''The Bride's Play'' is a 1922 American silent

romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

produced by

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...

as a starring vehicle for

Marion Davies Marion Davies (born Marion Cecilia Douras; January 3, 1897 – September 22, 1961) was an American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent, Davies fled the school to pursue a career as a chorus girl ...

. It was directed by George Terwilliger and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is an extant film that is preserved at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

Film name

The title is inspired by an Irish custom (most likely fabricated) of the same name. In this tradition, the male guests line up and the bride asks each of them if they are the one she loves best, with all but the groom saying no.

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 ...

, Aileen Barrett (Davies) and Sir Fergus Cassidy (Standing) have been neighbors for years. He loves her but Aileen has become enamored of a poet, Bulmer Meade (Miller). When she learns that the poet regards her as but a passing whim, she realizes it is Sir Cassidy that she cares for and their wedding is arranged. The Bride's Play, which had been a custom in the Barrett family for years, is announced as being revived for the wedding. The former lover learns that several hundred years ago, during the process of the play at the wedding of a member of the family of Sir Cassidy, the bride was carried off by an old lover who arrived on the scene during its enactment. He attempts to do the same thing at Aileen's wedding, but the modern young woman, confronted with the crisis when he maliciously answers her question in the affirmative in the presence of the many wedding guests, strikes him across the face with her wedding slipper.

Cast

Production

In her 12th film,

stars in a

dual role A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...

as the modern-day Aileen and as the medieval Enid of Cashell. The massive medieval castle sets by

Joseph Urban Joseph Urban (May 26, 1872 – July 10, 1933) was an Austrian-American architect, illustrator, and scenic designer. Life and career Joseph Urban was born on May 26, 1872, in Vienna. He received his first architectural commission at age 19 wh ...

would be a harbinger of even more impressive medieval sets to come. The stunning location shooting was done at

Point Lobos Point Lobos and the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a state park in California. Adjoining Point Lobos is "one of the richest marine habitats in California." The ocean habitat is protected by two marine protected areas, the Point Lobos St ...

on the

Monterey Peninsula The Monterey Peninsula anchors the northern portion on the Central Coast of California and comprises the cities of Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, and the resort and community of Pebble Beach. History Monterey Monterey was founded i ...

, a about 150 miles north of San Simeon, where

had begun building his castle in 1919. For the New York City premiere, Hearst commissioned a symphonic score by George Spink (who also plays the butler), but this music now seems lost.

Preservation status

A print of ''The Bride's Play'' is preserved in the Library of Congress collection

Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation The National Audiovisual Conservation Center, also known as the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, is the Library of Congress's audiovisual archive located inside Mount Pony in Culpeper, Virginia. Establishment From 1969 to 1988, th ...

.''Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress'', p. 21, c.1978 American Film Institute

Status

A limited edition DVD was released by Edward Lorusso with a music score by Ben Model in 2016. The film was broadcast on Turner Classic Movies in August 2017 and January 2023.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bride's Play 1922 films American silent feature films American films based on plays 1920s romance films American black-and-white films Films directed by George Terwilliger American romance films Surviving American silent films 1920s American films