The House of Bondage is a lost[2] 1914 silent film drama directed by Pierce Kingsley and starring Lottie Pickford.[3]

The House of Bondage
Film poster
Directed byPierce Kingsley
Raymond B. West
Written byPierce Kingsley
Based onThe House of Bondage by Reginald Wright Kaufmann
Produced byPhoto Drama Motion Picture Company
William Steiner
StarringLottie Pickford
Release date
  • January 1914 (1914-01)
Running time
6 reels[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent..English titles

It was adapted from the novel The House of Bondage by Reginald Wright Kauffman.[4]

In a Motion Picture Magazine interview, Pickford mentioned that she disliked the film.[5]

Cast

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  • Lottie Pickford as Mary Denbigh
  • Armand Cortes as Max Crossman
  • Susanne Willis as Rose Legere
  • Robert Lawrence as Wesley Dyker
  • Herbert Barrington as Angel
  • Vivian De Wolfe as Katie Flannigan
  • Miss Bancroft as Mrs. Denbigh
  • Brian Darley as Owen Denbigh
  • Clyde Morris as Philip Beekman
  • Amelia Badarracco as Carrie Berkowitz
  • C. Shropshire as Herman Hoffman
  • Anna Jordan as Mrs. Chamberline
  • Julia Walcott as Big Lou
  • Katherine Vaughn as Vivian De Pere
  • Gertie Millar as Sallie Denbigh
  • Marion Coleman as Cisse, Rose's maid
  • De Forrest Dawley as Dyker's clerk
  • Fred Nicholls as District Attorney
  • Della Buckridge as Mrs. Foot
  • Mr. McPhee as Michael
  • George Moss as Evangelist
  • Mrs. Cortes as Mission lady
  • George Ricketts as Doctor
  • Miss Nelson as Fritzie
  • Miss Crane as Wanda
  • Miss Earl as Celeste
  • Miss Gormely as New girl
  • Gerald King as Bill Stevens

Lawsuit

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The Social Uplift Company filed a lawsuit against the Photo Drama Motion Picture Company, with the former claiming that the latter did not hold the motion picture rights to the original Kauffman novel. Social Uplift claimed that they had bought the film rights from Joseph Byron Totten, who had previously bought the dramatic rights. Social Uplift sought to restrain Photo Drama from screening a film based upon the novel. Judge Learned Hand of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on February 10, 1914 in favor of Photo Drama. As a result, Photo Drama was free to exhibit The House of Bondage, and Hand's decision held that the motion picture rights to a copyrighted novel were separate from the dramatic rights.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "New Prints at 7 Cents a Foot". Motion Picture News (Sep-Oct 1916). Vol. 14, no. 16. New York City: Motion Picture News, Inc. 21 Oct 1916. p. 2500. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  2. ^ The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog:..The House of Bondage Library of Congress Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  3. ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:..The House of Bondage AFI Catalog of Feature Films Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  4. ^ "Now Booking The House of Bondage". The Billboard. Vol. 26, no. 2. Cincinnati: The Billboard Publishing Co. 10 Jan 1914. p. 59. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  5. ^ Wright, Edna (26 Feb 1915). "Lottie Pickford, of the Famous Players". Motion Picture Magazine. Vol. 9, no. 1. New York City: M.P. Publishing Co. p. 94. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Play Rights vs. Picture Rights". Motion Picture News. Vol. 9, no. 8. New York City: M.P. Publishing Co. 28 Feb 1914. p. 26. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
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