The Case of Becky (1915 film)
| The Case of Becky | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Frank Reicher |
| Screenplay by | David Belasco (play) Edward Locke (play) Margaret Turnbull |
| Produced by | David Belasco Jesse L. Lasky |
| Starring | Blanche Sweet Theodore Roberts James Neill Carlyle Blackwell Jane Wolfe Gertrude Kellar |
| Cinematography | Walter Stradling |
Production company | Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 5 reels |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
The Case of Becky is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Frank Reicher. It was adapted by Margaret Turnbull from the 1912 play of the same name by David Belasco and Edward Locke. The film stars Blanche Sweet, Theodore Roberts, James Neill, Carlyle Blackwell, Jane Wolfe, and Gertrude Kellar. The film was released on September 13, 1915, by Paramount Pictures.[1][2] The film was later remade in 1921 under the same title.
Plot
[edit]Dorothy, victim of the influence that the hypnotist Balzamo has on her, the man who raised her, develops a second personality with a malevolent character named Becky. When Balzamo tries to win the girl, she runs away. Meanwhile, Dr. Emerson, a specialist in nerve diseases, encourages Dr. John Arnold to use his hypnotic powers to heal the sick and tells him that those powers are dangerous because his wife had been the victim of a hypnotist years earlier, who l 'had kidnapped. After the woman's death, all traces of her little girl had been lost.
Dorothy, after her escape, looks for jobs to live on. But when she finds them, Becky's personality re-emerges and makes her lose them. When Dorothy becomes friends with Dr. Emerson's sister, she transforms into Becky and the doctor diagnoses her with a case of split personality. Arnold, who has fallen in love with Dorothy, is ready to "kill" Becky, but suddenly Balzamo reappears trying to regain control of the young woman. A mental struggle arises between Balzamo and Arnold which has the doctor as its winner: Balzamo is forced to confess that Dorothy is Emerson's daughter. Having lost his powers, Balzamo goes away. Dorothy is now free to love Arnold.
Cast
[edit]- Blanche Sweet as Dorothy / Becky
- Theodore Roberts as Balzamo
- James Neill as Dr. Emerson
- Carlyle Blackwell as Dr. John Arnold
- Jane Wolfe as Carrie, Balzamo's assistant
- Gertrude Kellar as Miss Emerson, Dr. Emerson's sister
Preservation status
[edit]A copy is held at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Janiss Garza. "The-Case-of-Becky - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
- ^ "The Case of Becky (1915) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- ^ The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Case of Becky Library of Congress Retrieved November 18, 2022.
External links
[edit]
 | This article related to an American film of the 1910s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This 1910s drama film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1915 films
- 1915 drama films
- 1910s American films
- 1910s English-language films
- American black-and-white films
- American films based on plays
- American silent feature films
- Films directed by Frank Reicher
- Paramount Pictures films
- Silent American drama films
- Surviving American silent films
- 1910s American film stubs
- 1910s drama film stubs