''The Son of His Father'' is a 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 ...
directed by
Victor Schertzinger
Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include '' Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930), ''Something to Sing About'' (1937) with James C ...
and written by
Ridgwell Cullum. The film stars
Charles Ray,
Vola Vale
Vola Vale (born Vola Smith; February 12, 1897 – October 17, 1970) was a silent film actress.
Early career
Vale was born in Buffalo, New York and educated in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Her high school friends in Rochester, New York, where she w ...
,
Robert McKim,
George Nichols,
Charles K. French
Charles K. French (born Charles Ekrauss French or Charles E. Krauss; January 17, 1860 – August 2, 1952) was an American film actor, screenwriter and director who appeared in more than 240 films between 1909 and 1945.
Biography
French was ...
, and
J. P. Lockney
John P. Lockney (March 17, 1867, date of death unknown) was an American actor of the silent film era. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1937. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Partial filmography
* ''The Bride of Hat ...
. The film was released on October 22, 1917, by
Paramount Pictures.
Plot
As described in a film magazine, Gordon Carbhoy (Ray), the spoiled son of wealthy father James Carbhoy (French) who owns several railroads, is sent out by his father to turn $5,000 into $100,000, which the son claimed to be able to do. Gordon meets Silas Mallinsbee (Nichols) at Buffalo Falls, where the son is eager to have the railroad build a station at that point. Mallinsbee cannot come to an agreement with David Slosson (McKim), the representative of Gordon's father. Gordon takes things into his own hands and makes a captive of Slosson. When his father shows up, Gordon takes him captive also. Using his father's code, Gordon orders a train crew to come to Buffalo Falls and construction of the station begins. After work is well underway, Gordon brings his report to his father, who is proud of his son. By then the little love affair between Gordon and Hazel, daughter of Mallinsbee, comes to a head, and Hazel promises to become Gordon's wife.
Cast
*
Charles Ray as Gordon Carbhoy
*
Vola Vale
Vola Vale (born Vola Smith; February 12, 1897 – October 17, 1970) was a silent film actress.
Early career
Vale was born in Buffalo, New York and educated in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Her high school friends in Rochester, New York, where she w ...
as Hazel Mallinsbee
*
Robert McKim as David Slosson
*
George Nichols as Silas Mallinsbee
*
Charles K. French
Charles K. French (born Charles Ekrauss French or Charles E. Krauss; January 17, 1860 – August 2, 1952) was an American film actor, screenwriter and director who appeared in more than 240 films between 1909 and 1945.
Biography
French was ...
as James Carbhoy
*
J. P. Lockney
John P. Lockney (March 17, 1867, date of death unknown) was an American actor of the silent film era. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1937. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Partial filmography
* ''The Bride of Hat ...
as Peter McSwain
* Harry Yamamoto as Hi Plee
*
Otto Hoffman
Otto F. Hoffman (May 2, 1879 – June 23, 1944) was an American film actor. He appeared in almost 200 films between 1915 and 1944. He was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles, California, from lung cancer.
Hoffman's Broadway credit ...
as Harker
Reception
Like many American films of the time, ''The Son of His Father'' was subject to cuts by
city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required cuts of scenes of striking man over the head, struggle scene with girl and that part of the third scene where man kisses girl and drags her to door, and two closeups of wounded man in fight.
Survival status
Copies of the film are held 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 ...
film archive and the
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the ar ...
.
References
External links
*
* Cullum, Ridgwell (1915),
The Son of His Father', Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., on the Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Son of His Father, The
1917 films
1910s English-language films
Silent American drama films
1917 drama films
Paramount Pictures films
Films directed by Victor Schertzinger
American black-and-white films
American silent feature films
1910s American films