''A Splendid Hazard'' is a 1920 American
silent drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed by
Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.
Early life
Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, was ...
and starring
Henry B. Walthall
Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915).
Early life
Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...
. The film is based on the 1910 book of the same name. The film was produced by the
Mayflower Photoplay Company. It is not known whether the film currently survives; this suggests that it may be a
lost film
A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress.
Conditions
During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...
.
Plot
The main character, Karl Breitman (Henry B. Walthall) thinks he is a descendant of
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and tries bring back to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
the
French monarchy
France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions.
Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the first ...
. As part of his plot he courts Hedda Gobert (Rosemary Theby) as she owns some Napoleon's papers. After winning Hedda heart he takes the documents from her. He travels to
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
to visit
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Killigrew (Hardee Kirkland). He hopes the stolen papers will lead him to Napoleon wealth. He finds a
treasure map
A treasure map is a map that marks the location of buried treasure, a lost mine, a valuable secret or a hidden locale. More common in fiction than in reality, "pirate treasure maps" are often depicted in works of fiction as hand drawn and contain ...
in the Admiral's home and then travels to
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
. Before finding the Napoleon wealth, he comes across someone that mocks him. He challenges them to a
duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules.
During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...
. In the duel he is
mortally wounded
:
A mortal wound is an injury that will ultimately lead to a person's death. wiktionary:mortal, ''Mortal'' refers to the mortality of a human: whether they are going to live or die."mortal_adjective." Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. 2018. O ...
. He dies at his love side, Hedda.
''A Splendid Hazard''
at silenthollywood.com
Cast
*Henry B. Walthall
Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915).
Early life
Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...
as Karl Breitman
*Rosemary Theby
Rosemary Theresa Theby (born Rose Masing, April 8, 1892 – November 10, 1973) was an American film actress. She appeared in some 250 films between 1911 and 1940.
Early life and career
The daughter of George and Katherine Masing, Theby ...
as Hedda Gobert
*Norman Kerry
Norman Kerry (born Norman Hussey Kaiser,"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards,registration for Norman Hussey Kaiser, Los Angeles, California, April 27, 1942 This document lists his full name as Norman Hussey Kaiser, noting the na ...
as John Fitzgerald
*Ann Forrest
Ann Forrest (known also by her birth name Anna Kromann and as Ann Kroman or Ann Kornan; 14 April 1895 – 25 October 1985) was a Danish-born American actress of Hollywood's silent films.
Biography
Forrest was born 14 April 1895 in Sønderho
...
as Laura Killigrew
*Hardee Kirkland
Hardee Kirkland (May 23, 1868 – February 18, 1929) was an American film actor and film director, director of the silent film, silent era who appeared on stage. Kirkland was born in Savannah, Georgia, Savannah, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgi ...
as Adm. Killegrew
*Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
as Dr. Ferraud
*Philo McCullough
Philo McCullough (June 16, 1893 – June 5, 1981) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1914 and 1969. He was born in San Bernardino, California, and died in Burbank, California.
McCullough's film debut came in 1 ...
as Arthur Cathewe
* J. Jiquel Lanoe as Jiquel Lanoe
*Joseph J. Dowling
Joseph Johnson Dowling (September 4, 1850 – July 8, 1928) was an American stage and silent film actor.
Early life and career
Born in Pittsburgh, the son of James and Fredericka (''nee'' Edstrem) Dowling. His father was a native of Pennsy ...
as Joseph Dowling
References
External links
*
1920 films
1920 drama films
Silent American drama films
American silent feature films
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Allan Dwan
First National Pictures films
Treasure hunt films
Films based on American novels
1920s American films
Silent adventure films
{{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub