''South of Suva'' is a 1922 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. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

starring

Mary Miles Minter Mary Miles Minter (born Juliet Reilly; April 25, 1902Louisiana Birth Certificate, Caddo Parish, No. 119, Book A, Page 97, Birth Date: April 25, 1902, Name: Mary M. Reilly ic – Original Caddo birth record was recorded as "J.H. Riley's Child" ...

and directed by

Frank Urson Frank John Urson (March 21, 1887 – August 17, 1928) was an American silent film Film director, director and cinematographer from Chicago, Illinois. Originally a photographer, he moved on to cinematography and film directing for the Thanhouser Co ...

. It was adapted by

Fred Myton Fred Myton (November 15, 1885 – June 6, 1955) was an American screenwriter. He wrote 168 films between 1916 and 1952, mostly low-budget "B" pictures for Poverty Row studios and independent producers. He wrote many films for Producers Rele ...

from a story by

Ewart Adamson Ewart Adamson (23 October 1882 – 28 November 1945) was a Scottish screenwriter. He wrote for more than 120 films between 1922 and 1944. He was born in Dundee, Scotland, and died in Hollywood, California. Selected filmography * ''South ...

. As with many of Minter's features, it is thought to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

.The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''South of Suva''
/ref>

Plot

As described in various

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 ...

reviews, Phyllis Latimer (Minter) is sailing to Suva in the

Fiji Islands Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

to join her husband Sydney (Long), whom she has not seen since their marriage three years previously. She is travelling with Pauline Leonard (Bryson), who is to meet with her ward John Webster (Bowers) on Suva, but Pauline instead chooses to accompany a man she has fallen in love with on board. When Phyllis arrives at her husband's plantation, she finds that Sydney has degenerated into a brutal drunk and surrounded himself with native women. Phyllis gives him two weeks to reform himself, and when he fails to do so and she tries to leave, he attacks her. When Sydney is knocked unconscious by a falling canopy Phyllis flees, but she does not have the money to pay for her return passage. Phyllis seeks refuge with John Webster, and uses her knowledge of Pauline from the voyage to successfully pose as his ward. A romance begins to develop between them, but when Webster is away, Sydney arrives at his house. He reveals Phyllis' true identity to Webster's assistant, and drags her back to his own plantation. When Phyllis refuses to submit to her husband, Sydney hands her over to the natives to be a human sacrifice. Webster arrives just in time to save her, and in the ensuing conflict Sydney is killed. Once it has been made clear to him that she is not his ward, Phyllis and Webster are free to wed.

Cast

as Phyllis Latimer *

Winifred Bryson Winifred Bryson (born Winifred Brison; December 20, 1892 – August 20, 1987) was an American actress of the stage and of silent films. Biography Winifred Bryson was born Winifred Brison on December 20, 1892, in Los Angeles, the daughter of O ...

as Pauline Leonard * Walter Long as Sydney Latimer * John Bowers as John Webster *

Roy Atwell John Leroy "Roy" Atwell (May 2, 1878 – February 6, 1962) was an American actor, comedian and composer, known for playing characters that mis-deliver their lines or stammer, most notably Doc from Walt Disney's classic Snow White and the Seven Dwa ...

as Marmaduke Grubb *

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 be ...

as Karl Swartz *

Larry Steers Lawrence Wells Steers (February 14, 1888 – February 15, 1951) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 550 films between 1917 and 1951. He was born in Indiana, and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. Partial filmography * ' ...

as Alfred Bowman (credited as Lawrence Steers) *Benny Ayers as Native (uncredited) *Bhogwan Singh as Native (uncredited)

References

External links

* *
Southseascinema.org (S-Z) page
1922 films American silent feature films Lost American films 1922 romantic drama films American romantic drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by Frank Urson 1920s American films Silent romantic drama films Silent American drama films {{silent-romantic-drama-film-stub