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Mortmain (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mortmain is a five-part 1915 Vitagraph mystery drama film, directed bye Theodore Marston.[1] Reviewer Lynde Denig said it was a mystery drama with a scientific background that "comes pretty close to being a model of motion picture craftsmanship." The film was adapted from a story by Arthur Train.[2][3] The New York Clipper called it remindful of the stories of Edgar Allan Poe.[4] It stars Robert Edeson. Marguerite Bertsch wrote the screenplay. The story involves the grafting of one man's hand to replace a man's who had his crushed.[5] The consequences are haunting.[2] The film is presumed lost.[6]

It was advertised as a "Medical Mystery".[7] An image used in advertising material features a creepy black and white hand with the word "MORT" but on it.[8] Censors blocked the film from being shown in Philadelphia and Chicago.[9]

Cast

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mortmain". September 7, 1915 – via memory.loc.gov.
  2. ^ a b "Moving Picture World and View Photographer". World Photographic Publishing Company. September 7, 1915 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mortmain, by Arthur Train".
  4. ^ Rhodes, Gary D. (2018). The Birth of the American Horror Film. ISBN 9781474430883. JSTOR 10.3366/j.ctvxcrw4d.
  5. ^ "Motion Picture Story Magazine". Macfadden-Bartell. September 7, 1915 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b "Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List". www.silentera.com.
  7. ^ "Mortmain ??, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania". Harrisburg Daily Independent. 27 September 1915. p. 9.
  8. ^ "MORTMAIN (1915) by Theodore Marston, Cinefania". www.cinefania.com.
  9. ^ "Mortmain (1915)" – via letterboxd.com.