The Miracle Man (1919 film)
Encyclopedia
The Miracle Man is a 1919
dramatic film based on a 1914 play by George M. Cohan
, which in turn is based on the novel of the same title by Frank L. Packard
. It was directed by George Loane Tucker
and stars Thomas Meighan
, Betty Compson
, and Lon Chaney. It is most notable for making overnight successes of the three stars, most notably putting Chaney on the map as a character actor of great accord.
The film was both a critical and financial success. It was remade
by Paramount Pictures
in 1932
, starring Chester Morris
, John Wray
and Sylvia Sidney
. Today, it is considered a lost film
, in fact one of the most sought after, with only two fragments from it that survive.
In New York City's Chinatown, four crooks conspire to swindle a small, New England town. The gang consists of Tom Burke (Thomas Meighan), the head of the group; Rose, a con artist posing as a street walker; "The Dope" (J.M. Dumont), who pretends to pimp Rose; and The Frog (Lon Chaney), a contortionist.
The plan is clear: in a small town outside of Boston there is a Patriarch (Joseph Dowling) who has been healing people. The group heads to the town and plans to use the Patriarch in a faith healing scheme. When the townspeople gather to see the Patriarch heal the sick, the Frog is there, posing as a cripple. As he crawls to the path of the man, his limbs become straightened and soon he walks, supposedly healed, to the Patriarch. Unexpectedly, a crippled boy, his faith in the Patriarch overpowering him, loses his crutches and runs to the Patriarch.
The story spreads across the country (mostly on account of Burke), and people flock in from all over to visit the Patriarch and be healed. When a millionaire, Richard King (W. Lawson Butt), brings his sister to be healed, he gives Burke $50,000 after the Patriarch cures her. During this visit, King meets Rose, and the two fall in love.
Meanwhile, all is not well with Burke. One by one, he sees his gang disbanding, unbeknownst to him, the healing power of the Patriarch at work. The Dope gives up his drug addiction, The Frog gives up his life of crime and takes care of a widow left all alone, and Rose laments King's departure.
Burke becomes jealous, but when King returns to propose his marriage to Rose, she realises that she loves Burke. The Patriarch dies, and the two lovers begin anew.
.
Lon Chaney was chosen through the director, and this was his eighth film as a free-lance artist after leaving Universal Studios
in 1918. His work in the William S. Hart
picture, Riddle Gawne, set him as a character actor of some notoriety, but it was The Miracle Man that would put both his acting and makeup skills (for which he was famous) to the test. After Chaney auditioned for the part of The Frog in Tucker's office, Tucker was reportedly "shaken" by Chaney's performance.
This film version is more based on the novel than the stage play. However, neither the movie nor the stage play used the character names from the novel.
Because of the film's success, it launched its leads, primarily Meighan and Chaney, into stardom. Meighan later went on to major leading man parts and Chaney became the highest paid character actor in Hollywood until his untimely death in 1930.
George Loane Tucker received critical success from the film and planned more, but died in 1921.
In 1922, Photoplay Magazine
took a survey of all of its readers regarding their favorite films. The Miracle Man took #1 on the list, beating out Broken Blossoms
and The Kid
.
. However, two fragments of the film survive: the first is a segment of one of Paramount's Movie Milestone series, Movie Memories (1935), showcasing the studios' greatest achievements. This clip shows both a segment from the conclave in Chinatown as well as the healing scene, which was praised by critics as one of the most powerful scenes yet put on film. A nitrate print of Movie Memories is reportedly at the UCLA Film and Television Archive
but has not yet been preserved.
The second clip that survives is part of a compilation film called The House That Shadows Built
(1931) made for Paramount's 20th anniversary of its founding in 1912.
Although a lost film, a documentary "Movie Milestones" with the surviving fragments was released from Blackhawk Films
in 8mm format in the 1970s. These fragments were also on the DVD release version of The Penalty
(1920).
1919 in film
The year 1919 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 5 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists...
dramatic film based on a 1914 play by George M. Cohan
George M. Cohan
George Michael Cohan , known professionally as George M. Cohan, was a major American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, and producer....
