The Sorrows of Satan (1926 film)

The Sorrows of Satan is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, and based on the 1895 allegorical horror novel The Sorrows of Satan by Marie Corelli.[2]

The Sorrows of Satan
Release insert poster
Directed byD. W. Griffith
Written byForrest Halsey
George C. Hull
John Russell
Based onThe Sorrows of Satan
by Marie Corelli
StarringAdolphe Menjou
Ricardo Cortez
Carol Dempster
Lya De Putti
Ivan Lebedeff
CinematographyHarry A. Fischbeck
Arthur De Titta
Edited byJulian Johnson
James Smith
Music byHugo Riesenfeld
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • October 12, 1926 (1926-10-12)
Running time
111 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Budget$1,050,000[1]
Box office$1,750,000[1]

Reportedly Griffith did not want to do this project, but as his first Paramount Pictures assignment he was not given a choice. However, the film turned out to be one of Griffith's most fully realized works and its critical stock has risen considerably in the last several decades.

The film featured Carol Dempster's final screen role, although she lived until 1991.[3]

Plot

Adolphe Menjou stars as Prince Lucio de Rimanez, who is in fact really Satan assuming a human form. When struggling writer Geoffrey Tempest (Ricardo Cortez) is moved to curse God for his misfortunes, Prince Lucio makes a sudden appearance, informing Tempest that he has inherited a fortune. The only proviso is that Tempest must place his fate entirely in the Prince's hands. As he ascends to the uppermost rungs of European society, Tempest is ordered by Lucio to marry Russian Princess Olga (Lya De Putti), even though the writer still loves his sweetheart Mavis Claire (Carol Dempster). Eventually, Prince Lucio reveals his true identity, but not before Olga has committed suicide. After rejecting the devil and all his false promises, Tempest lives happily ever after with Mavis.

Cast
ActorRole
Adolphe MenjouPrince Lucio de Rimanez
Ricardo CortezGeoffrey Tempest
Carol DempsterMavis Claire
Lya De PuttiPrincess Olga
Ivan LebedeffAmiel
Nellie SavageThe Dancer

Production

It was Griffith's first film for Paramount Pictures following a string of independent productions. After Griffith finished the film, it was taken out of his control and re-edited by Julian Johnson.[3]

A version of Corelli's novel had been filmed in England in 1917,[4] but Griffith's adaptation was closer to the novel.[3]

This film, like The Queen of Sheba (1921) and Ben-Hur (1925), was released in a different edit in Europe due to nudity. The American version of The Sorrows of Satan had Lya de Putti's character play a nightclub scene with enough attire to pass the censors. In the European version, Griffith shot the nightclub scene with de Putti bare breasted.[5]

Cultural influence

A still from the film was used on the cover of the 1979 song "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by the English band Bauhaus.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Griffith's 20 Year Record". Variety. September 5, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  2. Progressive Silent Film List: The Sorrows of Satan at silentera.com
  3. Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 305. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
  4. The Sorrows of Satan 1917 directed by Alexander Butler; silentera database
  5. Saul J. Turell (1965). The Love Goddesses: A History of Sex in the Cinema (documentary film). Paramount Pictures. Event occurs at 17:43. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  6. "BAUHAUS Exhumed—An Interview with Kevin Haskins". Post Punk.com. March 16, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
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