''Ashes of Vengeance'' is a 1923 American

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

Frank Lloyd Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a British-born American film director, actor, scriptwriter, and producer. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president ...

and starring

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent film, silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among ...

and

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in ''Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in ''Grand Hotel'' (193 ...

Plot

At the ball celebrating the wedding of

Henry of Navarre Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch ...

on August 23, 1572, the evil Queen Mother

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici ( it, Caterina de' Medici, ; french: Catherine de Médicis, ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Florentine noblewoman born into the Medici family. She was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King ...

(

Josephine Crowell Josephine Boneparte Crowell (January 11, 1859 – July 27, 1932) was a Canadian film actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 90 films between 1912 and 1929. Biography Crowell was born in Nova Scotia. Crowell debuted in the ...

) persuades her son King Charles IX to sign a decree to exterminate the

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

s. Meanwhile, at that same ball the Comte de la Roche (

Courtenay Foote Courtenay Foote (22 November 1878 – 4 May 1925) was an English stage and silent film actor. Born in Yorkshire, England, Foote attended Oxford, studied engineering in Germany, and worked as a civil engineer in Scotland. Friends who heard ...

) puts the moves on Margot de Vaincoire (

Betty Francisco Betty Francisco (born Elizabeth Barton; September 26, 1900 – November 25, 1950) was an American silent-film actress, appearing primarily in supporting roles. Her sisters Evelyn and Margaret were also actresses. Early years Francisco w ...

), fiancée of Rupert de Vrieac (

Conway Tearle Conway Tearle (born Frederick Conway Levy, May 17, 1878 – October 1, 1938) was an American stage actor who went on to perform in silent and early sound films. Early life Tearle was born on May 17, 1878, in New York City, the son of the ...

). The de la Roches and de Vrieacs have been enemies for years and Rupert challenges the Comte to a duel. In their duel Rupert wins, but spares the Comte’s life so he will be obligated to him. Rupert and Margot are Huguenots while the Comte is a Catholic of the Queen Mother’s party. The Comte is sent to kill Rupert, but instead takes him to Margot’s house, which he has put under guard so the mob can’t attack it. There the Comte says he will arrange to spare them both if Rupert will agree to become his servant for five years. At the pleading of Margot, Rupert agrees. The Comte takes Rupert to his castle where his two sisters Yoeland (

) and the crippled Anne (

Jeanne Carpenter Theo-Alice Jeanne Carpenter (February 1, 1917 – January 5, 1994) was an American child actress of the silent era

) live. Yoeland despises him when she finds out who Rupert is. However, when a captured wolf escapes, threatening her and Anne, yet Rupert defeats it with his bare hands her attitude starts to soften. Yoeland goes to see her cousin Denise, who is being forced by her uncle Louis de la Roches into an arranged marriage with the Duc de Tours. Yoeland takes Rupert as her escort. However Denise loves Phillipe de Vois, who is a poor nobleman. Then Anton, Rupert’s servant brings word that Margot de Vaincoire has married someone else. The Duc of Tours (

) arrives for his wedding. Denise’s father is called to Paris, leaving the Duc in charge of his castle. The Duc is revealed as a drunken brute, terrorizing the serfs and trying to seduce both Yoeland and a servant girl, killing her guardsman lover. The castle guards determine to avenge their dead comrade, so Yoeland directs Rupert to protect the Duc since he is her uncle’s guest. Rupert and few men battle the castle guard. Father Paul, Denise’s confessor escapes and brings back Phillipe de Vois and his men to save them. During the fight Yoeland realizes she loves Rupert. However, when she finds a lock of blonde hair in his doublet, while nursing the wounded Rupert back to health she thinks Rupert still loves Margot. Yoeland stops the Duc from torturing the dead guardsman’s brother and lover who instigated the attack on him. Phillipe de Vois and Denise elope, which the Duc allows to happen, as he intends to threaten Rupert with blinding with a hot poker to force Yoeland to marry him. She agrees but the guardsmen save them. Rupert and the Duc duel, but the Duc is stabbed in the back by the lover of the guardsman he killed. At Yoeland’s request her brother releases Rupert from his oath and after Yoeland learns the blonde hair was from Anne’s doll that she gave to Rupert as a token, Yoeland and Rupert become engaged.

Cast

Preservation

A complete print of ''Ashes of Vengeance'' is maintained at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

and a partial copy consisting of two reels is in the

George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection The George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection in Rochester, New York comprises about 28,000 titles, including features, shorts, documentaries, newsreels, and experimental moving images. The collection is renowned for its holdings of silent f ...

.Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''Ashes of Vengeance''
/ref>

References

External links

* * * (4 minute film clip) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ashes Of Vengeance Films directed by Frank Lloyd 1923 films American silent feature films Films produced by Joseph M. Schenck First National Pictures films American black-and-white films Films set in the 1570s 1920s historical drama films American historical drama films 1923 drama films 1920s English-language films 1920s American films Silent American drama films