The Devil Within (1921 film)

The Devil Within is a 1921 American silent adventure film directed by Bernard J. Durning and starring Dustin Farnum, Virginia Valli and Nigel De Brulier.[1]

The Devil Within
Directed byBernard J. Durning
Written byArthur J. Zellner
Based onCursed by George Allan England
Produced byWilliam Fox
StarringDustin Farnum
Virginia Valli
Nigel De Brulier
CinematographyDon Short
Production
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Distributed byFox Film
Release date
  • November 20, 1921 (1921-11-20)
Running time
60 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesSilent
English intertitles

Plot

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Captain Briggs, an alcoholic, violent sea captain creates trouble for his crew and the native people of the South Sea Islands. As an old man, he has reformed, but his grandson, Hal, enters into the same wild lifestyle.[2]

Cast

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Reception

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Jessie Robb of The Moving Picture World gave the film a negative review, criticizing the "poor" story and "uneven action," as well as the feeling that the film's runtime was padded with a large amount of unnecessary close-ups. Robb concluded "It does not seem equal to Dustin Farnum's previous release."[2]

Other trade magazines were similarly disappointed with the film. The Exhibitors' Trade Review called it, "Just another good Fox picture." Wid's Daily wrote, "Farnum gets terrible story for his second," and Motion Picture News felt it was "Not up to 'Primal Law'".[3]

References

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  1. ^ Munden p.184
  2. ^ a b Robb, Jessie (3 December 1921). "Newest Reviews and Comments "The Devil Within"". The Moving Picture World. Vol. 53 pt.2. New York: The World Photographic Publishing Company. p. 588. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Consensus of Published Reviews". The Moving Picture World. Vol. 53 pt.2. New York: The World Photographic Publishing Company. 10 December 1921. p. 705. Retrieved 14 December 2023.

Bibliography

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  • Connelly, Robert B. The Silents: Silent Feature Films, 1910-36, Volume 40, Issue 2. December Press, 1998.
  • Munden, Kenneth White. The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States, Part 1. University of California Press, 1997.
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