The Midnight Girl | 1925 | Drama, Melodrama

Title: The Midnight Girl | 1925 | Drama, Melodrama Director: Wilfred Noy Studio: Chadwick Pictures Starring: Lila Lee, Gareth Hughes, Béla Lugosi, Dolores Cassinelli, Charlotte Walker Based on: Story by Garrett Fort Release Date: February 15, 1925 Runtime: 84 minutes Format: Silent, black-and-white, 7 reels , 1.33:1 Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Drama, Melodrama --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Anna arrives in New York 00:18:00 Don breaks with his family 00:36:00 “The Midnight Girl” debut 00:55:00 Harmon's invitation 01:12:00 Shooting and reconciliation --- Summary: A young Russian singer, Anna, struggles to begin her career in New York. She meets orchestra conductor Don Harmon, whose powerful stepfather, arts patron Nicholas Harmon, dominates the city’s opera scene. As Anna finds a foothold performing a nightclub number titled “The Midnight Girl,” she and Don fall in love, putting them at odds with Nicholas and the social ambitions surrounding the Harmon and Schuyler families. Nicholas becomes infatuated with Anna and lures her to his apartment. When his advances turn coercive, Anna fires a gun and accidentally wounds Nina, Nicholas’s former prima donna, hidden behind a curtain. The incident forces reckonings in art and love: Anna rises to the opera stage and marries Don, while Nicholas reconciles with Nina. --- Background: The film was adapted by Wilfred Noy and Jean Conover from an original story by Garrett Fort, initially known as The Street Singer. Production began in January 1925 at Chadwick Pictures’ Long Island facilities, with release on February 15, 1925 and a Providence, Rhode Island opening the week of April 21, 1925. Marketed as part of the “Chadwick Nine,” the picture generated controversy after opera star Nina Morgana filed a $25,000 suit alleging defamation over a character named “Nina,” and it also faced a plagiarism claim from producer Adolph Philipp referencing his earlier operetta of the same title. --- Trivia: Cinematography is credited to G. W. Bitzer and Frank Zukor. A 16mm reduction print is known to survive. The picture was promoted as a melodrama and released in seven reels. The film’s working/alternate title was The Street Singer. Garrett Fort, credited with the story, later co-wrote Dracula . --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: February 15, 1925 Original Studio / Distributor: Chadwick Pictures Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: TheMidnightGirl 1925 SilentFilm BelaLugosi LilaLee PublicDomain ClassicCinema ChadwickPictures Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Midnight_Girl_(1925).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/The_Midnight_Girl_%281925%29.webm