Greed (1924)

Director:

Erich von Stroheim

Writers:

June Mathis (screen adaptation and scenario) and
Erich von Stroheim (screen adaptation and scenario) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 January 1925 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The sudden fortune won from a lottery fans such destructive greed that it ruins the lives of the three people involved.

Plot Keywords:

Gold | Money | Lottery | Dentist | Friendship

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Zasu Pitts	...	Trina
Gibson Gowland	...	McTeague
Jean Hersholt	...	Marcus
Dale Fuller	...	Maria
Tempe Pigott	...	Mother McTeague
Sylvia Ashton	...	'Mommer' Sieppe (as Silvia Ashton)
Chester Conklin	...	'Popper' Sieppe
Joan Standing	...	Selina
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Barlow	...	The Minister (uncredited)
Lita Chevrier	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jack Curtis	...	McTeague Sr. (uncredited)
James F. Fulton	...	Cribbens - Prospector (uncredited)
Edward Gaffney	...	Extra (uncredited)
Florence Gibson	...	Hag (uncredited)
James Gibson	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Oscar Gottell	...	Sieppe Twin (uncredited)
Otto Gottell	...	Sieppe Twin (uncredited)
Cesare Gravina	...	Zwerkow - Junkman (uncredited)
Bee Ho Gray	...	(uncredited)
Frank Hayes	...	Charles W. Grannis (uncredited)
Harold Henderson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Austen Jewell	...	August Sieppe (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Mrs. Heise (uncredited)
J. Aldrich Libbey	...	Mr. Ryer (uncredited)
Hughie Mack	...	Mr. Heise (uncredited)
Hugh J. McCauley	...	The Photographer (uncredited)
Jack McDonald	...	Placer County Sheriff (uncredited)
Fanny Midgley	...	Miss Anastasia Baker (uncredited)
William Mollenhauer	...	Palmist (uncredited)
Lon Poff	...	Lottery Agent (uncredited)
Reta Revela	...	Mrs. Ryer (uncredited)
S.S. Simon	...	Joe Frenna (uncredited)
Max Tyron	...	Uncle Rudolph Oelbermann (uncredited)
Erich von Ritzau	...	Dr. Painless Potter (uncredited)
Erich von Stroheim	...	Balloon Vendor (uncredited)
James Wang	...	Chinese Cook (uncredited)

Directed by
Erich von Stroheim

Writing credits
June Mathis		(screen adaptation and scenario) and
Erich von Stroheim		(screen adaptation and scenario)
Frank Norris		(from the American classic by)
Joseph Farnham		titles (uncredited)

Produced by
Kevin Brownlow	....	producer (1986 alternate version)
David Gill	....	producer (1986 alternate version)
Louis B. Mayer	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Irving Thalberg	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Carl Davis		(1986 alternate version)
Robert Israel		(1999)
William Axt		(uncredited)
Leo Kempinski		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels		(photography) (as Wm. H. Daniels)
Ben F. Reynolds		(photography)

Film Editing by
Joseph Farnham		(edited by) (as Jos. W. Farnham)
Glenn Morgan		(1999 reconstruction)
Frank E. Hull		(uncredited)
Rex Ingram		(18-reel version) (uncredited)
June Mathis		(42-reel version) (uncredited)
Erich von Stroheim		(42-reel version) (uncredited)
Grant Whytock		(18-reel version) (uncredited)

Production Design by
Erich von Stroheim		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons		(credit only)
Richard Day		(uncredited)
Erich von Stroheim		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Cedric Gibbons		(settings)

Production Management
Liz Sutherland	....	production manager (1986 alternate version)
J.J. Cohn	....	production manager (uncredited)
Harry Rapf	....	production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Louis Germonprez	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Edward Sowders	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Richard Koszarski	....	consultant (1999 reconstruction)
Charles Rogers	....	props (uncredited)
Frank Ybarra	....	props (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Sasha Leuterer	....	visual effects: flame (1999 reconstruction)
Chad Mielke	....	motion control effects (1999 reconstruction)

