Soul-Fire
| Soul-Fire | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | John S. Robertson |
| Written by | Josephine Lovett (scenario) |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Richard Barthelmess |
| Starring | Richard Barthelmess Bessie Love |
| Cinematography | Roy Overbaugh |
| Edited by | William Hamilton |
Production company | Inspiration Pictures |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 9 reels; 8,262 feet[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Soul-Fire (also known as Soul Fire)[2][3][4] is a 1925 American silent drama film starring Richard Barthelmess and Bessie Love. It was directed by John S. Robertson and was based on the Broadway production Great Music (1924) by Martin Brown.[5]
The film was funded by Barthelmess through his Inspiration Pictures and released by First National Pictures.
Plot[edit]
Eric Fane (Barthelmess) leaves New York City and travels to Italy to study music composition. He then travels to Paris and Port Said, where he encounters women who inspire him to write new types of music. When he finally arrives in the South Seas, he meets Teita (Love), who inspires him to write the best music of all.[2][6][7]
Cast[edit]
- Richard Barthelmess as Eric Fane
- Bessie Love as Teita
- Percy Ames as Critic
- Charles Esdale as Critic
- Effie Shannon as Mrs. Howard Fane, Eric's mother
- Lee Baker as Howard Fane, Eric's father
- Carlotta Monterey as Princess Rhea
- Gus Weinberg as The Old Musician
- Ann Brody as Princess Rhea's maid
- Helen Ware as San Francisco Sal
- Walter Long as Herbert Jones, a Sailor
- Rita Rossi as The Prima Donna
- Edward LaRoche as The Orchestra Leader
- Harriet Sterling as Ruau
- Richard Harlan as Nuku
- Ellalee Ruby as Dancer in a Music Hall
- Arthur Metcalfe as Dr. Travers, of the Leper Island
- George Pauncefort as Mr. Simpson, an Attorney
- Aline Berry as Fleurette, a Mannequin
- Harry Redding as The Disappointed Musician
- Leah La Roux as a Dancer
- Zebaida as a Dancer[8]
Actors Helen Ware, Harriet Sterling, Edward LaRoche, and Leah La Roux were all cast members of the original play.[5][9][10]
Production[edit]
Most interiors were filmed at deForest Studios in Manhattan. Exteriors for the South Seas were shot throughout Florida.[11]
An Italian restaurant in Manhattan served as the canteen for the production.[11]
Reception[edit]
The film received generally positive reviews, with Barthelmess and Love receiving acclaim for their performances.[2][3][4][6]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Brown, Martin. Great Music. music by C. Linn Seiler. OCLC 44633591.
- ^ a b c d "Soul-Fire". The Film Daily. May 10, 1925. p. 8.
- ^ a b "A Confidential Guide to Current Releases". Picture-Play Magazine. November 1925. p. 119.
- ^ a b "What the Fans Think". Picture-Play Magazine. December 1925. p. 10.
- ^ a b "Great Music". Internet Broadway Database.
Soul-Fire produced on Broadway as Great Music (1924) at the Earl Carroll Theatre, October 4, 1924 – November 1924, 44 performances
- ^ a b "The Shadow Stage". Photoplay. Vol. 28, no. 1. June 1925. p. 49.
- ^ Munden, Kenneth W., ed. (1971). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films 1921–1930. New York: R.R. Bowker Company. pp. 748–9. OCLC 664500075.
- ^ "Casts of Current Photoplays". Photoplay. Vol. 28, no. 1. June 1925. p. 130.
- ^ Bennett, Carl (December 6, 2017). "Progressive Silent Film List: Soul-Fire". Silent Era.
- ^ "The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Soul-Fire". AFI.
- ^ a b Love, Bessie (July 21, 1964). "Embers of Soulfire". The Christian Science Monitor. Boston, Mass. p. 8.
External links[edit]
- Soul-Fire is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- Soul-Fire at IMDb
- Soul-Fire at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Soul-Fire at AllMovie
- Soul-Fire at the British Film Institute[better source needed]
- Lobby poster
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