''The Hopes of Blind Alley'' is a 1914 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 (and co-written) by

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, was ...

and featuring

Murdock MacQuarrie Murdock MacQuarrie (August 25, 1878 – August 20, 1942) was an American silent film actor and director. His name was also seen as Murdock McQuarrie. MacQuarrie was born in San Francisco, California, and attended school there. He was the ...

, Pauline Bush and

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

. A still exists showing Lon Chaney as the Italian statuette vendor. The film is now considered to be

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

Plot

Old Jean Basse and his granddaughter Pauline live in poverty-stricken Blind Alley, and they sell miniature statues to make a living. Jean's one ambition in life is to own a high silk hat, and when he comes into a small inheritance, he buys a hat and plans to use the rest of money to help his neighborhood friends. He finds out afterwards that the entire inheritance he is getting consists of nothing but a dusty old painting. Pauline is in love with a young struggling artist who lives in their building, and upon showing him the painting her father has inherited, the young artist proclaims it to be an original Van Dyke, worth a fortune. A famous artist learns of the painting and first tries to cheat Jean out of it by offering him $2.00 for it, then attempts to steal it outright, but he is unsuccessful. Pauline's sweetheart manages to sell several of his paintings and then proposes marriage to her. On the day of the wedding, the young couple present Jean with a brand new silk hat, but they learn the old man is dying. Putting the new hat on his head, he gives his valuable painting to the newlyweds as a wedding gift from his deathbed.

Cast

as Old Jean Basse * Pauline Bush as Pauline, Jean's daughter * William C. Dowlan as the Young Struggling Artist *

as the Italian Vendor of statuettes * George Cooper as Little Janitor

Reception

Moving Picture World stated "This (picture) has a number of strong points. It gives an intimate and convincing picture of tenement life. It develops a pleasing story, naturally and appealingly, and has a number of strong character parts. Murdock MacQuarrie makes a memorable part of the old grandfather. The Italian vendor of the statuettes (Lon Chaney) made a good touch, and the silk hat episode contains the right human element. The whole production shows an unusual feeling for picturing real life on the screen. A strong offering." Motion Picture News stated "This story seems to ring true to human feelings. The plot is powerful. The action does not drag."Blake, Michael F. (1998). "The Films of Lon Chaney". Page 20. Vestal Press Inc. .

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopes of Blind Alley, The 1914 films 1914 short films American silent short films American black-and-white films 1914 drama films Lost American films Films directed by Allan Dwan Universal Pictures short films Silent American drama films 1914 lost films Lost drama films 1910s American films