''Which Woman?'' is a 1918 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 ...

directed by

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...

and

Harry A. Pollard Harry A. Pollard (23 January 1879 – 6 July 1934) was an American silent film actor and director. His wife was silent screen star Margarita Fischer. Biography Harry A. Pollard was born in Republic, Kansas, and began his career on the stage. In ...

. The film stars

Ella Hall Ella Augusta Hall (March 17, 1896 – September 3, 1981) was an American actress. She appeared in more than 90 films between 1912 and 1933. Early years Ella Augusta Hall was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on March 17, 1896. Her family moved t ...

as a reluctant bride and

Priscilla Dean Priscilla Dean (November 25, 1896 – December 27, 1987) was an American actress popular in silent film as well as in theatre, with a career spanning two decades. Biography She was born on November 25, 1896 in Manhattan, New York City to an activ ...

as an adventuress and leader of a gang of thieves. The story was remade in 1923 as ''Nobody's Bride''.

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 ...

, Doris Standish (Hall), being forced into an unwanted marriage with an aged millionaire, follows the advice of a maid and jumps into a waiting automobile driven by Jimmy Nevin (Sutherland). After an automobile accident that wrecks the car, Doris and Jimmy seek refuge from a storm in a barn. To this same barn come the butler and maid with the stolen wedding presents. Doris transposes bags and goes to a rooming house with Jimmy, but the crooks follow. Doris escapes, but before she can warn her uncle and the millionaire, they are trapped by the crooks. Doris returns to the rooming house and is followed by the police. The crooks are arrested. Jimmy asks the uncle for Doris' hand and the millionaire gives his blessing.

Cast

as Doris Standish *

as Mary Butler * A. Edward Sutherland as Jimmy Nevin * Edward Jobson as Cyrus W. Hopkins * Andrew Robson as Peter Standish *

Marian Skinner Marian Skinner (January 8, 1880 – June 7, 1963), was an American film actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1915 and 1924. She was born in New York, New York, and died in San Francisco, California. Sele ...

as Undetermined Role (uncredited) * Fred Starr as Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Which Woman?'' was subject to restrictions and cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors cut, in Reel 1, the intertitle "All we need is a chauffeur for the getaway", Reel 2, looting of room, Reel 4, the three intertitles "Now that you're here, what will you pay to get out?", "So that's your game — not a damn cent", and "One of you goes free — the one who pays the most money", Reel 5, all intertitles in which money is bid, the three intertitles "Not so bad even if it has to be split three ways", "All hard boiled, when I cash it you go free", and "After the gang leaves we'll smuggle Hopkins out", and kicking and slugging policeman.

References

External links

* {{Tod Browning 1918 films 1918 drama films 1910s mystery drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films American mystery drama films Films directed by Tod Browning Universal Pictures films Films directed by Harry A. Pollard 1910s American films Silent American drama films Silent mystery drama films