Broken Chains (film)
Encyclopedia
Broken Chains is a 1922 film directed by Allen Holubar
, based on a story by by the same name that won a $10,000 contest in the Chicago Daily News
a year later.) A review of her work from a Santa Cruz Newspaper is below:
"Colleen Moore, as Mercy Boone in Broken Chains... attains new laurels as an emotional actress. Her work is thoroughly convincing during the difficult sequences, especially those in the cabin of Boykan (sic) Boone, her renegade husband, when, chained by an ankle to a cleat on the floor, she witnesses the life and death struggle between Boone and Ted Wyndham."
Allen Holubar
Allen Holubar was an American actor, film director and screenwriter of the silent era. He appeared in 38 films between 1913 and 1917. He also directed 33 films between 1916 and 1923....
, based on a story by by the same name that won a $10,000 contest in the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
Story
Wealthy Peter Wyndham is useless in attempting to prevent the theft of Hortense Allen’s jewelry . A butler is killed during the robbery, and unable to face his cowardice, Peter heads west. He takes a job working for his father's lumber mill. Meanwhile, elsewhere Mercy Boone’s newborn child has died. Boyan Boone, her husband is callous towards the loss. He is a thug, and ne’er-do-well with a band of thieves working with him. When Mercy attempts to escape she meets Peter before Boyan returns her to his cabin where he chains her. Peter finds her and they begin a romance under Boylan's nose. Boylan learns and beats up Peter, who summons the strength to fight him for the honor of Mercy. She is freed in the end.Cast
- Malcolm McGregorMalcolm McGregorMalcolm McGregor was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 55 films between 1922 and 1936. He was born in Newark, New Jersey and died in Hollywood, California....
- Peter Wyndham - Colleen MooreColleen MooreColleen Moore was an American film actress, and one of the most fashionable stars of the silent film era.-Early life:...
- Mercy Boone - Ernest TorrenceErnest TorrenceErnest Torrence was a Scottish born film character actor who appeared in many Hollywood films, including Broken Chains with Colleen Moore,Mantrap with Clara Bow, and Fighting Caravans with Gary Cooper and Lili Damita...
- Boyan Boone - Claire WindsorClaire WindsorClaire Windsor was a notable American film actress of the silent screen era.-Early life:Windsor was born Clara Viola Cronk in 1892 to George Edwin and Rosella R. Fearing Cronk in Marvin, Phillips County, Kansas of Scandinavian heritage. Her parents later moved to Cawker City, Kansas when she was...
- Hortense Allen - James MarcusJames MarcusJames Marcus is an English actor.He is best known for his performance as Georgie, one of the droogs in Stanley Kubrick's controversial film A Clockwork Orange . Before becoming an apprentice printer, he spent the majority of his teenage life performing gigs...
- Pat Mulcahy - Beryl MercerBeryl MercerBeryl Mercer was a Spanish-born American-based actress of the 1920s and 1930s.Born to British parents in Seville, Beryl Mercer was best-known for her motherly roles in film and regularly appeared as a grandmother or cook or maid in some high profile films...
- Mrs. Mulcahy - William OrlamondWilliam OrlamondWilliam Orlamond was an American film actor.Orlamond appeared in 81 films between 1912 and 1938. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and died in Los Angeles, California, United States.-Selected filmography:...
- Slog Sallee - Gerald Pring - Butler
Background
Colleen was the first member of the cast to be chosen for this film by Abraham Lehr. The scenario was written by Carey Wilson, who in later years would become a friend of Colleen's and be part of her unit at First National. Colleen had just finished work on The Bitterness of Sweets, which would change name to Look Your Best. The $10,000 prize went to Miss Lavina Henry, nom de plume for Miss Winifred Westover (Kimball), of Appalachia.” The winning story was entitled Broken Chains. Allen Holubar was brought in from Associated First National for the project. Portions of the film were shot in Northern California, away from Los Angeles, in the vicinity of Santa Cruz in an area known as Poverty Flats. Allen Holubar, Cedric Gibbons, and others visited the area scouting locations”. There were some questions as to whether Colleen would be equal to the dramatic role, as she had made a name for herself in comedies at the Christie studio, but the vast majority of her roles to that point had been dramatic. The role was expected to be her big break (it was not... that would not come until Flaming YouthFlaming Youth
Flaming Youth can refer to:* Flaming Youth , a 1923 film starring Colleen Moore and Milton Sills* Flaming Youth , a 1960s British rock group* Flaming Youth , a novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams...
a year later.) A review of her work from a Santa Cruz Newspaper is below:
"Colleen Moore, as Mercy Boone in Broken Chains... attains new laurels as an emotional actress. Her work is thoroughly convincing during the difficult sequences, especially those in the cabin of Boykan (sic) Boone, her renegade husband, when, chained by an ankle to a cleat on the floor, she witnesses the life and death struggle between Boone and Ted Wyndham."