''The Law of Compensation'' is 1917 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 ...

based on a story by

Wilson Mizner Wilson Mizner (May 19, 1876 – April 3, 1933) was an American playwright, raconteur, and entrepreneur. His best-known plays are ''The Deep Purple'', produced in 1910, and ''The Greyhound'', produced in 1912. He was manager and co-owner of The ...

and directed by Joseph A. Golden. The film starred

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent film, silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among ...

, who played a dual role,

Fred Esmelton Fred Esmelton (22 June 1872 – 23 October 1933) was an Australian-born American film actor, as well as a stage actor and director. He appeared in 30 films, usually in supporting roles, between the years 1916 and 1931. He was born in Melbou ...

, and

Chester Barnett Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border, English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: Peop ...

.Progressive Silent Film List: ''The Law of Compensation''
at silentera.com It was produced by Joseph Schenck, the husband of its star Talmadge.

Plot

While her husband (Chester Barnett) is out of town, Ruth (Talmadge) is approached by Wells (Edwin Stanley), a small-time song plugger. He claims that he can make a musical comedy star of her if she will come up with some money. But when she tries to ante up the funds, her father (Frederick Esmelton) takes her aside and tells her the story of her mother (also played by Talmadge) who found herself in a similar situation. Her mother ran off with a man, Trevor (John Charles), who later deserted her; after her death, Ruth's father tracked Trevor down and killed him. With all of this in mind, Ruth wisely decides to send Wells on his way.

Cast

as Flora Graham / Ruth Graham *

as John Graham (credited as Frederick Esmelton) *

as Allen Hayes *

John Charles William John Charles (27 December 1931 – 21 February 2004) was a Welsh footballer who played as a centre-forward or as a centre-back. Best known for his first stint at Leeds United and Juventus, he was rated by many as the greatest all-round ...

as Frank Trevor *

Sally Crute Sally Crute (born Sally C. Kirby, June 27, 1886 – August 12, 1971) was an American actress of the silent film era. Biography Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before entering motion pictures Crute performed on stage. Crute was generally ca ...

as Grace Benton *

Fred Hearn Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Rodr ...

as Henry Thurman (credited as Fred G. Hearn) * Mary Hall as Mrs. Wayne *

Edwin Stanley Edwin Stanley (November 22, 1880 – December 25, 1944), was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1916 and 1946. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and died in Hollywood, California. On Broadway, Stanley appear ...

as Raymond Wells * Robert W. Cummings as Horace Benton * Marie Reichardt as Undetermined Role * Harry Burkhardt as Undetermined Role * Lorna Volare as Undetermined Role (credited as Baby Lorna) * Frank Dawson as Undetermined Role

Commentory

While the lives of the mother and daughter interact through their repetition and parallel situations, the story of the mother, while referenced in the first half of the film, is withheld from Flora and the audience until it is told to her in the second half of the film. Although Talmadge is the star with two roles, the men of the film hold all the power and make all the decisions on behalf of the women; the one choice made by a woman, the mother Ruth, has immence consequences for her and her daughter as deviates it from the straight path.

Preservation status

Prints of ''The Law of Compensation'' are held 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 ...

(incomplete) and the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

, 35mm.The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''The Law of Compensation''
/ref>

References

External links

* *

at the Norma Talmadge website 1917 films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Silent American drama films 1917 drama films Selznick Pictures films Films directed by Joseph A. Golden 1910s American films {{1910s-drama-film-stub