''Sporting Life'' is a lost 1918 American silent drama film directed by

Maurice Tourneur Maurice may refer to: People *Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...

. It is the first film for sisters Faire Binney and

Constance Binney Constance Binney (June 28, 1896 – November 15, 1989) was an American stage and film actress and dancer. Biography Born in New York City, Binney was educated at Westover School, a private college preparatory boarding school for girls in M ...

, from the Broadway stage. Tourneur would re-film this story again in 1925.

Plot

As described in a film magazine, Lord Woodstock (Graves) is in financial difficulties and is counting on a fight and a race to reestablish his fortune. He has plighted his troth to Norah (Binney), daughter of his trainer Miles Cavanagh (Eldridge). His sister Kitty (Binney) is in love with Joe Lee (Richmond), a Gypsy. Malet de Carteret (Craig) and his wife Olive (Kershaw) are anxious to ruin Woodstock for their own gain. Olive attempts to fascinate Joe so that he will throw the fight as, under the rules of the Club, unless Woodstock can pay his debts after the fight he cannot race. Unable to arrange it any other way, Olive has Joe poisoned. Woodstock then goes into the ring himself and wins the fight. His horse Lady Love has been stolen, but Norah cleverly finds her and gets the horse to the track on time. Then Woodstock is seized, bound, and held on a ferry boat. In case of his death, the horse cannot run, and De Carteret claims that Woodstock is dead. Joe learns of the treachery of the de Carterets and risks his life to save Woodstock. Kitty, who had suffered under the hands of Olive, recovers sufficiently to see the race being won. When the police are taking Joe away because his attack against Olive that was necessary to free Kitty, she is told that the charge will never be pressed. In a charming fadeout two sisters become brides of Woodstock and Joe for a happy ending.

Cast

Ralph Graves Ralph Graves (born Ralph Horsburgh; January 23, 1900 – February 18, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director and actor who appeared in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1949. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Graves had already ...

as John, Earl of Woodstock * Warner Richmond as Joe Lee * Charles Eldridge as Miles Cavanagh * Charles Craig as Malet de Carteret *Henry West as Straker *

as Norah Cavanagh * Faire Binney as Kitty Cavanagh *

Willette Kershaw Willette Kershaw (June 17, 1882 – May 4, 1960) was an American Broadway stage actress and later silent film actress. Her younger sister was actress Elinor Kershaw who later married Thomas Ince. The daughter of Harry Kershaw, she was bor ...

as Olive de Carteret *Harry Harris as Crake *Eddie Kelly as Woodstock *

Clara Beyers Clara Beyers (c.1880 – c.1950?) was an American silent film stock actress.A stock actress was an actress who was employed by the studio on a contract much like present day employee contracts. Beyers acted on stage for nine years before she ...

(Undetermined Role)

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Sporting Life'' was subject to restrictions and cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required a cut, in Reel 2, of the two intertitles "Please tell father you want to marry me — if he ever learns the truth" etc. and "The night before Epsom Downs, Kitty endeavors to tell her father her pitiful secret", and, Reel 3, the intertitle "If you had left him alone he would have married me".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sporting Life 1918 films American silent feature films Lost American drama films Films directed by Maurice Tourneur American films based on plays Films set in England Films set in London 1918 drama films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films 1918 lost films English-language drama films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films