Jerome Storm Movies
Jerome Storm was somewhere in his early twenties when he was hired as an actor by Triangle Studios in 1915. Soon promoted to director, Storm helmed 14 of Charles Ray's popular vehicles between 1919 and 1920. He continued to direct other stars until 1929. Returning to acting as a bit player in the 1930s, Jerome Storm closed out that decade with a small but worthwhile role in Beau Geste (1939). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1916
This William S. Hart adventure opus is currently unavailable for reappraisal, though all evidence indicates that it is no great loss. Hart, who also directed, plays Angus McConnell, the disgraced and discharged manager of a Canadian trading post. He is reinstated when his replacement Richard Sylvester (Robert McKim), a blustering braggart, turns yellow during an Indian attack. The heroine who is rescued by Angus in the final scene was played by Margery Wilson, best remembered as "Brown Eyes" in the French Episode of D.W. Griffith's Intolerance. Set during the glory years of the Hudson Bay Company, Primal Lure was not technically a western, but Bill Hart was still Bill Hart, whether wearing six-guns or not. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1916
With American opinion divided over the European war in 1915, no fewer than three major motion pictures were conceived with anti-war messages in mind: J. Stuart Blackton's The Battle Cry of Peace, D.W. Griffith's Intolerance and Thomas Ince's Civilization. Set in the mythical kingdom of Wredpryd, Civilization begins with war spreading through the land. Inventor Count Ferdinand (Howard Hickman), against the wishes of his pacifist fiancee (Enid Markey), agrees to commandeer a submarine against the enemy. When his sub blows up, the Count is rescued from eternal damnation by the spirit of Jesus Christ, whose soul enters Ferdinand's body. Ferdinand returns to life, convincing the King of Wredpryd (Herchel Mayal) that he, the king, has divine powers. But Jesus, using Ferdinand as his vessel, shows the king that no man is above the laws of God--and also gives him an up-close-and-personal tour of the bloody battlefield. The King realizes the error of his ways, and declares an end to the battle. Extremely popular during its first year of release (1916), Civilization disappeared from view the moment that the US declared war against Germany. Though its direction is often credited to producer Thomas Ince, Civilization was actually directed by committee: among its helmsmen were Walter Edwards, Raymond B. West, Jay Hunt, Reginald Barker, J. Park Read and David M. Hartford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Howard Hickman, Enid Markey, (more)
- 1917
In this light comedy, Charles Ray does a typical turn as a country bumpkin who makes good. Ray plays Joel Parker, who is sent to college by his crabby farmer father (Joseph J. Dowling) only because it was his mother's dying wish that he get an education. At college, he's immediately pegged as a chump and is constantly victimized by the other students, headed by Jimmie Slater (Jerome Storm). Only Abbie Nettleton (Sylvia Bremer), who works at the campus bakery, has any sympathy for him. Joel does become mascot of the baseball team, but only because Coach Nolan (Louis Durham) believes that such a nincompoop will bring the team luck. The ending is easily guessed -- that's right, Joel winds up being thrown into the big game at the last minute, hits a homer, and wins both the game and the girl. Ray's charisma, however, made such predictability easy to swallow. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1917
The racial prejudices of 1800's America died hard; in fact, they were still strong enough in 1916 for this film to be made. It involves Southerner Dr. Duprez (Frank Keenan), whose grandniece kills herself after being betrayed by Paul Crenshaw (Jerome Storm). For revenge he introduces slave Mercedes Mendoza (Margery Wilson) to Crenshaw, telling him that the girl is a Spaniard. The man falls in love with Mercedes and as soon as he marries her, the good doctor denounces him as the husband of a Negro. Crenshaw becomes a drunk and is killed when he wanders into a quarantined part of town and tries to leave. Then the doctor finds out that Mercedes really is Spanish, and she has not one drop of Negro blood in her veins; on top of that, the girl is his own granddaughter. So Mercedes wins the old man's love and amends. Exhibitors in the South were warned that theatergoers in their section of the U.S. could find this story offensive. Its shamefully negative attitude towards AfricanAmericans would be even more offensive to the majority of modern-day filmgoers. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1918
When heroine Enid Bennett leaves the small rural community of her birth, she is the epitome of sweet innocence. When she returns home after four months in the Big City, she is something else again. The girl's newfound poise and sophistication throws the community into a tizzy; after all, anyone so "worldly" must also be terribly wicked, right? Well, they're wrong. The girl is just as virtuous now as she was "then," and she proves as much before the "End" title is flashed on the screen. The supporting cast of Naughty, Naughty included director Earle Rodney and stage soubrette Marjorie Bennett, who would still be playing character roles well into the 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1918
The vamp here isn't Theda Bara, or even one of her rivals like Valeska Suratt, but sweet young thing Enid Bennett. As Nancy Lyons, she is the wardrobe girl for a musical who is involved with settlement worker Robert Walsham (Douglas MacLean). She finally wrestles a marriage proposal out of him by taking the advice of her chorus girl friend and vamping him. The couple then move to a mining town, where he takes charge of Community House. Robert's uncle, James (Charles K. French), does not approve of their marriage until Nancy uses her newfound vamping skills to uncover a plot between labor agitator Phil Weil (Robert McKim) and a German spy, Fleming (Melbourne MacDowell). ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1919
Jim Kelly (Charles Ray) works for an express company in a small Midwest town and has developed quite a punch from hefting egg crates around. He has little cause to use it however, as his main interest is Kitty Haskell (Colleen Moore), the daughter of his boss (J.P. Lockner). Another, far slicker, young man is vying for Kitty's attentions also. One day a large amount of money disappears from the express office and suspicion falls on both Mr. Haskell and Jim. Jim, believing that Haskell was the culprit, leaves town, thus focusing the accusations on him and saving his boss's reputation. He winds up working in a fighter's training camp and, through a series of circumstances, winds up in the ring himself. His opponent happens to be his rival from back home. For four rounds Jim takes a beating until he finally lands that "egg-crate wallop." He wins enough money to cover the loss back home, but it turns out he doesn't need to use it, as it is discovered that his opponent was the one who stole the money. This was a typical vehicle for Charles Ray, with the extra-added treat of Colleen Moore as his co-star -- Moore was well on her way to fame and fortune herself. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1919
Bill Henry Jenkins is a typical Charles Ray character, a country boy determined to make good. At first he tries selling electric vibrators, but fails miserably, so he goes to his Uncle Chet (Bert Woodruff) for help. Uncle Chet agrees to hire him as a clerk at his hotel, providing that he doesn't gamble with the guests. But when he meets Lela Mason (Edith Roberts), he is compelled to head for the poker table -- she has come to town to claim a plot of land she has inherited, only to find that it is worthless. To save her a lot of trouble, Bill wins enough money to anonymously buy the property. Later he finds out that there is oil on the land and sells it for well over a million dollars, with the intention of giving Lela the profit. But the crooked real estate agent tries to swindle the sum away, which winds up causing a rift between Bill and Lela. But Bill sets things right by tying the agent up and torturing him with a leftover electric vibrator until he confesses to his wrongdoing. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1919
This silent feature has all the qualities one would expect of a Charles Ray vehicle -- excitement, humor and loads of entertainment value. Ray is Andy Fletcher, a small-town boy who loves to tinker with mechanical things, especially cars. He has a sweetheart, Alice (Wanda Hawley), but her banker father (Willis Marks) views Andy's handiwork dubiously. This changes when crooks rob the father's bank, and Andy goes after them. With the help of his little Ford, Andy actually nabs the villains. He also wins the girl's hand, and a promise from her father for a new car. Greased Lightning, and the other films Ray made of this ilk, were perfect showcases for the charm Ray exuded on screen. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1919
