Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1924 film)
Encyclopedia
Tess of the d'Urbervilles is a 1924
silent
film starring Blanche Sweet, and Conrad Nagel
. It was directed by Blanche Sweet's husband, Marshall Neilan
. The film is the second motion picture adaptation of the novel
by Thomas Hardy
which had been turned into a very successful 1897 play starring Mrs. Fiske
, a career defining move for her. In 1913 Adolph Zukor
brought Mrs. Fiske(then really too old for the role) to the movie screen to reprise her 1897 starring success before the cameras in the first movie version of Tess of the d'Urbervilles. The 1913 version is now lost. Thus Mrs. Fiske was one of Zukor's first 'Famous Players'.. The 1924 film is also now considered lost
.
changed the tragic ending to a happy one, much to the annoyance of Neilan and Hardy.
1924 in film
-Events:* Entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to create Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
silent
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...
film starring Blanche Sweet, and Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel was an American screen actor and matinee idol of the silent film era and beyond. He was also a well-known television actor and radio performer.-Biography:...
. It was directed by Blanche Sweet's husband, Marshall Neilan
Marshall Neilan
Marshall Ambrose Neilan was an American motion picture actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer.-Early life:...
. The film is the second motion picture adaptation of the novel
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented, also known as Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman, Tess of the d'Urbervilles or just Tess, is a novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1891. It initially appeared in a censored and serialised version, published by the British...
by Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
which had been turned into a very successful 1897 play starring Mrs. Fiske
Mrs. Fiske
Minnie Maddern Fiske , born as Marie Augusta Davey, but often billed simply as Mrs. Fiske, was one of the leading American actresses of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. She also spearheaded the fight against the Theatrical Syndicate for the sake of artistic freedom...
, a career defining move for her. In 1913 Adolph Zukor
Adolph Zukor
Adolph Zukor , born Adolph Cukor, was a film mogul and founder of Paramount Pictures.-Early life:...
brought Mrs. Fiske(then really too old for the role) to the movie screen to reprise her 1897 starring success before the cameras in the first movie version of Tess of the d'Urbervilles. The 1913 version is now lost. Thus Mrs. Fiske was one of Zukor's first 'Famous Players'.. The 1924 film is also now considered lost
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
Plot
A young servant girl is seduced and raped by an older middle class man in Victorian England when employed in his household. After moving on with her path, she gets married. All is well until her husband discovers her past. This fact prompts her on a life of wandering, murder, and execution.Cast
- Blanche Sweet - Teresa "Tess" Durbeyfield
- Conrad NagelConrad NagelConrad Nagel was an American screen actor and matinee idol of the silent film era and beyond. He was also a well-known television actor and radio performer.-Biography:...
- Angel Clare - Stuart Holmes - Alexander "Alec" D'Urberville
- George FawcettGeorge FawcettGeorge Fawcett was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. On stage he appeared in such plays as Ghosts with the controversial Mary Shaw, The Squaw Man with William Faversham, The Great John Ganton with an up-and-coming actress Laurette Taylor in the cast and Getting A Polish with...
- John Durbeyfield - Victory BatemanVictory BatemanVictory Bateman was an American silent film actress.On stage, Ms. Bateman appeared in the 1900 tour of "The Man From Mexico" and in the 1919 tour of "Seven Days' Leave".-Filmography:...
- Joan Durbeyfield - Courtenay Foote - Richard Crick
- Joseph J. Dowling - The Parson
Differences from the novel
After the film was completed, MayerLouis B. Mayer
Louis Burt Mayer born Lazar Meir was an American film producer. He is generally cited as the creator of the "star system" within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its golden years. Known always as Louis B...
changed the tragic ending to a happy one, much to the annoyance of Neilan and Hardy.