Tyrant Fear (1918)
Even With Much of the Film Lost, an Unforgettable Opening Reel
16 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Having contracted with Paramount for a several stars in 1917, Thomas Ince became responsible for a series with Dorothy Dalton, as I outline in my Ince biography. Among her most vivid roles are in Tyrant Fear (1918). The only surviving portion, the first reel, reveals the fate of a woman sold into a marriage to a man who has no feeling for her. Her own father only cares about the payment he has received for giving his daughter as a bride.

During the wedding festivities, the groom, longing for "warmer" girls who are not Canadian, without a moment's hesitation tries to seduce another who flirts with him. When this results in his beating by a rival, he is cared for by his wife. However, regaining consciousness, he pushes her away, still wanting only the flirt. He ultimately packs up his wife and leads her off into the snows of the northwest, indicating the terrible isolation she will face at his brutish hands. Ultimately, he loses her to another man, who forces her to dance in a saloon, and she hates all men until meeting a dissipated pianist who is revitalized through her love.
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