The version popularly on the go here is a little under ten minutes long, nitrate decomposed and light. I am told it is from the only surviving print. The film is unremarkable and if you have it on semi official VHS there are probably continuity errors (e.g. the law chase the outlaw signalling to his accomplices with the mirror BEFORE they spot the sun's rays bouncing out of the woods)- also check the numbering on the titles which are out of sequence. What does make it a milestone? The 1914 pairing of Lon Chaney and Tod Browning.
10 Reviews
Rather obvious but typical for 1914
planktonrules14 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
In 1914, most movies were short--fifteen minutes or less. And as a result, the stories were very simple and the acting sometimes a bit over-done in order to quickly convey emotion or action. In light of this, BY THE SUN'S RAYS is a pretty good but very typical film. By standards of only a decade later, the narrative is amazingly simple and poor, as everything is do obvious in the film. When Lon Chaney (in an early role) appears on screen, by his pantomime it's obvious he's the villain who is sneaking information about a gold shipment to the bandits--there is no suspense at all. And when the hero comes to town to investigate, it's a foregone conclusion that he's catch the rogues and get the girl in the end. In 1914, this was a good solid film that unforatunately today looks terribly dated and obvious. Of interest primarily to film historians and fans of early silent film. All others, watch at your own risk.
A two reel quickie Universal Western and early Lon Chaney
psteier9 October 2000
Mine boss Seymour Hastings (John Davis) suspects an inside accomplice when gold shipments keep getting stolen, so he sends east for help and is sent detective Murdock MacQuarrie (John Murdock). The detective sets out before the next shipment with a posse and finds that mine clerk Lon Chaney (Frank Lawler) is using a mirror to signal the bandits that shipments have left the mine.
Of interest mainly as an early work of Lon Chaney and of Tod Browning (director), seemingly the first surviving picture that both worked on. Some of the acting style that Lon Chaney became famous for are already evident.
Of interest mainly as an early work of Lon Chaney and of Tod Browning (director), seemingly the first surviving picture that both worked on. Some of the acting style that Lon Chaney became famous for are already evident.
Going for the Gold
wes-connors9 March 2008
Bandits, assisted by clerk Lon Chaney (as Frank Lawler), are stealing gold from the "Deep River Mining Co." Mining superintendent Seymour Hastings (as John Davis) writes Chicago detective Murdock MacQuarrie (as John Murdock) for help; he arrives to capture the bandits, and hooks up with the superintendent's lovely daughter Agnes Vernon (as Dora Davis), who has also caught Mr. Chaney's eye
Unremarkable, except for being an early team-up of director Tod Browning and actor Lon Chaney; both went on to bigger and better things. Chaney is an effective villain. Ms. Vernon is quite eye-catching. Some directorial opportunities are missed.
**** By the Sun's Rays (7/22/14) Tod Browning ~ Murdock MacQuarrie, Lon Chaney, Agnes Vernon
**** By the Sun's Rays (7/22/14) Tod Browning ~ Murdock MacQuarrie, Lon Chaney, Agnes Vernon
Of interest to both reunited tribes—the Chaney and the Browning _completists
Cristi_Ciopron31 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
BY THE SUN'S RAYS, a very early Chaney& Browning collaboration, makes good use of Chaney's _patibular jaw to tell a short concise story about a detective who comes at a mine to investigate how the gold shipments are always attacked. Chaney is the one who always gives away the moment of the secret departure of the shipments. Brief moments with some miners are shown; also, the detective bureau that sends its man to find out who betrays.
Chaney, the villain of this short piece, has a moment of amorous impetuousness—with the otherwise nice Agnes Vernon, who refuses his advances.
Agnes Vernon is really cute as Dora, the object of Chaney's vain desires, and she makes the best out of her short scenes as a provincial coquette; MacQuarrie is the detective, and looks rather dolt, anyway his bodily desires are expressed in an appropriately idyllic setting while Chaney's take the form of the brutality, mindlessness and misplaced impetuosity. Anyway, given the shortness of this flick, Chaney is already quite remarkable and pointed, he has presence, that ominous leaden gloomy glow, and stands out among his screen partners.
Well, it seems I have already told more than is in the flick itself. Yeah, poetical in a poetical—realist way, yet it serves only to allude to the way used by Chaney to accomplish his mischievous plan . Enjoy your ten minutes with Chaney .
The title suggests a Pabst melodrama; which the movie isn't.
Chaney, the villain of this short piece, has a moment of amorous impetuousness—with the otherwise nice Agnes Vernon, who refuses his advances.
