Wilfred Buckland
Encyclopedia
Wilfred Buckland was an American art director
. Buckland worked as an art director with Cecil B. DeMille
and Jesse Lasky, and later with Alan Dwan, from 1914-1927. He was Hollywood's first "art director" and is credited with a number of advancements in filmmaking, including the advances in lighting techniques, the development of architectural sets, and the use of miniature sets. In 1924, he was named one of the ten individuals who had contributed the most to the advancement of the motion picture industry since the time of its inception. A 1980 exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum
advanced the argument that "everything we know as 'Hollywood' traces to Wilfred Buckland." Buckland was among the first inductees in the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame
.
, for many years. In 1907, The New York Times described Buckland as the "general stage manager" for Belasco. He also designed the color scheme, draperies and stage curtain at Belasco's Stuyvesant Theatre (now operating as the Belasco Theatre
) that opened in 1907. In 1910, Buckland was described as Belasco's "art director," responsible for the design of scenery, costumes and other artistic details. One newspaper reviewer wrote the following about the sets designed by Buckland for the stage production of "Omar, the Tentmaker": "Pictorially nothing finer has ever been disclosed upon the stage than the succession of sumptuous Oriental pictures evolved for the production by Wilfred Buckland, who for 10 years served as art decorator for David Belasco."
Buckland's Broadway credits include "The Rose of the Rancho" (scenic design, 1907), "A Grand Army Man" (scenic design, 1907), "Adrea" (stage director and scenic design, 1905), "The Music Master" (scenic design, 1904), "The Darling of the Gods" (design, 1903), and "Du Barry" (design, 1901).
production company. While working with DeMille and Lasky, Buckland was credited with the introduction of artificial lighting to motion pictures with the use of klieg lights, which also became known as "Lasky lighting." Jesse Lasky later wrote of Buckland, "As the first bona fide art director in the industry, and the first to build architectural settings for films, Buckland widened the scope of pictures tremendously by throwing off the scenic limitations of the stage."
Buckland was a collector of ancient firearms. In 1916, one newspaper wrote that Buckland, "art director of the Lasky Company," was also "known as the greatest collector and authority on ancient firearms in the country," and his collection was said to be "the most complete in the world, not barring that of the British Museum
."
Buckland developed a reputation as one of the infant film industry's great artists, as reflected in the following 1918 newspaper report:
Similarly, in 1920, a reviewer noted that the "wonderful interior settings for Don't Change Your Husband
... were designed by Wilfred Buckland, art director, whose hand is responsible for so much that is highly artistic in Artcraft and Paramount films."
Buckland described his process to a newspaper reporter in 1920. Buckland said he would review the script to get an idea of what the characters were like and what their surroundings should be. He would prepare sketches of the required sets and turn the sketches over to a force of architectural draftsmen in the next room. After a structure was built, Buckland would also direct the interior painting and decorations. He noted at the time that he hoped to see film sets move away from the building of real or photographic interiors and deal more with atmosphere. He added:
In 1917, Buckland wrote to Cecil B. DeMille expressing his dissatisfaction over having his artistic vision stifled. He said, "I came to Hollywood ... in search of a chance to visualize a more 'pictorial' way, by adapting to film the same rules that govern the higher art of painting." Buckland also complained in the press that the art director's job, like that of the actor, suffered from over-production. Buckland noted that he had supervised 56 pictures in a single year and added, "Studio necessities compel him to supervise the art work on a number of productions at one time. As a consequence, the art director becomes an architect, or perhaps merely a scenic artist, instead of the illustrator of the dramatic story."
Buckland's collaboration with DeMille remained contentious, and the two broke off their working relationship in 1920.
Despite the falling out, DeMille spoke at a 1941 testimonial dinner for Buckland and called him a "great artist and a great man" and said he had been glad "to sit at your feet."
, one reviewer wrote: "Settings for this master film were personally designed and executed under the direction of Wilfred Buckland, the first man in his field in the films and still recognized as its finest craftsman."
While working with Dwan, Buckland created the castle for Douglas Fairbanks
' Robin Hood
. The castle was one of the largest sets ever built to that date. At the time of the film's release, the Los Angeles Times said of the set:
One film historian later called Buckland's Robin Hood castle, with its immense size and eight circular turrets, perhaps the most impressive of all the Hollywood castles ever built.
