''The Heart Specialist'' is a 1922 American silent

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by

Frank Urson Frank John Urson (March 21, 1887 – August 17, 1928) was an American silent film Film director, director and cinematographer from Chicago, Illinois. Originally a photographer, he moved on to cinematography and film directing for the Thanhouser Co ...

and starring

Mary Miles Minter Mary Miles Minter (born Juliet Reilly; April 25, 1902Louisiana Birth Certificate, Caddo Parish, No. 119, Book A, Page 97, Birth Date: April 25, 1902, Name: Mary M. Reilly ic – Original Caddo birth record was recorded as "J.H. Riley's Child" ...

and

Allan Forrest Allan Forrest Fisher (September 1, 1885 – July 25, 1941) was an American silent film actor. Life and career Allan Forrest Fisher starred in 119 films, mostly silent, between 1913 and 1932. He appeared in films such as '' The Torch Bearer'', ...

. It was adapted by Harvey Thew from a story by Mary Morrison. As with many of Minter's features, it is thought to be 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 ...

.The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''The Heart Specialist''
/ref>

Plot

As described in various

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 ...

reviews, Rosalie Beckwith (Minter) works for a New York newspaper, editing a column devoted to romance. When her editor (Mathis) threatens to dismiss her on the grounds that romance does not exist, Rosalie bets her job that she can find romance within forty miles of the newspaper office. Arriving at a small town chosen at random, Rosalie is mistaken for Muriel Murat Bey, the cousin and heir of Bob Stratton (Forrest), a wealthy but wounded and ailing war veteran. Accepting this misidentification, Rosalie moves in to Stratton's estate, where she rapidly falls for the wounded veteran, and also incurs the enmity of family physician Dr. Fitch (Beery). Fitch has been systematically embezzling Stratton's funds and now, fearing discovery, he plots to kill him. When Rosalie discovers that Fitch is attempting to poison Stratton, Fitch decides to dispose of her. He throws her down a well, and introduces his sister Grace (Phillips) as the "real" Muriel Murat Bey. Rosalie however escapes from the well, and before Stratton can eat the poisoned food that Fitch has prepared for him, she reveals the plot. The Fitches are arrested, and, although she has won her wager along with Stratton's heart, Rosalie chooses to leave her newspaper column behind for a real romance with Stratton.

Cast

as Rosalie Beckwith *

as Bob Stratton *

Roy Atwell John Leroy "Roy" Atwell (May 2, 1878 – February 6, 1962) was an American actor, comedian and composer, known for playing characters that mis-deliver their lines or stammer, most notably Doc from Walt Disney's classic Snow White and the Seven Dwa ...

as Winston Gates *Jack Mathis as City Editor *

Noah Beery Noah Nicholas Beery (January 17, 1882 – April 1, 1946) was an American actor who appeared in films from 1913 until his death in 1946. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery as well as the father of prominen ...

as Dr. Thomas Fitch * James Neill as Fernald *

Carmen Phillips Carmen Phillips (born Anna Catherine Phillips; September 15, 1888 – December 14, 1966) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1914 and 1926, frequently as a "vamp". Biography A native Calif ...

as Grace Fitch

References

External links

* * 1922 films American silent feature films Lost American films 1922 drama films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by Frank Urson 1922 lost films Lost drama films 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub