Mockery | 1927 | Drama, Romance

Title: Mockery | 1927 | Drama, Romance Director: Benjamin Christensen Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Starring: Lon Chaney, Barbara Bedford, Ricardo Cortez, Emily Fitzroy, Charles Puffy Based on: a short story by Stig Esbern Release Date: August 13, 1927 Runtime: 75 Format: Silent, black-and-white, 7 reels Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Drama, Romance --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Siberian peasant meets the countess 00:14:00 Ambush, rescue, and hospital recovery 00:30:00 Servant in the Gaidaroff household 00:47:00 Uprising and the empty mansion 01:03:00 Final confrontation and aftermath --- Summary: Set during the turmoil following the Russian Revolution, Mockery follows Sergei, a starving Siberian peasant who aids Countess Tatiana Alexandrova on a perilous journey to the town of Novokursk. After she secures his recovery in hospital and installs him as a servant, Sergei’s gratitude turns to resentment under the influence of brutal colleagues and the shifting tides of class conflict. As the Red forces close in and the social order collapses, Tatiana becomes trapped in a deserted mansion. Sergei struggles between loyalty and desire, culminating in violence, remorse, and an act of protection that brings the story to a tragic close. Themes of class division, obsession, and moral ambiguity run throughout. --- Background: Produced by Erich Pommer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Mockery was Danish filmmaker Benjamin Christensen’s second Hollywood feature. The production, originally shot under the working title Terror, filmed from May 19 to June 27, 1927, with sets designed by Cedric Gibbons and Alexander Toluboff. Long considered lost, the film later resurfaced, with prints preserved at the George Eastman Museum. --- Trivia: Johnny Mack Brown appears in an uncredited role as a Russian officer. The film’s working title during production was Terror. Cedric Gibbons and Alexander Toluboff designed the film’s sets. Production cost was reported at $187,000, with worldwide grosses of approximately $751,000. Prints survive at the George Eastman Museum; the film was once thought lost before its rediscovery in the mid-1970s. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: August 13, 1927 Original Studio / Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: Mockery1927 LonChaney BenjaminChristensen SilentFilm MGM ClassicCinema PublicDomain Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mockery_(1927).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Mockery_%281927%29.webm