''The Painted Lady'' is a 1924 American

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 ...

directed by

Chester Bennett Chester Bennett (1892 - 1943) was an American silent film director. He was executed by the Japanese during the Occupation of Hong Kong in 1943. Filmography * ''When a Man Loves'' (1919) * ''Captain Swift'' (1920) * ''The Purple Cipher'' (1920) ...

and written by Thomas Dixon Jr. The film stars George O'Brien,

Dorothy Mackaill Dorothy Mackaill (March 4, 1903 – August 12, 1990) was a British-American actress, most active during the silent-film era and into the pre-Code era of the early 1930s. Early life Born in Sculcoates, Kingston upon Hull in 1903 (although she l ...

Harry T. Morey Harry Temple Morey (August 21, 1873 – January 24, 1936) was an American stage and motion picture actor who appeared in nearly 200 films during his career. Biography Born in Charlotte, Michigan, Morey had two brothers. Their mother was Addie C. ...

Lucille Hutton Lucille Hutton (1898 – 1979) was an American film actress of the silent era. She appeared in 56 films between 1916 and 1931. Hutton was born in Los Angeles, California, and attended Sacred Heart Academy there. Before working in films, ...

Lucille Ricksen Lucille Ricksen (born Ingeborg Myrtle Elisabeth Ericksen; August 22, 1910 – March 13, 1925) was an American motion picture actress during the silent film era. She died of tuberculosis on March 13, 1925 at the age of 14. Early life Ingeborg ...

, and

Margaret McWade Margaret McWade (born Margaret May Fish; September 3, 1871 – April 1, 1956) was an American stage and film actress. She began her career in vaudeville in the early 1890s. Her most memorable role was as one of The Pixilated Sisters, a comedic ...

. The film was released on September 28, 1924, by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film ...

Plot

As described in a

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 ...

, Violet (Mackaill) hurries to save her half-sister Pearl when she receives a message that Pearl with others is robbing a house. She is caught and sent to jail for three years while Pearl escapes. As a governess, she is hounded by the law until she becomes a "painted lady." She goes on a tour of the

South Seas Today the term South Seas, or South Sea, is used in several contexts. Most commonly it refers to the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of the equator. In 1513, when Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa coined the term ''Mar del Sur'', ...

with wealthy Roger Lewis (Elliott). In a storm at sea, the yacht is destroyed. Violet is picked up by a vessel and finds love with Luther Smith (O'Brien) onboard, who saves her from the clutches of Captain Sutton (Morey).

Cast

* George O'Brien as Luther Smith *

as Violet *

as Captain Sutton *

as Pearl Thompson *

as Alice Smith *

as Mrs. Smith *

John Miljan John Miljan (November 9, 1892 – January 24, 1960) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1924 and 1958. Biography Born in 1892, Miljan was the tall, smooth-talking villain in Hollywood films for almost four deca ...

as Carter * Frank Elliott as Roger Lewis *

Lucien Littlefield Lucien Littlefield (August 16, 1895 – June 4, 1960) was an American actor who achieved a long career from silent films to the television era. He was noted for his versatility, playing a wide range of roles and already portraying old men befor ...

as Matt Logan

Censorship concerns

The

Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...

, formed by the film industry in 1922, regulated the content of films through a list of subjects that were to be avoided. While Dorothy Mackaill portrayed a prostitute in ''The Painted Lady'', this was acceptable as prostitution was not explicitly barred so long as it was not forced (i.e.,

white slavery White slavery (also white slave trade or white slave trafficking) refers to the slavery of Europeans, whether by non-Europeans (such as West Asians and North Africa, North Africans), or by other Europeans (for example naval galley slaves or th ...

) and aspects of her work was not shown in the film.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Painted Lady (1924 film), The 1924 films 1920s English-language films Silent American drama films 1924 drama films Fox Film films Films directed by Chester Bennett American silent feature films American black-and-white films 1920s American films