''Paths to Paradise'' is a 1925 silent comedy directed by

Clarence Badger Clarence G. Badger (June 9, 1880 – June 17, 1964) was an American film director of feature films in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. His films include '' It'' and ''Red Hair'', more than a dozen features and shorts starring Will Rogers, and two feat ...

, produced by

Famous Players-Lasky Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and ...

and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is based on a 1914 play, ''The Heart of a Thief'', by Paul Armstrong, and stars

Raymond Griffith Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...

and Betty Compson. The film was lost for many decades until an incomplete print surfaced in the 1970s. Essentially complete, the film is missing its final reel, which is usually filled in with synopsis by historians and film fans.''The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30'' by The American Film Institute, c. 1971.

Plot

con man A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers have def ...

posing as an undercover detective posing as a tourist from

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

tricks the Chinatown thief Molly into giving him all of her money as a

bribe Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corru ...

to avoid arrest. Later, they decide to team up and steal a necklace. They escape from

California State Police The California State Police (CSP) was a state level security police agency founded on March 15, 1887 which primarily served to protect the State Capitol Building, the Governor, other state agencies located throughout the state, and thousands ...

across the

Mexico–United States border The Mexico–United States border ( es, frontera Estados Unidos–México) is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border trave ...

into

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

, but decide to go straight, return the necklace, and settle down.

Cast

as The Dude from Duluth * Betty Compson as Molly *

Thomas Santschi Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

as Chief of Detectives Callahan *

Bert Woodruff William Herbert "Bert" Woodruff (April 29, 1856 – June 14, 1934) was an American actor of the silent era. Woodruff was born in Peoria, Illinois, and was the son of Mrs. Hannah Woodruff. He performed on stage before he began acting on fi ...

as Bride's Father *

Fred Kelsey Frederick Alvin Kelsey (August 20, 1884 – September 2, 1961) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. Kelsey directed one- and two-reel films for Universal Film Manufacturing Company. He appeared in more than 400 films betw ...

as Confederate ''uncredited'' *

Clem Beauchamp Clement Hoyt "Clem" Beauchamp (August 26, 1898 – November 14, 1992), also known as Jerry Drew in his acting career during the 1920s and 1930s, first worked as a second unit director in 1935, netting the Academy Award for Best Assistant Director ...

References

External links

* * American silent feature films Famous Players-Lasky films American films based on plays Films directed by Clarence G. Badger 1926 comedy films Silent American comedy films American black-and-white films 1920s rediscovered films 1925 comedy films Rediscovered American films Paramount Pictures films Films set in San Francisco Films set in Mexico 1920s American films {{1920s-US-film-stub