THE GRIP OF JEALOUSY

Released 2/28/16 by Universal/Bluebird Photoplays; Director: Joseph De Grasse; Screenplay: Ida May Park, from her own original story Love Thine Enemy; 5 reels

CAST: Louise Lovely (Virginia Grant), Grace Thompson (Beth Grant), Jay Belasco (Harry Grant), Hayward Mack (Philip Grant), Colin Chase (Hugh Morey), Harry Ham (Jack Morey), Lon Chaney (Silas Lacey), Mr. Neff (Harvey Lacey), Walter Belasco (Uncle Jeff), Marcia Moore (Linda), Dixie Carr (Cora)

SYNOPSIS: The Grant and Morey families have been bitter enemies for generations. Beth Grant and Jack Morey marry secretly, and they leave home when Beth finds she is expecting a baby. Virginia Grant hears their plans to leave and, unaware of their marriage, assumes Jack has dishonored her sister, whereupon she tells Harry Grant who swears vengeance. Silas Lacey, a rich planter, asks Harry's consent to marry Virginia, but being from a lower social class, he is rebuffed by Harry and literally thrown from the house. Lacey kills Grant, but Jack is suspected after he flees with his secret wife, who dies giving birth to a daughter. Virginia believe's Beth's child to be illegitimate and secretly leaves it on the doorstep of Lacey's slave Jeff, who names the girl Linda. Fifteen years pass and Virginia loves Hugh Morey, but cannot marry him because his brother Jack is still believed to have killed her brother Harry. Lacey claims possession of Linda as the offspring of one of his slaves. Virginia consents to marry Lacey if he will free Linda, but Harvey Lacey, Silas' son, wants Linda for himself and kidnaps her. He takes her aboard a riverboat where, through considerable coincidence, he finds Jack Morey, who has never been heard from since he left home. Morey rescues Linda and, through the testimony of Jeff who saw Lacey murder Harry, he is exonerated. Jack is reunited with his daughter Linda, and Hugh and Virginia are married.

"...the picture in its entirety is likely to leave a vague, rather unsatisfactory impression...Whatever criticism the construction of the story may suggest, no fault need be found with the staging and the impressive acting in many of the scenes...Lon Chaney brings out all the ugliness in the character of Lacey." ---Moving Picture World

"The many twists and turns of the plot would consume an abnormal amount of space in the telling. The scenario is chock full of melodramatic action and holds the spectator...The entire cast is uniformly good and the picture is a good program feature from every angle." - --Variety

NOTES: The original working title of the film was LOVE THINE ENEMY. Universal reported earnings of $19,495 on the picture. There are pictures of Chaney in two different sets of makeup, one making him appear older. It is likely that he appears both as the young Lacey and then again 15 years later. The film is lost so it is difficult to confirm this.


© 1996,2008 Jon C. Mirsalis


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