The Winning of Sally Temple

In 18th century London, beautiful actress Fannie Ward (as Sally Temple) impersonates the ward of blue-blooded Jack Dean (as Lord Romsey), then they fall in love. He helps her get the best of nasty landlord Walter Long (as the Duke of Chatto), who made life miserable for Ms. Ward and her poor neighbors. This missing silent film is an adaptation of the readily available novel "The Heart of Sally Temple" (1913) by Rupert Sargent Holland. It seems like a good vehicle for the agelessly beautiful Ward and her co-starring husband, but received a startlingly bad notice in "Photoplay" (May 1917).

Reviewer Julian Johnson wrote, "As far as I have seen, it is the prize citric of the month, though my eyes ache from beholding some pretty bad ones. It is supposed to be a swords and small-clothes romance of the eighteenth century, prettily deploying Fanny (sic) Ward and Jack Dean. However, thanks for one good laugh: the inconceivable moment in which Jack Dean thrashes Walter Long." Mr. Johnson was a little kinder to Ward's "The Cheat" (1915) co-star Sessue Hayakawa's latest endeavor, from the same studio. At least, Ward looks beautiful in still photographs from the film.

*** The Winning of Sally Temple (2/19/17) George Melford ~ Fannie Ward, Jack Dean, Walter Long, Horace B. Carpenter