The Converted Deacon

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The Converted Deacon
An advertisement for the film in Billboard
Produced byThanhouser Company
Release date
  • July 15, 1910 (1910-07-15)
CountryUnited States
LanguagesSilent film
English inter-titles

The Converted Deacon is a 1910 American

The New York Dramatic Mirror editorial. The film was released on July 15, 1910, and met with mixed reception. The film is presumed lost

Plot

Though the film is presumed lost, a synopsis survives in The Moving Picture World from July 16, 1910. It states: "May Sanders is the daughter of a farmer, Deacon Sanders, who is nearly as poor as he is religious. May goes to the city to seek employment, and her father warns her to shun theatres and bad company. Her first job is a maid in the home of Mrs. Carr, wife of a theatrical manager. Mrs. Carr discovers that May can sing and dance exceptionally well, and her husband places May on the stage. She makes a hit right from the start. Also she annexes the affections of John DeLacy, a wealthy young man. But she does not dare tell her parents about her new vocation. Matters drag along until the Deacon unexpectedly arrives in town. May has still pretended to be the maid of Mrs. Carr, and the father finds her in the house when she calls. He tells her that her mother is ill, and she is needed at home. She goes and is promptly put to work on the farm. John follows his sweetheart to the country, and to be near her, pretends to be poor and secures a job on the farm. The newspaper gives the Deacon a clue to the mystery, and he prepares to disown his daughter. But when she sings and dances, his anger melts, he forgives May and John, who later marry with a paternal blessing."[1]

Production

The writer of the scenario is unknown, but it was most likely

Frank H. Crane and Violet Heming.[3][4][5]

Despite the lack of production details, the quality of the Thanhouser films in general stood out amongst the Independent producers. An editorial by "The Spectator" in

American Biograph Company, a Licensed company, and like the publication itself had a considerable slant to the Licensed companies.[7]

Release and reception

The single reel drama, approximately 1000 feet long, was released on July 15, 1910.[1] The film had a wide national release in the United States, theaters showing advertisements include those in Kansas,[8] North Carolina,[9] Maryland,[10] Indiana,[11] Pennsylvania,[12] Arizona,[13] and Missouri.[14] One of the last advertisements for the film was in Neosho, Missouri on May 14, 1913.[14]

The film received mixed reception in trade publications, but some advertisements would boast the power of the film or go so far as to call it a great American drama.

The New York Dramatic Mirror however disagreed that the premise was plausible, "A [straight-laced] old deacon forms the complicating element in this rather conventional and rather improbable story. That a girl could become a comic opera star without the knowledge of her parents is a strain for the imagination. That a simple little dance like the one in the picture could effect such a conversion is another tax on belief. The acting is good, especially in the heroine's role. The deacon displays an unnatural tendency in such a stern character when he rapturously kisses the photograph of his daughter."[1] It is unknown if the character of Deacon Sanders is really a church deacon because the synopsis states Deacon Sanders is a farmer who is "nearly as poor as he is religious".[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 2: Filmography - The Converted Deacon". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  2. ^ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 3: Biographies - Lonergan, Lloyd F.". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  3. ^ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 3: Biographies - Heming, Violet". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  4. ^ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 3: Biographies - Rosemond, Anna". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  5. ^ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 3: Biographies - Crane, Frank H.". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 1: Narrative History - Chapter 3: 1910 Thanhouser Quality Commended". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  7. ^ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 2: Filmography - Thanhouser Filmography - 1910 .". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  8. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  13. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  14. ^
    Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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