As might be guessed by the title, The Busher is a baseball film. Charles Ray plays Ben Harding, a country greenhorn who is the hired hand of Deacon Nasby (Otto Hoffman) and pitcher for the local team. A group of major league players and their manager get stuck in town when railroad trouble causes a layover, and they discover Ben's talents. They send him a telegram, asking him to join the team, and his girl, Mazie Palmer (Colleen Moore) bids him a tearful farewell. But success goes to Ben's head and when the hometown folk come to see him play, he screws up the game and loses. The manager fires him and he goes back to work for Deacon and learns to be humble. But all is not lost for Ben -- his successor disappears and he is called into play once again. This time he pitches a great game and ends up victorious. Ray had great support in this film -- not only did he have future star Colleen Moore as his leading lady, John Gilbert, who was also headed for stardom, had a featured role too. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1919
Country boy Ben Trimble (Charles Ray) saves up a thousand dollars and heads out to the big city to make good. But he doesn't make it past the first day before a con man swindles him out of the dough. Desperate and hungry, he winds up becoming partners with a safecracker, and they continue their nightly rounds until the police catch up with them. The safecracker is fatally shot, but before he dies he asks Ben to go to his farm and take care of his two kids. There Ben meets Vera Owen (Margery Wilson) and confesses his past but swears he has gone straight. One day, he sees that the same confidence man who swindled him has come to town and is already working on Vera's dad (Otto Hoffman). So Ben cracks the Owen safe to keep the money out of the con's hands. The family fortune is saved, and Ben's small transgression is excused. This drama did not have the charm usually found in Ray's pictures. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1920
With a title like this one, it's practically a given that this silent picture starred Charles Ray. But this time around, instead of being a homespun rural boy, he's a city guy with homespun ideals. His dream of a home in the suburbs is so strong that he has one built before he tells his fiancee, Betty Graves (Ethel Shannon). But Betty is upset by his presumptuousness and her vision of home life definitely doesn't include a suburban home, so she dumps him. Then Herbert (Wade Boteler) and Sybil (Grace Morse), married friends of the battling pair, split up, and Sybil takes their three children to stay with David. So David and the girl's father, a doctor (Alfred Allen), plot to have the home quarantined -- with Betty in it -- in the hopes that this will enable her to make up with David. Amazingly, instead of driving her completely nuts, this ploy does work (even in the 20s, this idea couldn't possibly have been realistic), and both couples wind up reconciling. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1920
When machinist Tod Burke (Charles Ray) heroically saves the company's owner, Peter Garton (William Conklin), from being crushed by a falling crane, the grateful old man adopts him. Garton's sister Cornelia (Mollie McConnell) tries to introduce the unrefined young man into society, with the kind of hilarious results expected in a Charles Ray picture. Tod is surprised when his sweetheart, Janet Muir (Gladys George) is not thrilled with his new situation. The reason becomes clear when her grandfather Angus (Charles Mailes) throws him out of their house. Grandpa Muir was once pals with Garton, but because of business conflicts they became enemies. Now Garton's company is destroying Muir's tiny machine shop. Tod and Janet try to save their romance, and Tod finds her a job at Garton's company as a stenographer. But Muir finds out about it, and he becomes even angrier when she is fired because Garton finds her dancing with Tod at work. Finally, the couple lock up the two old men and force them to make up and stay out of their love affair. The multi-faceted Burke is a pleasant standout amongst Charles Ray's usual "country bumpkin" characters. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1920
Charles Ray takes his country bumpkin to Paris, albeit briefly, in this comedy-melodrama. After fighting in World War I, Corporal Luther Green (Ray) is on his way back home to Quigley Corners, New Jersey, but first he has to make a quick stop in Paris. In the hour he is there, he meets a French girl, Ninon Robinet (Ann May). Back in the States, Green discovers that his sweetheart, who had promised to wait for him, is now engaged to someone else. But he doesn't have much time to be depressed -- before long, Ninon shows up. She has come to America to find her missing uncle, Andre (Otto Hoffman), but she is kidnapped. She escapes and heads for Green's little village, since he's the only other person she knows in the United States. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1920
For the thousandth time (or so it seemed to non-fans), Charles Ray plays a bashful bucolic in Alarm Clock Andy. A humble clerk, Ray would like to propose to boss' daughter Millicent Fisher. It's just that he has this nervous stammer-and besides, city slicker George Webb is always beating his time. In tried and true fashion, Ray overcomes his shyness and speech impediment in time to claim Fisher before Webb does. Elements of Alarm Clock Andy later resurfaced in the 1924 Harold Lloyd vehicle Girl Shy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1920
