''Possession'' or ''Phroso'' is a 1922 British-French 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. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Louis Mercanton Louis Mercanton (4 May 1879 – 29 April 1932) was a Swiss film director, screenwriter and actor. Mercanton was born in Nyon, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Partial filmography Director * ''Les Amours de la rei ...

and starring

Malvina Longfellow Malvina Virginia Longfellow (March 30, 1889 – November 2, 1962) was an American stage and silent movie actress of the early 20th century.''Sunday Magazine, Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, January 23, 1916, Page 34. Early life Born in the city of ...

Reginald Owen John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was a British actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and television programs. Career The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert ...

and

Max Maxudian Max Algop Maxudian (12 June 1881 – 20 July 1976) was a French stage and film actor. Born in the Ottoman Empire to an Armenian family, Max Maxudian emigrated to France with his parents in 1893 at the age of twelve. Maxudian became a famous theat ...

. It is based on the 1897 novel ''Phroso: A Romance'' by

Anthony Hope Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope (9 February 1863 – 8 July 1933), was a British novelist and playwright. He was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels but he is remembered predominantly for only two books: ''Th ...

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 ...

, Lord Wheatley (Owen) purchases an island off Turkey and under Turkish rule. Upon arrival, he finds the natives bitterly opposed to his taking possession. They plan to install a young woman, Phroso (Longfellow), as dictator. Several fights occur between the islanders and Wheatley's servants. Mouraki Pacha (Maxudian) arrives and quells the natives, but covets Phroso. Wheatley rescues Phroso from Constantine Stephanopoulos (Capellani), who wants to marry her, but the Turkish governor threatens him with execution if he does not surrender her to him. They escape using a secret passageway but again fall into the Turkish ruler's clutches. However, an islander with a grievance against Mouraki Pacha stabs him and helps the pair to escape in their yacht.

Cast

as Phroso *

as Lord Wheatley *

as Mouraki Pacha *

Paul Capellani Paul Capellani (September 9, 1877 – November 7, 1960) was a noted French silent film actor. His brother was the director Albert Capellani and his uncle the film director Roger Capellani who died May 1940 at the Battle of Dunkirk. He starre ...

as Constantine Stephanopoulos * Jeanne Desclos as Poupa Cassieri *

Charles Vanel Charles-Marie Vanel (21 August 1892 – 15 April 1989) was a French actor and director. During his 76-year film career, which began in 1912, he appeared in more than 200 films and worked with many prominent directors, including Alfred Hitchcock, ...

as Dimitri *

Raoul Paoli __NOTOC__ Raoul is a French variant of the male given name Ralph or Rudolph, and a cognate of Raul. Raoul may also refer to: Given name * Raoul Berger, American legal scholar * Raoul Bova, Italian actor * Radulphus Brito (Raoul le Breton, die ...

as Kortes * Louis Monfils as Stephan * Harrison Brown *

Paul Menant Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

* Paul Numa

References

Bibliography

* Dayna Oscherwitz & MaryEllen Higgins. ''The A to Z of French Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1922 films Films directed by Louis Mercanton French silent feature films British silent feature films Films based on British novels Films set in the Ottoman Empire Films set on islands Films set in the Mediterranean Sea Films based on works by Anthony Hope British black-and-white films French black-and-white films 1922 drama films British drama films 1920s British films Silent drama films 1920s French films {{1920s-France-film-stub