The Cheat is a 1923 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures, and is a remake of Cecil B. DeMille's 1915 film of the same name using the same script by Hector Turnbull and Jeanie MacPherson. This version stars Pola Negri and was directed by George Fitzmaurice.[1][2][3]
| The Cheat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | George Fitzmaurice |
| Written by | Hector Turnbull (scenario) Jeanie MacPherson (scenario) Ouida Bergère (adaptation) |
| Produced by | Adolph Zukor Jesse L. Lasky George Fitzmaurice |
| Starring | Pola Negri Jack Holt |
| Cinematography | Arthur C. Miller |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 8 reels (2232.05 meters) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
editAs described in a film magazine review,[4] Carmelita De Cordoba a beautiful young South American woman who has been betrothed by her stern father to Don Pablo, whom she despises, meets and falls in love with Dudley Drake, a New York City broker, while in Paris. Claude Mace, an art swindler masquerading as East Indian Prince Rao-Singh, hopes to marry her for her wealth. Carmelita elopes with Dudley and is disinherited. The Prince, after lending her some money, induces her to dine alone with him. Meanwhile Dudley makes a fortune. Carmelita and the Prince quarrel and she shoots him. Dudley, arriving on the scene, takes responsibility for the crime. He is convicted. Carmelita goes to the court and confesses, showing a brand on her shoulder that is the Prince's work. The verdict is set aside and all is rosy.
Cast
edit- Pola Negri as Carmelita De Cordoba
- Jack Holt as Dudley Drake
- Charles de Rochefort as Claude Mace a/k/a Prince Rao-Singh (credited as Charles De Roche)
- Dorothy Cumming as Lucy Hodge
- Robert Schable as Jack Hodge
- Charles A. Stevenson as Horace Drake
- Helen Dunbar as Duenna
- Richard Wayne as Defense Attorney
- Guy Oliver as District Attorney
- Edward Kimball as Judge
- Charles Farrell as Bit part (uncredited)
Preservation status
editWith no prints of The Cheat located in any film archives,[5] it is a lost film. However, this particular film was adapted into a novel in the same year of 1923, written by Paramount Pictures employee Russell Holman. That novel does still survive and could be used to extrapolate the film's plot in its absence.
References
edit- ^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Cheat at silentera.com
- ^ The American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films: 1921-30 by The American Film Institute (1971)
- ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Cheat
- ^ "Tried and Proved Pictures: The Cheat". Exhibitors Trade Review. 15 (9). New York: Exhibitors Review Publishing Corporation: 36–37. January 19, 1924. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Cheat
External links
edit
- The Cheat at IMDb
- Synopsis at AllMovie
- The Cheat at the TCM Movie Database
- The Cheat at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Still at gettyimages.com
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