Daring Deeds | 1927 | Comedy-Drama

Title: Daring Deeds | 1927 | Comedy-Drama Director: Duke Worne Studio: Duke Worne Productions Starring: Billy Sullivan, Molly Malone, Earl Metcalfe Release Date: May 1927 Runtime: 57 minutes Format: Silent, black-and-white; 5 reels; English intertitles Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Comedy, Drama --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Family rift and takeoff 00:12:00 Meeting the Courtneys 00:25:00 Rival’s scheme 00:40:00 Transcontinental race begins 00:52:00 Finish line and resolution --- Summary: After a quarrel with his father, an airplane manufacturer, William Gordon Jr. leaves home in his aircraft seeking independence and excitement. His travels bring him to inventor John Courtney and Courtney’s daughter, Helen, whose work is threatened by an unscrupulous rival. Determined to help, William enters a transcontinental air race to secure attention and investment for Courtney’s invention. Rivalry, sabotage, and romance intersect as William pursues victory in the skies and a future with Helen. --- Background: Produced by Duke Worne Productions and distributed by Rayart Pictures, Daring Deeds was filmed in early 1927 and released in May of that year, with a New York opening on June 17, 1927. The film survives today, an exception among many silent-era features, and is noted as the final feature film appearance of actress Molly Malone. --- Trivia: AFI lists the film’s running time at 57 minutes, while other sources round it to an hour, reflecting common variations in silent-era reporting and projection speeds. A contemporary Variety review in January 1928 dismissed the picture as a “wishy-washy” melodrama, illustrating mixed critical reception for low-budget independent releases of the period. Rayart Pictures, the film’s distributor, was an early Poverty Row company that later evolved into Monogram Pictures in the 1930s. The story centers on aviation at a time when airplane races and technological innovation were popular draws for film audiences. The film’s thematic mix of romance, competition, and corporate intrigue typifies independent silent features aimed at neighborhood theaters. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: May 1927 Original Studio / Distributor: Duke Worne Productions / Rayart Pictures Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: DaringDeeds 1927 SilentFilm PublicDomain DukeWorne Rayart BillySullivan MollyMalone AviationFilm ComedyDrama Source page: https: //www.loc.gov/item/2023600655/ Direct media URL: https: //tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mbrs/ntscrm/02133566/02133566.mp4