''Flesh and Blood'' is a 1922 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

Irving Cummings Irving Caminsky (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy''. His Broadway, performances included ''In the Long R ...

and starring

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

Noah Beery Noah Nicholas Beery (January 17, 1882 – April 1, 1946) was an American actor who appeared in films from 1913 until his death in 1946. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery as well as the father of prominen ...

, Edith Roberts and De Witt Jennings. The film originally had a color flashback scene with Chinese actors, but the color footage is no longer in any of the available prints. The film's working titles were ''Prison'' and ''Fires of Vengeance''. Interior scenes were shot at Universal Studios. The popular song, "Just a Song at Twilight" is featured prominently in the film, and was usually performed by the accompanists as the main musical theme for the film. Due to an oversight, the film was never properly copyrighted. The film was rereleased theatrically in 1927. A print of the film is held at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. A still exists showing Lon Chaney visiting his daughter at the mission (see plot)

Synopsis

The movie features an interesting setting in

San Francisco's Chinatown The Chinatown centered on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street in San Francisco, California, () is the oldest Chinatown in North America and one of the largest Chinese enclaves outside Asia. It is also the oldest and largest of the four notable ...

. David Webster (Lon Chaney) escapes from prison, where he has been incarcerated for 15 years for a crime he never committed, to see his wife and his daughter (

Edith Roberts Edith Roberts may refer to: * Edith Roberts (actress), American silent film actress * Edith A. Roberts, American botanist * Edith Roberts (writer) Edith Roberts may refer to: * Edith Roberts (actress) Edith Roberts ( – August 20, 19 ...

). He plans to force Fletcher Burton (Ralph Lewis), the man who framed him, to sign a confession exonerating himself. But he learns that his wife has died and his daughter now works in a local mission aiding the poor. Webster visits the girl at the mission without revealing he is her father (she thinks her father is dead) and is moved to tears by her beauty and kindness The girl is engaged to marry the wealthy Ted Burton, the son of the crook who framed him, but Fletcher Burton has been refusing to allow the marriage to take place, thinking that Webster's daughter isn't good enough for his son. Confronting him alone in his office, Webster gets a written confession from the villain, but agrees to destroy it if Burton will allow the two young people to marry. In the end, the wedding takes place and Webster turns himself in back at the prison to finish out his sentence, satisfied that his daughter will be happy and well cared for.

Cast

as David Webster *

as The Angel Lady (Webster's daughter) * Ralph Lewis as Fletcher Burton *

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

as Ted Burton *

as Li Fang *

DeWitt Jennings DeWitt Clarke Jennings (June 21, 1871 – March 1, 1937) was an American film and stage actor. He appeared in 17 Broadway theatre, Broadway plays between 1906 and 1920, and in more than 150 films between 1915 and 1937. Biography He was born ...

as Detective Doyle *

Togo Yamamoto was a pioneering actor who appeared on stage and film in the United States and Japan. Biography Born in Yokohama, Japan, on 4 November 1886, Togo emigrated to the United States and began an acting career in the early years of the 20th century. ...

as The Prince * Kate Price as the Landlady *

Wilfred Lucas Wilfred Van Norman Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter. Early life Lucas was born in Norfolk County, Ontario on January 30, 1871,US ...

as the Policeman

Critiques

"Lon Chaney's enviable reputation as an actor will probably be strong enough to pull 'em in to see this picture, but it is likely that many persons will consider that the story does not fill the requirements for so capable a player. In this particular play Chaney does everything that is required of him--and does it well, as do also the others of the cast--but there is not quite enough action to make the production noteworthy." ---Moving Picture World "There is a bit of inserted action, illustrating a tale related to (Webster) by the philosophical Li Fang, which is told in color with Chinese players....There will be no complaints on the part of patrons -- they will be entirely satisfied." --- Exhibitors Trade Review "Chaney can bring out pathos so that mawkish sentiment never intrudes. The picture is a good audience number." ---Motion Picture News (which called Chaney "one of the most gifted character actors on the screen".) "While the story is full of incident and character, it contains very little action....(but has) some nice bits of characterization. Chaney does good work as a cripple." ---Film Daily

References

External links

* * * * {{Irving Cummings 1922 films American silent feature films American black-and-white films 1922 drama films Films directed by Irving Cummings Silent American drama films 1920s American films