Edwin Carewe Movies

Silent-film director Edwin Carewe hoped to stage a talkie comeback with his self-produced Are We Civilized? Set in a fictional European country, the story concerns the rise to power of a Hitler-like despot. A courageous newspaper publisher (William Farnum) challenges the new dictator's oppressive reign of terror, and the resultant brouhaha nearly leads to a Second World War. Overladen with symbolism, Are We Civilized? invokes the ghosts of such past movers and shakers as Abraham Lincoln, Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Julias Caesar, Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte and even Jesus Christ to hammer home its pacifistic message (the film wants to be both anti-war and anti-dictators, which history has proven to be an oxymoronic set of circumstances). Director Carewe fleshes out his film with generous stock footage from silent Cecil B. DeMille, D. W. Griffith and Thomas Ince historical epics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This third film version of Rex Beach's rugged Yukon novel The Spoilers was also the first talkie adaptation. This time, Gary Cooper and William "Stage" Boyd are cast as gold prospector Glennister and crooked Alaska politician McNamara. In partnership with Dextry (James Kirkwood), Glennister is the proud owner of the Midas gold mine, but McNamara and the corrupt Judge Stillman (Lloyd Ingraham) conspire to gain control of the mine, using legal but highly unethical maneuvers. Preparing to shoot each other full of holes, Glennister and McNamara are temporarily dissuaded by Glenister's sweetheart Helen (Kay Johnson), who suggests that the courts handle the dispute. But saloon owner Cherry Malotte (Betty Compson), jealous of Helen, lies to Glennister, telling him that Helen and McNamara are conspiring to cheat him again. Matters come to a head when Glennister and McNamara settle their differences with a spectacular fistfight. During filming of The Spoilers, the stars of the 1914 version William Farnum and Tom Santschi showed up frequently on the set, ostensibly to serve as "technical advisers" for the climactic set-to (one suspects that their advice was merely for the benefit of the Paramount publicity department). The Rex Beach story would be filmed again in 1942 with John Wayne and Randolph Scott, and yet again in 1955 with Jeff Chandler and Rory Calhoun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mexican-born Dolores Del Rio is convincingly cast as a fiery Hungarian lass in Revenge. Yet another variation on The Taming of the Shrew, the film concentrates on the tempestuous relationship between whip-wielding Rascha (Del Rio), the daughter of a bear tamer, and virile Hussar officer Jorga (Leroy Mason). Kidnapping Rascha, Jorga demands that she become his wife -- and a docile, obedient one at that. The more Rascha protests against this set-up (and she puts up quite a fight!), the more Jorga falls in love with her. By film's end, Rascha is as sweet and subservient as any of her daddy's trained bears, but one still wonders how long this will last. A silent film, Revenge was released with a synchronized musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Previously filmed three times (in America, at least), Leo Tolstoy's mammoth novel Resurrection was once more brought to the screen in 1927. Dolores Del Rio plays the beleaguered heroine Katusha, who is seduced and abandoned early in the proceedings by the callous Prince Dmitri (Rod LaRocque). Years later, Dmitri is summoned to serve as a juror on a murder trial. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that the defendant is none other than poor Katusha! At first hypocritically suggesting that she find comfort in God, the conscience-stricken Dmitri follows Katusha into exile in Siberia, where at last he "does right" by the girl. The screenwriters made a noble effort to capture the philosophical asides of the original novel, but this proved difficult in a silent film. Director Edwin Carewe remade Resurrection in 1931, again with a Mexican actress, Lupe Velez, in the lead; the story was then retooled in 1934 as the Anna Sten vehicle We Live Again and in 1961 was refilmed under its original title in the USSR. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This drama was a hint that perhaps the Jazz Age was beginning to wind down; its characters overcome their wild, wicked ways early in the film. Of course, there is still enough revelry to titillate 1926 audiences. As Julian Perryam, the likable but bland Lloyd Hughes is outclassed by his co-stars. Perryam is going through a round of bad luck; he is thrown out of school and loses at love. In search of a change, he heads for London, where he meets Audrey Nye (Mary Astor), a former jazz baby who has gotten a responsible job on a newspaper. She helps Perryam get hired as a reporter. Victor Buckland (Edwards Davis) has been leading on Perryam's sister, Janet (Rita Carewe, the daughter of director Edwin Carewe). Victor's father, Cyril (John T. Murray), meanwhile, is stealing from a charitable fund. Perryam is instrumental in exposing these deeds, and a mob dynamites Buckland's building. Victor flees, and Perryam weds Audrey. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Dorothy Mackaill is well-cast as a high-living flapper in this lively picture, which was based on the popular newspaper serial by H.L. Gates. Joanna Manners (Mackaill) is a salesgirl, and a rather lousy one at that. Nevertheless, she is loved by John Wilmot, a struggling young architect (Jack Mulhall). One day, a million dollars is mysteriously placed in her account. To her delight, Joanna is able to become part of the moneyed fast set, but in the meantime she alienates Wilmot, who leaves her. Joanna continues to party and spend the money, helped along by Frank Brandon, a banker's nephew (Paul Nicholson). Brandon gives Joanna a proposal -- unfortunately, it's not a marriage proposal, so she knocks him unconscious with her shoe. She is arrested for speeding with Brandon laid out cold next to her. He recovers and Joanna is released. It turns out that she has been the object of a bet between some wealthy men -- one believed that, given the opportunity, a modern girl could not resist temptation. The other had faith that she could, and chose Joanna because he once loved her mother. Since Joanna, in spite of it all, has remained a "good girl," he adopts her, and she is reunited with Wilmot. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Alla Nazimova, an ethereal Russian actress who preferred to bill herself as just plain Nazimova, tops the cast of My Son. The "son" in this instance is Portuguese youth Jack Pickford, who lives and works in a New England fishing town with his devoted mother (Nazimova). Pickford courts disaster when he falls for a gorgeous adventuress (Constance Bennett). His mother and his sweetheart (Mary Akin) despair over Pickford's outrageous behavior, and for a while it looks as though he'll never wise up. My Son was adapted from the stage play by Martha M. Stanley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

By 1924, sheik pictures were old hat, but director Edwin Carewe tried to add a little spice to this one by filming it on-location in the Sahara Desert. When Cassim's father is killed during an attack on a French fort, the boy (George Chebat) swears vengeance on Colonel Barbier (Montagu Love). He grows up to become known as Pierre Lamont (played by Bert Lytell), a polished young man with European manners. He falls in love with Barbara (Claire Windsor), who rejects him when she learns he is an Arab. Cassim discovers that Barbara is Barbier's daughter, so he carries out his oath by kidnapping the two of them, and their friend, Captain Duval (Walter McGrail). He sells Barbara as a slave, but then bids on her himself. When she refuses to marry him, he swears he will take her anyway. Duval escapes and fetches the French troops while Cassim finally admits that he loves Barbara too much to harm her. In the ensuing battle, Duval is mortally wounded, but before he dies, he hands Barbara a letter from Cassim's mother, explaining that he is not an Arab at all -- both of his parents were French. Cassim is pardoned, and he and Barbara are united. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Just because movies before the late '20s were filmed without sound recording, it doesn't mean they were truly silent. This "heart interest" drama (an important release for First National in 1923) is a case in point -- Curtis Benton wrote the original story, inspired by the 1901 hit song "Mighty Lak' a Rose," and the tune certainly played an important part of the live score when the picture hit the theaters. Instead of the lively flappers for which she would become famous, Dorothy Mackaill plays a blind orphan, Rose Duncan, who has a special talent with the violin. Jerome Trevor, a famed pianist (Sam Hardy), hears her playing and sends her to an uncle in New York so she can become educated. But the uncle is killed in an accident on his way to meet her and she is taken in by gang leader Bull Morgan (Anders Randolph). Morgan pretends to be her uncle to elude the police, and he sees the value of keeping her around as cover. One of the crooks working under Morgan, Jimmie Harrison (James Rennie), falls in love with Rose and her beautiful music and he balks at using her to pull off a job. After a heated argument in which Rose is accidentally injured, Morgan comes under the girl's positive influence, as do the other gang members. They all decide to go straight -- even Morgan's hardened moll, Molly (Helen Montrose) -- but when they find out that Rose's blindness can be cured, they decide to pull off one last heist. Jimmie is caught and goes to prison. Trevor finally finds Rose and sends her to be trained. She is about to make her debut -- and to promise herself to Trevor -- when Jimmie shows up. Rose, who thought he was dead, is happily reunited with him. