To the Death (1917)
Drama | 27 August 1917
Director:
Burton L. KingWriters:
Mme. Olga Petrova , L. Case RussellProduction Company:
Metro Pictures Corp.Principal photography took place in late 1916 at the studios of Colonial Motion Picture Corp. in New York City, as stated in the 20 January 1917 Moving Picture World. On 3 January 1917, the facility was damaged by an electrical fire, which destroyed portions of the film, along with star Olga Petrova’s entire wardrobe, valued at between $50,000 and $70,000. No serious injuries were sustained, allowing Mme. Petrova and her cast to immediately begin work on reproducing the lost scenes at nearby B. A. Rolfe Studios. Additional cast members included H. Cooper Cliffe, Roy Pilcher, and Willard Dashiell. The 17 February 1917 Moving Picture World noted that exterior scenes had been filmed at the Metro Pictures Corp. winter studios in Jacksonville, FL.
Because of the fire, the feature’s release, initially planned for 20 May 1917, was postponed until 27 August 1917, followed by a Philadelphia, PA, opening on 30 August 1917. A review in the 8 September 1917 Exhibitors Herald credited L. Case Russell with the original story, but made no mention of Mme. Petrova, who is listed in other sources as scenarist. That same issue also revealed that the Chicago, IL, Board of Censors deleted two scenes from the picture in which a woman takes an oath of vengeance while holding a dagger.
The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of February 2021.
...
Principal photography took place in late 1916 at the studios of Colonial Motion Picture Corp. in New York City, as stated in the 20 January 1917 Moving Picture World. On 3 January 1917, the facility was damaged by an electrical fire, which destroyed portions of the film, along with star Olga Petrova’s entire wardrobe, valued at between $50,000 and $70,000. No serious injuries were sustained, allowing Mme. Petrova and her cast to immediately begin work on reproducing the lost scenes at nearby B. A. Rolfe Studios. Additional cast members included H. Cooper Cliffe, Roy Pilcher, and Willard Dashiell. The 17 February 1917 Moving Picture World noted that exterior scenes had been filmed at the Metro Pictures Corp. winter studios in Jacksonville, FL.
Because of the fire, the feature’s release, initially planned for 20 May 1917, was postponed until 27 August 1917, followed by a Philadelphia, PA, opening on 30 August 1917. A review in the 8 September 1917 Exhibitors Herald credited L. Case Russell with the original story, but made no mention of Mme. Petrova, who is listed in other sources as scenarist. That same issue also revealed that the Chicago, IL, Board of Censors deleted two scenes from the picture in which a woman takes an oath of vengeance while holding a dagger.
The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of February 2021.
On the island of Corsica, lace maker Bianca Sylva is sent to Paris, France, by sculptor Antonio Manatelli, who is impressed by her talent for modeling in clay. There she meets Etienne Du Inette, the head of the International, a powerful secret service organization, and the two are instantly attracted to each other. Soon after, Etienne is sent to Corsica to spy on suspected traitor Jules Lavinne. After Bianca achieves success in Paris, she is called home to learn that her sister, Rosa, is dying. She discovers the note that drove Rosa to suicide, which is singed, “Pierre Renard.” Bianca vows to pursue Renard "to the death." Upon her return to Paris, Bianca meets Jules, whom she instinctively dislikes, but, because he is a member of the International, she appeals to him for help in locating Renard. Jules agrees to assist Bianca if she agrees to marry him. He then claims that Etienne is Renard’s true identity, and Bianca stabs the wrong man. Jules is soon arrested for treason, having operated under the alias, “Pierre Renard.” Bianca rushes back to Etienne and is overjoyed to find that he will ...
On the island of Corsica, lace maker Bianca Sylva is sent to Paris, France, by sculptor Antonio Manatelli, who is impressed by her talent for modeling in clay. There she meets Etienne Du Inette, the head of the International, a powerful secret service organization, and the two are instantly attracted to each other. Soon after, Etienne is sent to Corsica to spy on suspected traitor Jules Lavinne. After Bianca achieves success in Paris, she is called home to learn that her sister, Rosa, is dying. She discovers the note that drove Rosa to suicide, which is singed, “Pierre Renard.” Bianca vows to pursue Renard "to the death." Upon her return to Paris, Bianca meets Jules, whom she instinctively dislikes, but, because he is a member of the International, she appeals to him for help in locating Renard. Jules agrees to assist Bianca if she agrees to marry him. He then claims that Etienne is Renard’s true identity, and Bianca stabs the wrong man. Jules is soon arrested for treason, having operated under the alias, “Pierre Renard.” Bianca rushes back to Etienne and is overjoyed to find that he will recover.
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