''The Great Moment'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Sam Wood and starring Gloria Swanson,

Alec B. Francis Alec B. Francis (born Alec Francis Budd, 2 December 1867 – 6 July 1934) was an English actor, largely of the silent era. He appeared in more than 240 films between 1911 and 1934. Biography Francis was born in Suffolk, England. He studied law ...

, and Milton Sills. 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 ...

though a fragment exists and is preserved at the BFI National Archive.

Plot

As described in a film magazine, Sir Edward Pelham (Francis), who has married a Russian Gypsy named Nada (Swanson), fears that his daughter Nadine (Swanson) will follow in her mother's footsteps and arranges a marriage with her cousin Eustace (Butler), whom she does not love. Her father takes her and Eustace on a trip to America to look over some mines in Nevada. During the journey she meets Bayard Delaval (Sills), a young engineer in her father's employ, and a warm friendship grows between them. While returning with Bayard to the hotel from the mine she is bitten on her breast by a

rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small anim ...

. Bayard uses his pocketknife to open the wound and sucks out the poison. He takes her to his nearby shack and makes her drink some whiskey. Her father finds her with Bayard in his cabin and demands Bayard marry her at once. After the ceremony, Nadine is taken to the hotel and placed under the care of a physician. The father, disregarding all explanations, leaves for home. Recovering from the effects of the liquor, Nadine upbraids Bayard. Believing that Nadine does not love him, Bayard leaves her and prepares to sue for divorce. Sometime later in Washington, Bayard and Nadine meet again on the night of her engagement ball. Nadine has reconciled with her father and has agrees to marry Howard Hopper (Hull), a millionaire who is a cad and the talk of Washington society. Her father arrives and seeing Bayard and Nadine together and told that she loves him, does not stand in the way of their reunion.

Cast

* Gloria Swanson as Nada and Nadine Pelham *

as Sir Edward Pelham * Milton Sills as Bayard Delaval * F.R. Butler as Eustace * Raymond Brathwayt as Lord Crombie *

Helen Dunbar Helen Dunbar (born Katheryn Burke Lackey; October 10, 1863 – August 28, 1933) was an American theatrical performer and silent film actress. Career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dunbar first appeared with the Weber & Fields Stock Co ...

as Lady Crombie *

Julia Faye Julia Faye Maloney (September 24, 1892 – April 6, 1966), known professionally as Julia Faye, was an American actress of silent and sound films. She was known for her appearances in more than 30 Cecil B. DeMille productions. Her various roles ...

as Sadi Bronson * Clarence Geldert as Bronson * Ann Grigg as Blenkensop * Arthur Stuart Hull as Howard Hopper

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Great Moment, The 1921 films 1921 drama films Silent American drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Famous Players-Lasky films Films directed by Sam Wood Films shot in California Paramount Pictures films Lost American films 1921 lost films Lost drama films 1920s American films