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Lon Chaney film "Triumph" to be screened

Messages
640
Location
Hollywood, CA
Lon Chaney film "Triumph" to be screened

Long thought to be lost, TRIUMPH, a 1917 Universal film with Lon Chaney will be screened on October 11 at 7:30pm at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood.

Three of the five 35MM nitrate reels were found by film collector George Wagner around 2000. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences restored the remaining three reels and with the use of some photos and title cards reconstructed the film.

Screening along with TRIUMPH will be THE BLOOD SHIP (1927), produced by Columbia, starring Hobart Bosworth & Richard Arlen. The film was missing the last 10 minutes, but a 16mm print was recently found and now allows the film to be shown in its complete form. This film was also restored by the Academy.

Tickets are $5.00. the Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood.

TRIUMPH

Released 9/03/17 by Universal/Bluebird Photoplays; Director: Joseph De Grasse; Screenplay: Fred Myton, from a story by Samuel Hopkins Adams; 5 reels; Print Source: reels 1-3 survive in the hands of a private collector in the U.S.

CAST:
Dorothy Phillips (Nell Baxter)
Lon Chaney (Paul Neihoff)
William Stowell (Dudley Weyman)
William J. Dyer (David Montieth)
Claire Du Brey (Lillian Du Pont)
Clyde Benson (Rupert Vincent)
Helen Wright (Character Woman)
Ruth Elder (Second Woman)

SYNOPSIS:
Nell Baxter, an aspiring actress, in enticed into leaving her home town and going to Broadway where she has been told she will surely triumph as a great star. At the station, she meets a company of road-show actors and becomes friendly with Dudley Weyman, an old character actor. He urges her not to go to New York, but she does not heed his advice and soon finds herself unemployed in the big city. In a theatre on Broadway, Dudley Weyman, the leading man, and the show manager have just learned that one of the actresses has been married and is leaving the stage. Nell is hanging around the theatre looking for work, and is spotted by Dudley who takes her to the manager. She fills the vacant role perfectly, and Dudley soon falls in love with her, but she shows only friendship for him. David Montieth, the manager, is also quite taken with Nell, but she only has eyes for Paul Neihoff, a cold-blooded dramatic critic who is trying to get a play published. Using Nell's affection for him, Paul gets her to entice Montieth into reading his play. Montieth, thinking Nell is in love with him, agrees to stage Paul's play, with Nell in the lead. Another actress is jealous of all the attention Nell is getting, and she arranges for Montieth to see Nell and Paul embracing in her dressing room. Montieth announces that he will not open the show, and he knocks Paul to the ground. Nell goes to Montieth's apartment to plead with him not to drop the show. He attacks her, and she grabs a cane to defend herself. The handle falls off revealing a dagger, and when Montieth approaches her she stabs and kills him. She gives Paul and Dudley the news and Paul tells the two stars they must go on with the show. Paul's doctor has told him he only has three months to live, so Paul writes a confession to the murder, then poisons himself. Nell goes on stage for the final scene where she is to stab herself, and she plunges the dagger in for real, dying in Dudley's arms. Dudley Weyman, the old character man, is telling Nell that this is the story of another girl named Nell that he once loved. As the train pulls away, Nell remains in her small town, and she kisses her sweetheart when she meets him on the road.

"The audience is cheated at the beginning of the story within the story...The tragic story within the story would make a very good photoplay without the outside story." ---Moving Picture World

"The finish is altogether unexpected because the visualization of the actor's narration is not suggested in any way and its enactment is vivid and stirring. A very good program feature." -- -Variety
 

funneman

Practically Family
Messages
851
Location
South Florida
Lon Chaney

Cool.

I've been re-reading a biography of director Tod Browning. Great stories about the pairing of Browning and Cheney. Wish I could be there.

BTW, the book suggests that lots of silent films were sent out to theatres and shown with the last reel missing. Sometimes the studios didn't like the endings and just didn't use them. Other times they were just misplaced.
 

Rick S.

New in Town
Messages
21
Location
Florida
Thanks, Midnight Palace.

I, too, wish i could trade coasts for such events.

Also, I enjoyed visiting your website - very nice!:eusa_clap

rick
 
Messages
640
Location
Hollywood, CA
Yes I hope to make it to the screening. Thanks very much for visiting my site :) I saw that you registered and I did get your link. I'll add it on the next site update.

Gary
 

happyfilmluvguy

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,541
Midnight, perhaps you could make it an outting amongst other members. I'd be interested in going. It would be fun as a group. What do you think? Round up some loungers!
 
Messages
640
Location
Hollywood, CA
I did like it. Very interesting info about Tod's family in there too....particularly his uncle Pete Browning. I've interviewed the author, David J. Skal, and have also spoken to him a few additional times.
 

Ed Bass

One of the Regulars
Messages
162
Location
Palm Springs, CA.
Thanks for the tip Gary. We'll certainly try to make it.
A short while ago I was speaking with Lon Chaney's grandson Ron, who lives locally. I'll have to contact him and see if he's also attending.
Best, Toots
 

happyfilmluvguy

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,541
It's located in the Pickford Center For Motion Picture Study on Vine Street. What I'd really like to see there is the original footage from the Academy Awards in the 40's. For studying purposes, you can make an appointment and view such footage as well as their film library. Great things inside.

Midnight, that would make a great section on your website. What awaits inside the Pickford Center.

Here's what is in the archive and here's information about using it.
 

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