The Prodigal Son (1923 film)

The Prodigal Son is a 1923 British silent historical film directed by A.E. Coleby and starring Stewart Rome, Henry Victor and Edith Bishop. The film is an adaptation of a 1904 Hall Caine novel The Prodigal Son, set in Iceland and the French Riviera. It was noted as a long film, reported variously at three^[1] or over four hours.^[2] Denis Gifford reports the film's original release length as 18,454 feet, and that it was shown in two consecutive parts, the second part being entitled The Return of the Prodigal.^[3]

It was shot on location in Iceland, with a final budget of £37,000.^[4] The film was not a commercial success on its release, and was attacked by critics. It was perhaps the biggest failure of all the films released by Stoll Pictures, the largest British film company of the early 1920s.^[5] However, the film was re-released in 1929 with a greatly reduced running time.^[6]

Cast

• Stewart Rome as Magnus Stephenson
• Henry Victor as Oscar Stephenson
• Edith Bishop as Helga Neilson
• Colette Brettel as Thora Neilson / Elin
• Adeline Hayden Coffin as Anna Stephenson
• Frank Wilson as Stephen Stephenson
• Henry Nicholls-Bates as Oscar Neilson
• Louise Conti as Aunt Margaret
• Peter Upcher as Nils Finsen
• Sam Austin as Captain

References

Bibliography

• Low, Rachael. History of the British Film, 1918-1929. George Allen & Unwin, 1971.
• Gifford, Denis. The British Film Catalogue: 1895-1970. McGraw-Hill, 1973.
• Oakley, Charles. Where We Came In: Seventy Years of the British Film Industry. Routledge, 2013.

External links

• The Prodigal Son at the Internet Movie Database