Acquitted (1916 film)

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Acquitted
Newspaper advertisement
Directed byPaul Powell[1]
Written byRoy Somerville[1][2]
Tod Browning (uncredited)
Based on"Acquitted"[1][3][4]
by Mary Roberts Rinehart
StarringWilfred Lucas
Mary Alden
Bessie Love[5]
CinematographyJohn Leezer[6]
Production
company
Distributed byTriangle Film Corporation
Release date
  • February 6, 1916 (1916-02-06) (U.S.)
Running time
5 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Acquitted is a 1916 American silent mystery film[2] produced by the Fine Arts Film Company and distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. Paul Powell directed a screenplay by Roy Somerville based on a 1907 short story by Mary Roberts Rinehart.[1][3] Tod Browning served as an uncredited writer.[citation needed]

This film marks the first starring role of Wilfred Lucas,[7] and may mark Bessie Love's film debut. The film is presumed lost, possibly due to the 1965 MGM vault fire.[8][9]

Plot

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John Carter (Lucas) is interviewed by the police.

The police accuse innocent bookkeeper John Carter (Lucas) of having committed the murder of a cashier. A reporter, who is in love with Carter's daughter (Love), proves that Carter is innocent. After a time, Carter's daughter convinces his former employer to hire him back.[2][10][11]

Cast

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Film still showing the Carter family (Lucas, Love, De Rue, and Alden).

Production

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Bessie Love wore some of her own clothing as her wardrobe in the film.[12]

Release and reception

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Film still featuring Alden, De Rue, and Lucas.

The film was heavily censored in Ohio, with scenes of violence and drug sales and use removed before distribution.[13]

The film was well-reviewed.[14][15] Wilfred Lucas received positive reviews for his performance in the lead role, as did Powell's direction.[14][16][17] Bessie Love was positively likened to her contemporaries Mary Pickford and Mae Marsh.[18]

References

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Citations
  1. ^ a b c d "Purely Personal Mention". The Photoplayers Weekly. November 27, 1915. p. 3.
  2. ^ a b c Wlaschin, Ken (April 28, 2009). Silent Mystery and Detective Movies: A Comprehensive Filmography. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-7864-4350-5.
  3. ^ a b Goble, Alan, ed. (September 8, 2011). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. p. 662. ISBN 978-3-11-095194-3.
  4. ^ Rinehart, Mary Roberts (February 1907). "Acquitted". Pearson's Magazine. Vol. 17, no. 2. p. 225.
  5. ^ "Purely Personal Mention". The Photoplayers Weekly. January 29, 1916. p. 4.
  6. ^ Love 1977, p. 148
  7. ^ "Lucas Starred by Griffith". Motography. Vol. 15, no. 9. February 26, 1916. p. 450.
  8. ^ Bennett, Carl (August 19, 2009). "Progressive Silent Film List: Acquitted". Silent Era.
  9. ^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1911–20 by The American Film Institute, c.1988
  10. ^ "Wilfred Lucas Now a Star". Motography. Vol. 15, no. 3. January 15, 1916. p. 110.
  11. ^ Johnson, Julian (April 1916). "The Shadow Stage". Photoplay Magazine. p. 100.
  12. ^ Love 1977, pp. 80–82
  13. ^ Platz, Paul Alwyn (March 4, 1916). "Ohio Censor Scissors Snip Without Rhyme or Reason". Motion Picture News. Vol. 13, no. 9. p. 1304.
  14. ^ a b "The Current Triangle Bill". Motography. Vol. 15, no. 7. February 12, 1916. p. 368.
  15. ^ "Film Reviews". Variety. Vol. 41, no. 9. January 28, 1916. p. 22.
  16. ^ "Messrs. Wilfred Lucas". Photoplay Magazine. Vol. 10, no. 1. June 1916. pp. 97–99.
  17. ^ Julian, Johnson (April 1916). "The Shadow Stage". Photoplay Magazine. p. 104.
  18. ^ York, Cal (April 1916). "Plays and Players". Photoplay Magazine. p. 110.
Works cited
  • Love, Bessie (1977). From Hollywood with Love: An Autobiography of Bessie Love. London: Elm Tree Books. OCLC 734075937.
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