The Private Life of Helen of Troy is a 1927 American silent comedy adventure film about Helen of Troy based on the 1925 novel of the same name by John Erskine, and adapted to screen by Gerald Duffy. The film was directed by Alexander Korda and starred María Corda as Helen, Lewis Stone as Menelaus, and Ricardo Cortez as Paris.[1]
| The Private Life of Helen of Troy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Alexander Korda |
| Written by | Gerald C. Duffy (intertitles) Ralph Spence (intertitles) Casey Robinson (intertitles) |
| Based on | The Private Life of Helen of Troy by John Erskine |
| Produced by | Richard A. Rowland |
| Starring | María Corda Lewis Stone Ricardo Cortez |
| Cinematography | Lee Garmes Sidney Hickox |
| Edited by | Harold Young |
| Music by | Carl Edouarde Cecil Copping (NYC premiere, uncredited) |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 57 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Cast
edit- María Corda as Helen
- Lewis Stone as Menelaus
- Ricardo Cortez as Paris
- George Fawcett as Eteoneus
- Alice White as Adraste
- Bill Elliott as Telemachus
- Tom O'Brien as Ulysses
- Bert Sprotte as Achilles
- Mario Carillo as Ajax
- Charles Puffy as Malapokitoratoreadetos
- George Kotsonaros as Hector
- Emilio Gorgato as Sarpedon
- Constantine Romanoff as Aeneas
- Alice Adair as Aphrodite
- Helen Fairweather as Athena
- Virginia Thomas as Hera
- Agostino Borgato (uncredited)
- Sonia Karlov (uncredited)
- Inez Marion (uncredited)
- Jack Stambaugh as Extra (uncredited)
- John Westwood as Extra (uncredited)
- Clifford Ingram as Chariot Driver (uncredited)
- Gusztáv Pártos as Nobleman (uncredited)
Reception
editReleased at the end of the silent film era, The Private Life of Helen of Troy was nominated for an Academy Award in 1929, the year of the Awards' inception, in the category of Best Title Writing. Duffy died on June 25, 1928, and was the first person to be posthumously nominated for an Academy Award.[2]
That same year, the first "talkie", The Jazz Singer, received an honorary award for introducing sound to film, and the category for which The Private Life of Helen of Troy was nominated was dropped by the second Academy Awards.[citation needed]
Preservation
editTwo sections from the beginning and end, running about 27–30 minutes in total, are reportedly all that survive of The Private Life of Helen of Troy; they are preserved by the British Film Institute.[1][3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Progressive Silent Film List: The Private Life of Helen of Troy at silentera.com
- ^ King, Susan (February 24, 2017). "August Wilson is in good company among posthumous Oscar nominees and winners". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Private Life of Helen of Troy
External links
edit
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