Manhattan Madness (1925 film)

Manhattan Madness is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by John McDermott and starring Jack Dempsey and Estelle Taylor, a then real life husband and wife duo. It was produced by Fine Arts Pictures and distributed through Associated Exhibitors. This film is a remake of Douglas Fairbanks's 1916 film Manhattan Madness.[1][2]

Manhattan Madness
Lobby card
Directed byJohn McDermott
Written byFrank Dazey
Charles T. Dazey
Based onstory by E.V. Durling
Produced byOscar Price
StarringEstelle Taylor
Jack Dempsey
CinematographyJules Cronjager
Production
company
Fine Arts Pictures
Distributed byAssociated Exhibitors
Release date
  • September 20, 1925 (1925-09-20)
Running time
6 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Plot

As described in a film magazine reviews,[3] young Westerner Steve O’Dare comes to New York City in search of thrills but finds it very dull. A host of his friends decide to whoop things up a bit. An attractive young woman (Taylor) to whom Steve has been introduced has been suddenly kidnapped and sends him an S.O.S. from a house on Long Island. In good faith, Steve rushes to the rescue. The Long Island place appears to be possessed or the habitat of an evil gang determined to exterminate him by any means possible. Mysterious happenings occur in the house such as sliding walls, trap doors, dungeons, and what not. Steve gets busy and tackles them one at a time or altogether, and finally rescues the fair damsel, only to find that it was all a joke. Steve’s ire is aroused and he kidnaps the young woman and makes her his wife.

Cast

Production

Oscar Price, of Associated Exhibitors, made plans to remake 1916's Manhattan Madness in early 1925 and served as its producer.[4][5] Jack Dempsey was unable to participate in any boxing matches as stipulated by his contract for the film.[6] It was initially claimed that the Dempseys were paid $250,000, but it was denied by Jack's manager Jack Kearns.[7] Filming started on March 23, 1925, and ended in April.[8][9][10]

Reception

Roberta Nangle, writing in Chicago Daily Tribune, criticized the film as "old stuff" and "an incoherent jumble of fist fights, kidnapings, shootings, and similar rough stuff capped by a romantic but rather silly climax".[11] Laurence Reid of Motion Picture News stated that "it is a hokum picture which is built entirely on the premise of surprise" and "It is well done allowing for some colorless comedy relief expressed by a pair of eccentric cowpuncher - and some repetitious incident leading up to the climax."[12] Allene Talmey described it as "undoubtedly one of the worst films ever produced".[13]

Preservation

The film is preserved at the Library of Congress and George Eastman House Motion Picture Collection.[14]

References
  1. Progressive Silent Film List: Manhattan Madness Archived November 28, 2022, at the Wayback Machine at silentera.com
  2. "The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Manhattan Madness". Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  3. "New Pictures: Manhattan Madness", Exhibitors Herald, Chicago, Illinois: Exhibitors Herald Company, 22 (7): 64, August 8, 1925, retrieved July 17, 2022 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. "Latest Plans". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. February 7, 1925. p. 7. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Will Co-Star The Dempseys". The Baltimore Sun. March 15, 1925. p. 80. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Jack Dempsey Cannot Fight Until Fall". The Standard Union. March 18, 1925. p. 16. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Jack and Estelle In Movies". Kansas City Times. March 18, 1925. p. 11. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Dempseys Will Start Filming "Manhattan Madness" Monday". Visalia Daily Times. March 20, 1925. p. 6. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Jack Dempsey and Wife Will Finish Picture Manhattan Madness". Lebanon Daily News. April 23, 1925. p. 2. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Dempsey Says He Is Not Through With Fight Game". The News Journal. April 30, 1925. p. 20. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Nangle, Roberta (August 1, 1925). "Mr. Dempsey as an Actor Wears His Tux Well". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  12. Reid 1925, p. 463.
  13. "Behind the Screens: Where Estelle and Jack Stand". Tacoma Daily Ledger. October 31, 1926. p. 60. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. The Library of Congress / FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Manhattan Madness

Works cited
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