''The Hope Diamond Mystery'' is a 1921 American 15-chapter

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

film serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...

directed by

Stuart Paton Stuart Paton (23 July 1883 – 16 December 1944) was a British film director, director, screenwriter and actor of the silent film, silent era. Paton mostly worked with Universal Pictures, Universal, and is accredited with directing 67 films ...

and featuring Grace Darmond, George Chesebro, May Yohe, and

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

. The screenplay was written by Charles Goddard and John B. Clymer, based on an autobiographical story by May Yohe (who also co-stars as herself in the serial). Chapter One premiered on February 19, 1921, and the final chapter was shown on May 29, 1921. The film survives with a copy at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

, which includes all of the hand-tinted color sequences as well.

Plot

The curse of the legendary blue

Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond is a diamond originally extracted in the 17th century from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India. It is blue in color due to trace amounts of boron. Its exceptional size has revealed new information about the formation of diamonds. ...

on all its owners is dramatized, beginning with the gem's discovery in 17th Century India. Lord Francis Hale inherits the Hope Diamond and marries showgirl May Yohe. He later gambles away the family fortune, and May deserts him.

Cast

Grace Darmond Grace Darmond (born Grace Marie Glionna; November 20, 1893 – October 8, 1963) was a Canadian-American actress. Early life Grace Marie Glionna was born in Toronto on November 20, 1893. Her parents were Vincent Baptiste "James" Glionna, an I ...

as Mary Hilton / Bibi *

George Chesebro George Newell Chesebro (July 29, 1888 – May 28, 1959) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 400 films between 1915 and 1954. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and died in Los Angeles, California. Partial filmography * ''Mi ...

as John Gregge / Jean-Baptiste Tavanier *

dual role as both Dakar (the Hindu servant) and as the High Priest of Sita * Harry Carter as Sidney Atherton / Ghung * William Marion as James Marcon / Bagi *

Carmen Phillips Carmen Phillips (born Anna Catherine Phillips; September 15, 1888 – December 14, 1966) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1914 and 1926, frequently as a "vamp". Biography A native Calif ...

as Wanda Atherton / Miza * Arthur Clayton (credited as Captain Clayton) as Lord Francis Hale *

Ethel Shannon Ethel Shannon (May 22, 1898 – July 10, 1951) was an American actress. She appeared in over 30 silent movies in the early 20th century. Early life and career Ethel Shannon was born in Denver, Colorado, the daughter of James and Agnes (Kn ...

as Lady Francis Hale * William Buckley as Reginald Travers * Frank M. Seki (aka Frank Seka) as Saki * Harry Archer as Johnson * May Yohe as Lady Francis Hope (Herself)

Production

This serial was shot on the Universal Pictures lot and a custom-built set, the "Temple of Sita," which reportedly cost $100,000 to build. The film was Boris Karloff's first major film role. A blue color tint was used on title cards in the serial with an illustration of the diamond in the background, and additional special color effects may have been incorporated into other scenes that showed the diamond as well, and evidence of such remains in the existing print of the film. Color effects have been retained in the 2014 restoration of the serial by Eric Stedman of the Serial Squadron. The color effects of this film are so unique and ahead of their time that no other film tried to imitate them. Not until two-strip Technicolor was invented could similar visuals be attained. When watching the film, there are multi-colored tints in a single scene, reminiscent of the old hand-colored shorts of

Georges Méliès Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès (; ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French illusionist, actor, and film director. He led many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema. Méliès was well known for the use of ...

. The last six chapters almost exclusively feature them. May Yohe appears as herself in each episode's opening and closing.

Chapter Titles

* 1. The Hope Diamond Mystery * 2. The Vanishing Hand * 3. The Forged Note * 4. The Jewel of Sita * 5. A Virgin's Love * 6. The House of Terror * 7. Flames of Despair * 8. Yellow Whisperings * 9. The Evil Eye * 10. In the Spider's Web * 11. The Cup of Fear * 12. The Ring of Death * 13. The Lash of Hate * 14. Primitive Passions * 15. An Island of Destiny

References

External links