The Avalanche (1919)
Drama | 22 June 1919
The scenario was based on the 1919 novel, The Avalanche; a Mystery Story by Gertrude Atherton. On 8 March 1919, Moving Picture World reported the purchase of the screen rights by Famous Players-Lasky Corp.
Star Elsie Ferguson told the 26 April 1919 Moving Picture World that “Helene,” one of her two roles in the film, was the most youthful of her screen career, and she claimed to be unrecognizable to some co-workers while in character. The filming location was identified in the 3 May 1919 issue as Famous Players-Lasky Studios on Fifty-Sixth Street in New York City. An article in the 5 July 1919 [Great Falls, MT] Tribune revealed that Ferguson’s costumes consisted of “gowns, furs, gems and jeweled slippers valued at more than $50,000.” The studio provided an extra dressing room for her wardrobe, which also included $300 stockings made of antique lace, a gown designed by Callot Soeurs of Paris, France, a “sleek glossy wig,” and some of her own jewelry.
The 27 September 1919 Motion Picture News listed the film’s release date as both 22 June 1919 and 29 June 1919. An item in the 12 July 1919 issue noted that its Los Angeles, CA, debut at Grauman’s Theatre featured a prologue with six Spanish dancers and a thirty-five-piece orchestra.
The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of February 2021.
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The scenario was based on the 1919 novel, The Avalanche; a Mystery Story by Gertrude Atherton. On 8 March 1919, Moving Picture World reported the purchase of the screen rights by Famous Players-Lasky Corp.
Star Elsie Ferguson told the 26 April 1919 Moving Picture World that “Helene,” one of her two roles in the film, was the most youthful of her screen career, and she claimed to be unrecognizable to some co-workers while in character. The filming location was identified in the 3 May 1919 issue as Famous Players-Lasky Studios on Fifty-Sixth Street in New York City. An article in the 5 July 1919 [Great Falls, MT] Tribune revealed that Ferguson’s costumes consisted of “gowns, furs, gems and jeweled slippers valued at more than $50,000.” The studio provided an extra dressing room for her wardrobe, which also included $300 stockings made of antique lace, a gown designed by Callot Soeurs of Paris, France, a “sleek glossy wig,” and some of her own jewelry.
The 27 September 1919 Motion Picture News listed the film’s release date as both 22 June 1919 and 29 June 1919. An item in the 12 July 1919 issue noted that its Los Angeles, CA, debut at Grauman’s Theatre featured a prologue with six Spanish dancers and a thirty-five-piece orchestra.
The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of February 2021.
Following the deaths of her father, a casino proprietor in Spain, and her husband, an English gambler, Chichita places her infant daughter, Helene, in a convent. Fifteen years later, Helene runs away and subsequently marries novelist Price Ruyler. She soon becomes bored with domestic life and is drawn to the glamour of a New York City gambling house run by Nick Delano, who, coincidentally, is married to Chichita. At Delano's casino, Helene sustains heavy losses. After pawning her jewelry and taking money from her husband's wallet, she is still unable to pay her debts. Madame Delano attempts to aid Helene, leading to a struggle between the girl and Nick, who falls to his death from a balcony. To protect her daughter, Madame Delano takes the blame and commits suicide in prison. Years later, Helene sits in front of a fireplace as Price warmly embraces ...
Following the deaths of her father, a casino proprietor in Spain, and her husband, an English gambler, Chichita places her infant daughter, Helene, in a convent. Fifteen years later, Helene runs away and subsequently marries novelist Price Ruyler. She soon becomes bored with domestic life and is drawn to the glamour of a New York City gambling house run by Nick Delano, who, coincidentally, is married to Chichita. At Delano's casino, Helene sustains heavy losses. After pawning her jewelry and taking money from her husband's wallet, she is still unable to pay her debts. Madame Delano attempts to aid Helene, leading to a struggle between the girl and Nick, who falls to his death from a balcony. To protect her daughter, Madame Delano takes the blame and commits suicide in prison. Years later, Helene sits in front of a fireplace as Price warmly embraces her.
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