''The Devil's Cargo'' is a 1925 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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

produced by

Famous Players–Lasky The 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 Companyoriginally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Playsan ...

and distributed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

. It was directed by

Victor Fleming Victor Lonzo Fleming (February 23, 1889 – January 6, 1949) was an American film director, cinematographer, and producer. His most popular films were the historical drama ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'', for which he won an A ...

and starred

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...

and Pauline Starke. It is based on an original story for the screen.

Plot

As described in a review in a film magazine, John Joyce (Collier), newly arrived in Sacramento during the

California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

to edit a newspaper, arrays himself with the Vigilantes. He is one of the most eager in his demand that the mining camp characters expelled to make the capital what he thinks it should be. Then he meets Faro Sampson (Starke) and falls in love, thinking her to be a daughter of a minister. When he discovers that she is the daughter of a gambler and the chief attraction of his den, he spurns her. However, when she comes calling, he meekly returns at her call, and is placed in a compromising situation. He is evicted along with all the people he had denounced, and his sister Martha (Adams) is carried along on the same boat. Vigilantes refuse the crowd to disembark, but they force their way ashore until the bursting of the boiler on the boat sends it adrift with a few men and women still onboard. Ben (Beery), a fireman, assumes command by virtue that he has the captain's cap and by his strength. When he seeks to make Martha his victim, Joyce is galvanized to action to save his sister. A fight ensues and Ben is overpowered by a blow to his head from a skylight. Demoted to the scullion on the rescue ship, Ben is relegated to paring potatoes while Joyce and Faro find happiness.

Cast

Preservation

The

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

catalog and film archives do not show any listings for the film. However, the silentera.com site and an online dvd retailer list the film as available for sale. LovingTheClassics.com

References

External links

* 1925 films American black-and-white films American silent feature films 1925 drama films Films directed by Victor Fleming Lost American drama films Silent American drama films 1925 lost films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub