The Exploits of Elaine

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The Exploits of Elaine
Whartons Studio
Release date
  • December 28, 1914 (1914-12-28)
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

The Exploits of Elaine is a 1914 American

film serial in the damsel in distress genre of The Perils of Pauline
(1914).

The Exploits of Elaine tells the story of a young woman named Elaine who, with the help of a detective, tries to find the man, known only as "The Clutching Hand", who murdered her father.

mystery villain
to appear in a film serial. The concept was widely used for the remainder of the format's existence.

The serial stars

Charles W. Goddard, and George B. Seitz, and directed by Louis J. Gasnier, Seitz, and Leopold Wharton. The film was produced by the Wharton Studio of Ithaca, New York, and distributed by Pathé Exchange, the American distribution branch of the French company Pathé
at that time. Pathé was the largest film equipment and production company in the world during the first part of the 20th century.

The film was followed in 1915 by The New Exploits of Elaine.

The serial, which is extant, was named to the United States National Film Registry in 1994 for its cultural and historic importance.[2][3]

Cast

  • Pearl White - Elaine Dodge
  • Arnold Daly - Detective Craig Kennedy
  • Creighton Hale - Walter Jameson (Ep. 1, 2, 3)
  • Raymond Owens
    - Walter Jameson (Ep. 4–14)
  • Sheldon Lewis - Perry Bennett / The Clutching Hand. Sheldon Lewis, as the handsome attorney Perry Bennett and The Clutching Hand, was "the first in the serial genre's long parade of unknown menaces."[4][5]
  • Edwin Arden - Wu Fang
  • Leroy Baker - The Butler
  • Bessie Wharton - Aunt Josephine, Mrs. Dodge
  • Riley Hatch - President Dodge (as William Riley Hatch)
Pearl White and Creighton Hale.
Pearl White and Creighton Hale.
  • Robin H. Townley - Limpy Red
  • Floyd Buckley - Michael
  • Lionel Barrymore - Undetermined Role
  • M.W. Rale - Wong Lang Sin, a Yellow Peril character, who wants the Clutching Hand's treasure map. He became just an agent of Wu Fang in the sequel. Wu Fang appeared in several Pearl White serials.[6]

Production

The Exploits of Elaine was based on a book in the "

fingerprinting in dramatic fashion.[4] Nevertheless, the serial was a success on its release and led to two sequels, The New Exploits of Elaine (1915) and The Romance of Elaine (1915).[4]

Cliffhangers

Similar to other film serials, each chapter typically closed with a cliffhanger with Elaine in some physical peril or confronted with a shocking revelation. For example, at the close of Chapter 10 Elaine actually dies. She is then brought back to life in the next chapter by Craig Kennedy.[5]

Critical reception

In the opinion of film critic Stedman, this serial is an improvement on The Perils of Pauline, with better acting, script, and direction.[4]

Chapter titles

"The Death Ray"
"The Life Current"
  1. The Clutching Hand
  2. The Twilight Sleep
  3. The Vanishing Jewels
  4. The Frozen Safe
  5. The Poisoned Room
  6. The Vampire
  7. The Double Trap
  8. The Hidden Voice
  9. The Death Ray
  10. The Life Current
  11. The Hour of Three
  12. The Blood Crystals
  13. The Devil Worshippers
  14. The Reckoning

References

  1. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X
    .
  2. ^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Exploits of Elaine at silentera.com
  3. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8061-0927-5
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7130-0097-9
    .
  6. ISBN 978-0-8061-0927-5
    .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Exploits of Elaine.
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