Buckland was also credited with developing the art of miniature stage building, as reflected in the following 1924 newspaper account: "The art of miniature stage building has been introduced into the production of motion pictures as another means toward economy and , and of insuring fidelity and realism. This system has been perfected by Wilfred Buckland, a famous art director ..."
Buckland was married to actress Veda Buckland (1882–1941). She died in 1941, and after her death their son, Wilfred Buckland, Jr., suffered a mental breakdown and was hospitalized at the Camarillo State Mental Hospital
.
In 1946, Buckland was part of a murder-suicide at his home located at 2035 Pinehurst Avenue near the Hollywood Bowl
. He shot and killed his 36-year-old son and then shot himself. Buckland left a note that said, "I am taking Billy with me." The Los Angeles Times reported on the tragedy as follows:
, Mary Pickford
, Carl Laemmle
and C. Gardner Sullivan
.
In his book "The Art Direction Handbook for Film", Michael Rizzo wrote:
In 1980, London's Victoria and Albert Museum
put on an exhibition called "The Art of Hollywood," focusing on the role of art directors in the development of cinema. The UPI described the exhibition's focus on the work of Buckland: "More than that, an argument could be made — and this show makes it — that everything we know as 'Hollywood' traces to Wilfred Buckland, Hollywood's first art director."
Buckland was one of the first individuals inducted into the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame
when it was established in 2005.
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
. Buckland worked as an art director with Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
and Jesse Lasky, and later with Alan Dwan, from 1914-1927. He was Hollywood's first "art director" and is credited with a number of advancements in filmmaking, including the advances in lighting techniques, the development of architectural sets, and the use of miniature sets. In 1924, he was named one of the ten individuals who had contributed the most to the advancement of the motion picture industry since the time of its inception. A 1980 exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
advanced the argument that "everything we know as 'Hollywood' traces to Wilfred Buckland." Buckland was among the first inductees in the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame
Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame
The Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame was established in 2005 to recognize and honor the accomplishments and contributions of legendary art directors and production designers. As of 2009, 22 individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.-2004 inductees:...
.
Early years
Buckland was born in New York. He worked as an artist for a time and was responsible for much of the interior decoration and paintings of New York's Trinity Church for its bi-centenary celebration in 1897. He also worked with the leading stage producer, David BelascoDavid Belasco
David Belasco was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, where his Sephardic Jewish parents had moved from London, England, during the Gold Rush, he began working in a San Francisco theatre doing a variety of routine jobs,...
, for many years. In 1907, The New York Times described Buckland as the "general stage manager" for Belasco. He also designed the color scheme, draperies and stage curtain at Belasco's Stuyvesant Theatre (now operating as the Belasco Theatre
Belasco Theatre
The Belasco Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 111 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architect George Keister for impresario David Belasco, the interior featured Tiffany lighting and ceiling panels, rich woodwork and expansive murals by American artist...
) that opened in 1907. In 1910, Buckland was described as Belasco's "art director," responsible for the design of scenery, costumes and other artistic details. One newspaper reviewer wrote the following about the sets designed by Buckland for the stage production of "Omar, the Tentmaker": "Pictorially nothing finer has ever been disclosed upon the stage than the succession of sumptuous Oriental pictures evolved for the production by Wilfred Buckland, who for 10 years served as art decorator for David Belasco."
Buckland's Broadway credits include "The Rose of the Rancho" (scenic design, 1907), "A Grand Army Man" (scenic design, 1907), "Adrea" (stage director and scenic design, 1905), "The Music Master" (scenic design, 1904), "The Darling of the Gods" (design, 1903), and "Du Barry" (design, 1901).
Work with DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille brought the 47-year-old Buckland to Hollywood in 1913 to work on his film The Squaw Man. According to some accounts, producer Jesse Lasky purchased the movie rights to Belasco's plays, and Buckland's services as art director were part of the deal. Buckland continued to work with DeMille on most of his projects until 1920 and also worked on most of the films produced by Jesse Lasky's Famous Players-LaskyFamous Players-Lasky
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company created on July 19, 1916 from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company -- originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays -- and Jesse L...
production company. While working with DeMille and Lasky, Buckland was credited with the introduction of artificial lighting to motion pictures with the use of klieg lights, which also became known as "Lasky lighting." Jesse Lasky later wrote of Buckland, "As the first bona fide art director in the industry, and the first to build architectural settings for films, Buckland widened the scope of pictures tremendously by throwing off the scenic limitations of the stage."
