''The Red Viper'' is a 1919 American

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

. It is anti-Communist themed and was produced during the

red scare A Red Scare is the promotion of a widespread fear of a potential rise of communism, anarchism or other leftist ideologies by a society or state. The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States which ar ...

Plot

Production

The film's director and producer was Jacques Tyrol, the writer was

Winifred Dunn Winifred Dunn was an American screenwriter, editor, radio scenario writer, and art critic in the early 20th century. She was one of the youngest scenario editors of the silent era and was credited with writing over 40 productions.Hansen, James. " ...

, and the

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

was Edward Wynard. The film was produced by Tyrad Pictures, Inc. The film was distributed by Tyrad Pictures, Inc. and State Rights. The film was released on September 7, 1919. The film was an

anti-communist Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...

film, made during the

First Red Scare The First Red Scare was a period during History of the United States (1918–1945), the early 20th-century history of the United States marked by a widespread fear of Far-left politics, far-left movements, including Bolshevik, Bolshevism and ...

. The film has an entry in 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 ...

, along with being listed as a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

Cast

Gareth Hughes Gareth Hughes (23 August 1894 – 1 October 1965) was a Welsh stage and silent screen actor. Usually cast as a callow, sensitive hero in Hollywood silent films, Hughes got his start on stage during childhood and continued to play youthful lead ...

as David Belkov *

Ruth Stonehouse Ruth Stonehouse (September 28, 1892 – May 12, 1941) was an actress and film director during the silent film era. Her stage career started at the age of eight as a dancer in Arizona shows. Early life Ruth Stonehouse was born to James Wesley ...

as Mary Hogan *

Jack Gilbert Jack Gilbert (February 18, 1925 – November 13, 2012) was an American poet. Gilbert was acquainted with Jack Spicer and Allen Ginsberg, both prominent figureheads of the Beat Movement, but is not considered a Beat Poet; he described himself as ...

as Dick Grant *

Irma Harrison Irma may refer to: People * Irma (name), a female given name * Irma (singer), full name Irma Pany, a Cameroonian female singer-songwriter Places * Irma, Alberta, Canada, a village * Irma, Lombardy, Italy, a ''comune'' * Irma, Wisconsin, USA, a ...

as Yolanda Kosloff * R. H. Fitzsimmons as Charles Smith *

Alberta Lee Alberta Lee (1860–1928) was an American stage and film actress of the silent era. In 1915, she appeared as Mary Todd Lincoln in ''The Birth of a Nation''.Reinhart p.56 Selected filmography * ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915) * ''Reggie Mixes I ...

as Mrs. Hogan *

Alfred Hollingsworth Alfred Hollingsworth was an American actor during the silent film era. He was in dozens of films from 1911 until 1925. According to IMDb he also directed four short films in 1916. ''Hell's Hinges'' has been described as a classic and Hollingswort ...

as Pat Hogan

References

1919 films 1919 drama films 1910s American films Silent American drama films {{1910s-US-film-stub