The Folly of Vanity is a 1924 American silent drama film codirected by Maurice Elvey and Henry Otto and starring Billie Dove and Betty Blythe. It was produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation.[1][2] The film is divided into two sections, the modern part which was directed by Elvey and the underwater fantasy section directed by Otto.
| The Folly of Vanity | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Maurice Elvey Henry Otto |
| Written by | Edfrid Bingham (scenario) |
| Story by | Charles Darnton |
| Produced by | William Fox |
| Starring | Billie Dove Jack Mulhall Betty Blythe |
| Cinematography | G. O. Post Joseph H. August Joseph Valentine |
Production company | Fox Film Corporation |
| Distributed by | Fox Film Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
editAs described in a review in a film magazine,[3] Alice (Dove), a beautiful young wife, loves jewelry and spends some money intended for other purposes to buy an imitation pearl necklace. Her husband Robert (Muhall) invites Ridgeway (St. Polis), a wealthy client, to dinner. Ridgeway is a conoisseur of women and pearls and invites the young couple to a party he is giving. Robert chides Alice for buying the pearls and declines the invitation but Alice, determined to go, gets her way. Ridgeway presents his guests with expensive jewelry as souvenirs and, unable to persuade Alice to take any, insists that she wear a beautiful pearl necklace to restore its lustre.
The whole crowd is invited on a yacht cruise where Ridgeway is attentive to Alice, while a wealthy widow (Blythe) attracts Robert. Alice and Robert have a quarrel. That night Alice dreams that Ridgeway is attempting to attack her. She jumps into the sea and is carried to Neptune's court where all wonders and beauties are shown her. Neptune (Klein) is depicted as surrounded by beautiful maidens who are scatily clad or unclad. A festival is held in Alice's honor. A witch (Drovnar) discovers that an imprint has been on her neck by the pearl necklace, a mark of vanity, and Neptune orders her cast out.
Awakening, Alice returns the necklace to Ridgeway, and by mistake enters Robert's room, where a reconciliation occurs.
Cast
edit- Billie Dove as Alice
- Jack Mulhall as Robert
- Betty Blythe as Bella Howard
- John St. Polis as Mr. Ridgeway
- Fred Becker as The Banker
- Otto Matiesen as Frenchman
- Byron Munson as Old Johnny
- Edna Mae Cooper as Russian Vamp
- Fonzie Gunn as Scandinavian Type
- Marcella Daly as French woman
- Lotus Thompson as Blond Gold Digger
- Al Mazzola (uncredited)
Fantasy part
- Consuelo as Thetis
- Jean La Motte as Lorelei
- Bob Klein as Neptune
- Ena Gregory as The Siren
- Lola Drovnar as The Witch
- Paul Weigel as Old roué
Production
editPortions of the dream fantasy sequence were tinted in various shades, some to indicate being underwater.[3]
Preservation
editA print of The Folly of Vanity reportedly is held in the Národní filmový archiv and in an American collection.[4]
References
edit- ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Folly of Vanity
- ^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Folly of Vanity at silentera.com
- ^ a b Sewel, Charles S. (February 14, 1925). "The Folly of Vanity; Interesting Modern Story and Spectacular Under-Sea Fantasy Are Combined in this Fox Feature". The Moving Picture World. 72 (7). New York City: Chalmers Publishing Co.: 702. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Folly of Vanity
External links
edit
- The Folly of Vanity at IMDb
- ‹The template AllMovie title is being considered for deletion.› Synopsis at AllMovie
- Still at silentfilmstillarchive.com
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