Black Oxen
Encyclopedia
Black Oxen is an American silent film
released in December 1923, starring Corinne Griffith
, Conway Tearle
and Clara Bow
and based on the novel by Gertrude Atherton
. Described as "subtle science fiction." the work takes its title from William Butler Yeats
: "The years like great Black Oxen tread the world." It was produced by Frank Lloyd
Productions and distributed by First National Pictures
. A special edition of Atherton's novel was released featuring stills from the film.
retains a complete print of the film. Only an incomplete version of the film is available through a DVD distributor. The New York Public Library has a 16mm print available in three film reels. It is one of about ten films starring Corinne Griffith
, out of 58, that are available for viewing.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
released in December 1923, starring Corinne Griffith
Corinne Griffith
Corinne Mae Griffith was an American actress. Dubbed "The Orchid Lady of the Screen", she was one of the most popular film actresses of the 1920s and widely considered the most beautiful actress of the silent screen...
, Conway Tearle
Conway Tearle
Conway Tearle was an Anglo-American stage actor who went on to perform in silent and early sound films.-Early life:...
and Clara Bow
Clara Bow
Clara Gordon Bow was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. It was her appearance as a spunky shopgirl in the film It that brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex...
and based on the novel by Gertrude Atherton
Gertrude Atherton
Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton was an American writer.-Early Childhood:Gertrude Franklin Horn was born on October 30, 1857 in San Francisco to Thomas Ludovich Horn and his wife, the former Gertrude Franklin...
. Described as "subtle science fiction." the work takes its title from William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
: "The years like great Black Oxen tread the world." It was produced by Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd was a film director, scriptwriter and producer...
Productions and distributed by First National Pictures
First National
First National was an association of independent theater owners in the United States that expanded from exhibiting movies to distributing them, and eventually to producing them as a movie studio, called First National Pictures, Inc. It later merged with Warner Bros.-Early history:The First National...
. A special edition of Atherton's novel was released featuring stills from the film.
Plot
Lee Clavering (Tearle), a playwright in New York, falls in love with an Austrian countess (Griffith). An animated, precocious flapper Janet Oglethorpe (Bow) is also in love with him, but he hasn't noticed yet. We learn that Countess is actually 58 years old, and has retained her youth through a rejuvenating glandular treatment and X-ray surgery. Lee's plans to marry the countess are thwarted when one of her former admirers reveals her embarrassing secret and, in the end, Lee discovers happiness with Janet.Availability
The George Eastman HouseGeorge Eastman House
The George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation and...
retains a complete print of the film. Only an incomplete version of the film is available through a DVD distributor. The New York Public Library has a 16mm print available in three film reels. It is one of about ten films starring Corinne Griffith
Corinne Griffith
Corinne Mae Griffith was an American actress. Dubbed "The Orchid Lady of the Screen", she was one of the most popular film actresses of the 1920s and widely considered the most beautiful actress of the silent screen...
, out of 58, that are available for viewing.