Agnes Vernon is really cute as Dora, the object of Chaney's vain desires, and she makes the best out of her short scenes as a provincial coquette; MacQuarrie is the detective, and looks rather dolt, anyway his bodily desires are expressed in an appropriately idyllic setting while Chaney's take the form of the brutality, mindlessness and misplaced impetuosity. Anyway, given the shortness of this flick, Chaney is already quite remarkable and pointed, he has presence, that ominous leaden gloomy glow, and stands out among his screen partners.
Well, it seems I have already told more than is in the flick itself. Yeah, poetical in a poetical—realist way, yet it serves only to allude to the way used by Chaney to accomplish his mischievous plan . Enjoy your ten minutes with Chaney .
The title suggests a Pabst melodrama; which the movie isn't.
By the sun's rays, old films were made. By age and ancient technology, they slowly faded away.
mark.waltz26 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This one reel silent film western isn't in the best of shape, but it features a rare good guy played by Lon Chaney at the beginning of his career. It's really a bit part, and he looks almost how you would expect him to look in real life. The film is pretty hard to follow because there isn't enough time for character or plot development, and both the title sequences and a shot of a letter seem to have faded with time. It's got the typical bandits (out to steal some gold), a hero, the damsel in distress, and several clichéd supporting characters (including Chaney). I rank this one as more a curiosity for film historians and students, one lessened in impact by the passage of time and a reminded that really nothing, including the best art, lasts forever.
A Rare Look At Early Lon Chaney At Work
springfieldrental23 May 2021
Actor Lon Chaney is known as "The Man With A Thousand Faces," playiing such diverse horror movie characters as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "The Phantom of the Opera." Chaney's uncanny physical ability to express himself through his physical movements in playing such deformed characters was developed during his childhood while communicating with his deaf parents.
Because of his skills in pantomime, Chaney, 20, gravitated towards theater and vaudeville in 1902. Marrying two years later, Chaney's marriage broke down when his wife attempted suicide in 1913. The scandal rocked his stage career, forcing him to seek employment in film. As an obscure bit player employed by Universal Pictures, Chaney would become adept at transforming into whatever character role he was given by applying his own makeup.
Unfortunately, the first 30 movies he appeared in are lost. His earliest existing film viewable today is July 1914's "By The Sun's Rays." Chaney plays a clerk at a mining company who tips off his gang friends as to when shipments of high quality gold are taking place. He's a villain who also takes advantage of being alone with the mine's superintendent's daughter, who shows no romantic interest in him.
Most of Chaney's early films at Universal Pictures are considered lost, either through intentionally destroyed by the studio to free up space in its storage facility or by a series of accidental fires Universal had experienced throughout the years burning precious reels of nitrate film. It's not until 1920 that the films he starred in are known largely to exist and have been preserved. That's why viewing "By The Sun's Rays" is such a rare treat to see how the acting of Lon Chaney developed in his early days in cinema.
Because of his skills in pantomime, Chaney, 20, gravitated towards theater and vaudeville in 1902. Marrying two years later, Chaney's marriage broke down when his wife attempted suicide in 1913. The scandal rocked his stage career, forcing him to seek employment in film. As an obscure bit player employed by Universal Pictures, Chaney would become adept at transforming into whatever character role he was given by applying his own makeup.
Unfortunately, the first 30 movies he appeared in are lost. His earliest existing film viewable today is July 1914's "By The Sun's Rays." Chaney plays a clerk at a mining company who tips off his gang friends as to when shipments of high quality gold are taking place. He's a villain who also takes advantage of being alone with the mine's superintendent's daughter, who shows no romantic interest in him.
Most of Chaney's early films at Universal Pictures are considered lost, either through intentionally destroyed by the studio to free up space in its storage facility or by a series of accidental fires Universal had experienced throughout the years burning precious reels of nitrate film. It's not until 1920 that the films he starred in are known largely to exist and have been preserved. That's why viewing "By The Sun's Rays" is such a rare treat to see how the acting of Lon Chaney developed in his early days in cinema.
Fascinating
dawtrina24 June 2007
Lon Chaney made eight films in all for director Tod Browning and it would have been more, had he lived longer, because Browning had cast him as Count Dracula in the role that ended up with Bela Lugosi. So far, The Unknown is my favourite but I've only seen half of them, if you can count what's left of London After Midnight as a complete film. As a stills reconstruction it's fascinating, but it isn't enough to even rate as a movie. By the Sun's Rays does still exist, thankfully, even though it was their first collaboration and was made in 1914, no less than thirteen years before London After Midnight. As such it's a historic piece of film, no doubt about it.
In fact this is so far back that Chaney isn't even top billed. M J MacQuarrie, whoever he is, has the starring role as 'John Murdock, the Detective'. Chaney has to settle for second on the bill, as 'Frank Lawler, the Clerk', but he stamps his authority on the film in about half a second flat, shifting around in character like a chameleon while everyone else is just there. Lawler is obviously a bad man, leaving the Deep River Mining Co offices to orchestrate a robbery of their departing gold shipment, and it's the job of the good guy detective to catch him.
