The Common Law (1923 film)
{{short description|1923 film directed by George Archainbaud}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Common Law
| image = The Common Law (1923) - 1.jpg
| caption =
| director = George Archainbaud
| producer = Selznick Pictures
| writer = Edward J. Montagne
| based_on = {{basedon|The Common Law
1911 novel|Robert William Chambers}}
| cinematography =
| editing = Harold McCord
| distributor = Selznick Pictures
| released = {{Film date|1923|8|30}}
| runtime = 80 minutes
| country = United States
| language = Silent (English intertitles)
}}
File:Corinne Griffith, in "The Common Law" (Mar 1923).png
The Common Law is a 1923 American lost silent drama film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Corinne Griffith and Conway Tearle. Based upon the novel of the same name by Robert William Chambers, the film was produced and released by Selznick Pictures Corporation.[http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/C/CommonLaw1923.html Progressive Silent Film List; The Common Law] at silentera.com[https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/3406?sid=cd478018-4eb3-493d-95aa-af9bb04b52e6&sr=3.601358&cp=1&pos=1 The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1892-1993: The Common Law]Pictorial History of the Silent Screen, p. 248 c.1953 by Daniel Blum
The novel was first filmed as The Common Law in 1916 with Clara Kimball Young as Valerie West. Conway Tearle played the role of Neville in both the 1916 and 1923 films. It was later remade as the talkie The Common Law in 1931 with Constance Bennett and Joel McCrea in the lead roles.
Plot
Valerie West (Griffith), hungry and tired, presents herself as a model at the studio of painter Louis Neville (Tearle), which he shares with two other artists. When she is asked whether she poses draped or undraped, she replies that she will do whatever is expected of models. After some time and several daring poses, Louis realizes that he is in love with her. However, the wealthy Neville family opposes any marriage between the two. Valerie makes a sacrifice by agreeing to not marry Louis, but promises him that she will become his common law wife. When Cardemon (Myers) tries to kiss the model, she lashes him with a whip. In the end, a satisfactory resolution is reached regarding Valerie and Henry.{{Citation |title=The Screen |newspaper=New York Times |page= |date=1923-10-29 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1923/10/29/archives/the-screen.html |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2021-01-04}}{{cite journal |title=Reviews of the Newest Features: The Common Law |journal=Film Daily |volume=26 |issue=25 |page=3 |publisher=Wid's Films and Film Folks, Inc. |location=New York City |date=1923-11-04 |url=https://archive.org/details/filmdaily2526newy/page/n846/mode/1up |access-date=2021-01-04}}
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Corinne Griffith as Valerie West
- Conway Tearle as Louis Neville
- Elliott Dexter as Jose Querida
- Hobart Bosworth as Henry Neville
- Lillian Lawrence as Martha Neville
- Bryant Washburn as John Buleson
- Doris May as Stephanie
- Harry Myers as Cardemon
- Miss DuPont as Lily Neville
- Phyllis Haver as Rita Terris
- Wally Van as Samuel Ogilvy
- Dagmar Godowsky as Mazie
- Phyllis Dare
}}
Preservation
With no copies of The Common Law located in any film archives,[http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.4392/default.html The Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Common Law] it is a lost film.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|The Common Law (1923 film)}}
- {{IMDb title|0013944|The Common Law}}
- {{tcmdb title|id=494666}}
- {{AFI film|3406}}
- Lobby cards: [https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/common-law-1923-corinne-griffith-conway-tearle #1] (archived), [https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/common-law-original-1923-corinne-griffith-silent #2] (archived), and [https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/common-law-lc-23-corinne-griffith-1838836333 #3 card] (archived)
- [https://silenthollywood.com/thecommonlaw1923.html Still] at silenthollywood.com
- [https://www.alamy.com/the-common-law-corinne-griffith-1923-image334032709.html Still] at alamy.com
{{George Archainbaud}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Common Law (1923 film), The}}
Category:1920s English-language films
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:American silent feature films
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:Films based on works by Robert W. Chambers
Category:Films directed by George Archainbaud
Category:Lost American drama films
Category:Selznick Pictures films
Category:Silent American drama films
{{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub}}