The Gift Supreme | 1920 | Drama

Title: The Gift Supreme | 1920 | Drama Director: Ollie L. Sellers Studio: C. R. Macauley Photoplays, Inc. Starring: Bernard Durning, Seena Owen, Tully Marshall, Lon Chaney, Melbourne MacDowell, Eugenie Besserer Based on: The Gift Supreme by George Allan England Release Date: April 1920 Runtime: 60 Format: Silent, black-and-white, 35mm, 1.33:1, 6 reels Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Drama --- Summary: A wealthy young man, Bradford Chandler Vinton, is drawn to the charitable work of Sylvia Alden in the slum of Boggs Court. Defying his father’s wishes and the machinations of underworld figures, Bradford commits himself to helping the poor and to Sylvia. When a violent attack leaves him near death, Sylvia offers a life-saving blood transfusion—the “gift supreme”—that reconciles the estranged family and affirms their bond. Set against tenements and missions, the story blends romance and social melodrama, with Lon Chaney appearing as a menacing gangster whose actions entangle the lovers with the city’s criminal element. --- Background: Produced by independent outfit C. R. Macauley Photoplays and photographed by Jack MacKenzie, the film adapts George Allan England’s 1916 novel for the screen. It was distributed in the United States by the Republic Distributing Corporation and released in April 1920 as a six-reel silent feature. Lon Chaney appears in a supporting villain role early in his ascent to stardom; the film is today known primarily from partial survival materials. --- Trivia: The film was copyrighted on March 30, 1920 by C. R. Macauley Photoplays, Inc. under registration LU14996. Trade coverage for The Gift Supreme appeared in April and May 1920, including reviews in Variety and Wid’s. Only an incomplete print is known to survive in a private collection. Some sources differ on the precise release date, citing March 30, April, or May 9, 1920. Assistant director credit is given in some records to Justin H. McClosky. Silent-era listings note the production as a social drama photographed in standard 35mm at the 1.33:1 aspect ratio. --- Hashtags: TheGiftSupreme 1920sCinema SilentFilm PublicDomain LonChaney SeenaOwen BernardDurning OllieLSellers SilentDrama