Watched what remains of a hot-edged, old-fashioned potboiler if ever there was one, "Triumph", (1917) with Dorothy Phillips, Lon Chaney, Sr., William Stowell, William Dyer, Claire Du Brey, and others. About Phillips' desire to triumph in the theater; she succeeds in getting a good part, rises, then sees the opportunity to reach an acme with a part in a play written by a critic who aspires to see his play performed, but can't find anyone to produce the play. The playwright is Lon Chaney, Sr. Meanwhile, William Dyer, the producer for whom all are working, a corpulent, imperious, and authoritarian overseer, as well as a lecherous snake with his leading ladies, wants to have his way with Phillips if she's to reach her pinnacle of success. He produces the Chaney play for Phillips, but now tries to have his way. When he catches her in an embrace with Chaney he cancels the play just as it's about to open. The embrace, though possibly genuine, was Chaney's attempt to show Phillips how to play a love scene better. Even so, both probably feel a genuine love. It must show, because Dyer's genuine ire burns up the scene as he screams his disenchantment and socks Chaney. It has been made known to the audience through a prior scene that Chaney is a very, very sick man and possibly only has a short time to live. We know this as the next part of the film ensues. Phillips in a fit of pique goes to Dyer's room at the theater, grabs a knife when he says he'll go ahead and let the play proceed if she promises a tad of love...and kills him. Here, the third reel ends and the rest of the film is missing!!!!
We learn through intertitles that Chaney takes the blame. We also learn two other STARTLING facts which would have completed the film... I won't give away the rest. Take it from me, I said this was a potboiler, and I mean it... The film is good for one reason and one reason only - it's a Lon Chaney film. Dorothy Phillips is rote all the way. She doesn't give a bad performance at all. She also is about as inspiring as watching corn grow. Claire Du Brey, on the other hand, the prior leading lady in the troupe, and the one who Dyer had been claiming as his own, gives a sharp, driving, and wonderful performance as a nasty rival to Phillips. She's far more interesting to watch. Chaney himself is always a pleasure to watch, though here he only needed a mustache to twirl a few times to seem a few iota over the top. Luckily, he doesn't have a mustache. Still, that face of his could speak volumes when he acted. Dyer gives a well modulated performance as the lecherous producer. William Stowell as a leading man in the company and secondary lead is fine, if not written into the plot very well.
Well worth the watch. Too bad it's truncated. The nitrate deterioration beginning with reel 2 is also pretty bad, though it doesn't interfere with the presentation. From Grapevine Video. If you're a Chaney completest as I am, you'll want to seek this one out.