Buckland was a collector of ancient firearms. In 1916, one newspaper wrote that Buckland, "art director of the Lasky Company," was also "known as the greatest collector and authority on ancient firearms in the country," and his collection was said to be "the most complete in the world, not barring that of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
."
Buckland developed a reputation as one of the infant film industry's great artists, as reflected in the following 1918 newspaper report:
"Among the producing firms who belong to the class where imagination is based upon culture, are those associated with ParamountParamount PicturesParamount 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...
. For a long time, now, picture play reviewers have been fond of saying 'up to the usual Paramount standard.' That standard to a large extent has been raised higher and higher by the Wilfred Buckland whose name appears in front of all the Lasky pictures. Such men as Cecil DeMille, William DeMilleWilliam C. DeMilleWillam C. deMille was an American screenwriter and film director from the silent movie era through the early 1930s. He was also a noted playwright prior to moving into film. Once he was established in film he specialized in adapting Broadway plays into silent films...
, J. Searle DawleyJ. Searle DawleyJ. Searle Dawley was an American director and screenwriter. He directed 149 films between 1907 and 1926. He was born in Del Norte, Colorado and died in Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:...
, Maurice TourneurMaurice TourneurMaurice Tourneur was an important international film director and screenwriter.-Life:Born Maurice Thomas in the Belleville district of Paris, France, his father was a jeweler. As a young man, Maurice Thomas first trained as a graphic designer and a magazine illustrator but was soon drawn to the...
, Joseph KaufmanJoseph KaufmanJoseph Kaufman was an American silent film actor and director prominent during the WW1 years. He was born in Washington, D.C. and died in New York City in the Influenza pandemic of 1918. His wife was silent film star Ethel Clayton. Kaufman started out as an actor appearing on Broadway in 1903 with...
, Robert Vignola, Robert Thorley, Marshal NeilanMarshall NeilanMarshall Ambrose Neilan was an American motion picture actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer.-Early life:...
, Thomas H. InceThomas H. InceThomas Harper Ince was an American silent film actor, director, screenwriter and producer of more than 100 films and pioneering studio mogul. Known as the "Father of the Western", he invented many mechanisms of professional movie production, introducing early Hollywood to the "assembly line"...
, J. Stuart BlacktonJ. Stuart BlacktonJames Stuart Blackton , usually known as J. Stuart Blackton, was an Anglo-American film producer of the Silent Era, the founder of Vitagraph Studios and among the first filmmakers to use the techniques of stop-motion and drawn animation...
and the others who produce for Paramount have added their very considerable bit to spelling Art with a capital A in motion pictures, but that is Wilfred Buckland's business exclusively."
Similarly, in 1920, a reviewer noted that the "wonderful interior settings for Don't Change Your Husband
Don't Change Your Husband
Don't Change Your Husband is a 1919 comedy film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. A print of the film survives.-Cast:* Elliott Dexter - James Denby Porter* Gloria Swanson - Leila Porter* Lew Cody - Schuyler Van Sutphen* Sylvia Ashton - Mrs. Huckney...
... were designed by Wilfred Buckland, art director, whose hand is responsible for so much that is highly artistic in Artcraft and Paramount films."
Buckland described his process to a newspaper reporter in 1920. Buckland said he would review the script to get an idea of what the characters were like and what their surroundings should be. He would prepare sketches of the required sets and turn the sketches over to a force of architectural draftsmen in the next room. After a structure was built, Buckland would also direct the interior painting and decorations. He noted at the time that he hoped to see film sets move away from the building of real or photographic interiors and deal more with atmosphere. He added:
"In painting a picture an artist does not paint a real house, reproducing every minute detail. That sort of thing belongs to the old and now despised photographic school of art. He paints in something to give tone to the figures. The great secret of art, as Whistler said, is knowing what to leave out. Every once in awhile you get a shock by discovering a picture in which the director has shown signs of an artistic conscience. But the majority of moving pictures are still far behind commercial photography, which is becoming less and less photographic while most of the advertisements in the back pages of our magazines are more artistic than the average movie."
