''Forsaking All Others'' 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 ...

starring actress

Colleen Moore Colleen Moore (born Kathleen Morrison; August 19, 1899 – January 25, 1988) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable (and highly-paid) stars of the era and helped po ...

and directed by

Emile Chautard Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil and the Detective ...

for

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

. It was made before Colleen became famous as a

flapper Flappers were a subculture of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (knee height was considered short during that period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptab ...

but did visit some of the same subjects her later films would.

Plot

Mrs. Newell is jealous of her son Oliver's interest in Penelope Mason and she does everything she can to keep the two apart. She fakes an illness and travels to a resort with Oliver, separating him from his sweetheart. However, while there, he catches the eye of the designing Enid Morton, a married woman. Enid’s husband is the jealous type. After some near-disastrous situations with Enid's suspicious husband, Mrs. Newell realizes the mistake she has made in keeping her son away from Penelope. She convinces Penelope to come to Oliver's rescue.

Cast

as Penelope Mason *

Cullen Landis James Cullen Landis (July 9, 1896 – August 26, 1975) was an American motion picture actor and director whose career began in the early years of the silent film era. Biography James Cullen Landis was the middle of three siblings (two sons and ...

as Oliver Newell *

Irene Wallace Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United States ...

as Mrs. Newell *

Sam De Grasse Samuel Alfred De Grasse (June 12, 1875 – November 29, 1953) was a Canadian actor. He was the uncle of cinematographer Robert De Grasse. Biography Samuel Alfred De Grasse was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick to Lange De Grasse (1828–1891) ...

as Dr. Mason * June Elvidge as Enid Morton * David Torrence as Mr. Morton *

Melbourne MacDowell Willet Melbourne MacDowell (November 22, 1856 – February 18, 1941) was an American stage and screen actor. He began on the legitimate stage in the 1870s and first appeared on the silent screen in 1917. He used the stage name Virginia Drew Pres ...

as Cyrus K. Wharton *

Elinor Hancock Elinor Hancock was an American actress who had a successful career on stage before appearing in many silent films. She was photographed by Alfred Witzell. She appeared in Clara Kimball Young films. Filmography *'' The Spirit of Romance'' (1917) ...

as Mrs. Wharton *

Lucille Ricksen Lucille Ricksen (born Ingeborg Myrtle Elisabeth Ericksen; August 22, 1910 – March 13, 1925) was an American motion picture actress during the silent film era. She died of tuberculosis on March 13, 1925 at the age of 14. Early life Ingeborg ...

as May Wharton

Background

Made for Universal, ''Forsaking All Others'' was based on a short story of the same title by Mary Lerner that had been published in '' Collier’s Weekly'' on May 26, 1917, illustrated by James Montgomery Flagg. The story touched on topical subjects such as youth and the temptations of youth, and to the potential for damage when attempting to reign in youth’s energies. The story was a natural for adaptation to the screen at a time when the motion picture industry was increasingly turning to sensation to attract audiences.

had yet to find fame as a flapper, but that time was just around the corner and this story presaged that fame. It was an unusual film in that the mother was acting out of selfish reasons, as opposed to the standard tack of self-sacrificing mothers so much in cinema vogue at the time. There were no heavies or villains in the traditional sense, though the characters played by June Belvidge and David Torrence managed to direct the action to its share of mistakes and obstacles.“Unusual Picture,” ''Atlanta Constitution'', October 22, 1922, page D2. Colleen followed up this film with ''

The Ninety and Nine ''The Ninety and Nine'' was a 1922 American silent film, silent drama film directed by David Smith (director), David Smith and starring Colleen Moore made shortly before she gained fame as a film flapper. The film was presumed lost, although rece ...

'', and old-fashioned morality tale that stood in sharp contrast to the racier ''Forsaking All Others.'' In December 1922 the film was released, the first of a trio of films Colleen had made in rapid succession: ''Forsaking All Others'', ''The Ninety and Nine'', and '' Broken Chains''... on the 10th, the 17th, and the 24th. They were produced by Universal,

Vitagraph Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

, and

Goldwyn Pictures Goldwyn Pictures Corporation was an American motion picture production company that operated from 1916 to 1924 when it was merged with two other production companies to form the major studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was founded on November 19, 1 ...

References

;Notes ;Bibliography *Jeff Codori (2012), ''Colleen Moore; A Biography of the Silent Film Star''
McFarland Publishing
(Print , EBook ).

External links

* * * * {{Émile Chautard 1922 drama films 1922 films Silent American drama films American silent feature films Films based on short fiction Films directed by Emile Chautard Universal Pictures films American black-and-white films 1920s American films