Although burdened with a lachrymose script, Faint Perfume was rescued by good performances from the three leads: Seena Owen as the wife, William Powell as the husband, and Alyce Mills as the innocent cousin. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

This routine auto adventure finds Jack Grant (William Fairbanks) agreeing to drive in the big race in order to save his brother Carl (Philo McCullough) from being charged with embezzlement. He wins the race and the heart of the auto-builder's daughter Grace Danton (Eva Novak). Stock footage of an actual car race is effectively inserted, with famous racing driver Ralph De Palma making a cameo appearance as the champion. Edwin Booth Tilton, Frankie Darro, Wilfred Lucas, and Lydia Knott co-star in this film reminiscent of some of the racing pictures of Wallace Reid. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

When her latest show closes, Pat O'Brien (Margaret Livingston) returns home. The stable owned by her fiancé, Dan Mallory (Alan Roscoe), catches fire, and Pat helps save his prize horse, Lady Belle, who is blinded. Because of the fire, Pat and Dan have to put their wedding plans on hold, and Pat returns to the stage. She takes her little sister Nora (Virginia Lee Corbin) along because she has gotten involved with the slimy Dick Crawford (Philo McCullough, who was always good at playing slimy characters). Both girls land jobs in a show and do all they can to help Dan out. In spite of Lady Belle's handicap, Dan decides to race her anyway, and she wins him 20 thousand dollars. Crawford has taken money from Nora to bet, but he put it on another horse. Unfortunately, the money belonged to some of the other girls, so Nora goes to Crawford's house to try and get it back. Pat realizes that Nora is in danger and follows. She even protects Nora by compromising herself when Dan and her mother (Lillian Elliott) show up at Crawford's apartment. At first Dan denounces Pat, but then he realizes she was only helping her sister and all is forgiven. This lively horseracing drama was a very loose adaptation of the popular play by James Forbes, which had been filmed previously in 1915. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

The always entertaining Hoot Gibson starred in this unusual silent western in which the hero saves the fire chief's daughter from both a lecherous politician and a dangerous fire. Gibson excelled in this kind of fairy tale where his character's innate bashfulness is countered by furious action. Gibson rarely used violence in his films and hardly ever wore a gun-belt. Playing the heroine's father in this film is Frank Beal, a veteran director who worked for Selig and Fox in the 1910s. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The Parisian settings of George Du Maurier's novel were faithfully recreated for this production -- which is more than can be said for Maurice Tourneur's 1915 version of the film. It was the first American feature for French actress Andree Lafayette, and Arthur Edmund Carewe gives a skillful performance as Svengali (although John Barrymore's performance in the 1931 talkie version is definitive). Trilby (Lafayette) is toiling away in a French laundry when she meets a young English art student. She calls him Little Billee (Creighton Hale), and they have a romance. But she comes under the influence of a musician, Svengali, who has hypnotic powers. On the night of Trilby's engagement to Billee, Svengali steals her away, and with his powers, turns her into a brilliant concert singer. One night Billee and his friends (Philo McCullough and Francis McDonald) see her perform. Svengali has a heart attack and dies, and Trilby loses her beautiful voice. Although she is now free of Svengali's influence, the strain is too much for her and she dies. There were two endings made of this picture -- one was Du Maurier's tragic ending and the other was the typically happy Hollywood finish. An interesting note: the 1915 Maurice Tourneur version starred Clara Kimball Young, who was then married to James Young, the director of the 1923 version. James Young was also in the cast of the Tourneur version. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This Western features all the usual Universal Studios suspects: Frank Mayo as the manly hero, Philo McCullough as the slimy villain, and Sylvia Breamer as the pretty but less-than-distinctive love interest. The story is told in flashback as the Grand Jury calls in rancher Sam Bass (Mayo) to testify in a sheep stealing case. Bass, unaware of why he is wanted, immediately confesses to a murder and relates his long, sad story. Years before, he unsuccessfully pursued a gang of bank robbers and his evil half brother, Will (McCullough) -- who also was in love with Sam's sweetheart, Mary (Breamer) -- accused him of the robbery. Sam was tossed in jail for a year, and while incarcerated, he studied law. He began life anew once he was released, and when he ran for county prosecutor, Will reappeared and exposed him as a jailbird. Sam was run out of town, and when he tried to start all over again, Will attempted to blackmail him. By now, Sam was pretty fed up with the whole situation and a fight broke out, during which he thought he killed Will. But just as Sam is finishing up this incriminating testimony, the sheriff (George A. Williams) shows up with Will, who is alive after all -- and who turns out to be the sheep thief. Will is put behind bars, and Sam is reunited with Mary. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

As his first picture for the Goldwyn studios, director Marshall Neilan decided to adapt Donn Byrne's sprawling novel to the screen. He put together an amazing cast, which included such luminaries as Jean Hersholt, Philo McCullough, Stuart Holmes, Claude Gillingwater and Hobart Bosworth, but a lengthy, complicated story kept any of them from making an impression. Basically the story revolves around a shipyard which Derith Keogh (Claire Windsor) inherits upon her father's death. There is trouble amongst workers, fed by labor leader John Trevelyan (Thomas Holding). Derith and her adoptive brother, Angus Campbell (Rockcliffe Fellows) struggle to avoid a strike and appeal to Trevelyan's better nature in order to gain his cooperation. A romantic relationship between Derith and Campbell develops throughout the picture. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Those who see the title to this picture and think it must be based on a hoary old melodrama are absolutely correct. The play, popular circa 1900, was written by Charles E. Blaney. Even though melodramas were making a little comeback in the early 1920s, this one really had no place in the flapper era. Julian Lorraine (J. Frank Glendon) is the leading man in a stock company. He leaves his wife, Viola (Alice Lake) because he believes she has been unfaithful. He is told that she has drowned himself, so he weds Josephine Clifford, his leading lady (Rosemary Theby). But Viola is not dead, and eventually she comes back to kidnap her own daughter, Ruth (Josephine Adair). Ultimately, the truth is revealed -- Vincent Grant, another actor of the troupe (Philo McCullough) was in love with Viola, so he plotted with Josephine to split up the Lorraines. Josephine is killed, Grant winds up behind bars, and Lorraine reunites with his faithful wife. Incidentally, this picture was produced by Harry Cohn, who would become famous -- or, perhaps, infamous -- as the head of Columbia Pictures. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

In this silent Western "whodunit," a very young Buck Jones stars as Conroy Daley, a young man whose uncle offers him a job on his ranch. When Con arrives, he learns that the uncle (Charles French) has been murdered. Not only that, but a mysterious stranger (Otto Matiesen) is impersonating Con. The accused murderer, Bud Moore (Harold Miller), has disappeared and Con, keeping his real identity a secret, joins forces with Moore's innocent sister, Della (Renée Adorée). The uncle, as it turns out, is not dead at all but has been abducted by ranch foreman John Hampton (Philo McCullough), who wants the ranch for himself. This convoluted Western, whose working title was "Vamoose," had two directors: Scott R. Dunlap and C.R. Wallace, often an indication of a troubled production. Leading lady Adorée later became a major star at MGM as John Gilbert's French girlfriend in The Big Parade (1925). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

This lighthearted comedy-drama, which has an unexpected twist at the end, was considered quite "modern" in its day. Although Pam (Marie Prevost) is happily married to Bill Billings (Kenneth Harlan), she's not quite ready to settle down. Her playful ways are imitated by Bill's niece (Lucille Rickson), who idolizes her. One of Pam's admirers is Kingdon (since he's played by Philo McCullough, you know he's going to cause trouble). While Bill is training for an auto race, Kingdon tries to steal Pam away. But Pam refuses to attend a party with him, and he asks the niece instead. Pam, knowing that Kingdon is not to be trusted, follows the girl to his apartment. But Bill is not far behind and he winds up in a fight with Kingdon. Pam is able to explain everything, but the fight has left Bill with a broken arm. Since he can't drive his race car, Pam does it for him, and wins the contest. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Philo McCullough, who was known during the silent era for his villainous roles, directs this comedy-drama. The results, however, weren't very good -- the titles were filled with over-the-top puns, which didn't fit in with the tone of the story. After this film, McCullough wisely returned to the other side of the megaphone. Betty (Eileen Percy) is an orphaned heiress who lives with her aunt and uncle in Texas. She has fallen in love with Bert Cragnair (William Scott), an aviator from Waco, but her uncle stops her from eloping with him. Betty's relatives have different plans for her; they intend to introduce her to New York society, where she can find a man of her own station. When Betty arrives in the East, she finds that Bert has beaten her there and landed himself a job as her aunt's chauffeur. There is some silliness about the theft of a valuable necklace, which Betty recovers with Bert's help. Finally the couple wed and fly off for their honeymoon. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Emily Graham (Iris Ashton) marries Philip Amory (Philo McCullough), whose father is the lifelong enemy of Emily's father (Edwin Booth Tilton). When Philip accidentally blinds Emily, her father takes her infant and gives it to a sailor, who hands it over to his wife. The baby, Gertie grows up (to be played by Shirley Mason), and is treated like a slave by her adopted mother. When she can't take it anymore, she runs away and is taken in by Trueman, a lamplighter (Albert Knott). He works for Graham, and with his help, Gertie is finally reunited with both her parents. This picture, based on the novel by Maria Susanna Cummins, was far darker than the comedy dramas in which Shirley Mason usually excelled. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide