''Hop, the Devil's Brew'' is a 1916 American

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

directed by Lois Weber and

Phillips Smalley Wendell Phillips Smalley (August 7, 1865 – May 2, 1939) was an American silent film director and actor. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was the grandson of Wendell Phillips; he was the son of George Washburn Smalley, a war correspon ...

. Inspired by an exposé of opium trafficking in the ''

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...

'', the semidocumentary film starred Smalley as a

Customs Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...

official and Weber as his opium-addicted wife. The film is presumed

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

Plot

Customs agent Ward Jansen (Phillips Smalley) is sent to China to conduct an investigation into opium smuggling. His wife, Lydia (Lois Weber), is the daughter of local politician William Waters (Charles Hammond). Left behind in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

and grieving the loss of their child, Lydia resorts to the drug and becomes an addict. When Jansen returns, he notices his wife's strange behavior but does not attribute it to drug addiction. Jansen continues his investigation in San Francisco, and some of the methods of smuggling rings and customs inspectors are depicted. The investigation eventually leads Jansen to raid an opium den in Chinatown where he discovers his wife and learns of her addiction. Jansen's investigation ultimately reveals that his father-in-law is a key player in the smuggling operation. Discovery, as well as guilt over his daughter's plight, leads to Waters' suicide. Jansen supports his wife and helps her through withdrawal to recovery.

Cast

Production

''Hop, the Devil's Brew'' was the fourth picture produced by Bluebird Photoplays, a studio set up by

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

aimed at producing high-quality, feature-length dramas. Weber was inspired by a ''

'' series of articles by Rufus Steele about the government's war against the opium trade. It was one of a number of films she made during an arc in her career in which she focused on controversial social issues. It was shot on location in San Francisco, reportedly including

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

opium dens, the waterfront, and areas of criminal activity. According to the producers, the film was sanctioned by and made with the assistance of the U.S. Customs Service and the

U.S. Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...

. Scenes about illegal opium traffic and law enforcement methods were advertised as based on actual cases.

Reception

The film was released February 14, 1916, to critical approval. The ''Variety'' review observed, "To say that he Smalleyshave done their work well would be doing them an injustice. They have turned out a picture that is chock full of interest and thrills ... every minute has something to further the plot." ''Moving Picture World'' called it "excellent, considered either as dramatic entertainment, or as a faithful depiction of actual conditions" and praised the acting as "restrained" rather than "theatrical", doing credit to its authenticity. Although reviewers found the movie's treatment of the potentially lurid topic serious rather than exploitative, censors in Chicago and Pennsylvania objected to some elements. The Pennsylvania censors passed the opium-smoking scenes, but cut a close-up of the dead baby's shoes.

Note

References

External links

* * * American Film Institute Catalog entry on
Hop, the Devil's Brew
' {{Lois Weber 1916 drama films 1916 films 1916 lost films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films about the illegal drug trade Films directed by Lois Weber Films set in San Francisco Lost American drama films Universal Pictures films Silent American drama films Films about opium 1910s American films 1910s English-language films