The Ghost Breaker (1914 film)
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''The Ghost Breaker'' 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 by
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 ...
and Oscar C. Apfel and based on the 1909 Broadway play of the same name by
Paul Dickey Paul Dickey (12 May 1882 – 7 January 1933), was an American playwright and silent screen writer. He wrote 17 films between years 1914 in film, 1914 and 1953 in film, 1933. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and died in New York City, New Y ...
and
Charles W. Goddard Charles William Goddard (November 26, 1879 – January 11, 1951) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Goddard began writing Broadway theatre, Broadway plays before turning to film, adapting a number of his stage works to film. He wrote the ...
. The film was distributed by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
under the
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 t ...
banner. ''The Ghost Breaker'' was possibly the first film in a long line of haunted-house horror films with the same story. A 1922 remake of the same name starred
Wallace Reid William Wallace Halleck Reid (April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an American actor in silent film, referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover". He also had a brief career as a racing driver. Early life Reid was born in St. Louis, M ...
and
Lila Lee Lila Lee (born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel; July 25, 1905 – November 13, 1973) was a prominent screen actress, primarily a leading lady, of the silent film and early sound film eras. Early life The daughter of Augusta Fredericka Appe ...
. The original film was also remade as ''
The Ghost Breakers ''The Ghost Breakers'' is a 1940 American mystery/horror comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. It was adapted by screenwriter Walter DeLeon as the third film version of the 1909 play '' The Ghost Bre ...
'' (1940) with
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
and
Paulette Goddard Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress notable for her film career in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Born in Manhattan and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Goddard initially began her career a ...
, and as '' Scared Stiff'' (1953) with
Martin and Lewis Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1945 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin w ...
. The film is now considered
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

Somewhere in
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, Princess Maria Theresa is examining her jewels one day when she accidentally drops a casket causing a secret compartment to open. Within this compartment, she finds an old piece of paper that describes a locket containing a map of a mysterious location. The Princess assumes that it is the way to the Aragon family’s lost treasure. She attempts to locate the locket but concludes that it has been stolen. Her maid, Carmencita stole the locket and sold it to an American art dealer named Gains. Carmencita gets stabbed by Juanita, a jealous rival in love. With her dying breath, Carmencita informs the Princess and Prince what she did with the locket and the search begins. Duke D’Alva eavesdrops on the exchange and decides he wants to find the locket first. In a town to the south, there is an old feud between two rival families, Jarvis’ family, and  Markam’s family. This tension eventually leads to Markam killing Warren Javis's father, Judge Jarvis. This causes Warren to follow Markam to
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 * '' ...
. While in New York Markam spots Gains, the art dealer, and purchases the locket from him. The Princess finds Gains and tries to buy the locket back, but it had already been sold. The Duke does the same, so they both set off in search of Markam. The Princess finds Markam first however because she is staying in the same hotel and manages to get the locket from him. Afterward, Jarvis finds and kills Markam as revenge for killing his father. During Jarvis’s escape, he bursts into the Princesses room and explains his predicament. She understands and hides Jarvis away in her luggage and he is snuck on board with her as she leaves for Spain. Detectives board the ship in search of Jarvis but cannot find him. Jarvis decides he will help the Princess find the treasure. Before she left for New York, Princess Maria Theresa’s brother and father investigate the castle because that is where they believe the treasure is hidden. The castle is full of fake supernatural spectators conjured by the Duke to scare the royals away from the treasure. The Duke manages to kill the Princess’s father and kidnap her brother with his forces. Jarvis and his servant, Rusty, make it to Spain and quickly make their way to the castle. In the meantime, the Princess is staying at an Inn not too far from the castle. The Duke is able to steal the locket from the Princess’s luggage without her knowledge during this time. The Duke then sends his henchman to stop Jarvis before he can get to the castle. He fails to kill Jarvis and instead gets shot in the process. They continue to the castle and encounter a fake ghost inside. It’s another one of the Duke’s henchmen dressed in a suit of armor. He also meets his end falling through a trapdoor, failing to stop Jarvis and Rusty. During this, the Prince escapes captivity and takes Jarvis’s horse waiting outside the Castle. He quickly informs the police of what’s happening and they rush to the castle. As the police try to apprehend the Duke he jumps down a trap trying to escape and dies. The gang finds the treasure during this encounter. Finally, Jarvis and the Princess confess their mutual feelings towards each other and come together.


