The Million Dollar Handicap
The Million Dollar Handicap is a 1925 American silent sports drama film directed by Scott Sidney and starring Edmund Burns, Ralph Lewis, and Ward Crane.[1] It is based on the 1902 novel Thoroughbreds by William Alexander Fraser. The film was released in Britain the following year under the alternative title The Pride of the Paddock.
| The Million Dollar Handicap | |
|---|---|
 Lobby card | |
| Directed by | Scott Sidney |
| Written by | F. McGrew Willis |
| Based on | Thoroughbreds by William Alexander Fraser |
| Produced by | George C. Bertholon John C. Flinn |
| Starring | Edmund Burns Ralph Lewis Ward Crane |
| Cinematography | Devereaux Jennings |
Production company | Metropolitan Pictures Corporation of California |
| Distributed by | Producers Distributing Corporation FBO Pictures (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
As described in a film magazine review,[2] John Porter, a Southern horse breeder, is tricked into buying a doped filly named Dixie. His daughter Alis discovers that the horse can actually run. Her sweetheart George Mortimer, a cashier at the bank, shields her brother Alan after the latter embezzles some funds, and George is discharged. Alis' father suffers a paralytic stroke and is in financial difficulties. Alis disguises herself as a jockey and rides her despised horse in a $10,000 handicap race and wins. The excitement of the victory cures the father, her unjustly accused sweetheart George is cleared of any charges, and the two are happy together.
Cast
- Edmund Burns as George Mortimer
- Ralph Lewis as John Porter
- Ward Crane as Phillip Crane
- Tom Wilson as Tom
- Clarence Burton as Langdon
- Danny Hoy as Jockey
- Rosa Gore as Marilda Porter
- Ralph Emerson as Alan Porter
- Lon Poff as Milkman
- Vera Reynolds as Alis Porter
References
- Connelly p. 386
- Pardy, George T. (30 January 1926), "Pre-Release Review of Features: The Million Dollar Handicap", Motion Picture News, New York City, New York: Motion Picture News, Inc., 33 (5): 597, retrieved 1 February 2023
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Bibliography
- Connelly, Robert B. The Silents: Silent Feature Films, 1910-36, Volume 40, Issue 2. December Press, 1998.
- Munden, Kenneth White. The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States, Part 1. University of California Press, 1997.
