''The Son of His Father'' is a 1917 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

Victor Schertzinger Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include '' Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930), ''Something to Sing About'' (1937) with James C ...

and written by Ridgwell Cullum. The film stars Charles Ray,

Vola Vale Vola Vale (born Vola Smith; February 12, 1897 – October 17, 1970) was a silent film actress. Early career Vale was born in Buffalo, New York and educated in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Her high school friends in Rochester, New York, where she w ...

, Robert McKim, George Nichols,

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 ...

, and

J. P. Lockney John P. Lockney (March 17, 1867, date of death unknown) was an American actor of the silent film era. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1937. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Partial filmography * ''The Bride of Hat ...

. The film was released on October 22, 1917, by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

As described in a film magazine, Gordon Carbhoy (Ray), the spoiled son of wealthy father James Carbhoy (French) who owns several railroads, is sent out by his father to turn $5,000 into $100,000, which the son claimed to be able to do. Gordon meets Silas Mallinsbee (Nichols) at Buffalo Falls, where the son is eager to have the railroad build a station at that point. Mallinsbee cannot come to an agreement with David Slosson (McKim), the representative of Gordon's father. Gordon takes things into his own hands and makes a captive of Slosson. When his father shows up, Gordon takes him captive also. Using his father's code, Gordon orders a train crew to come to Buffalo Falls and construction of the station begins. After work is well underway, Gordon brings his report to his father, who is proud of his son. By then the little love affair between Gordon and Hazel, daughter of Mallinsbee, comes to a head, and Hazel promises to become Gordon's wife.

Cast

* Charles Ray as Gordon Carbhoy *

as Hazel Mallinsbee * Robert McKim as David Slosson * George Nichols as Silas Mallinsbee *

as James Carbhoy *

as Peter McSwain * Harry Yamamoto as Hi Plee *

Otto Hoffman Otto F. Hoffman (May 2, 1879 – June 23, 1944) was an American film actor. He appeared in almost 200 films between 1915 and 1944. He was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles, California, from lung cancer. Hoffman's Broadway credit ...

as Harker

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''The Son of His Father'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required cuts of scenes of striking man over the head, struggle scene with girl and that part of the third scene where man kisses girl and drags her to door, and two closeups of wounded man in fight.

Survival status

Copies of the film are held in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

film archive and the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the ar ...

References

External links

* * Cullum, Ridgwell (1915),
The Son of His Father
', Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., on the Internet Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Son of His Father, The 1917 films 1910s English-language films Silent American drama films 1917 drama films Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Victor Schertzinger American black-and-white films American silent feature films 1910s American films