''The Copperhead'' is a 1920 American silent historical drama film based on a novel by Frederick Landis and a 1918 play by

Augustus Thomas Augustus Thomas (January 8, 1857 – August 12, 1934) was an American playwright. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri and son of a doctor, Thomas worked a number of jobs including as a United States House of Representatives Page, page in the 4 ...

. The star of this film is

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

who won acclaim in the play version on Broadway, and who appeared in the play and this film with his first wife

Doris Rankin Doris Marie Rankin (August 24, 1887 – March 18, 1947) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Born in New York City, Rankin was the daughter of actor McKee Rankin and Mabel Bert. She was married to actor Lionel Barrymore from 19 ...

. A print of this film has been screened in recent years.

Plot

At the beginning of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Milt Shanks, who owns a farm in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, is asked by President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

to join the Copperheads, a clandestine quasi-political organization whose sentiments lie with the South. His family and friends unknowing of his mission call him a traitor. His son later dies in a Civil War battle and his wife dies of heartbreak over the son's death. Shanks spends decades keeping silent about his involvement with the Copperheads until his granddaughter prepares to marry and he's forced to come clean about being involved in a secret Civil War Mission. With this understanding friends and family forgive him.

Cast

as Milt Shanks *

William P. Carleton William P. Carleton (October 3, 1872 – April 6, 1947) was a silent film actor who appeared in 40 films between 1919 and 1944. He is sometimes billed as William Carleton Jr.. Carleton was born in London and was briefly married to actress Toby C ...

as Lt. Tom Hardy *Francis Joyner as Newt Gillespie (billed as Frank Joyner) *

Richard Carlyle Richard Carlyle (March 20, 1914 – November 15, 2009) was a film, television and Broadway actor. Early years Carlyle was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. His education included attendance at Sherwood Dramatic Art School and the Art I ...

as Lem Tollard *Arthur Rankin as Joey *

Leslie Stowe Leslie Stowe (November 1867 – July 16, 1949) was an American actor. He appeared on stage and screen. He played the evil Herman Wolff character in ''Bolshevism on Trial''. Anthony Slide praised his performance as the film's villain. Stowe was bo ...

as Brother Andrew *Nicholas Schroell as

*William David as Tom Hardy *Harry Bartlett as Dr. James *Jack Ridgeway as

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

*Mayor N.M. Cartmell as Captain Mercer *

as Mrs. Shanks *Carolyn Lee as Grandma Perley *

Anne Cornwall Anne Cornwall (January 17, 1897 – March 2, 1980) was an American actress best known for her roles in ''College'' (1927) and ''The Roughneck'' (1924). Biography Born in Brooklyn in 1897, Cornwall performed for forty years in many silent film ...

as Madeline *Francis Haldorn as Elsie

Preservation

The film survives. It is available on DVD from at least one online source.''The Copperhead'' available for DVD purchase online
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References

External links

* *
lantern slide/coming attraction; "The Copperhead" w/Lionel Barrymore
*from Italian-Wikipedia, Lionel Barrymore in the 1918 play ''The Copperhead'' 1920s historical drama films American historical drama films American silent feature films 1920 films Films directed by Charles Maigne Films based on American novels American films based on plays Paramount Pictures films American Civil War films Fictional depictions of Abraham Lincoln in film American black-and-white films Films based on adaptations 1920 drama films Surviving American silent films 1920s American films Silent American drama films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Preservation

See also

References

External links