The Ace of Hearts (1921)

Director:

Wallace Worsley

Writers:

Gouverneur Morris (story)
Ruth Wightman (scenario)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A romantic rivalry among members of a secret society becomes even tenser when one of the men is assigned to carry out an assassination.

Plot Keywords:

Footsie Under The Table | Political | Assassination | Bomb | Conspiracy

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Lon Chaney	...	Mr. Farallone
Leatrice Joy	...	Lilith
John Bowers	...	Mr. Forrest
Hardee Kirkland	...	Mr. Morgridge, the Society Leader
Raymond Hatton	...	The Menace
Edwin Wallock	...	Chemist (as Edwin N. Wallock)
Roy Laidlaw	...	Doorkeeper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cullen Landis	...	Young Man in Restaurant (uncredited)

Directed by
Wallace Worsley

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gouverneur Morris		story
Ruth Wightman		scenario

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn	....	producer

Original Music by
Vivek Maddala		(2000)

Cinematography by
Don Short		(as Donovan Short)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Music Department
Vivek Maddala	....	orchestrator: original music (2000 score)

Production Companies

• Goldwyn Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Goldwyn Pictures Corporation (1921) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (????) (USA) (TV)
• Videobrary (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

75 min (2000 alternate version) (21 fps)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White | Color (tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed

Company:

Goldwyn Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The original ending to the film picked up after the bomb explodes at the meeting headquarters. Forrest and Lillith are living in a cabin in the woods, and believe that they are safe thanks to Farralone. Rushing back to the cabin to warn Lillith, he sees Morgridge, who tells him that they have nothing to fear - Farralone's sacrifice has taught him that love is the solution, not destruction. This ending was cut on the request of Samuel Goldwyn, who felt that it was too contrived and that the lovers reading about it in the newspaper was a much more satisfying ending.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Settling the Score (2005) (TV)

Lovely for its time

I think it's a mistake to compare silent movies in general to modern films. The medium is just plain different- subtlety isn't a strong point- kind of like vaudeville. This movie is a great little snippet of history. The story- about anarchists preparing to assassinate a "bad man" is very current for its time- only 3 years after WWI- caused by the assassination of a world figure by an anarchist. So, the message of the movie, that love trumps anarchy was current, and timely. Lon Chaney was a master of silent emoting- and yes, perhaps the acting seems stylized and mannered, but taken in context, it's a great deal of fun. It's also an interesting portrayal of a woman within a political movement- first as an ideologue detached from love and romance and then as a woman consumed by her passion and ready for her husband to abandon his principles to remain at her side. She's in some ways the villain of this piece- and in some ways the hero. Very nice shades of ethical grays.