Unfortunately for M J MacQuarrie, there are only two reasons to watch this film. Chaney is one and Chaney and Browning together is the other. By the time detective John Murdock arrives to look into how the bandits are getting their information, it's already Chaney's film, literally as well as figuratively as we're five minutes into a film that only has a ten minute running time. MacQuarrie seems perfectly adequate in the part until Chaney walks onto screen at which point we simply forget who he is or why he's there. Chaney may be a little too much of the silent era villain but he's still amazing to watch.
For Browning's part, I get the impression that there's more going on here than was the norm at the time. To be fair, I'm not really well versed in anything except slapstick from 1914 but this is still a notch or two above what I expected. Beyond the focal characters, there are plenty of others doing a lot more than just sitting around taking up screen space, for a start. It's also hardly the most detailed and deep plot ever put on screen, even in a ten minute short, but it compares well to things like the low budget westerns John Wayne was churning out in the thirties before he became a star. Given that it was made a couple of decades earlier in the year Charlie Chaplin made his first film, that's saying something.
In fact this is so far back that Chaney isn't even top billed. M J MacQuarrie, whoever he is, has the starring role as 'John Murdock, the Detective'. Chaney has to settle for second on the bill, as 'Frank Lawler, the Clerk', but he stamps his authority on the film in about half a second flat, shifting around in character like a chameleon while everyone else is just there. Lawler is obviously a bad man, leaving the Deep River Mining Co offices to orchestrate a robbery of their departing gold shipment, and it's the job of the good guy detective to catch him.
Unfortunately for M J MacQuarrie, there are only two reasons to watch this film. Chaney is one and Chaney and Browning together is the other. By the time detective John Murdock arrives to look into how the bandits are getting their information, it's already Chaney's film, literally as well as figuratively as we're five minutes into a film that only has a ten minute running time. MacQuarrie seems perfectly adequate in the part until Chaney walks onto screen at which point we simply forget who he is or why he's there. Chaney may be a little too much of the silent era villain but he's still amazing to watch.
For Browning's part, I get the impression that there's more going on here than was the norm at the time. To be fair, I'm not really well versed in anything except slapstick from 1914 but this is still a notch or two above what I expected. Beyond the focal characters, there are plenty of others doing a lot more than just sitting around taking up screen space, for a start. It's also hardly the most detailed and deep plot ever put on screen, even in a ten minute short, but it compares well to things like the low budget westerns John Wayne was churning out in the thirties before he became a star. Given that it was made a couple of decades earlier in the year Charlie Chaplin made his first film, that's saying something.
Lon Chaney in a Wesren?
bsmith555210 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"By the Sun's Rays" is an early Lon Chaney film best remembered for the scene in which he attempts to rape the heroine. It's essentially an early western complete with robbery, treachery and vengeance and runs a mere 11 minutes.
The mining office is being robbed of it's gold shipments. It appears that the gang is being warned in advance of the shipments from within. Manager John Davis (Seymour Hasting) is puzzled. The company dispatches detective John Murdock (Murdoch MacQuarrie) to solve the crimes. Clerk Frank Lawler (Lon Chaney) is under suspicion who also has lustful eyes for Davis' beautiful young daughter Dora (Agnes Vernon).
While rounding up the crooks, Murdock discovers that Lawler has been signaling the gang with a mirror by the sun's rays. Davis tells his daughter to return to the office to keep Lawler busy until the posse's return. A frustrated Lawler sees his opportunity and..............................
I'm not positive, but I believe that this film is the oldest surviving Lon Chaney film. A pity.
The mining office is being robbed of it's gold shipments. It appears that the gang is being warned in advance of the shipments from within. Manager John Davis (Seymour Hasting) is puzzled. The company dispatches detective John Murdock (Murdoch MacQuarrie) to solve the crimes. Clerk Frank Lawler (Lon Chaney) is under suspicion who also has lustful eyes for Davis' beautiful young daughter Dora (Agnes Vernon).
While rounding up the crooks, Murdock discovers that Lawler has been signaling the gang with a mirror by the sun's rays. Davis tells his daughter to return to the office to keep Lawler busy until the posse's return. A frustrated Lawler sees his opportunity and..............................
I'm not positive, but I believe that this film is the oldest surviving Lon Chaney film. A pity.
About average interest
deickemeyer7 November 2018
A Western number of about average interest. Murdock MacQuarrie appears as, a detective in search of gold thieves. The looking glass signals give the rendezvous away, and this leads to a roundup of the bandits. Agnes Vernon is the girl in the story. - The Moving Picture World, July 25, 1914
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