In 1917, Buckland wrote to Cecil B. DeMille expressing his dissatisfaction over having his artistic vision stifled. He said, "I came to Hollywood ... in search of a chance to visualize a more 'pictorial' way, by adapting to film the same rules that govern the higher art of painting." Buckland also complained in the press that the art director's job, like that of the actor, suffered from over-production. Buckland noted that he had supervised 56 pictures in a single year and added, "Studio necessities compel him to supervise the art work on a number of productions at one time. As a consequence, the art director becomes an architect, or perhaps merely a scenic artist, instead of the illustrator of the dramatic story."
Buckland's collaboration with DeMille remained contentious, and the two broke off their working relationship in 1920.
Despite the falling out, DeMille spoke at a 1941 testimonial dinner for Buckland and called him a "great artist and a great man" and said he had been glad "to sit at your feet."
Alan Dwan and Robin Hood
In 1920, Buckland left DeMille and teamed up with director Alan Dwan. After the release of the 1922 feature Omar the TentmakerOmar the Tentmaker (film)
Omar the Tentmaker is a 1922 drama film directed by James Young and featuring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Guy Bates Post - Omar the tentmaker* Virginia Brown Faire - Shireen* Nigel De Brulier - Nizam ul Mulk* Noah Beery - The shah of shahs...
, one reviewer wrote: "Settings for this master film were personally designed and executed under the direction of Wilfred Buckland, the first man in his field in the films and still recognized as its finest craftsman."
While working with Dwan, Buckland created the castle for Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
' Robin Hood
Robin Hood (1922 film)
Robin Hood is the first motion picture ever to have a Hollywood premiere, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. The movie's full title, under which it was copyrighted, is Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood, as shown in the illustration at right...
. The castle was one of the largest sets ever built to that date. At the time of the film's release, the Los Angeles Times said of the set:
"Castle a Marvel. Greatest of all the settings is, of course, the castle which for months has been a sort of landmark of cinema enterprise on Santa Monica Boulevard. The vastness of this feudal domain is the most astonishing of the picture's startling features. One looks through waves upon waves of light and shadow to the stone walls which mark the background. Fairytale heights of tower and turret are suggested. ... Yet there is never anything of grotesquerie in this, only and always a legendary magnificence such as is suggested by the Maxfield ParrishMaxfield ParrishMaxfield Parrish was an American painter and illustrator active in the first half of the twentieth century. He is known for his distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery.-Life:...
paintings of the MoyenMoyenMoyen is a village and commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of north-eastern France.-Geography:The river Mortagne forms most of the commune's south-western border....
Age. Artistry is at its height in these Medieval scenes."
One film historian later called Buckland's Robin Hood castle, with its immense size and eight circular turrets, perhaps the most impressive of all the Hollywood castles ever built.
Buckland was also credited with developing the art of miniature stage building, as reflected in the following 1924 newspaper account: "The art of miniature stage building has been introduced into the production of motion pictures as another means toward economy and , and of insuring fidelity and realism. This system has been perfected by Wilfred Buckland, a famous art director ..."
Later years and death
Dwan signed with Famous Players-Lasky after the release of Robin Hood, and Buckland's career after 1923 declined. He worked mostly as a production illustrator after 1923.Buckland was married to actress Veda Buckland (1882–1941). She died in 1941, and after her death their son, Wilfred Buckland, Jr., suffered a mental breakdown and was hospitalized at the Camarillo State Mental Hospital
Camarillo State Mental Hospital
Camarillo State Mental Hospital, also known as Camarillo State Hospital, was a psychiatric hospital for both developmentally disabled and mentally ill patients in Camarillo, California. The hospital closed in 1997. The site has been redeveloped as the California State University, Channel Islands...
.
In 1946, Buckland was part of a murder-suicide at his home located at 2035 Pinehurst Avenue near the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
. He shot and killed his 36-year-old son and then shot himself. Buckland left a note that said, "I am taking Billy with me." The Los Angeles Times reported on the tragedy as follows:
"Hollywood's first art director, 80-year-old Wilfred Buckland Sr., yesterday killed his mentally ailing son, 36, and then fatally shot himself in a double tragedy inspired by his fear of impending death from old age and reluctance to leave the younger man alone in the world. Termed the 'founder of Hollywood cinema art,' the elder Buckland fired a bullet into the back of his sleeping son's head, which brought instant death."