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Although Anita Stewart receives top billing in this action picture, it's Edward Hearn who has the more prominent role. Bill Shannon (Hearn) is building a dam in the mountains of the West. Leon Morse, a Wall Street millionaire and railroad magnate (Arthur Stewart Hull), wants the same land as a right-of-way for his railroad. He travels West to negotiate with Shannon, bringing along his fiancée, Anne Wilmot (Stewart), and her Aunt Katherine (Adele Farrington). The trip proves to be Morse's undoing in several ways -- Anne immediately falls in love with Shannon, who is not terribly cooperative about handing over the land. After his offer to Shannon is turned down, Morse plants a bomb to blow up the dam. Anne is the one who saves the day by disconnecting the bomb's wire. After losing the battle for both the land and his sweetheart, Morse crawls back to his Eastern home. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Not surprisingly, this Northwoods drama was adapted from a James Oliver Curwood novel, The Poetic Justice of Uko San. It features an excellent cast, including both Beery brothers, Wallace and Noah. Brothers Tom and Bob Fitzgerald (Kenneth Harlan and Gaston Glass, respectively) are both members of the Northwest Mounted Police. Bob falls in love with schoolteacher Joan Cameron (Alice Lake) when he saves her from an attack by Fu Chang (Wallace Beery). Tom is not so heroic, and he becomes involved with the wife (Rosemary Theby) of post sergeant George Mardeaux (Noah Beery). Tom kills Mardeaux, and Bob is forced to hunt down his own brother. He tracks him down to Joan's cabin. But Bob falls seriously ill, and on what he believes to be his deathbed, he protects his brother by signing a confession that claims he is Mardeaux's murderer. Tom returns to the post with the news, but Bob recovers, and when he comes back he is faced with a lynch mob who believe him to be a murderer. Joan tries to save Bob but is attacked by Mardeaux's two-timing widow. Finally the truth comes out that Tom is the real killer, and he swallows poison to avoid hanging. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Popular silent star Anita Stewart wasn't immune to appearing in routine program pictures, and this mystery has little to recommend it other than her presence. The lusty Arthur Comstock (Walter McGrail) tries to force himself on lovely Sylvia Langdon (Stewart). In an attempt to escape his unwanted advances, Sylvia hurls a candlestick at him, knocking him senseless. She sees his prostrate form through a window and is convinced she has killed him. She marries her fiancé, Bentley Arnold (Allan Forrest), and tries to forget the incident. But she's in for a shock when she and Arnold throw a party at their home and Comstock shows up. Sylvia dashes out of the room in shock and Comstock follows after her. Instead of demanding her body, however, he demands that she give him the family jewels. Comstock, it turns out, murdered his uncle, and it was his body that Sylvia had seen through the window. Comstock's attempts at thievery are foiled and he gets his due. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Scottie Dean (Edward Pell) and his wife Isobel (Jane Novak) are passengers on board a whaling ship. Dean has a fight with the captain and throws him overboard. He and Isobel escape in a lifeboat and go into hiding at an Eskimo village. Mountie William MacVeigh (House Peters) is assigned the task of tracking Dean down. The Eskimo chief, Bye Bye (Horin Konishi), finds out about MacVeigh and warns the Deans. When the Mountie encounters Isobel, she is traveling back to civilization with her husband in a coffin. Taken with Isobel's beauty, MacVeigh does not investigate too deeply, and as a result, she and her husband evade his grasp. Corporal Bucky Smith (Tom Wilson) also goes after the Deans and MacVeigh arrests Scottie. Once they are away from Smith, he lets him go. Back at the station's cabin, he finds a little girl (Pearlie Norton) who reminds him of Isobel. Dean comes to claim the child, but dies of exhaustion. Isobel, mad from brain fever, drives the Mountie away, claiming that he killed Dean to make her his wife. Later, she is reported to have died. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide