Charity Castle

Charity Castle
Charity Castle
	Advertisement for film
Directed by	Lloyd Ingraham
Written by	Doty Hobart
Starring	Mary Miles Minter
Production; company	American Film Company
Distributed by	Mutual Film
Release date	September 3, 1917;
Running time	5 reels
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Charity Castle is a 1917 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and starring Mary Miles Minter. As is the case with many of Minter's features, it is thought to be a lost film.^[1]

Plot

As described and illustrated in various film magazines,^[2]^[3]^[4] when the mother of Charity (Minter) and her little brother, whom she calls "The Prince," passes away, they are left in the care of her tenant, Merlin Durand (Forrest). He is the son of a millionaire, but his miserly father, who disapproves of his extravagant lifestyle, has banished him from home until he can produce his first week's pay-check.

When Merlin's bills pile up, Charity takes pity on him, and decides that she and her brother will talk his father into taking him back. They go to the father's house and find it deserted; Simon Durand has gone to "take the waters" and the servants have seized the opportunity to take the night off. Charity and the Prince promptly move into the house and call it their castle, as they wait for the father's return.

That night, Bill the burglar (Turner) breaks into the house, but Charity charms him into becoming their protector. To complete this unconventional household, Sam the bum (Russell) and Lucius (Aitken), a stranded actor, soon join them. When Simon Durand returns, he is at first furious to find these strangers in his home; Charity, however, soon wins him over, and he decides to keep on Bill, Sam and Lucius in place of his absent servants.

Merlin, meanwhile, has managed to secure a job. With his first pay-check in hand, he goes to see his father, where he is overjoyed to find his wards safe and sound. Father and son are reconciled, and all live happily in the newly-renamed "Charity Castle."

Cast

Mary Miles Minter as Charity
Clifford Callis as The Prince
Allan Forrest as Merlin Durand
Eugenie Forde as Zelma Verona
Henry A. Barrows as Simon Durand
Ashton Dearholt as Elmer Trent
Robert Klein as Graves
Spottiswoode Aitken as Lucius Garrett
George Ahearn as Bill Turner
J. Gordon Russell as Sam Smith

References

^ The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Charity Castle
^ "Reviews: Mary Miles Minter in Charity Castle". Exhibitors Herald. 5 (12). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: [1]. September 15, 1917.
^ "Mary Miles Minter in Charity Castle". Motography. 18 (10). Chicago: Electricity Magazine Corp.: [2] September 8, 1917.
^ "Ready-Made Ad-Talks: Mary Miles Minter in Charity Castle". Motion Picture News. 16 (10). New York City: Motion Picture News, Inc.: [3] September 8, 1917.

External links

Charity Castle at IMDb

This article about a silent comedy-drama film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[Library_of_Congress-1] The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Charity Castle

[2] "Reviews: Mary Miles Minter in Charity Castle". Exhibitors Herald. 5 (12). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: [1]. September 15, 1917.

[3] "Mary Miles Minter in Charity Castle". Motography. 18 (10). Chicago: Electricity Magazine Corp.: [2] September 8, 1917.

[4] "Ready-Made Ad-Talks: Mary Miles Minter in Charity Castle". Motion Picture News. 16 (10). New York City: Motion Picture News, Inc.: [3] September 8, 1917.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]