Buckland's place in film history
In 1924, the magazine Story World selected a list of the ten individuals who had contributed the most to the advancement of the motion picture industry from the time of its inception. The list omitted DeMille, but included Buckland, who was credited "for his work in developing and perfecting technical art in films." Others on the list included D.W. Griffith, Charlie ChaplinCharlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
, Carl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle , born in Laupheim, Württemberg, Germany, was a pioneer in American film making and a founder of one of the original major Hollywood movie studios - Universal...
and C. Gardner Sullivan
C. Gardner Sullivan
C. Gardner Sullivan was an American screenwriter and motion picture producer. He was a prolific writer with more than 350 films among his credits. In 1924, the magazine Story World selected him on a list of the ten individuals who had contributed the most to the advancement of the motion picture...
.
In his book "The Art Direction Handbook for Film", Michael Rizzo wrote:
"The practical vision of Buckland, the little known Hollywood art director and initiator of the use of controlled lighting within studio environments, set a standard in the first decades of the twentieth century that has become as commonplace as shooting film sequences in Hollywood soundstages today. He stands as an art-directing giant; his creative ingenuity ennobles the craft of film design even now."
In 1980, London's Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
put on an exhibition called "The Art of Hollywood," focusing on the role of art directors in the development of cinema. The UPI described the exhibition's focus on the work of Buckland: "More than that, an argument could be made — and this show makes it — that everything we know as 'Hollywood' traces to Wilfred Buckland, Hollywood's first art director."
Buckland was one of the first individuals inducted into the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame
Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame
The Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame was established in 2005 to recognize and honor the accomplishments and contributions of legendary art directors and production designers. As of 2009, 22 individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.-2004 inductees:...
when it was established in 2005.
Filmography
- The Squaw Man (1914)
- The Ghost BreakerThe Ghost BreakerThe Ghost Breaker is a 1914 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar Apfel and based on the Broadway play of the same name by Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard. It is considered widely to be the first film of a long line based on the genre of haunted house horror...
(1914) - Brewster's MillionsBrewster's Millions (1914 film)Brewster's Millions is a 1914 comedy film directed by Oscar Apfel and Cecil B. DeMille. It's an adaptation of the novel written by George Barr McCutcheon. The novel had also been turned into a successful 1906 Broadway play that also starred Edward Abeles...
(1914) - The Man on the BoxThe Man on the BoxThe Man on the Box is a 1914 comedy-drama film directed by Oscar Apfel and Cecil B. DeMille. It was based on the 1904 book by Harold MacGrath.-Cast:* Horace B. Carpenter - Russian ambassador* Jane Darwell - Mrs. Chadwick* William Elmer - Troop commander...
(1914) - The VirginianThe Virginian (1914 film)The Virginian is a 1914 film based upon the novel by Owen Wister, and starring Dustin Farnum as the Virginian. The movie is the first of several versions, including a 1929 movie with Gary Cooper and Walter Huston and a 1960 television series. The 1914 film was directed by Cecil B....
- The Call of the NorthThe Call of the NorthThe Call of the North is a 1914 silent adventure-drama film directed by Oscar Apfel and Cecil B. DeMille.-Cast:* Robert Edeson - Ned & Graehme Stewart* Theodore Roberts - Galen Albert* Winifred Kingston - Virginia* Horace B...
(1914) - What's His NameWhat's His NameWhat's His Name is a 1914 comedy/drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille.-Cast:* Max Figman - Harvey* Lolita Robertson - Nellie* Sydney Deane - Uncle Peter* Richard L'Estrange - Best Man* Merta Carpenter - Friend Of Nellie's* Fred Montague - Fairfax...
- The Man from HomeThe Man from Home (1914 film)The Man from Home is a 1914 drama film based on a novel by Booth Tarkington and directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Year later the story was remade by George Fitzmaurice as The Man from Home.-Cast:* Charles Richman - Daniel Voorhees Pike...
- The UnafraidThe Unafraid-Cast:* Rita Jolivet - Delight Warren* House Peters - Stefan Balsic* Page Peters - Michael Balsic* William Elmer - Jack McCarty* Lawrence Peyton - Danilo Lesendra* Theodore Roberts - Dual Empire Secret Agent* Al Ernest Garcia - Joseph* Marjorie Daw - Irenya...
(1915) - The CaptiveThe Captive (film)-Cast:* Blanche Sweet - Sonya Martinovich* House Peters - Muhamud Hassan* Page Peters - Marko* Theodore Roberts - The burgomaster* Gerald Ward - Milos Martinovich* Jeanie MacPherson - Milka* Marjorie Daw* William Elmer - Turkish officer* Tex Driscoll...
