The Mystery of Number 47 (1917)
Comedy-drama | 4 June 1917
Director:
Otis B. ThayerWriter:
J. Storer CloustonProduction Company:
Selig Polyscope Co.; A Red Seal PlayReferring to the picture as The Mystery of No. 47, the 28 April 1917 Moving Picture World announced that the film was currently being produced at the Selig studios in Chicago, IL, under the direction of Otis B. Thayer. Star Ralph Herz was well-known at the time for his comedic work on the legitimate stage, as mentioned in various contemporary sources, though The Mystery of Number 47 marked his second and last feature film after The Purple Lady (1916, see entry). The release of The Mystery of Number 47 was initially planned for 14 May 1917 through K-E-S-E Service, but a 19 May 1917 brief in Moving Picture World, which stated that filming was still underway, noted the issue date was changed to early June. The film was based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Joseph Storer Clouston. Number 47 is a reference to the street where the story takes place, on 47 Hyacinth Road in London, England, as noted in the 9 June 1917 Moving Picture World.
The film received mixed reviews. While the 7 June 1917 Wid’s called the picture a “pitifully, un-funny, crude attempt at farce” and complained about Herz’s onscreen impersonations, the 16 June 1917 Motography stated that Herz, ”with his mannerisms and facial expression, is fitted for screen work” and that “the offering will entertain all audiences which like comedy and light dramas and which take kindly to novelty features.”
The actress listed as Mrs. Wiggin may have been Mrs. Margaret A. Wiggin.
The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film ...
Referring to the picture as The Mystery of No. 47, the 28 April 1917 Moving Picture World announced that the film was currently being produced at the Selig studios in Chicago, IL, under the direction of Otis B. Thayer. Star Ralph Herz was well-known at the time for his comedic work on the legitimate stage, as mentioned in various contemporary sources, though The Mystery of Number 47 marked his second and last feature film after The Purple Lady (1916, see entry). The release of The Mystery of Number 47 was initially planned for 14 May 1917 through K-E-S-E Service, but a 19 May 1917 brief in Moving Picture World, which stated that filming was still underway, noted the issue date was changed to early June. The film was based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Joseph Storer Clouston. Number 47 is a reference to the street where the story takes place, on 47 Hyacinth Road in London, England, as noted in the 9 June 1917 Moving Picture World.
The film received mixed reviews. While the 7 June 1917 Wid’s called the picture a “pitifully, un-funny, crude attempt at farce” and complained about Herz’s onscreen impersonations, the 16 June 1917 Motography stated that Herz, ”with his mannerisms and facial expression, is fitted for screen work” and that “the offering will entertain all audiences which like comedy and light dramas and which take kindly to novelty features.”
The actress listed as Mrs. Wiggin may have been Mrs. Margaret A. Wiggin.
The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of February 2021.
Irwin Molyneux, a collector of china, is regarded by his friends and neighbors as a model citizen until the night his cook resigns and his wife elects to do the cooking herself to entertain their guest, the Bishop of Bedford. Attempting to hide the fact that his wife is actually doing her own cooking, Molyneux alibis that she is away visiting. This arouses the bishop's suspicions, and soon after, Molyneux finds himself accused of murdering his wife and cook and sought after by Scotland Yard. He finally unravels the mystery when, under an assumed name, he is hired by a London newspaper to find himself. Molyneux then produces his wife, alive and well and discovers that his cook is actually the sweetheart of Lord Francis Phillamore, and hence the concern over her ...
Irwin Molyneux, a collector of china, is regarded by his friends and neighbors as a model citizen until the night his cook resigns and his wife elects to do the cooking herself to entertain their guest, the Bishop of Bedford. Attempting to hide the fact that his wife is actually doing her own cooking, Molyneux alibis that she is away visiting. This arouses the bishop's suspicions, and soon after, Molyneux finds himself accused of murdering his wife and cook and sought after by Scotland Yard. He finally unravels the mystery when, under an assumed name, he is hired by a London newspaper to find himself. Molyneux then produces his wife, alive and well and discovers that his cook is actually the sweetheart of Lord Francis Phillamore, and hence the concern over her disappearance.
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