Cast

*
H. B. Warner Henry Byron Warner (born Henry Byron Lickfold, 26 October 1876 – 21 December 1958) was an English film and theatre actor. He was popular during the silent era and played Jesus Christ in '' The King of Kings''. In later years, he successfu ...
as Warren Jarvis * Rita Stanwood as Princess Maria Theresa *
Theodore Roberts Theodore Roberts (October 8, 1861 – December 14, 1928) was an American film and stage actor. Early life Roberts was born in San Francisco, California. He was a cousin of the stage actress Florence Roberts. His choice of a career disapp ...
as Prince of Aragon * Betty Johnson as Carmen *
Jode Mullally Joseph T. "Jode" Mullally (November 19, 1886–December 29, 1918) was an early American silent film actor born in New Orleans. He appeared in several productions by Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar Apfel. Upon America's entry into World War I, Mullall ...
as Don Luis *
Horace B. Carpenter Horace B. Carpenter (January 31, 1875 – May 21, 1945) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He appeared in more than 330 films between 1914 and 1946. He also directed 15 films between 1925 and 1934. Born in Grand Rapids, ...
as Carlos, Duke D'Alva * Jeanne McPherson as Juanita, Carmen's rival *
Mabel Van Buren Mabel Van Buren (born Mabel Brown Southard; July 17, 1878 – November 4, 1947) was an American stage and screen actress. Biography As a theatrical performer she played the leading lady in both ''The Virginian'' and ''The Squaw Man'' (190 ...
as Delores *
William Elmer William Elmer (April 25, 1869 – February 24, 1945) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1913 and 1942. He was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa and died in Hollywood, California. Elmer acted in ...
as Robledo * Richard L'Estrange as Maximo, the ghost (as Dick La Strange) *
Fred Montague Fred Montague (1864 – 3 July 1919) was an English film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1912 and 1919. He was born in London and died in Los Angeles, California California is a U.S. state, state ...
as Gaspart, the ghost *
Lucien Littlefield Lucien Littlefield (August 16, 1895 – June 4, 1960) was an American actor who achieved a long career from silent films to the television era. He was noted for his versatility, playing a wide range of roles and already portraying old men befor ...
as Judge Jarvis * John Burton as Rusty (as J.W. Burton) * Jack W. Johnston as Markam (as J.W. Johnson)


Release

The film was released in Wellington, New Zealand, on December 19, 1915, where it followed a week-long run of ''
Fanchon the Cricket ''Fanchon the Cricket'' is a 1915 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players Film Company and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is based on a novel, ''La Petite Fadette'' by George Sand. It was directed by James Kirkwood and stars ...
''.Amusements
Wairarapa Daily Times. Volume LXX. Issue 14474. January 7, 1916. p 3. Retrieved June 13, 2016


Reception

After the release of ''The Ghost Breaker,'' the film was met with mostly positive reviews, with audiences finding movie witty and thrilling. Many critics praised
H.B. Warner Henry Byron Warner (born Henry Byron Lickfold, 26 October 1876 – 21 December 1958) was an English film and theatre actor. He was popular during the silent era and played Jesus Christ in '' The King of Kings''. In later years, he successfu ...
's portrayal of the character Warren Jarvis, so much so that his named was often used in promotions for the film.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ghost Breaker, The 1914 films 1910s horror drama films 1914 drama films 1914 horror films 1914 lost films American horror drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films American films based on plays 1910s English-language films Famous Players-Lasky films Films directed by Cecil B. DeMille Films directed by Oscar Apfel American haunted house films Lost horror films Lost American films Lost drama films Paramount Pictures films 1910s American films Silent American drama films Silent horror films