The Man Who Would Not Die
Encyclopedia
The Man Who Would Not Die is a 1916
silent era
feature length
drama
motion picture
starring William Russell, Charlotte Burton
, Harry Keenan
, and Leona Hutton
.
Directed
by William Russell and Jack Prescott
and produced
by Samuel S. Hutchinson, the screenplay
was adapted
by J. Edward Hungerford
from a story by Mabel Condon.
This five-reel feature
was produced at the American Film Company
's Flying "A" Studios
in Santa Barbara
. It was released
on August 31, 1916, and distributed
by the Mutual Film Corporation
.
Ocean scenes
for The Man Who Would Not Die were filmed
in May at Long Beach
, where Russell and his company of Flying "A" players stayed for a week during the production.
played by Russell). She marries Clyde and he immediately begins squandering her fortune. When the money is almost gone, Clyde comes up with a plan to collect on his life insurance policy. As his brother, Ward, who still loves Agnes, is terminally ill, he persuades him to take his place so the insurance company will believe that Clyde has died instead of Ward.
Agnes learns of the plan and is angry. She nurses Ward back to health and falls in love with him during his convalescence. Clyde then hires Steve Mercer (played by Keenan) and Beth Taylor (played by Hutton) to murder his brother. He gets impatient, however, and shoots Ward himself.
When Clyde goes to tell Steve and Beth that their help is no longer needed, they mistake him for Ward and murder him. Ward recovers once again and he and Agnes are married.
1916 in film
The year 1916 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 17 - release of A Daughter of the Gods, the first US production with a million dollar budget, with the first nude scene by a major star....
silent era
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...
feature length
Feature length
Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.The term may also...
drama
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...
motion picture
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
starring William Russell, Charlotte Burton
Charlotte Burton
Charlotte Burton was an American silent film actress.-Career:Born in San Francisco, Burton was signed by the American Company in 1912 where she worked for several years. She joined Essanay Studio which she sued in 1919 for $25,000 for breach of contract...
, Harry Keenan
Harry Keenan
Harry George Keenan was an early American silent film actor.He starred in about 45 silent films mostly short between 1912 and 1916 in films such as The Highest Bid, with actresses such as Charlotte Burton.-External links:...
, and Leona Hutton
Leona Hutton
Leona Hutton was an American actress. During her brief career, between 1913 and 1916, she appeared in 48 silent era motion pictures.- Biography :...
.
Directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by William Russell and Jack Prescott
Jack Prescott
Jack Prescott was an early American silent film actor and director.Prescott starred in 19 films as an actor, between the end of 1914 and 1918, working with actors such as Charlotte Burton in films such as The Thoroughbred...
and produced
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
by Samuel S. Hutchinson, the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
was adapted
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
by J. Edward Hungerford
J. Edward Hungerford
J. Edward Hungerford was an American silent film screenwriter.He wrote the scripts for well over 50 films between 1912 and 1921 such as Youth's Endearing Charm in 1916.-Selected filmography:* Crossed Clues...
from a story by Mabel Condon.
This five-reel feature
Feature length
Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.The term may also...
was produced at the American Film Company
American Film Manufacturing Company
The American Film Manufacturing Company, also known as Flying "A" Studios, was founded in Chicago in fall 1910. In 1915, the formal name was changed to the American Film Company....
's Flying "A" Studios
American Film Manufacturing Company
The American Film Manufacturing Company, also known as Flying "A" Studios, was founded in Chicago in fall 1910. In 1915, the formal name was changed to the American Film Company....
in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. It was released
Film release
A film release is the stage at which a completed film is legally authorized by its owner for public distribution.The process includes locating a distributor to handle the film...
on August 31, 1916, and distributed
Film distribution
The distribution of a film is the process through which a movie is made available to watch for an audience by a film distributor...
by the Mutual Film Corporation
Mutual Film
Mutual Film Corporation was an early American motion picture conglomerate best remembered today as the producers of some of Charlie Chaplin's greatest comedies....
.
Ocean scenes
Scene (film)
In TV and movies, a scene is generally thought of as the action in a single location and continuous time. Due to the ability to edit recorded visual works, it is typically much shorter than a stage play scene....
for The Man Who Would Not Die were filmed
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
in May at Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, where Russell and his company of Flying "A" players stayed for a week during the production.
Synopsis
A wealthy young woman, Agnes (played by Burton), is loved by the identical twin brothers Clyde and Ward Kingsley (dual roleDual role
Dual role refers to one actor playing two or more roles, which may be deliberately scripted in a play or film, or merely be a by-product of a low budget. In a theatrical production where more than one actor plays multiple characters, it is sometimes referred to as an "Ironman" cast...
played by Russell). She marries Clyde and he immediately begins squandering her fortune. When the money is almost gone, Clyde comes up with a plan to collect on his life insurance policy. As his brother, Ward, who still loves Agnes, is terminally ill, he persuades him to take his place so the insurance company will believe that Clyde has died instead of Ward.
Agnes learns of the plan and is angry. She nurses Ward back to health and falls in love with him during his convalescence. Clyde then hires Steve Mercer (played by Keenan) and Beth Taylor (played by Hutton) to murder his brother. He gets impatient, however, and shoots Ward himself.
When Clyde goes to tell Steve and Beth that their help is no longer needed, they mistake him for Ward and murder him. Ward recovers once again and he and Agnes are married.
Cast
- William Russell as Clyde Kingsley/Ward Kingsley
- Charlotte BurtonCharlotte BurtonCharlotte Burton was an American silent film actress.-Career:Born in San Francisco, Burton was signed by the American Company in 1912 where she worked for several years. She joined Essanay Studio which she sued in 1919 for $25,000 for breach of contract...
as Agnes - Harry KeenanHarry KeenanHarry George Keenan was an early American silent film actor.He starred in about 45 silent films mostly short between 1912 and 1916 in films such as The Highest Bid, with actresses such as Charlotte Burton.-External links:...
as Steve Mercer - Leona HuttonLeona HuttonLeona Hutton was an American actress. During her brief career, between 1913 and 1916, she appeared in 48 silent era motion pictures.- Biography :...
as Beth Taylor
External links
- The Man Who Would Not Die at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films