Two Men of Sandy Bar is a 1916 American silent

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

Melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

directed by

Lloyd B. Carleton Lloyd B. Carleton ( - August 8, 1933) was an American director, producer, and actor. He was born in New York City in . Both of his parents were born in Virginia and Carleton's father, John T. Little Senior, supported the family as a clothing im ...

and starring

Hobart Bosworth Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth (August 11, 1867 – December 30, 1943) was an American film actor, director, writer, and producer. Early life Bosworth was born on August 11, 1867, in Marietta, Ohio. His father was a sea captain in the Civil Wa ...

Gretchen Lederer Gretchen Lederer (née. Schwallenback, 23 May 1891 – 20 December 1955) was a German actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 80 films between 1912 and 1918. Personal life Gretchen Lederer was born in Cologne, Germany. She was marr ...

along with

Emory Johnson Alfred Emory Johnson (March 16, 1894 – April 18, 1960) was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. As a teenager, he started acting in silent films. Early in his career, Carl Laemmle chose Emory to become a Universal studio leading ...

. The film relies on a

Bret Harte Bret Harte (; born Francis Brett Hart; August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a caree ...

play penned in 1876. The film's main character is John Oakhurst, a well-known character to the readers of Bret Harte's books. Oakhurst is an honest gambler whose compassion for others both wins him friends and causes hardships. The film was released on April 3, 1916 by

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

Plot

The plot unfolds during the

Gold Rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

. Jack Oakhurst is a gentleman gambler. While playing poker one night, Oakhurst meets fellow gambler Sandy Morton. While the chivalrous Oakhurst is the consummate pro, Sandy Morton is the complete antithesis. Morton has a propensity towards excessive drink and is of low moral character. Despite these differences, they become fast friends. Besides Sandy's daily struggles, he also grapples with his troubled past. Sandy's father, Alexander Morton, owns a banking business in San Francisco. Old man Morton's earnest desire was to integrate Sandy into the family business, but he could not condone Sandy's lifestyle and disowned him. The conflict drove Sandy to leave home at an early age and drift west. One day, John Oakhurst pulls up stakes and boards a train for California. While traveling on the train, Oakhurst befriends an alcoholic gambler named John Pritchard. Pritchard is traveling with his wife, the Duchess. Oakhurst discovers Pritchard is running from the law. Soon, one sheriff pursuing Pritchard confronts the outlaw on the train, and a gunfight breaks out. Oakhurst rushes to the aid of his new acquaintance and wounds the sheriff. Before Pritchard flees the gunfight, he tells Oakhurst to take care of the Duchess. Oakhurst obliges Pritchard's request, and the two finish the trip together. Two Men of Sandy Bar 08

Both arrive at Sandy Bar. After settling in, Oakhurst finds out the Duchess is the Queen of the gambling halls. As time passes, the Duchess comes to admire Oakhurst's quick mental agility. She appreciates his physical skill with a pack of playing cards. The Duchess becomes captivated with Oakhurst. One night as the Duchess glances around the gambling hall, she spots a new gambler who had drifted into town. She sashays to his table and finds out the young man's name is Sandy Morton. While playing poker, Oakhurst looks up and also recognizes his friend. Oakhurst reunites with his old friend. The latest news arrives at Sandy Bar. John Pritchard has died. Believing Pritchard has passed, the Duchess feels the time is right for her and Oakhurst to get hitched. She asks Oakhurst to marry her, but Oakhurst refuses. The Duchess feels offended, and her spiteful alter ego emerges. One night, she exacts her revenge for Oakhurst's refusal. While Oakhurst is playing cards, she stacks his deck. The other players around the table soon believe they have caught Oakhurst cheating. The other gamblers call him out and brand him a cheat. Oakhurst's reputation is in tatters; He drifts South to take refuge from the Sandy Bar gaming halls. An outraged Morton can't forgive Oakhurst's refusal to marry the Duchess. To atone for Oakhurst's rejection, Morton decides he will marry the Duchess. They become man and wife. After some time, the Duchess reveals her deceit with Oakhurst. The Duchess tells Morton about stacking the deck that destroyed Oakhurst's reputation. A furious Morton decides to parts ways with the duplicitous Duchess. He heads South hoping to locate his old friend. Time passes, and we discover a contented Sandy Morton has settled down. Sandy has become a servant for a wealthy Southern California mine owner, Don Jose De Castro. Two Men of Sandy Bar 03

