The Devil (1921 film)
| The Devil | |
|---|---|
 Exhibitor's ad | |
| Directed by | James Young |
| Written by | Edmund Goulding |
| Based on | play The Devil by Ferenc Molnár[1] |
| Produced by | Associated Distributors Incorporated Harry Leonhardt Andrew J. Callaghan |
| Cinematography | Harry Fischbeck |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Associated Exhibitors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 60 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
The Devil is a surviving 1921 silent drama film directed by James Young and starring stage actor George Arliss in a film version of his 1908 Broadway success of Ferenc Molnár's play, The Devil (aka Az ordog) [1].[2][3] Long thought to be a lost film, a print was discovered in the 1990s and restored by the Library of Congress.
This was George Arliss' first film following a successful career on Broadway. Arliss' wife Florence Arliss co-starred with him in the film, and continued to do so until he died in 1946. Director Young was silent screen star Clara Kimball Young's ex-husband. Future Oscar-winner Fredric March had an uncredited bit part in the film.[2]
Plot
The Devil, in the guise of a human named Dr. Muller (Arliss), meets a young couple (Marie and her fiance Georges) who remark upon looking at a Renaissance painting of a martyr that Evil could never triumph over Good. The Devil, taking this as a challenge, decides to bring about the couple's downfall. In the end, Marie resorts to the power of prayer and a shining crucifix appears that causes the Devil to disappear in a burst of flames.
Cast
- George Arliss as Dr. Muller
- Lucy Cotton as Marie Matin
- Roland Bottomley as Georges Roben
- Sylvia Breamer as Mimi
- Florence Arliss as Marie's Aunt (credited as Mrs. George Arliss)
- Edmund Lowe as Paul de Veaux
- Fredric March as Bal Masque Participant (uncredited)
Preservation status
A copy of The Devil is preserved in the Library of Congress collection and the Archives Du Film Du CNC, Bois d'Arcy.[4][5]
See also
- The Devil (1918)
- The Sorrows of Satan (1926)
References
- ^ The Devil, as presented on Broadway August 1908
- ^ a b c Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. pp. 233–234. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
- ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993: The Devil
- ^ The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Devil
- ^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Devil at silentera.com
External links