Padlocked | 1926 | Drama, Melodrama

Title: Padlocked | 1926 | Drama, Melodrama Director: Allan Dwan. Studio: Famous Players–Lasky Corporation. Starring: Lois Moran, Noah Beery Sr., Louise Dresser, Helen Jerome Eddy, Allan Simpson, Richard Arlen, Florence Turner, Charles Lane, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Based on: The novel “Padlocked” by Rex Beach. Release Date: July 31, 1926 . Runtime: 70 minutes. Format: Silent, black-and-white; 7 reels ; English intertitles. Country: United States. Language: Silent . Genres: Drama, Melodrama. --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Reformer's Household 00:12:30 Tragedy and Flight 00:28:00 Cabaret and Temptations 00:45:00 Arrest and Reformatory 01:03:00 Confrontation and Reunion --- Summary: Edith Gilbert, daughter of a wealthy moral crusader, flees her oppressive home after her mother’s death and finds work as a café dancer in New York. There she draws the attention of young Norman Van Pelt and the predatory Monte Hermann, while a scheming society woman, Mrs. Alcott, complicates her path. When Edith’s father discovers her on the stage, he has her committed to a reformatory. As Edith struggles under institutional discipline, her father’s new marriage collapses, prompting his attempt at reconciliation. A final confrontation at Hermann’s estate and Norman’s return from abroad pave the way for Edith’s release and reunion, underscoring themes of hypocrisy, female autonomy, and social control. --- Background: Padlocked adapts Rex Beach’s 1926 novel and was produced by Famous Players–Lasky for Paramount release; Variety reported that Paramount paid an unusually high $100,000 for the screen rights. Shot by James Wong Howe early in his career, the film was long thought inaccessible until the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and the Národní filmový archiv restored it in 2023 from a Czech-titled print, creating new English intertitles based on archival sources. --- Trivia: Cinematography is by James Wong Howe, later celebrated for his innovative lighting and camera work. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. appears in a supporting role as “Sonny” Galloway, alongside Richard Arlen and Charles Lane. According to AFI, Paramount acquired the novel’s rights for about $100,000, an exceptional sum for the period. The only known surviving source was a Czech archival print; the 2023 restoration marked the film’s first public screenings since the silent era. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: July 31, 1926. Original Studio / Distributor: Famous Players–Lasky Corporation / Paramount Pictures. Copyright Status: Public Domain . Works first published in 1926 entered the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2022. --- Hashtags: Padlocked AllanDwan SilentFilm PublicDomain JamesWongHowe Paramount LoisMoran NoahBeery 1926 Melodrama Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Padlocked_(1926).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Padlocked_%281926%29.webm