Forbidden Fruit (1921 film)

Forbidden Fruit is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Agnes Ayres, Forrest Stanley, Clarence Burton, and Kathlyn Williams.[1] It is a remake of the 1915 film The Golden Chance, which was also directed by DeMille.[2]

Forbidden Fruit
Advertisement for the film from a 1921 issue of Exhibitors Herald
Directed byCecil B. DeMille
Screenplay byJeanie MacPherson
Based on"The Golden Chance"
by Cecil B. DeMille and Jeanie MacPherson
Produced byCecil B. DeMille
StarringAgnes Ayres
Clarence Burton
Theodore Roberts
Kathlyn Williams
CinematographyAlvin Wyckoff
Edited byAnne Bauchens
Music byHugo Riesenfeld
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • January 23, 1921 (1921-01-23)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Forbidden Fruit

Plot

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Mrs. Mallory (Williams) persuades Mary Maddock (Ayres), her unhappily married seamstress, to take the place of an absent guest at her dinner party so that her husband can complete a business deal with Nelson Rogers (Stanley) rather than make his trip out West. Gorgeously gowned and very beautiful, Mary wins the heart of Nelson at the party, who asks her to marry him. Mary realizes what she is missing and remains faithful to her abusive and idle husband Steve Maddock (Burton), whom she supports. After a final insult from him (throwing a shoe at her bird that knocks the cage out a window to its death), she remains with the Mallorys, who need her for a weekend with Nelson. During that night she is awakened to find a burglar, her husband, stealing Mrs. Mallory's jewels. Steve escapes but Mary tells the Mallorys that the thief was her husband. She refuses the Mallorys' suggestion to divorce Steve who then attempts to blackmail Nelson for $10,000, which he plans to divide with a crooked partner (the butler of the Mallorys). In a fight over the money, the partner kills Steve, leaving Mary free to marry Nelson.[3]

Cast

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Preservation

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Prints of Forbidden Fruit are held by:

References

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  1. ^ "Forbidden Fruit". afi.com. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "Progressive Silent Film List: Forbidden Fruit". silentera.com. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
  3. ^ "Forbidden Fruit: Gorgeously Extravagant Production of Modern Cinderella Story". Film Daily. 15 (28). New York City: Wyd's Films and Film Folks, Inc.: 2 January 30, 1921. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  4. ^ "American Silent Feature Film Database: Forbidden Fruit". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
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