DeMille's giant step forward

The Cheat

Sunday January 22, 4:00pm The Paramount Theater

Did Cecil B. DeMille pander to the baser interests of the American film audience, or, did he simply have the ability to produce films that targeted the popular interests of the day? He was either brilliant at recognizing what worked or shameless in exploiting it. What cannot be disputed is that DeMille was able to observe his peers and improve his own work with each subsequent film. A clear example is the difference between the Ancient Babylon story of D. W. Griffith’s Intolerance (1916), and the Egyptian prologue of DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1923). Aside from the physical size of the sets, where these films differ most is the way DeMille engages his audience in the story, rather than simply presenting a static historical set piece as in the Griffith film. Just as Mary Pickford led the way by transforming stage acting into the more intimate performance seen on the motion picture screen, Cecil B. DeMille was essential in the development and presentation of the modern photoplay.
With The Cheat (1915) DeMille took a tremendous leap toward realism and modern aesthetics with the careful use of art direction and lighting in ways previously unexplored. The progressive qualities of this film place it developmentally far ahead of other work produced during the same period. The Cheat still has the shocking and scandalous feel it did in 1915. What has changed is the modern American attitude toward women and race.

The story involves the loan of a large sum of money to socialite Edith Hardy, played by Fannie Ward, from a wealthy "Oriental" Hishuru Tori/Haka Arakau, played by Sessue Hayakawa. Mrs. Hardy has foolishly gambled charity funds entrusted to her on the stock market and lost. Afraid to tell her husband Richard, played by Jack Dean, Edith instead borrows the money from Tori/Arakau with the understanding that he is entitled to certain "privileges". When her husband presents her with an unexpected gift of the same amount, Edith tries to return the loan, which enrages Tori/Arakau. He then accuses her of cheating him and literally brands her with a mark signifying she is his property. Edith shoots her tormentor and Mr. Hardy takes responsibility for the crime to protect his wife. In the subsequent trial the truth is revealed. The husband is acquitted, and Tori/Arakau is nearly lynched. Paramount received so much criticism for assigning Japanese nationality to Hayakawa’s character (Tori) that it was changed to less politically sensitive Burmese (Arakau) for the 1918 re-release
As motion picture entertainment, The Cheat is beautifully executed and the closest DeMille ever came to creating the "perfect" movie. While it represents a great step forward in the development of motion pictures, it also serves as a reminder of American society’s ugly xenophobic and sexually repressive heritage.

DeMille speaks!

http://www.commonwealthclub.org/archive/20thcentury/47-11demille-audio.html

Thank You ...

Stephanie Ogle at Cinema Books, Dianna Cary, STG, Dennis James, Mike Whybark and Anne Hockens for their encouragement and help producing this series.

Coming attractions ...

The New World