, which in turn is based on the novel of the same title by Frank L. Packard
Frank L. Packard
Frank Lucius Packard was a Canadian novelist. He was born in Montreal, Quebec and as a young man went to work as a civil engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway...
. It was directed by George Loane Tucker
George Loane Tucker
George Loane Tucker was an American film director and screenwriter. He directed 61 films between 1911 and 1921. Tucker had been an actor before moving to directing. In 1913 he directed Traffic in Souls, which concerned the topic of white slavery. The film, over 70 years later, remains an early...
and stars Thomas Meighan
Thomas Meighan
Thomas Meighan was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading man roles opposite popular actresses of the day including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he commanded $10,000 a week....
, Betty Compson
Betty Compson
Betty Compson was an American actress. Born Eleanor Luicime Compson in Beaver, Utah, she had an extensive film career. Her father died when she was young, and she was forced to drop out of school and earn a living for herself and her mother...
, and Lon Chaney. It is most notable for making overnight successes of the three stars, most notably putting Chaney on the map as a character actor of great accord.
The film was both a critical and financial success. It was remade
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in 1932
The Miracle Man (1932 film)
The Miracle Man is a 1932 drama film directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring Sylvia Sidney and featuring Boris Karloff. It is a remake of the 1919 film of the same name. The film was originally supposed to star Tyrone Power Sr, as the Preacher/Patriarch, but he died before major filming got underway...
, starring Chester Morris
Chester Morris
Chester Morris was an American actor, who starred in the Boston Blackie detective series of the 1940s.-Career:...
, John Wray
John Wray (actor)
John Wray was an American character actor of stage and screen.Wray was one of the many Broadway actors to descend on Hollywood in the aftermath of the sound revolution, and quickly made an indelible impression on the era in a variety of substantial character roles, such as the Arnold...
and Sylvia Sidney
Sylvia Sidney
Sylvia Sidney was an American actress who rose to prominence in the 1930s appearing in numerous crime dramas.-Early life:...
. Today, it is considered a lost film
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...
, in fact one of the most sought after, with only two fragments from it that survive.
Plot
The film takes place in a small, New England town in 1919, where a group of con men plan to use a faith healer to collect money.In New York City's Chinatown, four crooks conspire to swindle a small, New England town. The gang consists of Tom Burke (Thomas Meighan), the head of the group; Rose, a con artist posing as a street walker; "The Dope" (J.M. Dumont), who pretends to pimp Rose; and The Frog (Lon Chaney), a contortionist.
The plan is clear: in a small town outside of Boston there is a Patriarch (Joseph Dowling) who has been healing people. The group heads to the town and plans to use the Patriarch in a faith healing scheme. When the townspeople gather to see the Patriarch heal the sick, the Frog is there, posing as a cripple. As he crawls to the path of the man, his limbs become straightened and soon he walks, supposedly healed, to the Patriarch. Unexpectedly, a crippled boy, his faith in the Patriarch overpowering him, loses his crutches and runs to the Patriarch.
The story spreads across the country (mostly on account of Burke), and people flock in from all over to visit the Patriarch and be healed. When a millionaire, Richard King (W. Lawson Butt), brings his sister to be healed, he gives Burke $50,000 after the Patriarch cures her. During this visit, King meets Rose, and the two fall in love.
Meanwhile, all is not well with Burke. One by one, he sees his gang disbanding, unbeknownst to him, the healing power of the Patriarch at work. The Dope gives up his drug addiction, The Frog gives up his life of crime and takes care of a widow left all alone, and Rose laments King's departure.
Burke becomes jealous, but when King returns to propose his marriage to Rose, she realises that she loves Burke. The Patriarch dies, and the two lovers begin anew.
