Paths to Paradise | 1925 | Comedy, Crime

Title: Paths to Paradise by Clarence G. Badger | 1925 | Comedy, Crime Director: Clarence G. Badger. Studio: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. Starring: Raymond Griffith, Betty Compson, Thomas Santschi, Edgar Kennedy. Based on: The Heart of a Thief by Paul Armstrong. Release Date: June 29, 1925. Runtime: 78. Format: Silent, black-and-white; 35mm, 1.33:1; 7 reels ; English intertitles. Country: United States. Language: Silent . Genres: Comedy, Crime. --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Chinatown swindle 00:12:30 Badge bluff 00:25:00 New partnership 00:40:00 Necklace heist 00:55:00 Pursuit to the border 01:08:00 Decision to return --- Summary: A suave con man posing as a tourist from Duluth crosses paths with Molly, a skilled thief who works Chinatown dives separating visitors from their money. After he bluffs her with a counterfeit detective’s badge and absconds with her cash, the two meet again at a society home where both are scheming to steal a valuable necklace. Recognizing each other’s talents, they form an uneasy partnership. Their caper triggers a multi-jurisdictional chase that drives them toward the Mexican border. Faced with the consequences of their criminal lives, they choose reform and seek to return the necklace, hinting at redemption beneath their deception. --- Background: Produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures, Paths to Paradise was directed by Clarence G. Badger from a scenario by Keene Thompson, adapted from Paul Armstrong’s 1914 Broadway play The Heart of a Thief. Long considered lost, the film resurfaced in incomplete form in the 1970s; surviving prints are essentially complete but missing the final reel. --- Trivia: New York opening preceded general release by a day, with a New York premiere on June 28, 1925 and national release on June 29, 1925. A 2023 Undercrank Productions Blu-ray was mastered from an excellent but incomplete 35mm nitrate positive held by the Library of Congress; the missing final reel is represented by new intertitles summarizing the action. The story source later yielded a loose remake, Hold That Blonde! , produced by Paramount and officially tied to the same play, though the plot was substantially reworked. Raymond Griffith, celebrated for his dapper “silk hat” persona, spoke only in a hoarse whisper due to an early vocal injury, a limitation that curtailed his on‑screen career when sound films arrived. The film’s physical characteristics reflect standard studio practice of the mid‑1920s: 7 reels totaling 6,741 feet in 35mm 1.33:1, photographed by H. Kinley Martin. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: June 29, 1925. Original Studio / Distributor: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation / Paramount Pictures. Copyright Status: Public Domain. Renewal: Unknown. --- Hashtags: PathsToParadise 1925 SilentFilm Comedy Crime RaymondGriffith BettyCompson ClarenceGBadger Paramount PublicDomain Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paths_to_Paradise_(1925)_by_Clarence_G._Badger.webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Paths_to_Paradise_%281925%29_by_Clarence_G._Badger.webm