Camera and Electrical Department
Warren Lynch	....	still photographer
Walter Bader	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Paul Ivano	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Ernest B. Schoedsack	....	camera operator (uncredited)
H.C. Van Dyke	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Shimit Amin	....	editorial assistance (1999 reconstruction)
Jarrett Fijal	....	editorial assistance (1999 reconstruction)
Jessica Kongthong	....	editorial assistance (1999 reconstruction)
David Lewinton	....	videotape editor (1986 alternate version)
Carol Littleton	....	editorial consultant (1999 reconstruction)
Russ Martin	....	on-line editor (1999 reconstruction)
Andrew Pierce	....	editorial assistance (1999 reconstruction)
Marguerite Faust	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
William Bradford	....	music recordist (1986 alternate version)
Mike Fairbairn	....	dubbing assistant (1986 alternate version)
Brian Friedman	....	recording engineer and remixing: 1999 Los Angeles music session
John Harle	....	musician: saxophone (1986 alternate version)
Robert Israel	....	arranger: musical score (1999)
Robert Israel	....	conductor (1999)
Colin Matthews	....	orchestrator (1986 alternate version)
David Matthews	....	orchestrator (1986 alternate version)
David Nolan	....	musician: violin (1986 alternate version)
Petr Reznicek	....	music producer (1999)
Paul Wing	....	orchestra manager (1986 alternate version)
Jack Brennan	....	musician (uncredited)
James Brennan	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Albert Cuellar	....	hand tinted stills (1999 reconstruction)
Frances Hewson	....	production assistant (1986 alternate version)
Louis B. Mayer	....	presenter
Deborah Ross	....	title design consultant (1999 reconstruction)
Jod Soraci	....	film transfer (1999 reconstruction)
Eve Bessette	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Harold Henderson	....	location scout (uncredited)
James V. King	....	dailies projectionist (uncredited)
James V. King	....	laboratory technician (uncredited)