Background/Production
Initially intended as a vehicle for Meighan after he saw the Cohan play, Cohan sold the rights to the story to Paramount for $25,000. Packard sold the rights to his original novel for $17,500. George Loane Tucker had previously been hailed as one of the "first of the immortals" of film directors after his 1913 success, Traffic in SoulsTraffic in Souls
Traffic in Souls is a 1913 narrative feature film focusing on forced prostitution in the US and filmed around Ellis Island in New York City. Its subjects were working women and immigrants and it was released at a time when the country was undergoing a "moral panic" over the issue of prostitution...
.
Lon Chaney was chosen through the director, and this was his eighth film as a free-lance artist after leaving Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in 1918. His work in the William S. Hart
William S. Hart
William Surrey Hart was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered for having "imbued all of his characters with honor and integrity."-Biography:...
picture, Riddle Gawne, set him as a character actor of some notoriety, but it was The Miracle Man that would put both his acting and makeup skills (for which he was famous) to the test. After Chaney auditioned for the part of The Frog in Tucker's office, Tucker was reportedly "shaken" by Chaney's performance.
This film version is more based on the novel than the stage play. However, neither the movie nor the stage play used the character names from the novel.
| Character name in movie | Character name in novel |
|---|---|
| The Frog | The Flopper (uses alias Michael Coogan) |
| Rose | Helena Smith (uses alias Helena Vail) |
| The Dope | Pale Face Harry |
| Tom Burke | John Garfield "Doc" Madison |
| Richard King | Robert Thornton |
Reception
The Miracle Man was well-received by both critics and at the box office. Initially made for $126,000, the film grossed over $3,000,000 in theaters. During the film's run at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago, (where it broke all house records), airplanes dropped free tickets and brass coins which read "The Miracle Man is here" printed on one side and "Have faith, keep this" on the other.Because of the film's success, it launched its leads, primarily Meighan and Chaney, into stardom. Meighan later went on to major leading man parts and Chaney became the highest paid character actor in Hollywood until his untimely death in 1930.
George Loane Tucker received critical success from the film and planned more, but died in 1921.
In 1922, Photoplay Magazine
Photoplay
Photoplay was one of the first American film fan magazines. It was founded in 1911 in Chicago, the same year that J. Stuart Blackton founded a similar magazine entitled Motion Picture Story...
took a survey of all of its readers regarding their favorite films. The Miracle Man took #1 on the list, beating out Broken Blossoms
Broken Blossoms
Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl is a 1919 silent film directed by D.W. Griffith. It was distributed by United Artists and premiered on May 13, 1919...
and The Kid
The Kid (1921 film)
The Kid is a 1921 American silent dramedy film written by, produced by, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, and features Jackie Coogan as his adopted son and sidekick. This was Chaplin's first full-length movie...
.
Preservation
The Miracle Man is a lost filmLost 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...
. However, two fragments of the film survive: the first is a segment of one of Paramount's Movie Milestone series, Movie Memories (1935), showcasing the studios' greatest achievements. This clip shows both a segment from the conclave in Chinatown as well as the healing scene, which was praised by critics as one of the most powerful scenes yet put on film. A nitrate print of Movie Memories is reportedly at the UCLA Film and Television Archive
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
but has not yet been preserved.
The second clip that survives is part of a compilation film called The House That Shadows Built
The House That Shadows Built
The House That Shadows Built is a short feature film, roughly 55 minutes long, from Paramount Pictures, made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the studio's founding in 1912...
(1931) made for Paramount's 20th anniversary of its founding in 1912.
Although a lost film, a documentary "Movie Milestones" with the surviving fragments was released from Blackhawk Films
Blackhawk Films
Blackhawk Films, from the 1950s through the early 1980s, marketed motion pictures on 16mm, 8mm and Super 8 film. Most were vintage one- or two-reel short subjects, usually comedies starring Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and other famous comedy series of the past....
in 8mm format in the 1970s. These fragments were also on the DVD release version of The Penalty
The Penalty (film)
The Penalty is an American crime film, originally released in 1920. It was directed by Wallace Worsley, and written by Philip Lonergan and Charles Kenyon, based upon the pulp novel by Gouverneur Morris. It starred Lon Chaney, Charles Clary, Doris Pawn, Jim Mason, and Claire Adams.-Cast:*Charles...
(1920).