Charles Ray's country bumpkin becomes an aspiring detective in this lightweight comedy. The inept attempts of farm boy William Wells (Ray) to become another Nick Carter or Sherlock Holmes are not appreciated by his father (Lew Morrison), who decides to send him out into the world. His travels ultimately bring him to a sanitarium where one of the patients has become the victim of an attempted robbery. William thinks the doctor is the crook but through his investigations, he uncovers a real crook, who has been pretending to be an inmate. William gets a five thousand dollar reward, and the girl (Winifred Westover. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1922
This was the second time Edward Rose's play was committed to celluloid (the first was in 1915). This Jerome Storm-directed version offered a fine cast and several deviations from the original plot which only enhanced its dramatic value. Spendthrft Kenward Wright (Wallace Beery, always a good villain) is cut out of his uncle's will. Instead, Bruce Wilton, an honest, hard-working employee (Robert Gordon), inherits the cannery and Wright's money. To make things even worse for Kenward, Bruce is engaged to pretty Vera Mather (Jane Novak). Kenward is determined to ruin things for Bruce, so he works with a thug, Donald MacTavish (Pomeroy Cameron) to first compete with, then blow up the cannery. When Kenward is discovered to be the one behind the explosion, a posse pursues him while a storm crashes down. He winds up in the church of Father Brian Kelly (Lewis Stone -- yes, the future Judge Hardy), where he shoot's Bruce's widowed mother (Eugenie Besserer). On the run again, Kenward plunges to his death in a river. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lewis Stone, Jane Novak, (more)
- 1922
On the verge of leaving Fox Studios for MGM, silent romantic star John Gilbert appeared in California Romance. Gilbert plays a soldier-of-fortune, living in pre-statehood California. With the aid of the US cavalry, Gilbert fends off those who would block California's entry into the Union. Along the way, he wins the heart of separatist-sympathizer Estelle Taylor. Director Jerome Storm, who'd previously worked on the popular Charlie Ray vehicles at Ince, wrapped this one up in a fast four reels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Gilbert, Estelle Taylor, (more)
- 1922
On the whole, John Gilbert's starring vehicles at Fox were not as beneficial to him professionally as his films at MGM. Arabian Love was an exception, but Gilbert was required to emulate another popular star to make the film "click". Essentially a Valentino picture without Valentino, the film casts Gilbert as a young American who, after killing the man who disgraced his sister, joins a band of Arab thieves. Several convenient coincidences later, Gilbert falls in love with the widow Barbara Bedford of the man he has killed. Though Arabian Love proved an enormous step forward in the career John Gilbert, the painfully self-conscious star steered clear of imitations in his later work. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Gilbert, Barbara Bedford, (more)
- 1922
Three years before they made Hollywood history as the stars of King Vidor's World War I epic The Big Parade, John Gilbert and Renée Adorée appeared together in this melodrama -- ironically, yet another depiction of the Great War. Gilbert played twin brothers, Jacques and Honoré, both fighting in France. But Honoré, a lieutenant, panics and flees from the front and Jacques, wearing his brother's uniform, is decorated for valor in his stead. After the Armistice, Jacques goes to Paris where he confronts his cowardly brother. Honoré hatches a plan to murder his twin, but the scheme backfires and he is himself killed. Jacques, meanwhile, finds happiness with his brother's mistreated wife Moira (Adorée). Not surprisingly, Fox re-released this minor effort after the worldwide success of The Big Parade (1925). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1923
