''Torment'' is a 1924 American silent

crime drama film In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...

produced and 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 ...

and distributed by Associated First National. This film stars

Bessie Love Bessie Love (born Juanita Horton; September 10, 1898April 26, 1986) was an American-British actress who achieved prominence playing innocent, young girls and wholesome leading ladies in silent and early sound films. Her acting career spanned ei ...

Owen Moore Owen Moore (12 December 1886 – 9 June 1939) was an Irish-born American actor, appearing in more than 279 movies spanning from 1908 to 1937. Early life and career Moore was born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath, Ireland. Along with his p ...

, and

Jean Hersholt Jean Pierre Carl Buron (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956), known professionally as Jean Hersholt, was a Danish-American actor. He is best known for starring on the radio series '' Dr. Christian'' (1937–1954) and in the film ''Heidi'' (1937).Obitua ...

. The film is based on a story by

William Dudley Pelley William Dudley Pelley (March 12, 1890 – June 30, 1965) was an American fascist leader, occultist, spiritualist and writer. Pelley came to prominence as a writer, winning two O. Henry Awards and penning screenplays for Hollywood films. His ...

with script by

Fred Myton Fred Myton (November 15, 1885 – June 6, 1955) was an American screenwriter. He wrote 168 films between 1916 and 1952, mostly low-budget "B" pictures for Poverty Row studios and independent producers. He wrote many films for Producers Rele ...

and titles by

Marion Fairfax Marion Fairfax (born Marion Neiswanger; October 24, 1875 – October 2, 1970) was an American screenwriter, playwright, actress, and producer. Early career Fairfax first started her career as a stage actress, just like many other women did in ...

. 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 ...

Plot

Count Boris Romanoff (Hersholt), a modern-day Robin Hood, has stolen the Russian crown jewels with the intent of selling them and giving the proceeds to the poor. However, a group of thieves led by Hansen (Moore) learns of this plan, and plots to steal the jewels in Yokohama before they can be sold. On a ship to Japan, Hansen meets a maid named Marie (Love), who convinces him to change his ways. While in Yokohama, an earthquake levels the city, killing the count, and trapping Hansen, his fellow thieves, and Marie in a bank vault. Hansen and Marie fall in love, and Hansen vows to follow through with the count's wishes.

Cast

Production

A production crew filmed scenes in Russia and Japan, as well as the United States, so that the scenes that took place in those locales would have an authenticity. The film also incorporated documentary footage of the

1923 Great Kantō earthquake The struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshū at 11:58:44 JST (02:58:44 UTC) on Saturday, September 1, 1923. Varied accounts indicate the duration of the earthquake was between four and ten minutes. Extensive firestorms an ...

References

External links

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Lobby poster
1924 crime drama films 1920s disaster films 1924 lost films 1924 films American black-and-white films American disaster films American silent feature films Films about earthquakes Films based on short fiction Films directed by Maurice Tourneur First National Pictures films Lost American crime drama films 1920s American films Silent American crime drama films 1920s English-language films English-language crime drama films Films based on works by William Dudley Pelley {{silent-crime-drama-film-stub