''The World's Applause'' is a 1923 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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

starring

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" () Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals s ...

. It was produced by

Famous Players–Lasky The Famous Players–Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Companyoriginally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Playsan ...

and distributed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

William C. deMille William Churchill deMille (July 25, 1878 – March 5, 1955), also spelled de Mille or De Mille, was an American screenwriter and film director from the silent film era through the early 1930s. He was also a noted playwright prior to moving into ...

directed the film and it was written and scripted by his wife

Clara Beranger Clara Beranger (' Strouse; January 14, 1886 – September 10, 1956) was an American screenwriter of the silent film era and a member of the original faculty of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Biography Beranger was born Clara Strouse in Balti ...

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 ...

, Corinne d'Alys (Daniels) achieves sudden success on the stage and among her many admirers is noted artist Robert Townsend (Menjou). Robert is married to Elsa (Williams), the sister of John Elliott (Stone), the producer responsible for Corinne's rise to fame. The young woman's head is turned by the praise she receives and, despite John's warning against Robert, she permits the latter to paint her portrait and pay her a good deal of attention. John himself loves Corinne and believes that wisdom will come to her with time. Robert arranges a party to take place at his studio on the evening of the day the portrait is finished. His wife gains admission to the studio through a side door and informs him that she will not leave. The guests including Corinne begin to arrive, but as the host has given orders to his valet (Kuwa) not to disturb him until he calls, They entertain themselves while waiting. Meanwhile, the quarrel between husband and wife rises to a fever heat. The discovery of a jewel that Robert intended to present to Corinne inflames Elsa to such a pitch of anger that she seizes a knife with the intention of destroying the portrait. She slashes it, Robert fights with her and during the struggle is stabbed to death. Elsa in a panic phones her brother and John comes to her aid. They leave the studio together, but James Crane (Hurst), a newspaper owner, sees them leaving and fancies that he recognizes John. James continues to the party where Corinne has just discovered the body of Robert. The guests leave but Corinne stays, and after the police arrive and question her, she is permitted to go. The newspaper accounts of the death link Corinne's name to that of the deceased, and the ensuing notoriety ruins the new star's reputation. Her financial backers leave her. Finally, the police review their evidence which leads them to John and he is arrested. Elsa Townsend then signs a confession and goes away, leaving a farewell note to her brother. Corinne and John's names are cleared, and she finds happiness with the man who was faithful to her through all.

Cast

as Corinne d'Alys *

Lewis Stone Lewis Shepard Stone (November 15, 1879 – September 12, 1953) was an American film actor. He spent 29 years as a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was best known for his portrayal of Judge James Hardy in the studio's popular '' Andy ...

as John Elliott *

Kathlyn Williams Kathlyn Williams (born Kathleen Mabel Williams, May 31, 1879 – September 23, 1960) was an American actress, known for her blonde beauty and daring antics, who performed on stage as well as in early silent film. She began her career onstage in ...

as Elsa Townsend *

Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor whose career spanned both silent films and talkies. He became a leading man during the 1920s, known for his debonair and sophisticated screen presence. He was no ...

as Robert Townsend *

Brandon Hurst Brandon Hurst (30 November 1866 – 15 July 1947) was an English stage and film actor. Early life Born in London, England, Hurst studied philology in his youth and began performing in theater in the 1880s. Before he began acting professional ...

as James Crane *Bernice Frank as Maid to Corinne *

Mayme Kelso Mary L. "Mayme" Kelso (February 28, 1867 – June 5, 1946), also known as May or Maym Kelso,"California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP9Q-ZQDX), Entry for Mary L Or M ...

as Secretary to Corinne *

George Kuwa George Kuwa (born Keichii Kuwahara) was a Japanese and American Issei (Japanese immigrant) film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1916 and 1931. He was the first actor to portray Charlie Chan on-screen in the 192 ...

as Valet to Townsend * James Neill as Valet to Elliott

Preservation

With no prints of ''The World's Applause'' located in any film archives, it is considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

References

External links

*
Lobby poster
(Wayback Machine) {{DEFAULTSORT:Wordl's Applause, The 1923 films American silent feature films Lost American drama films Films directed by William C. deMille 1923 drama films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films 1923 lost films English-language drama films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films

Plot

Cast

Preservation

See also

References

External links