Dangerous Innocence (film)
Encyclopedia
Dangerous Innocence is a 1925 black-and-white
silent film
comedy
/romance
/drama film
written by Lewis Milestone
and James O. Spearing based upon the novel Ann's an Idiot by Pamela Wynne
. Directed by William A. Seiter
for Universal Pictures
, the film stars Laura La Plante
and Eugene O'Brien. It is unknown whether any copies of this film exist, and it is considered a lost film.
) meets young and dashing Major Anthony Seymour (Eugene O'Brien), falls in love and makes some innocent advances to gain his attentions. Ann is 19, but looks 15. The Major at first resists her advances because he believes she is that young, and later he holds back after learning that Ann's mother Muriel (Hedda Hopper
) was a former girlfriend of his. Anothr passenger, Gilchrist (Jean Hersholt
) who is a cad, takes advantage of Ann's naiveté and places her in a compromising position. To save her reputation, the Major proposes to Ann and she accepts. When they arrive in Bombay, Gilchrist gets even by telling Ann that the Major had had an affair with her mother, causing Ann to break the engagement. Angry, the Major follows Gilchrist off ship and thrashes him. As she prepares to return alonne to England, the Major forces Gilchrist to admit to Ann that the relationship between the Major and Ann's mother was platonic and never romantic. The young couple reunite and are later married at sea.
writes that the subject of shipboard romances are "invariably appealing, especially when the heroine has youth and beauty and the hero is a British Major clad in a faultlessly cut uniform", offering that the film begins well and slackens at the end only because the heroine "is just a little bit too credulous, even for a girl who is much in love." They offer that viewers are apt to think of the Rudyard Kipling
poem An Unknown Goddess, because La Plante's character of Ann is younger than she appears and Eugene O'Brien's character of Major Anthony Seymour initially takes only a paternal interest in someone he believes a child. When he realizes her age his intentions turn affectionate, but become complicated when he learns that Ann is the daughter of an old sweetheart. They praise director William A. Seiter, writing that he "shows originality and imagination in his direction of a number of scenes." The also share that "Laura La Plante is quite effective as Ann", and that Eugene O'Brien "acts the role of Seymour with sincerity and restraint." They conclude that the film "is a photoplay which can be enjoyed because of the appealing love story and the pains taken by the producers to give an idea of the background, both aboard ship and in India."
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
silent film
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...
comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
/romance
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
/drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written by Lewis Milestone
Lewis Milestone
Lewis Milestone was a Russian-American motion picture director. He is known for directing Two Arabian Knights and All Quiet on the Western Front , both of which received Academy Awards for Best Director...
and James O. Spearing based upon the novel Ann's an Idiot by Pamela Wynne
Pamela Wynne
Pamela Wynne the author was a romantic novelist during the 1920s and 30's with a career lasting until her death in 1959.-Life:She was born with the name Winifred Mary Watson, London 1879. Her father Samuel was a solicitor in the City of London and Winifred was the fourth child born to Samuel and...
. Directed by William A. Seiter
William A. Seiter
William A. Seiter was an American film director. He was born in New York City. After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films in 1915 as a bit player at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios, doubling a cowboy...
for Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
, the film stars Laura La Plante
Laura La Plante
Laura La Plante was an American actress, best-known for her roles in silent films.-Early acting career:...
and Eugene O'Brien. It is unknown whether any copies of this film exist, and it is considered a lost film.
Plot
On a ship sailing from England to India, Ann Church (Laura La PlanteLaura La Plante
Laura La Plante was an American actress, best-known for her roles in silent films.-Early acting career:...
) meets young and dashing Major Anthony Seymour (Eugene O'Brien), falls in love and makes some innocent advances to gain his attentions. Ann is 19, but looks 15. The Major at first resists her advances because he believes she is that young, and later he holds back after learning that Ann's mother Muriel (Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
) was a former girlfriend of his. Anothr passenger, Gilchrist (Jean Hersholt
Jean Hersholt
Jean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
) who is a cad, takes advantage of Ann's naiveté and places her in a compromising position. To save her reputation, the Major proposes to Ann and she accepts. When they arrive in Bombay, Gilchrist gets even by telling Ann that the Major had had an affair with her mother, causing Ann to break the engagement. Angry, the Major follows Gilchrist off ship and thrashes him. As she prepares to return alonne to England, the Major forces Gilchrist to admit to Ann that the relationship between the Major and Ann's mother was platonic and never romantic. The young couple reunite and are later married at sea.
Cast
- Laura La PlanteLaura La PlanteLaura La Plante was an American actress, best-known for her roles in silent films.-Early acting career:...
as Ann Church - Eugene O'Brien as Maj. Anthony Seymour
- Jean HersholtJean HersholtJean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
as Gilchrist - Alfred AllenAlfred Allen (actor)For other persons named Alfred Allen, see Alfred Allen Alfred Allen was an American silent film actor and author.He was signed in 1915 and starred in 106 films before his retirement in 1935...
as Capt. Rome - Milla DavenportMilla DavenportMilla Davenport was a stage and film actress, originally from Sicily. She was educated in Switzerland. Davenport appeared with her husband, actor Harry Davenport's repertory company for fifteen years....
as Stewardess - Hedda HopperHedda HopperHedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
as Muriel Church - William HumphreyWilliam J. HumphreyWilliam Jonathan Humphrey was an American actor and film director.Born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, William Humphrey was a well-known member of the early stock company of Vitagraph Studios...
as Church - Martha MattoxMartha MattoxMartha Mattox was an American silent film actor most notable for her role of Mammy Pleasant in the 1927 film The Cat and the Canary. She also played a role in Torrent...
as Aunt - Janet GaynorJanet GaynorJanet Gaynor was an American actress and painter.One of the most popular actresses of the silent film era, in 1928 Gaynor became the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in three films: Seventh Heaven , Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Street Angel...
as
Reception
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
writes that the subject of shipboard romances are "invariably appealing, especially when the heroine has youth and beauty and the hero is a British Major clad in a faultlessly cut uniform", offering that the film begins well and slackens at the end only because the heroine "is just a little bit too credulous, even for a girl who is much in love." They offer that viewers are apt to think of the Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
poem An Unknown Goddess, because La Plante's character of Ann is younger than she appears and Eugene O'Brien's character of Major Anthony Seymour initially takes only a paternal interest in someone he believes a child. When he realizes her age his intentions turn affectionate, but become complicated when he learns that Ann is the daughter of an old sweetheart. They praise director William A. Seiter, writing that he "shows originality and imagination in his direction of a number of scenes." The also share that "Laura La Plante is quite effective as Ann", and that Eugene O'Brien "acts the role of Seymour with sincerity and restraint." They conclude that the film "is a photoplay which can be enjoyed because of the appealing love story and the pains taken by the producers to give an idea of the background, both aboard ship and in India."
External links
- Dangerous Innocence at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...