''Sylvia of the Secret Service'' is a 1917 American silent

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

and starring

Irene Castle Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of ballroom dancers and dance teachers who appeared on Broadway and in silent films in the early 20th century. They are credited with reviving the popularity of modern dancing. Castle was a st ...

, J.H. Gilmour and

Elliott Dexter Elliott Dexter (March 29, 1870 – June 21, 1941) was an American film and stage actor. Dexter started his career in vaudeville and did not move to films until he was 45. He retired from acting in 1925. Biography Dexter was born in Galves ...

. Erich von Stroheim worked as assistant director and technical advisor as well as playing the role of the villain. It was given a second release in 1922. The film's sets were designed by the art director

Anton Grot Anton Grot (18 January 1884 – 21 March 1974) was a Polish art director long active in Hollywood. He was known for his prolific output with Warner Brothers, contributing, in such films as '' Little Caesar'' (1931), and ''Gold Diggers of 19 ...

. It was shot at studios in Fort Lee in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

.Koszarski p.151

Synopsis

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, An American secret agent attempt to prevent a German sabotage ring from blowing up ammunition dumps in New York.

Cast

as Sylvia * J.H. Gilmour as Van Brunn *

as Curtis Prescott *

Suzanne Willa Suzanne may refer to: People * Suzanne (given name), a feminine given name (including a list of people with the name) * S. U. Zanne, pen name of August Vandekerkhove (1838–1923), Belgian writer and inventor * Suzanne, pen name of Renée Mén ...

as Fay Walling * J.W. Percival as Hemming * Erich von Stroheim as The villain

References

Bibliography

* Koszarski, Richard . ''Fort Lee: The Film Town (1904-2004)''. Indiana University Press, 2005. * Lennig, Arthur. ''Stroheim''. University Press of Kentucky, 2004.

External links

* 1917 films 1910s thriller films Silent American thriller films Films directed by George Fitzmaurice American silent feature films 1910s English-language films Pathé Exchange films American black-and-white films 1910s American films Films shot in New Jersey English-language thriller films Films with screenplays by Philip Bartholomae {{Silent-thriller-film-stub