John Oakhurst reenters the picture. While drifting south, he has settled in the same town as Sandy Morton. While playing poker one night, Oakhurst meets a lovely Spanish girl. They fall in love. Jack's new love interest is Jovita. Oakhurst wants to marry the beautiful Jovita and start a new life. A significant problem arises when Oakhurst discovers she is the daughter of Don Jose De Castro. Jovita's father will not consent to the marriage of his daughter to a gambler. The couple continues to see each other in secret. They determine their only hope for marriage is to elope. Time marches on, and we find out the Alexander Morton Sr., Sandy's father, has reconsidered his sentiments regarding his son. He believes "time heals all wounds." Morton Sr. believes his son has had sufficient time to mend his unruly behaviors. He wants to welcome his son into the banking business. He has combed the region for years, searching for his son. His search landed him in the same Spanish town as ack Oakhurst. Sandy Morton finds out his father is in town, but he can't face him after all these years and goes into hiding. Jack finds out Morton Sr. is in town searching for his long-lost son. Oakhurst, still choosing to cover his old friend, comes up with a plan. Jack Oakhurst believes Sandy Morton died years ago. If Oakhurst can convince the elder Morton, he is his son; Morton Sr. will welcome him into the banking business. If Oakhurst can turn into a respectable banker, he believes Don Jose de Castro will allow him to wed his daughter. He tells Morton Sr. he is Sandy Morton, his long-lost son. Since it's been 25 years, the elder Morton takes him at his word and embraces Oakhurst as his son. Oakhurst moves to San Francisco and becomes a banker. Jack Oakhurst is a representative of the same bank where Don Castro does his business. Sandy Morton finds out Oakhurst is impersonating him in his father's bank. Infuriated, he travels home and confronts his father with the truth. He reveals the entire deception. It stuns the elder Morton. Oakhurst feels the elder Morton will feel betrayed. Oakhurst turns to leave the room with his head bent in shame when the elder Morton calls him back. Morton Sr. declares he will excuse the duplicity. He further declares that the bank will change its name to Alex. Morton, Sons, and Oakhurst. Jack Oakhurst can finally marry Jovita Castro, and Sandy Morton can marry Mary Morris.

Cast

Development

's (1836–1902), was an American

short-story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

writer and poet. His best works featured miners, gamblers, and other characters of the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

. His career spanned more than four decades. Harte's books including ''

The Luck of Roaring Camp "The Luck of Roaring Camp" is a short story by American author Bret Harte. It was first published in the August 1868 issue of the ''Overland Monthly'' and helped push Harte to international prominence. The story is about the birth of a baby boy i ...

'', ''

The Outcasts of Poker Flat "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" (1869) is a short story written by writer of the American West Bret Harte. An example of naturalism and local color of California during the first half of the nineteenth century. The story was first published in Janua ...

'' and ''M'liss'', helped fashion the standards for writing

Western fiction Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 20th century and ...

. All three books were adapted into silent films. Harte was years old when he fashioned his play "Two Men of Sandy Bar" by drawing from his grab-bag of previously created western characters. The original 1876

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

was first staged in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Further performances were then staged in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The play received mixed reviews. The New York Times observed - "...the plot of the play is simply an amplification of the story "A Passage in the Life of Mr. John Oakhurst" originally published in the Sunday edition of The Times. This film is a five-reel filmization of Bret Harte's 1876

. This was the 4th time Hollywood had turned a Bret Harte story into a movie. After his death in 1902, they would turn 14 of his stories into films.

