A Jewel in Pawn (1917)
Drama | 16 April 1917
Cast:
Ella Hall, Maie Hall, Antrim Short [ More ]Director:
Jack ConwayWriters:
Maie B. Havey, Constance Crawley, Arthur MaudeProduction Company:
Bluebird Photoplays, Inc.An item in the 27 Jan 1917 Moving Picture World stated that principal photography was expected to begin that week. The picture was referenced by its working title, Pawned. Filming took place at the Universal City studio complex, adjacent to Los Angeles, CA, according to the 17 Feb 1917 Moving Picture Weekly. The completion of photography was reported in the 17 Mar 1917 Moving Picture World. As noted in the 31 Mar 1917 issue, star Ella Hall and her mother, Maie Hall, also portrayed mother and daughter in the film. However, the synopsis of this film in the copyright description credited Mrs. McCollough with the role of “Mrs. Martin.” The picture had been officially re-titled A Jewel in Pawn at that time.
Two days before the film’s 16 Apr 1917 release, Moving Picture World announced the scheduled New York City opening at the Rialto Theatre on 30 Apr 1917. Some initial reviews asserted that the picture lacked drama, and the 20 Apr 1917 Var lamented the relegation of renowned actor Walter Belasco to a supporting role, while focus was placed on Ella Hall’s “[Mary] Pickford type.” Universal Film Mfg. Co. countered with advertisements in the 23 Jun 1917 and 4 Aug 1917 issues of Moving Picture Weekly, both of which featured glowing reviews from critics and exhibitors. ...
An item in the 27 Jan 1917 Moving Picture World stated that principal photography was expected to begin that week. The picture was referenced by its working title, Pawned. Filming took place at the Universal City studio complex, adjacent to Los Angeles, CA, according to the 17 Feb 1917 Moving Picture Weekly. The completion of photography was reported in the 17 Mar 1917 Moving Picture World. As noted in the 31 Mar 1917 issue, star Ella Hall and her mother, Maie Hall, also portrayed mother and daughter in the film. However, the synopsis of this film in the copyright description credited Mrs. McCollough with the role of “Mrs. Martin.” The picture had been officially re-titled A Jewel in Pawn at that time.
Two days before the film’s 16 Apr 1917 release, Moving Picture World announced the scheduled New York City opening at the Rialto Theatre on 30 Apr 1917. Some initial reviews asserted that the picture lacked drama, and the 20 Apr 1917 Var lamented the relegation of renowned actor Walter Belasco to a supporting role, while focus was placed on Ella Hall’s “[Mary] Pickford type.” Universal Film Mfg. Co. countered with advertisements in the 23 Jun 1917 and 4 Aug 1917 issues of Moving Picture Weekly, both of which featured glowing reviews from critics and exhibitors.
Widow Martin struggles to rear her little daughter Nora amid the squalor of the slums yet imbue her with the refinement to which she had been accustomed in her girlhood. Fearing that she is losing the battle, Mrs. Martin decides to turn to her wealthy father, who had disowned her upon her marriage years earlier. To raise funds for the trip, she pawns Nora to Aaron Levovitch, an aged pawnbroker with a heart of gold under his gruff exterior. Upon reaching her father's house, Mrs. Martin falls ill and dies before she can relate her story, and Nora is raised by the pawnbroker until a reporter prints her human interest story of a "jewel in pawn." The girl's grandfather reads the article and claims Nora, then sends her to a fashionable boarding school. Nora longs for her home in the slums and her sweetheart Jimmy, however, and so returns to marry Jimmy in an elaborate traditional Jewish ceremony at the pawnbroker's ...
Widow Martin struggles to rear her little daughter Nora amid the squalor of the slums yet imbue her with the refinement to which she had been accustomed in her girlhood. Fearing that she is losing the battle, Mrs. Martin decides to turn to her wealthy father, who had disowned her upon her marriage years earlier. To raise funds for the trip, she pawns Nora to Aaron Levovitch, an aged pawnbroker with a heart of gold under his gruff exterior. Upon reaching her father's house, Mrs. Martin falls ill and dies before she can relate her story, and Nora is raised by the pawnbroker until a reporter prints her human interest story of a "jewel in pawn." The girl's grandfather reads the article and claims Nora, then sends her to a fashionable boarding school. Nora longs for her home in the slums and her sweetheart Jimmy, however, and so returns to marry Jimmy in an elaborate traditional Jewish ceremony at the pawnbroker's home.
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