''Love's Penalty'' is a 1921 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 ...

written and directed by John Gilbert. The film stars

Hope Hampton Hope Hampton (Mae Elizabeth Hampton; February 19, 1897 – January 23, 1982) was an American silent motion picture actress and producer, who was noted for her seemingly effortless incarnation of siren and flapper types in silent-picture roles d ...

, Irma Harrison, Mrs. Phillip Landau,

Percy Marmont Percy Marmont (25 November 1883 – 3 March 1977) was an English film actor. Biography Marmont appeared in more than 80 films between 1916 and 1968. A veteran film actor by 1923, he scored a big hit that year in ''If Winter Comes'', later rem ...

John B. O'Brien John B. "Jack" O'Brien (December 13, 1884 – August 15, 1936) was an American actor and film director of the silent era. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1909 and 1936. He also directed 53 films between 1914 and 1926. Biography O' ...

, and

Virginia Valli Virginia Valli (died September 24, 1968) was an American stage and film actress whose motion picture career started in the silent film era and lasted until the beginning of the sound film era of the 1930s. Early life Born Virginia McSweeney in ...

. The film was released in June 1921, by Associated First National Pictures.

Plot

In this

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

tic

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 ...

, Janis Clayton (

) seeks revenge for the death of her sister Sally (Irma Harrison) and mother Martha (Mrs. Phillip Landau). To accomplish this, Janis becomes the personal secretary of Steven Saunders (

), the man responsible for their deaths, and seduces him. She then convinces Saunders to murder his wife (

e) by sending her to Europe on a ship destined for dangerous waters. After the ship sinks, Janis reveals her plan to ruin him. Saunders is furious and attempts to kill her, but he is shot by a Bohemian artist whose wife and child also died in the shipwreck. After all is done, Janis lives as an outcast and eventually finds sanctuary in the home of a friendly minister named Reverend John Kirchway (Charles Lane). The film ends when Janis is reunited with her former lover, Bud (

Cast

as Janis Clayton *Irma Harrison as Sally Clayton *Mrs. Phillip Landau as Martha Clayton *

as Steven Saunders *

as Bud Gordon *

as Mrs. Steven Saunders *Douglas Redmond as 'Little Jack' *Charles Lane as Rev. John Kirchway *Mrs. L. Faure as Madame Natalie

Production

A revised version of "Love's Penalty" was retitled and edited by Katherine Hilliker, one of Hollywood's first female film editors. Hilliker had a reputation for "rescuing problem-plagued film," and in a review of her revised version of "Love's Penalty" the ''Motion Picture News'' wrote, "Miss Hilliker, in remoulding the picture, has supplied logical reasons for previously shallow spots . . . and made the photoplay a most interesting drama."

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0130098, Love's Penalty 1921 films 1920s English-language films Silent American drama films 1921 drama films First National Pictures films Films directed by John Gilbert American silent feature films American black-and-white films 1920s American films