Casting

* Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth (1867-1943) was years old when he starred in this movie as John (Jack) Oakhurst. Bosworth was a well-known

actor. After Universal signed a 21-year-old

, Hobart thought he saw a potential mega-career for the 21-year-old. Hobart decided to mentor the young actor. After finishing ''The Yaqui'' released March 1916, they immediately started working on this film which was released in April. Later in the year, Emory would make two more films with Bosworth. They would continue collaborating in other films in the coming years. In Bosworth's long cinematic career, he appeared in nearly 300 films. *

(1894-1960) was years old when he acted in this movie as the son of Alexander Morton Sr. In January 1916, Emory signed a contract with

Universal Film Manufacturing Company Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films. Regarded as one of the most important o ...

thought he saw great potential in Johnson, so he chooses him to be Universal's new leading man. Johnson would make 18 movies in 1916, including eight shorts and 10 feature-length Dramas. 1916 would become the highest movie output of his entire acting career. Emory acted in 26 films for Universal, mostly dramas with a sprinkling of comedies and westerns. *

(1891-1955) was years old when she portrayed the Duchess. The German actress got her first start in 1912 with Carl Laemmle. At the time of this film, she was still a Universal contract actress. She would unite with Emory Johnson in the 1916 productions of

A Yoke of Gold A Yoke of Gold is a 1916 American silent black and white melodrama directed by Lloyd B. Carleton and starring Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson. Based on an original story by Rob Wagner, it is a period piece set in the early days of the Cali ...

and

The Morals of Hilda The Morals of Hilda is a 1916 American silent film directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. The melodrama is based on the story of Henry Christeen Warnack and features Gretchen Lederer, Lois Wilson and Emory Johnson. August and Hilda were living toge ...

Themes

The bonds of friendship are the constant theme pervading both the play and the film. Oakhurst represents the true friend who has your back when things go sideways. The struggles facing both Jack Oakhurst and Sandy Morton cements their friendship and ultimately turn their relationship into a life-long partnership.

Screenplay

Olga Charlotte Printzlau (1891-1962) was years old when she wrote the

scenario In the performing arts, a scenario (, ; ; ) is a synoptical collage of an event or series of actions and events. In the ''commedia dell'arte'', it was an outline of entrances, exits, and action describing the plot of a play, and was literally pi ...

for this photoplay which was based on the

book. Her scenario used most of the characters in the original play, but her pacing was different along with her

sequence of events Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

. Even then, it was still difficult to follow - see . Printzlau was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in 1891 and worked for various companies during her writing career. During the three years 1915 to 1918, she created

Scenario In the performing arts, a scenario (, ; ; ) is a synoptical collage of an event or series of actions and events. In the ''commedia dell'arte'', it was an outline of entrances, exits, and action describing the plot of a play, and was literally pi ...

s for

. Between 1915 and 1933, she wrote scenarios for 69 films.

Filming

, Jack Curtis,

, Yona Landowska and Charles H. Hickman had all worked together filming

The Yaqui ''The Yaqui'' is a 1916 American silent Black and white Melodrama directed by Lloyd B. Carleton and starring Hobart Bosworth, Gretchen Lederer and Emory Johnson. The film depicts Yaqui Indians entrapped by nefarious elements into enslavemen ...

. They were all

contract actors. The transition to this film was relatively easy. * Isadore Bernstein was a staff writer at Universal. In hopes of capturing the same inspiration Bret Harte felt when he wrote the original stage play, Bernstein traveled to

Sonora, California Sonora is the county seat of Tuolumne County, California. Founded during the California Gold Rush by Mexican miners from Sonora (after which the city is named), the city population was 5,226 during the 2020 Census, an increase of 221 from the ...

, "Queen of the

Southern Mines The Stanislaus River is a tributary of the San Joaquin River in north-central California in the United States. The main stem of the river is long, and measured to its furthest headwaters it is about long. Originating as three forks in the high ...

." Once he arrived, he worked on the continuity for the film. *Universal was committed to capturing the atmosphere of the early West depicted in the Bret Harte stories.

