The Splendid Road is a 1925 American historical drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Anna Q. Nilsson, Robert Frazer, and Lionel Barrymore.[1][2] Based upon the novel of the same name by Vingie E. Roe, the film is set during the 1849 California Gold Rush.
| The Splendid Road | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Frank Lloyd |
| Written by | J.G. Hawks |
| Based on | The Splendid Road by Vingie E. Roe |
| Produced by | Frank Lloyd |
| Starring | Anna Q. Nilsson Robert Frazer Lionel Barrymore |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
Production company | Frank Lloyd Productions |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
editAs described in a review in a film magazine,[3] one of the passengers on a ship sailing from Boston around Cape Horn to California is an adventurous young woman, Sandra (Nilsson). A widow dies, and her little girl appeals to Sandra. Rather than split the little family, Sandra adopts all three children, and decides to remain in Sacramento and make a home for them. Chance brings Stanton Halliday (Frazer), an agent for John Grey (Davis), a capitalist, to her rescue and they become attracted to each other. Doctor Bidwell (Earle) loves the capitalist's daughter Lillian (Day) but, believing she loves Halliday, he persuades Sandra that she must give him up or ruin his career. Halliday is ordered to evict Sandra who is a squatter, but he refuses and goes to her rescue. Halliday is shot by Dan Chehollis (Barrymore), a gambler who seeks to force his attentions on Sandra. While convalescing, he learns of Bidwell's action and goes back to Sandra, arriving in time to take her and her family away to safety after a wild wagon ride, as floods have caused the levee to burst and the town is flooded.
Cast
edit- Anna Q. Nilsson as Sandra De Hault
- Robert Frazer as Stanton Halliday
- Lionel Barrymore as Dan Clehollis
- Edwards Davis as John Grey - Banker
- Roy Laidlaw as Capt. Sutter
- DeWitt Jennings as Capt. Bashford
- Russell Simpson as Capt. Lightfoot
- George Bancroft as Buck Lockwell
- Gladys Brockwell as Satan's Sister
- Pauline Garon as Angel Allie
- Marceline Day as Lilian Grey
- Mary Jane Irving as Hester Gephart
- Mickey McBan as Billy Gephart
- Edward Earle as Dr. Bidwell
Preservation
editWith no copies of The Splendid Road located in any film archives,[4] it is a lost film.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Goble p. 963
- ^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Splendid Road at silentera.com
- ^ Sewell, Charles S. (December 19, 1925). "Through the Box Office Window: The Splendid Road; Vigorous and Realistic Drama of Gold Rush of '49 in Splendid Frank Lloyd Production". The Moving Picture World. 77 (7). New York City: Chalmers Publishing Co.: 693. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Splendid Road
- ^ The Splendid Road at Arne Andersen's Lost Film Files: Lost First National films - 1925 Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
Bibliography
edit- Goble, Alan (1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-095194-3
External links
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