Manhattan (1924 film) explained

Manhattan
Director:R. H. Burnside
Producer:Adolph Zukor
Jesse L. Lasky
Based On:[1]
Starring:Richard Dix
Cinematography:Hal Rosson
Distributor:Paramount Pictures
Runtime:7 reels
Country:United States
Language:Silent (English intertitles)

Manhattan is a 1924 American silent romantic adventure film directed by R. H. Burnside featuring Richard Dix in his first starring role.[2] A wealthy New Yorker falls in love with a burglar's sister.

Plot

As described in a review in a film magazine,[3] Peter Minuit (Dix), wealthy and bored with life, is visited by a burglar who believes him one of his own kind. Peter, posing as Gentleman George, makes a deal with the chap, Spike (Kelly), who hides him in his home where Peter meets and falls in love with his sister Mary (Logan). McGinnis (Siegmann), the head of the gang, wants to marry Mary and she agrees to save her brother and Peter. Peter takes her to his home and reveals his identity. McGinnis threatens to “get” him. Mary goes back to McGinnis. Peter follows and there is a fierce fight. McGinnis is shot by one of his henchmen who has a grudge. The gang is arrested and Peter takes his future wife back home.

Reception

Mordaunt Hall, critic for The New York Times, gave the movie a mixed review, stating that Kelly's "performance is easily the outstanding one in this production, and singularly enough it is the first time that he has acted before the camera."[2] Hall thought, however, that Dix gave "just another motion-picture performance" and the narrative was "stretched to the breaking point."[2]

Preservation status

A print of the film reportedly survives at Cinemateket Svenska Filminstitutet, Stockholm.[4] [5]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/M/Manhattan1924.html Manhattan
  2. News: The Screen; Fists and Bullets . Mordaunt Hall . The New York Times . October 29, 1924 .
  3. Sewell . Charles S. . Manhattan; Dix as Star and Burnside as Director Make Debut in Amusing and Entertaining Paramount Film . The Moving Picture World . 71 . 2 . 171 . Chalmers Publishing Co. . New York City . 8 November 1924 . 7 April 2021.
  4. http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=10622 The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Manhattan
  5. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.447/default.html The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Manhattan