Location scouting Location scouting is a vital process in the pre-production stage of filmmaking and commercial photography. Once scriptwriters, producers or directors have decided what general kind of scenery they require for the various parts of their work t ...

determined

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, California would best serve this purpose. Universal shot all of the film's exteriors in

, California, and the surrounding area. * To lend an air of authenticity to John Oakhurst's character, Hobart Bosworth wore an old-fashioned set of Mexican

Spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to back ...

s. The 40-year-old spurs were silver mounted with large rowels. They were the property of one of the oldest Spanish families in the area. See the Spurs in the Gallery photo with the caption - "Oakhurst kissing the hand of Jovita's." * The article cited here opens with "The Universal leading ladies have been appearing lately in old fashioned gowns... " The article further states - "Gretchen Lederer in "Two Men of Sandy Bar" has taken infinite pains to reproduce the styles of the fifties in her customs and has succeeded admirably.

Crinoline A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which was ...

s, introduced in the forties, had grown too large proportions. . . " All of this can be seen in the photograph of Gretchen Lederer shown in the Gallery section.

Length

The theatrical release of this film totaled 5

reels A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the ends ...

. As is often the case, the listed time for this feature-length movie varies. The average time per 1,000-foot 35mm reel varied between 10 and 15 minutes per reel at the time. Thus, the total time for this movie is computed between 50 and 75 minutes.

Advertising

This film carried

's "Red Feather" brand, designating a low-budget feature film.

Reviews

The critics liked this film, especially Universal's picturesque settings, period costuming, romantic subject matter, and strong characters. In the March 25, 1916 issue of the

Moving Picture World The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. I ...

, Robert C. McElravy reviews the movie: In the March 25, 1916 issue of the

Motion Picture News The ''Motion Picture News'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1913 to 1930. History The publication was created through the 1913 merger of the ''Moving Picture News'' founded in 1908 and ''The Exhibitors' Times'', founded ...

, Peter Milne wrote: In the April 8, 1916 issue of the

, a staff critic observes:

Preservation status

According to 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 is ...

website, this film has a current status of "No holdings located in archives," thus it is presumed all copies of this film are

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 ...

.The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''Two Men of Sandy Bar / Lloyd B Carleton (motion picture)''
/ref>

Gallery

Players

Hobartbosworth.jpg,

John (Jack) Oakhurst Emory Johnson A.png,

''Sandy Morton'' Gretchen Lederer, silent film actress (SAYRE 5972).jpg,

''The Duchess'' Yona Landowska 01.png, Yona Landowska
''Dona Jovita Castro'' William V Mong, stock actor (SAYRE 6182).jpg,

William V. Mong William V. Mong (June 25, 1875 – December 10, 1940) was an American film actor, screenwriter and director. He appeared in almost 200 films between 1910 and 1939. His directing (1911–1918) and screenwriting (1911–1922) were mostly for ...

''Don Jose de Castro'' Jack Curtis Cropped.png, Jack Curtis
Pritchard Olga Printzlau 02.png, Adaptation
Olga Printzlau Lloyd B Carelton 01.png, Director

Movie Stills

Two Men of Sandy Bar 10.png, Oakhurst kissing the hand of Jovita Two Men of Sandy Bar 04.png, The Duchess applies her well-worn arts of fascination Two Men of Sandy Bar 05.png, The Duchess could appreciate fine work Two Men of Sandy Bar 02.png, Oakhurst mounts the wall of the Castro Grounds

References

External links

* * * * * *Katchmer, George A. A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses, McFarland, 2002, p. 204. * * *

List of Universal Pictures films (1912–1919) This is a list of films produced or distributed by Universal Pictures in 1912–1919, founded in 1912 as the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. It is the main film, motion picture production company, production and distribution company, distribu ...

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

List of American films of 1916 This list of American films of 1916 is a compilation of American films released in the year 1916. __TOC__ A–B C–D E–F G–H I–J K–L M–N O–P Q–R S–T U–V W–Z Short films ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Two Men of Sandy Bar 1916 lost films 1916 drama films 1916 films American black-and-white films Silent American drama films American silent feature films Associated Exhibitors films 1910s English-language films Films set in Mexico Lost American films Melodrama films Universal Pictures films Films directed by Lloyd B. Carleton 1910s American films