Greed | 1924 | Psychological drama

Title: Greed | 1924 | Psychological drama Director: Erich von Stroheim Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Starring: Gibson Gowland, ZaSu Pitts, Jean Hersholt Based on: McTeague: A Story of San Francisco by Frank Norris Release Date: December 4, 1924 Runtime: 140 Format: Silent, black-and-white, 35mm; selected scenes tinted via Handschiegl Color Process Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Psychological drama --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Polk Street dentist 00:25:00 The lottery ticket 00:50:00 Marriage and savings 01:15:00 Obsession and strain 01:40:00 Crime and pursuit 01:55:00 Death Valley finale --- Summary: In San Francisco, unlicensed dentist John “Mac” McTeague courts Trina Sieppe, who wins a lottery prize shortly before their marriage. The windfall becomes a catalyst for possessiveness and mistrust, straining relationships among McTeague, Trina, and his friend Marcus Schouler. As miserliness and envy intensify, domestic life deteriorates into cruelty and desperation. The story culminates in a stark desert confrontation, underscoring themes of avarice, moral decay, and the corrosive effects of money on ordinary lives. --- Background: Erich von Stroheim adapted Frank Norris’s McTeague and shot extensively on location in San Francisco, the California gold country, and Death Valley. His initial cut reportedly ran 42 reels before studio-ordered reductions; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ultimately released a 10‑reel version running about 140 minutes, premiering in New York on December 4, 1924. In 1999, a 239‑minute reconstruction combined surviving footage with production stills to approximate von Stroheim’s longer narrative. Selected shots featuring gold were tinted in original prints using the Handschiegl Color Process. --- Trivia: The film’s New York premiere took place at William Randolph Hearst’s Cosmopolitan Theatre on December 4, 1924. Principal photography emphasized real locations, including Polk Street in San Francisco and sequences in Death Valley, reflecting Stroheim’s pursuit of realism. Greed was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1991. The 1999 reconstruction, produced by Rick Schmidlin, premiered at Telluride and later aired on Turner Classic Movies. The theatrical release was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and distributed through Metro-Goldwyn Distributing Corporation following the 1924 studio merger. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: December 4, 1924 Original Studio / Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn Distributing Corporation Copyright Status: Public Domain --- Hashtags: Greed ErichVonStroheim FrankNorris SilentFilm PublicDomain 1920sCinema FilmHistory Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greed_(1924).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Greed_%281924%29.webm