''The Abysmal Brute'' is a 1923 American silent

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

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

Hobart Henley Hobart Henley (born Hess Manassah Henle; November 23, 1887 – May 22, 1964) was an American silent film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He was involved in over 60 films either as an actor or director or both in his twenty-year career ...

and starring Reginald Denny, Mabel Julienne Scott, and

Charles K. French Charles K. French (born Charles Ekrauss French or Charles E. Krauss; January 17, 1860 – August 2, 1952) was an American film actor, screenwriter and director who appeared in more than 240 films between 1909 and 1945. Biography French was ...

. It is an adaptation of the 1911 novel '' The Abysmal Brute'' by

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

. The film received mixed reception, with one reviewer stating that the film was not a perfect adaptation of the novel. Comedic scenes, that were not in the novel, were added to the film by leading actor Reginald Denny.

Plot

A boxer raised in the mountains by his father comes to

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

and enjoys great success, but his lack of social skills means he struggles to romance the socialite with whom he has fallen in love.

Cast

Production

The ''

Minneapolis Star The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolid ...

'' wrote that the film is not like the book, with only the name of the book and characters being used. The reviewer mentioned that romance is only a small part of the novel and that there is "painfully dragged-in comedy relief" in the film. The actor Reginald Denny added comedic scenes to the film which he said was "'the hokum' of an adaptation of Jack London's boxing story".

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 ...

"dedicated the film to The American Legion because of the wonderful spirit of clean athletics engendered in young American manhood by the war and the subsequent veteran activities". AllMovie said, "Since his British accent remained conveniently unheard during the silent era, Reginald Denny made a wonderful all-American hero". Virginia Valli was originally meant to have the role of Mabel Julienne Scott.

Shannon Day Shannon Day (born Sylvia Day; August 5, 1896 – February 24, 1977) was an American silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative ...

and

Mae Busch Mae Busch (born Annie May Busch; 18 June 1891 – 20 April 1946) was an Australian-born actress who worked in both silent and sound films in early Hollywood. In the latter part of her career she appeared in many Laurel and Hardy comedies, frequ ...

were reported to be in the cast at first, but neither actress appeared in the film. Multiple boxers, who were known prizefighters, appeared in the film. The film was originally scheduled to premiere in the fall of 1922, but the release was delayed to film '' The Shock''.

Reception

The ''Pennsylvania School Journal'' recommended the film for Children's Book Week from November 11 to November 17, 1923. ''The Educational Screen'' said, "A slow-moving, but sincere and well-acted filming of one of Jack London's tales". '' The Yonkers Herald'' wrote that women will enjoy Denny's "pleasing personality" and that men will enjoy "the masculinity of the story" and its "series of thrilling prize-ring sequences".

References

Bibliography

* Munden, Kenneth White. ''The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States, Part 1''. University of California Press, 1997.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abysmal Brute 1923 films 1920s sports drama films American sports drama films Films directed by Hobart Henley American silent feature films 1920s English-language films Universal Pictures films American boxing films American black-and-white films 1923 drama films Films based on works by Jack London 1920s American films Silent American drama films Silent sports drama films