(1915) - The Warrens of Virginia (1915)
- CarmenCarmen (1915 Cecil B. DeMille film)Carmen is a 1915 silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is based on the novella by Prosper Mérimée. The existing versions of this film appear to be from the 1918, re-edited release.-Plot:...
(1915) - The Cheat (1915)
- The Wild Goose ChaseThe Wild Goose Chase (film)The Wild Goose Chase is a 1915 comedy-drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Ina Claire - Betty Wright* Lucien Littlefield - The 'grind'* Helen Marlborough - Mrs. Wright* Raymond Hatton - Mr. Wright...
(1915) - The ArabThe Arab (1915 film)The Arab is a 1915 silent adventure film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Edgar Selwyn had starred in the Broadway play version of the story in 1911. This film is based on that play. A print of the film survives at the Gosfilmfond film archive.-Cast:...
(1915) - Chimmie FaddenChimmie FaddenChimmie Fadden is a 1915 comedy film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Victor Moore - Chimmie Fadden* Raymond Hatton - Larry, His Brother* Mrs. Lewis McCord - Mrs...
(1915) - KindlingKindling (film)Kindling is a 1915 drama film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Charlotte Walker, in her film debut. The film is based on a 1911 Broadway play by Charles A...
(1915) - Chimmie Fadden Out WestChimmie Fadden Out WestChimmie Fadden Out West is a 1915 comedy-Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille.-Plot:Chimmie is sent out west as part of a scam by a railroad company. He is to pretend to find gold, then retreat as the company takes advantage. Things do not go as planned.-Cast:* Victor Moore - Chimmie Fadden*...
(1915) - TemptationTemptation (film)Temptation is a 1915 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Geraldine Farrar - Renee Dupree* Theodore Roberts - Otto Mueller* Pedro de Cordoba - Julian* Elsie Jane Wilson - Madame Maroff...
(1915) - The Golden ChanceThe Golden ChanceThe Golden Chance is a 1915 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. A print of the film survives at George Eastman House. DeMille remade the film in 1921 as Forbidden Fruit.-Cast:* Cleo Ridgely - Mary Denby* Wallace Reid - Roger Manning...
(1915) - Maria RosaMaria RosaMaria Rosa is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It was based on a 1914 Broadway stage play Maria Rosa by Angel Guimera...
(1916) - The Trail of the Lonesome PineThe Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1916 film)The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is a 1916 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is based on the novel of the same name. A surviving motion picture at George Eastman House, Rochester.-Cast:* Charlotte Walker - June Tolliver...
(1916) - The Heart of Nora FlynnThe Heart of Nora FlynnThe Heart of Nora Flynn is a 1916 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille.-Cast:* Marie Doro - Nora Flynn* Elliott Dexter - Nolan* Ernest Joy - Brantley Stone* Lola May - Mrs. Stone* Billy Jacobs - Tommy Stone* Charles West - Jack Murray...
(1916) - The Dream GirlThe Dream Girl (film)The Dream Girl is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film is now considered to be lost. The film is an original story by DeMille writer Jeanie MacPherson.-Cast:* Mae Murray - Meg Dugan* Theodore Roberts - Jim Dugan...
(1916) - Joan the WomanJoan the WomanJoan the Woman is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Geraldine Farrar as Joan of Arc.It was the first film to use the Handschiegl Color Process for certain scenes...
(1917) - A Romance of the RedwoodsA Romance of the Redwoods__notoc__A Romance of the Redwoods is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Mary Pickford.A print of the film survives in the film archive at George Eastman House.-Cast:* Mary Pickford as Jenny Lawrence...
(1917) - The Little AmericanThe Little AmericanThe Little American is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film stars Mary Pickford as an American woman who is in love with both a German and a French soldier during World War I.-Plot:...
(1917) - The Woman God ForgotThe Woman God Forgot-Cast:* Wallace Reid - Alvarado* Raymond Hatton - Montezuma* Hobart Bosworth - Cortez* Theodore Kosloff - Guatemoco* Walter Long - Taloc * Julia Faye - Tecza's handmaiden* Olga Grey - Aztec woman* Geraldine Farrar - Tecza...
(1917) - The Devil-StoneThe Devil-StoneThe Devil-Stone is a 1917 romance film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film had sequences filmed in the Handschiegl Color Process ....
