''The Star of the Sea'' is a 1915 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 ...

directed by

Joe De Grasse Joseph Louis De Grasse (May 4, 1873 – May 25, 1940) was a Canadians, Canadian film director. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he was the elder brother of actor Sam De Grasse. Biography Joseph De Grasse had studied and was a first-class grad ...

, written by Phil K. Walsh, and starring

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

and Pauline Bush. The film is now considered to be

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of Tomasco, the hunchbacked fisherman.

Plot

Mario Busoni is a young sculptor, whose uncle is Father Busoni, pastor of the Church of the Holy Name at Fiesole. Mario is hired to sculpt a life-sized statue of the Madonna for his uncle's church, and he is sent to Naples to do the work. There he meets Janice, a young model who invites him to live with her, but his uncle arrives and thwarts her plans. She tries to ensnare the young boy again later, but the uncle intervenes once more. Meanwhile, Mario tells his uncle that he must have a live model to work from; he hires Mary, a young widow who is raising a baby boy on her own, and he uses them both to model for his statue of the Virgin and Child. Tomasco, a hunchbacked fisherman (Lon Chaney), is in love with Mary, and when she rejects his proposal of marriage, he suspects Mario of being his rival. Janice learns that Mario is planning to marry Mary, which foils both Tomasco's, and her own, happiness. Upon hearing that Mario has finished his statue, Tomasco and Janice both plot together to sneak into the church at night and destroy the statue out of revenge. They arrive at the church with a sledge hammer where they see the finished work. But Tomasco is incapable of destroying the beautiful statue. Janice laughs at his sentiment and picks up the hammer, but just as she is about to destroy the statue, the eyes of the Madonna open, and the two transgressors fall to their knees at the statue's feet and pray for forgiveness. The story ends near Mary's seaside home, with Mario and Mary in a loving embrace, and Father Busoni holding aloft her baby who claps his hands joyfully at the sight of the surf.

Cast

* William C. Dowlan - Mario Brisoni * Pauline Bush - Mary the fisher girl *

- Tomasco, the hunchback *

Laura Oakley Laura Oakley (July 10, 1879 January 30, 1957) was an American silent film actress. Biography Born in Oakland, California, on July 10, 1879, Oakley was signed in 1912 by the Keystone Film Company and starred in about 50 films before her retirem ...

- Janice, the model *

Marc Robbins Marc Robbins (January 3, 1868 – April 5, 1931) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 78 films between 1914 and 1923. He died in Los Angeles, California. Morey was from Topeka, Kansas, and he acted with the Morey Stock ...

- Father Busoni

Reception

"...This drama presents a fine story and excellently produced by Joseph De Grasse. Some very pretty scenes have been caught. The action is slow yet always absorbing."—Motion Picture News "A strong, artistic offering with a decided pull in it. The opening scenes in the sculptor's studio catch the interest at once and throughout the picture the director, Joseph De Grasse, has shown a strong instinct for artistic effects. Laura Oakley is particularly good as the model...This gives Miss Bush one of the most effective roles she has had for some time, and the happy child added immensely to the scenes. This offering is sure to have wide appeal."—Moving Picture World

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Star of the Sea, The 1915 films 1915 drama films 1915 short films Silent American drama films American silent short films American black-and-white films Lost American films Films directed by Joseph De Grasse Universal Pictures short films 1915 lost films Lost drama films 1910s American films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links