Thanks
Gretchen Peter Berg	....	special thanks: 1999
Kevin Brownlow	....	special thanks: 1999, Photoplay Productions Ltd.
Christian Ramsey Clyde	....	special thanks: 1999
Ned Comstock	....	special thanks: 1999, USC Cinema-Television Library and Archives of Performing Arts
Mary Corliss	....	special thanks: 1999, The Museum of Modern Art
Robert Cushman	....	special thanks: 1999, The Margaret Herrick Library
Todd Darling	....	special thanks: 1999
Allen Daviau	....	special thanks: 1999
Chris Espinel	....	special thanks: 1999
George Feltenstein	....	special thanks: 1999
Robert Gitt	....	special thanks: 1999 (as Bob Gitt)
Daniel Goldman	....	special thanks: 1999
Barbara Hall	....	special thanks: 1999, The Margaret Herrick Library
Linda Harris Mehr	....	special thanks: 1999, The Margaret Herrick Library
Bryan Heath	....	special thanks: 1999
Heather Holmes	....	special thanks: 1999
Tom Karsch	....	special thanks: 1999
Diane Koszarski	....	special thanks: 1999
Mike Krause	....	special thanks: 1999
Don Krim	....	special thanks: 1999
Nelson Lyon	....	special thanks: 1999
Ron Magliozzi	....	special thanks: 1999, The Museum of Modern Art (as Ronald S. Magliozzi)
Greg Maher	....	special thanks: 1999
Dorothy Manzareck	....	special thanks: 1999
Ray Manzareck	....	special thanks: 1999
Francesca Marini	....	special thanks: 1999
Richard P. May	....	special thanks: 1999 (as Richard May)
Roger Mayer	....	special thanks: 1999
John McCarroll	....	special thanks: 1999
Andrew McCausland	....	special thanks: 1999
Don Montoure	....	special thanks: 1999
Jennifer Morgan	....	special thanks: 1999
Hugh Monro Neely	....	special thanks: 1999
John Novacek	....	special thanks: 1999
Justin Pettigrew	....	special thanks: 1999
Carol Ann Rosenbaum	....	special thanks: 1999
Jonathan Rosenbaum	....	special thanks: 1999
Walter Ruben	....	special thanks: 1999
David Shepard	....	special thanks: 1999
Jan Sitar	....	special thanks: 1999
Patrick Stanbury	....	special thanks: 1999, Photoplay Productions Ltd.
Laurie Van Rosen	....	special thanks: 1999
Harriet von Stroheim	....	special thanks: 1999
Josef von Stroheim	....	special thanks: 1999
Mary Alice von Stroheim	....	special thanks: 1999
Beth Werling	....	special thanks: 1999, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History (as Beth D. Werling)
Daniel Woodruff	....	special thanks: 1999, The Margaret Herrick Library (as Dan Woodruff)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation (produced by) (as A Metro Goldwyn Picture) (An Erich von Stroheim Production)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation (1924) (USA) (theatrical) (released through) (as Metro-Goldwyn Distributing Corporation)
• Universum Film (UFA) (1926) (Germany) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• New Star (2012) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Royal Film (1926) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Yamani Yôkô (1926) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1974) (Finland) (TV)
• Thames Television (1986) (UK) (VHS) (as A Thames Television Presentation for Channel Four)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (DVD)
• Turner Entertainment (1986) (USA) (VHS) (in association with) (as Turner Entertainment Co.)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1984) (2008) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)  photographs courtesy of: 1999
• HMA Digital Post  post production facilities provided by, 1999 (as HMA Digital)
• Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, The  music performed by: 1999
• Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo, California  special thanks: 1999 (as The Old Town Music Hall)
• On Time-Off Line  special thanks: 1999 (as On Time Off Line)
• Private Island Trax  special thanks: 1999
• Richard Koszarski Collection, The  photographs courtesy of: 1999
• Rokahr Family Library, The  special thanks: 1999
• Seaver Center for Western History Research - Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History  photographs courtesy of: 1999
• Symphonic Workshops  special thanks: 1999
• Thames Silents Orchestra, The  music played by (1986 alternate version)
• Thames Television  presents (1986 alternate version)
• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design
• Turner Entertainment  presents (1986 alternate version) (as Turner Entertainment Co.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

140 min | USA:239 min (1999 reconstructed version) | Portugal:130 min (original version) (20 fps)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Finland:K-16 | USA:Not Rated | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

16th Street, Oakland, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Erich von Stroheim] [prostitutes]In a scene that was part of Stroheim's original cut, McTeague's father is shown carousing with prostitutes.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Although all the principals have costumes and hairstyles appropriate for around 1900, outside the theater the other patrons seem to be in modern (1923) dress. A recent-model automobile is even visible in the last exterior shot of the theater.

Quotes:

[Prologue title card]
Title card:I never truckled; I never took off the hat to Fashion and held it out for pennies. By God, I told them the truth. They liked it or they didn't like it. What had that to do with me? I told them the truth; I knew it for the truth then, and I know it for the truth now. FRANK NORRIS.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Story of Film: An Odyssey: Episode #1.2" (2011)

Lost Classic

Greed(1925) was based on a novel that was in the tradition of great long novels like Crime and Punishment or War & Peace. The director, Erich Von Stroheim wanted to do a faithful adapation of the book McTeague because of his fascination with the theme of greed. He did do a faithful adaption but ended up paying a stiff price for his drive towards perfection. Marvelous film that is one of the 100 greatest films of all time. The acting is terrific and the story is compelling to follow.

Gibson Gowland does a convincing job in the role of Dr. McTeague. Like many of the director's early films, Greed(1925) was severely cut. Original running time of the movie was nine hours. Its a disgrace that we will never see the full cut ever resurface in the theaters or DVD. One of the best films from the 1920s(besides Metropolis) to suffer at ridiculus cuts at the hands of the censors and studios.