(1917) - The Little Princess (1917)
- Stella MarisStella Maris (1918 film)Stella Maris is a 1918 silent film directed by Marshall Neilan, written by Frances Marion and based on William J. Locke's novel. The film was remade in 1925, with Mary Philbin in the title role.-Plot:...
(1918) - The Whispering ChorusThe Whispering ChorusThe Whispering Chorus is a 1918 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille.-Cast:* Raymond Hatton - John Tremble* Kathlyn Williams - Jane Tremble* Edythe Chapman - John Tremble's mother* Elliott Dexter - George Coggeswell* Noah Beery - Longshoreman...
(1918) - Old Wives for NewOld Wives for NewOld Wives for New is a 1918 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Prints of the film survive at the International Museum of Photography and Film at George Eastman House.-Cast:* Elliott Dexter - Charles Murdock* Florence Vidor - Juliet Raeburn...
(1918) - We Can't Have EverythingWe Can't Have EverythingWe Can't Have Everything is a 1918 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film is considered to be lost.-Cast:* Kathlyn Williams - Charity Coe Cheever* Elliott Dexter - Jim Dyckman* Wanda Hawley - Kedzie Thropp* Sylvia Breamer - Zada L'Etoile...
(1918) - Till I Come Back to YouTill I Come Back to YouTill I Come Back to You is a 1918 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille.-Cast:* Bryant Washburn - Capt. Jefferson Strong* Florence Vidor - Yvonne* Gustav von Seyffertitz - Karl Von Drutz * Winter Hall - King Albert...
(1918) - The Squaw ManThe Squaw Man (1918 film)The Squaw Man is a 1918 Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is a remake of DeMille's 1914 film of the same name. It would be remade again by DeMille in 1931...
(1918) - M'LissM'Liss (1918 film)M'Liss is a 1918 silent film directed by Marshall Neilan, written by Frances Marion and based on a Bret Harte's story. The film was made previously in 1915 and was remade again in 1922 as The Girl Who Ran Wild, starring Gladys Walton. Another same-titled remake was released in 1936, starring Anne...
(1918) - The Grim GameThe Grim GameThe Grim Game is a 1919 silent film starring Harry Houdini. The film's basic plotline serves as a showcase for Houdini's talent as an escapologist, stunt performer and aviator.-Plot:...
(1919) - Don't Change Your HusbandDon't Change Your HusbandDon't Change Your Husband is a 1919 comedy film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. A print of the film survives.-Cast:* Elliott Dexter - James Denby Porter* Gloria Swanson - Leila Porter* Lew Cody - Schuyler Van Sutphen* Sylvia Ashton - Mrs. Huckney...
(1919) - You're FiredYou're Fired (1919 film)You're Fired is a silent film comedy, produced and distributed by Famous Players-Lasky and Paramount Pictures respectively. James Cruze directed and Wallace Reid starred.-Preservation status:...
(1919) - For Better, for Worse (1919)
- Male and FemaleMale and FemaleMale and Female is a 1919 silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Its main themes are gender relations and social class. It is based on the J. M. Barrie play "The Admirable Crichton".-Plot:...
(1919) - A Perfect Crime (1921)
- The Deuce of Spades (1922)
- The Masquerader (1922)
- Omar the TentmakerOmar the Tentmaker (film)Omar the Tentmaker is a 1922 drama film directed by James Young and featuring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Guy Bates Post - Omar the tentmaker* Virginia Brown Faire - Shireen* Nigel De Brulier - Nizam ul Mulk* Noah Beery - The shah of shahs...
(1922) - Robin HoodRobin Hood (1922 film)Robin Hood is the first motion picture ever to have a Hollywood premiere, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. The movie's full title, under which it was copyrighted, is Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood, as shown in the illustration at right...
(1922) - Adam's RibAdam's Rib (1923 film)Adam's Rib is a 1923 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. This film is considered lost. The story has nothing to do with the 1948 George Cukor film starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.-Cast:* Milton Sills - Michael Ramsay...
(1923) - The Fast Set (1924)
- IceboundIceboundIcebound is a novel written by best-selling author Dean Koontz. The book was originally published in 1976 under the title Prison of Ice under Koontz's pseudonym David Axton, and was revised and re-released as Icebound in 1995....
(1924) - The Forbidden Woman (1927)
- Almost Human (1927)