''Mid-Channel'' is a 1920 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 ...

based on the 1909 play of the same name written by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero. The film was produced and directed by Harry Garson and stars Clara Kimball Young. On Broadway the play starred

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 ...

.Progressive Silent Film List: ''Mid-Channel''
at silentera.com

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, Zoe (Young) and Theodore Blundell (Glendon) have reached that period of married life when parties become monotonous to each other and find petty fault, forgetting the love of former years. Zoe yearns for children, and earlier in their married life they agreed to not have children until their financial status had improved. Now that they are wealthy they are forever at odds and rarely in each other's company. They quarrel and Zoe goes to her room and reads Pinero's ''Mid-Channel''. As Theodore is always busy, Zoe seeks diversion in the company of faithful friends, among whom are Theodore's partner Peter Mottram (Kimball) and Leonard Ferris (Grassby). Zoe's friend Mrs. Pierpont (Robinson) makes every effort to match her daughter Ethel (Griffith) with Leonard, and at first all seems to go smoothly. As the rupture between Zoe and Theodore reaches the breaking point, Zoe turns to Leonard for sympathy. The Blundells finally separate, and Zoe goes abroad. Theodore meets the designing widow Mrs. Annerly (Sullivan) who wins him. Zoe hears of that relationship and in despair turns to Leonard. After many months Zoe returns home and Leonard tells he to see her attorneys. She still loves her husband and Leonard is becoming somewhat of a bore, but she sees them anyway. Theodore, in the meantime, has broken up with Mrs. Annerly. Peter at this critical point attempts to patch things up between Zoe and Theodore. Theodore confesses to Zoe his relations with Mrs. Annerly. When Zoe confesses hers with Leonard, the reconciliation is cut short. Zoe goes to Leonard, who by this time has become engaged to Ethel. Forsaken by everyone, Zoe jumps out of a window to her death. The film then cuts back, and Zoe is seen shutting the book that contained the story she has been acting out in her mind. She goes to her husband and they work on a reconciliation.

Cast

* Clara Kimball Young as Zoe Blundell * J. Frank Glendon as Theodore Blundell * Edward Kimball as Honorable Peter Mottram *

Bertram Grassby Bertram Grassby (23 December 1880 – 7 December 1953) was an English actor. He appeared in more than 90 silent film, silent era films between 1914 and 1927. Grassby was married to American actress Gerard Alexander. He was born in Lincolnshire, ...

as Leonard Ferris * Eileen Robinson as Mrs. Pierpont * Helene Sullivan as Mrs. Annerly *

Katherine Griffith Katherine Kiernan Griffith (September 30, 1876Katherine Kiernan Griffith's birthdate varies in sources; September 30, 1876 is the date on her gravestone in Colma, California, via Ancestry, IMDB, and Find a Grave. – October 17, 1921), also seen ...

as Ethel Pierpont * Jack Livingston as Claude Roberts * Frank Coghlan Jr. (uncredited)

Home media

The film has been released on DVD.

References

External links

*
Lobby card
at stanford.edu 1920 films American silent feature films American films based on plays 1920 drama films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by Harry Garson 1920s American films 1920s English-language films {{1920s-US-film-stub