''The Cheat'' is a 1923 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 ...

produced by

Famous Players-Lasky Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and ...

and distributed by Paramount Pictures, and is a remake of

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

's 1915 film of the same name using the same script by Hector Turnbull and

Jeanie MacPherson Abbie Jean MacPherson (May 18, 1886 – August 26, 1946) was an American silent actress, writer, and director. MacPherson worked as a theater and film actress before becoming a screenwriter for Cecil B. DeMille. She was a pioneer for women in th ...

. This version stars

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Apolonia Chalupec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienne and femm ...

and was directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

Plot

As described in a film magazine review, Carmelita De Cordoba a beautiful young South American woman who has been betrothed by her stern father to Don Pablo, whom she despises, meets and falls in love with Dudley Drake, a New York City broker, while in Paris. Claude Mace, an art swindler masquerading as East Indian Prince Rao-Singh, hopes to marry her for her wealth. Carmelita elopes with Dudley and is disinherited. The Prince, after lending her some money, induces her to dine alone with him. Meanwhile Dudley makes a fortune. Carmelita and the Prince quarrel and she shoots him. Dudley, arriving on the scene, takes responsibility for the crime. He is convicted. Carmelita goes to the court and confesses, showing a brand on her shoulder that is the Prince's work. The verdict is set aside and all is rosy.

Cast

Preservation status

With no prints of ''The Cheat'' located in any film archives,The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''The Cheat''
/ref> it is a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

References

External links

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Still
at gettyimages.com 1923 films American silent feature films Famous Players-Lasky films Films directed by George Fitzmaurice Films based on short fiction Lost American films 1923 drama films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films Films with screenplays by Ouida Bergère Remakes of American films 1923 lost films Lost drama films 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub