''Life's Whirlpool'' is a 1917 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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

written and directed by

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blyth; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

with his sister

Ethel Barrymore Ethel Barrymore (born Ethel Mae Blythe; August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regarde ...

as the star. This is the brother and sister's only collaboration on a silent film as director and star. This film should not be confused with '' Life's Whirlpool'' (also known as ''McTeague''), the first film adaptation of Frank Norris's '' McTeague''. The Lionel Barrymore directed film was produced by B. A. Rolfe and released through

Metro Pictures Metro Pictures Corporation was a Film, motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at le ...

. Barrymore would return for a short time to directing films in the early sound era. This is now considered to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

Plot

As described in a film magazine, Esther (Barrymore), upon the death of her father, is advised by her kindly neighbors to get married. She is forced to sell the homestead and marries a domineering old miser named John Martin (Carrington), who lives with his maiden sister Ruth (Allen). Because she passes the time of day on the street with young men, her husband becomes jealous. He chokes her after he finds a letter from a former friend, Dr. Henry Grey (Hale), and she decides to leave him. While escaping with her son she is detained in a hut by a drunken farmer who tries to embrace her. She shoots him dead, and a posse arrests her for the death of her husband, who was found strangled in the library. However, the death confession of the real murderer clears her of her husband's death, and the return of her former friend from France completes her happiness.

Cast

as Esther Carey * Paul Everton as B.J. Hendrix * Alan Hale as Dr. Henry Grey * Reginald Carrington as John Martin *

Ricca Allen Ricca Allen (June 9, 1863 – September 13, 1949) was a Canadian-born stage and film actress. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1913 and 1941. Allen was born in Victoria, Colony of Vancouver Island to John Allen of Oakland, Califo ...

as Ruth Martin *

Frank Leigh Frank Leigh (18 April 1876 – 9 May 1948) was a British stage and film actor.Goble p. 232 Biography Born Frank Leigh Valles in London in 1876, Leigh settled in Hollywood and became a leading man during the silent era. Following the introductio ...

as Dirk Kansket *

Walter Hiers Walter Hiers (July 18, 1893 – February 27, 1933) was an American silent film actor. Biography Born in 1893, during his two decade-long acting career spanning from 1912 to 1932, Hiers acted in 101 films. He was a particularly prolific actor ...

as "Fatty" Holmes * Harvey Bogart as Ezra Craddock * Louis Wolheim as Unknown Role (uncredited)

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Life's Whirlpool'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required that three choking scenes be shortened.

References

External links

*
Progressive Silent Film List: ''Life's Whirlpool''
at silentera.com
kinotv.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Life's Whirlpool (1917 film) 1917 films 1917 drama films 1917 lost films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films American black-and-white films American silent feature films English-language drama films Films based on short fiction Films directed by Lionel Barrymore Films with screenplays by Lionel Barrymore Lost American drama films Lost silent American films Silent American drama films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links