Sirens of the Sea (film)

Sirens of the Sea is a 1917 American silent fantasy film directed and written by Allen Holubar based upon a screen story by Grace Helen Bailey. Featuring Louise Lovely, it was distributed by the Jewel Productions division of Universal Film Manufacturing Company. It is not known whether the film currently survives.[1]

Sirens of the Sea
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Directed byAllen Holubar
Written byAllen Holubar (scenario)
Grace Helen Bailey (screen story)
StarringLouise Lovely
Carmel Myers
Jack Mulhall
CinematographyRoy H. Klaffki
Edited byGrant Whytock
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Film Manufacturing Company
Release date
  • September 20, 1917 (1917-09-20)
Running time
6 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Plot

As described in a film magazine,[2][3] a little girl, cast up from the sea in a fisherman's net from a wrecked ship, is adopted by the wealthy Wellington Stanhope (Deane) and his wife (Wright). The girl is the only survivor of the lost ship and no one knows anything about her. Eighteen years elapse and the child appears as the young debutante Sybil (Lovely) at a birthday party where she meets Hartley Royce (Quinn) and Gerald Waldron (Mulhall), who both fall in love with her. Julie (Myers) is jealous of Sybil, and plots with Harley to keep her separated from Gerald. Sybil tries to have Hadji (Selbie) tell the fortunes of the guests. While on an errand Sybil is followed by the impetuous Hartley who takes her in his arms, and to avoid him she jumps off a cliff into the sea. As the guests from the party search for her in boats, Gerald Waldron has a dream in which witches, spirits, nymphs, and sirens dance and plot on the beach at night. During the allegorical dream love (represented by Lovely) overcomes evil (represented by Myers). The spirits are driven away at the break of day and Gerald wakes up, finds his sweetheart Sybil on the beach, and takes her home.

Cast

Production

Location scenes were shot at Santa Catalina Island, one of the Channel Islands of California.

Reception

Like many American films of the time, Sirens of the Sea was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required a cut of three scenes of women diving underwater and exposing their backs, the flashing of three scenes of the "Spirit of Sorrow" on a rock, and the cut of five scenes of nude women in the "Cave of Giants".[4]

References
  1. Progressive Silent Film List: Sirens of the Sea at silentera.com
  2. "Reviews: Sirens of the Sea". Exhibitors Herald. New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company. 5 (14): 26. September 29, 1917.
  3. "Synopses of Current Releases: Sirens of the Sea". Exhibitors Herald. 5 (11): 36. September 8, 1917.
  4. "Official Cut-Outs by the Chicago Board of Censors". Exhibitors Herald. 5 (15): 33. October 6, 1917.

External list
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