Sacred and Profane Love (film)

Sacred and Profane Love
Sacred and Profane Love
	Poster with Nagel and Ferguson
Directed by	William Desmond Taylor
Written by	Julia Crawford Ivers
Based on	The Book of Carlotta; by Arnold Bennett
Produced by	Adolph Zukor; Jesse Lasky
Starring	Elsie Ferguson; Conrad Nagel
Cinematography	Ted D. McCord; James Van Trees
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	May 22, 1921;
Running time	5 to 6 reels
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Elsie Ferguson and Barbara Gurney — Barbara Gurney and Elsie Ferguson.

Sacred and Profane Love is a 1921 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. This film was directed by William Desmond Taylor and starred Elsie Ferguson with Conrad Nagel. It is based on a book The Book of Carlotta by Arnold Bennett and was turned into a 1920 Broadway play which also starred Elsie Ferguson. Writer/director Julia Crawford Ivers adapted the book and play to the screen while her son James Van Trees served as one of the film's cinematographers. All known copies of this film are lost.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Plot

As described in a film publication summary,^[4] Carlotta Peel (Ferguson), brought up by a maiden aunt with maiden ideas, secretly attends a concert by Emilie Diaz (Nagel). After the concert she meets the pianist and later succumbs to the strains of "Samson and Delilah" played by Emilie. Carlotta spends the night with Emilie and returns home the next morning to find her aunt dead. She does not see Emilie again, and after several years she is a well known novelist who is loved by her publisher, Frank Ispenlove (Holding). The publisher's wife Mary (Greenwood) commits suicide because of her husband's affair with Carlotta. Frank then kills himself. After some time Carlotta finds Emilie living in Paris, a morphine addict, originally prescribed for his tremors. She nurses him back to health and his musical gift is restored. She is now happy with her first love.

Cast

Elsie Ferguson as Carlotta Peel
Conrad Nagel as Emilie Diaz, pianist
Thomas Holding as Frank Ispenlove
Helen Dunbar as Constance Peel
Winifred Greenwood as Mary Ispenlove
Raymond Blathwayt as Lord Francis Alcar
Clarissa Selwynne as Mrs. Sardis
Howard Gaye as Albert Vicary
Forrest Stanley as Samson
Jane Keckley as Rebecca
Barbara Gurney as A Parlor Maid

References

^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films 1921-30 by The American Film Institute, 1971
^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993:Sacred and Profane Love
^ Sacred and Profane Love as produced on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre, February 23, 1920 to May 1920, 88 performances; IBDb.com
^ "Sacred and Profane Love: Adoption of Well Known Stage Play Is Disappointing". Film Daily. 16 (24). New York City: Wyd's Films and Film Folks, Inc.: 11 April 24, 1921. Retrieved March 19, 2014.

External links

Sacred and Profane Love at IMDb
Synopsis at AllMovie
Elsie Ferguson and Conrad Nagel in a scene
Production still (archived)
Getty Images

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[1] The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films 1921-30 by The American Film Institute, 1971

[2] The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993:Sacred and Profane Love

[3] Sacred and Profane Love as produced on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre, February 23, 1920 to May 1920, 88 performances; IBDb.com

[FilmDaily-4] "Sacred and Profane Love: Adoption of Well Known Stage Play Is Disappointing". Film Daily. 16 (24). New York City: Wyd's Films and Film Folks, Inc.: 11 April 24, 1921. Retrieved March 19, 2014.

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