Jazz babies and gents danced and partied their way through dozens upon dozens of motion pictures during the Roaring Twenties. After a while, all their plots became interchangeable -- the girls and guys would run wild, but in the end they would realize their parents were right after all, inspiring them to give up their frivolous ways. That's the basic formula in this comedy-melodrama, but there's some Latin American color added to give it a bit of variety. Dancer Theodore Kosloff took the starring role of Richard Forestall, who is engaged to Babs Weston (Eileen Pearcy), the daughter of a rich man (Alec B. Francis). Babs, however, isn't quite ready to settle down, as she proves by getting engaged to two more young men (Ricardo Cortez and Robert Cain). Richard takes off for an island near Cuba where his father (Frank Currier) lives. Babs continues her revelry with her other two suitors and they jump in a plane and head for Havana, where they hope to get more liquor. But the aircraft encounters a storm and is forced to land on the Forestalls' island. Richard puts all of them to work and forces Babs to forego her silly antics. She comes to appreciate his strong and serious nature and her two other boyfriends are out of luck. This film was adapted from the play Other Times by Harold Brighouse. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Theodore Kosloff, Ricardo Cortez, (more)
- 1923
The career of William Russell was on the wane when he starred in this cheaply-made comedy melodrama. Russell, a serious, manly type, was miscast as author Vance McPhee. McPhee's doctor orders him to take a rest, so he decides to spend some time at his mountain lodge. But when he arrives he finds a strange girl (Carmel Myers) is already there. When she asks him to protect her, it's obvious that any rest on McPhee's behalf is about to fly out the window. The girl doesn't explain exactly why she needs protection but a gang of villainous types descend on her and McPhee, and he is compelled to not only come to her aid, but to also save his own skin. After much intrigue, mystery, several disappearances and panicked servants -- not to mention all the times McPhee winds up battling with his fists -- the girl's story is finally revealed. She's Florence Brown, in possession of a box of valuable patents which belong to her father. Now that he's saved Florence and the patents, McPhee is really exhausted. His doctor, believing that perhaps his diagnosis was off, suggests that McPhee cure himself with some romance. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Russell, Tom Wilson, (more)
- 1923
During his tenure with the Fox studios, John Gilbert was cast in every imaginable role a male lead could have. He was Marco Polo, Cameo Kirby, and here he's the title character of this adventure, which comes by its mythical kingdom theme honestly -- it was based on a novel by George Barr McCutcheon. Truxton King is a dashing American who comes to Graustark in search of adventure. There is treachery afoot in the kingdom, and at first the royal family believes he is a spy. But King discovers a plot to murder six-year-old Prince Robin (Mickey Moore), and becomes the boy's protector. He not only saves the young prince, but also his beautiful aunt, Lorraine (Ruth Clifford). In spite of all attempts by the revolutionaries, King almost single-handedly keeps them from overthrowing the royals, and his efforts win him Lorraine's hand. Gilbert would remain stuck on the Fox treadmill for another year and a half after this picture was made. He would only find true stardom when he went over to {@Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Gilbert, Ruth Clifford, (more)
- 1923
Starring New Zealander Shayle Gardner in the title role, this British screen version of Augusta J. Evans-Wilson's sentimental novel and stock company perennial was often mentioned when citing the poor state of British filmmaking in the 1920s. Gardner played the title role, a man who killed his romantic rival in a brawl. Travelling the world as a confirmed misogynist, St. Elmo returns to home and hearth only to fall in love with the daughter (Gabrielle Gilroy) of the local blacksmith. An equally poor Hollywood version of the story was filmed that same year starring John Gilbert, Barbara La Marr, and Bessie Love. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Gilbert, Barbara La Marr, (more)
- 1923
John Gilbert felt his talents were being wasted at Fox, and he was very vocal about his feelings towards the studio. But this film, made about a year before he moved over to MGM, gave him a rare opportunity to play an interesting character. Jaca Javalie (Gilbert) is a thief and a swindler who robs the rich. For a year he has been planning a major heist of a collection of jewels belonging to millionaire Theodore P. Banning (Wilton Taylor). To make inroads into Banning's world, he pretends to be an evangelist and accumulates a number of converts. His plans go awry, however, when he falls in love with Banning's daughter Nanette (Billie Dove). His relationship with the girl changes him into an honest man, and Banning, realizing the young man intends to go straight, protects him from the law. Featured in a bit part as a dancer is Julanne Johnston, who would make her small mark on cinematic history playing Douglas Fairbanks' leading lady in The Thief of Baghdad. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
