Hypocrites (1915)

The story of St. Gabriel, who was killed by an ignorant mob for making a nude statue representing Purity, who is also represented by a ghostly naked girl that flits through the film.

Writer:

Lois Weber

Stars:

Courtenay Foote, Myrtle Stedman, Herbert Standing

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Courtenay Foote	...	Gabriel - the Ascetic (as Mr. Courtenay Foote)
Myrtle Stedman	...	The Woman (as Miss Myrtle Stedman)
Herbert Standing	...	The Abbot (as Mr. Herbert Standing)
Adele Farrington	...	The Queen (as Miss Adele Farrington)

Storyline

The story of St. Gabriel, who was killed by an ignorant mob for making a nude statue representing Purity, who is also represented by a ghostly naked girl that flits through the film.

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Plot Keywords:

ascetic | newspaper | catholic priest | sermon | gambling | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 1915 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hobart Bosworth Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

49 min 49 min (alternate)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the nudity was tastefully done (it was passed by The National Board of Censors), it was still banned in Ohio and caused riots in New York. The mayor of Boston demanded that every frame displaying the naked figure of Truth be hand-painted to clothe the unidentified actress who portrayed her (one historian suggested that Lois Weber herself played the part).

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Connections

Referenced in The Silent Feminists: America's First Women Directors (1993)

User Reviews

Led the way in terms of Cinema Advancements, but Boring...

This film marks a distinct change in the way narrative film making took place, with a plot that included flashbacks and interlaced story lines, this film is very interesting. While I personally did not enjoy it, it is hard to ignore how interesting this film is in terms of the history of modern film technique. The story, due to it's lack of sound, is quite difficult to follow, but instead presents itself as a series of allegorical quips meant to criticize the religious crowd of the time. The blatant presentation of truth as a naked woman (the naked truth) along with the way the wrath of God is simplified to the economies of a child (do something bad and you get hurt) will likely bother those inclined to religious belief or introspective thought.