The Prodigal Son (1923)

Directed by

A.E. Coleby

Genre

drama film, silent film

Country

United Kingdom

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A man leaves his family and home in Iceland for the French Riviera, seeking excitement and a new life. The story follows his experiences abroad and eventual return. It is a silent film adaptation of a novel set in two contrasting locations.

epicslow-pacedmelancholicvisually strikingdatedseriouslengthyatmospheric

What happens

The Prodigal Son is a 1923 British silent historical film directed by A. E. Coleby and starring Stewart Rome, Henry Victor and Edith Bishop. The film is an adaptation of Hall Caine's 1904 novel The Prodigal Son, set in Iceland and the French Riviera. It was noted as a long film, reported variously at three or over four hours. The film's original release length as 18,454 feet made it the longest commercially made British film. It was shown in two consecutive parts, the second part being entitled The Return of the Prodigal. It was shot on location in Iceland, with a final budget of £37,000. The film was not a commercial success on its release, and was attacked by critics. It was perhaps the biggest failure of all the films released by Stoll Pictures, the largest British film company of the early 1920s. However, the film was re-released in 1929 with a greatly reduced running time. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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