The Tower of Lies (1925)

Directed by

Victor Sjöström

Genre

drama film, silent film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 10m

Rating

10.0 of 10 from 1 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A poor man's love for his daughter leads him into a fantasy world when she moves away. His obsession causes strain on his family and his own mind.

melancholicslow-burnvisually lushearthyintimatehauntinggrounded

What happens

The Tower of Lies is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Victor Sjöström. It was written by Agnes Christine Johnston and Max Marcin, based upon Selma Lagerlöf's 1914 novel The Emperor of Portugallia (MGM actually purchased the story rights in 1922). The film was supposed to be called The Emperor of Portugallia, but was later changed to The Tower of Lies. Released one year after He Who Gets Slapped, the film marks the second collaboration between Sjöström, Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer. Also starring are William Haines, Ian Keith and Lew Cody. The film's sets were designed by the art director James Basevi and Cedric Gibbons. The film was shot on location in the Sacramento River Delta, Lake Arrowhead and the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles. It took 53 days to complete at a cost of $185,000. It grossed $653,000 worldwide. "Film Mercury" voted Chaney's performance as one of the year's best. It is considered a lost film, although rumors persist that a print may exist in Denmark. Stills exist showing Chaney in his "Jan" makeup, which took him three hours each day to apply. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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