Manhattan is a 1924 American silent romantic adventure film directed by R. H. Burnside featuring Richard Dix in his first starring role.[2] A wealthy New Yorker falls in love with a burglar's sister.

Manhattan
Lobby card
Directed byR. H. Burnside
Written byPaul Sloane (scenario)
Frank Tuttle (scenario)
Based onThe Definite Object
1917 novel
by Jeffery Farnol[1]
Produced byAdolph Zukor
Jesse L. Lasky
StarringRichard Dix
CinematographyHal Rosson
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • October 28, 1924 (1924-10-28)
Running time
7 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Plot

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As described in a review in a film magazine,[3] Peter Minuit (Dix), wealthy and bored with life, is visited by a burglar who believes him one of his own kind. Peter, posing as Gentleman George, makes a deal with the chap, Spike (Kelly), who hides him in his home where Peter meets and falls in love with his sister Mary (Logan). McGinnis (Siegmann), the head of the gang, wants to marry Mary and she agrees to save her brother and Peter. Peter takes her to his home and reveals his identity. McGinnis threatens to “get” him. Mary goes back to McGinnis. Peter follows and there is a fierce fight. McGinnis is shot by one of his henchmen who has a grudge. The gang is arrested and Peter takes his future wife back home.

Cast

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Reception

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Mordaunt Hall, critic for The New York Times, gave the movie a mixed review, stating that Kelly's "performance is easily the outstanding one in this production, and singularly enough it is the first time that he has acted before the camera."[2] Hall thought, however, that Dix gave "just another motion-picture performance" and the narrative was "stretched to the breaking point."[2]

Preservation status

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A print of the film reportedly survives at Cinemateket Svenska Filminstitutet, Stockholm.[4][5]

References

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  1. ^ Manhattan at silentera.com
  2. ^ a b c Mordaunt Hall (October 29, 1924). "The Screen; Fists and Bullets". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Sewell, Charles S. (November 8, 1924). "Manhattan; Dix as Star and Burnside as Director Make Debut in Amusing and Entertaining Paramount Film". The Moving Picture World. 71 (2). New York City: Chalmers Publishing Co.: 171. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  4. ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Manhattan
  5. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Manhattan
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