Backbone (1923)
1923 · Silent film · 2 min · dir. Edward Sloman
She knew that he could fight, but when he began to make love-oh, Boy!
- Drama
- Romance
Synopsis
'Backbone' is a turgid romance that ping-pongs back and forth between two different centuries, with the same romantic leads doubling in both periods. This sub-genre seemed to be fairly popular in silent days, another such example being the recently rediscovered Valentino film 'Beyond the Rocks'. The most notable aspect of 'Backbone' is the casting (in the two male leads) of Alfred Lunt, a major actor of the American stage who made few film appearances. But Lunt is not especially impressive here. One of Lunt's more distinctive traits on stage was his appealing habit of playing major scenes with his back to the audience, relying on his splendid voice and physique to convey emotion while his face was concealed. In silent films, Lunt did not have such an option.This film takes place in deepest melodrama: to be specific, in the same moss-covered New England territory of 'Shore Acres' and 'Way Down East'. The villain here is evil real-estate speculator Anthony Bracken, who covets the timberland purchased by John Thorne. More than a century earlier, this land was owned by Frenchman Andre de Mersay. Thorne and de Mersay are both played by Lunt, even though the two men are not relations. Andre de Mersay as an older man is played by Emile La Croix, who doesn't remotely resemble an older version of Lunt.Bland and unattractive Edith Roberts plays de Mersay's granddaughter and her modern counterpart, both named Yvonne. The action wavers unpleasantly between France's genteel yesteryear…
Synopsis from OMDb
Details
- Director
- Edward Sloman
- Writer
- Charles E. Whittaker
- Studio
- Distinctive Pictures
- Released
- 1923-04-30
- Running time
- 2 minutes
Subjects on the Internet Archive
- award
Cast & crew
Edward Sloman Director
Edith Roberts
Alfred Lunt
William B. Mack