The Sporting Venus is a 1925 American silent romantic drama film directed by Marshall Neilan.[1] The film was the second MGM release of Neilan, and starred his wife, actress Blanche Sweet,[2] who allegedly sported the lowest waistline of 1925. This is the first of two feature films that paired Ronald Colman with Blanche Sweet, the second being His Supreme Moment, which was released in May 1925.[3]
| The Sporting Venus | |
|---|---|
 1925 theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Marshall Neilan |
| Screenplay by | Thomas J. Geraghty |
| Story by | Gerald Beaumont |
| Starring | Blanche Sweet Ronald Colman Lew Cody |
| Cinematography | David Kesson |
| Edited by | Blanche Sewell |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6 reels (5,938 feet) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
editAs described in a film magazine review,[4] Scotch heiress Lady Gwendolyn is in love with a commoner, medical student Donald MacAllan, but the match is disapproved by her father. A misunderstanding develops and she has romance with the continental Prince Carlos, a nobleman who pretends to be wealthy. In an attempt to forget her unhappiness, she seeks diversion in famous watering places and other climes. Eventually she learns the true character of the nobleman and effects a reconciliation with Donald.
Cast
edit- Blanche Sweet as Lady Gwendolyn
- Ronald Colman as Donald MacAllan
- Lew Cody as Prince Carlos
- Josephine Crowell as Countess Van Alstyne
- Edward Martindel as Sir Alfred Grayle
- Kate Price as Housekeeper
- Hank Mann as Carlos' Valet
- Arthur Hoyt as Detective
- George Fawcett as Father
Reception
editLife Magazine wrote "The Sporting Venus is typical of Neilan at his worst and at his best. It is foolish, inconsequential and spineless, and yet it is entertaining. ... If you look for rhyme or reason in The Sporting Venus, you will look in vain."[5]
Preservation
editA complete copy of the film survives in MGM's archives.[6][7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Donald W. McCaffrey; Christopher P. Jacobs (1999). Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema. Reference guides to the world's cinema (illustrated, annotated ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 85 207 259. ISBN 9780313303456.
The Sporting Venus.
- ^ Ann Lloyd; Graham Fuller; Arnold Desser (1983). Ann Lloyd; Graham Fuller (eds.). The Illustrated Who's Who of the Cinema (illustrated ed.). Orbis. p. 425. ISBN 9780856135217.
- ^ Jacobs, Lea (2008). The Decline of Sentiment: American Film in the 1920s (illustrated ed.). University of California Press. p. 242. ISBN 9780520254572.
The Sporting Venus.
- ^ "New Pictures: The Sporting Venus", Exhibitors Herald, 21 (11): 64, June 6, 1925, retrieved March 29, 2022
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Mitchell, John Ames (1925). "The Sporting Venus". Life. 85 (Part 2): 28 29.
- ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Sporting Venus
- ^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Sporting Venus at silentera.com
External links
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