''The Whispered Name'' is a 1924 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

King Baggot William King Baggot (November 7, 1879 – July 11, 1948) was an American actor, film director and screenwriter. He was an internationally famous movie star of the silent film era. The first individually publicized leading man in America, B ...

and starring

Ruth Clifford Ruth Clifford (February 17, 1900 – November 30, 1998) was an American actress of leading roles in silent films, whose career lasted from that era into the television era. Early years Clifford was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the daughter ...

Charles Clary Charles Clary (March 24, 1873 – March 24, 1931) was an American actor of the silent film era. Clary appeared in more than 200 films between 1910 and 1930. He was born in Charleston, Illinois and died on his 58th birthday in Los Angeles, Ca ...

, and W.E. Lawrence. It was based on a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

play that had previously been made into the 1917 film ''

The Co-Respondent ''The Co-Respondent'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Ralph Ince and starring Elaine Hammerstein, Wilfred Lucas and George Anderson.Connelly p.334 It was based on a Broadway play, and was adapted again by Universal Pictures as ' ...

''.

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 ...

, Lagdon Van Kreel (Clary), millionaire, is sued by his wife Marcia (Mersch) for divorce at the instigation of her attorney, Craig Stephenson (Merkyl), who has been making love to her. They put detectives on Lagdon's trail. In the meantime Anne Gray (Clifford), a young country woman, elopes with Robert Gordon (Lawrence), a scapegrace, who seeks to victimize her. They arrive at Van Kreel's hotel, where he discovers Gordon's plans, interferes, and takes charge of the young woman. The detectives, suspecting that this is a clandestine meeting, obtain a flash photograph of the two. Anne, alarmed, flees. She does not learn Lagdon's name, nor does he hers. She obtains a position on the ''News'', an ultraconservative journal edited by John Manning (Welch), the son of its founder. Its assistant managing editor, Fred Galvin (Stevenson), is secretly owner of the ''Tattle-tale'', a gutter-weekly retailing scandal. Galvin is watching the Van Kreel divorce eagerly, scenting blackmail. In the meantime Anne and Manning fall in love with each other. Fred learns that Anne was the young woman seen with Langdon in the hotel and sends her to Marcia Van Kreel's home to interview her, secretly informing the latter who Anne is. Marcia denounces her. Langdon enters and insists that the girl is innocent. Anne telephones Fred Galvin, begging him to clear her, and he taunts her. John, overhearing, administers a thrashing to Fred, who confesses owning the scandal weekly, and admits that it is a blackmail scheme. He admits that he and lawyer Craig Stephenson work up divorce cases, then use the weekly to levy tribute through fear of public scandal. John Manning breaks up the ring and clears the situation up in a dramatic finale.

Cast

Preservation

With no prints of ''The Whispered Name'' located in any film archives,Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''The Whispered Name''
/ref> it is 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 ...

References

Bibliography

* Munden, Kenneth White. ''The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States, Part 1''. University of California Press, 1997.

External links

* 1924 films 1924 drama films 1920s English-language films American silent feature films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by King Baggot Universal Pictures films American films based on plays 1920s American films {{1920s-US-film-stub