The Devil's Passkey
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Erich Von Stroheim
Sam De Grasse
Una Trevelyn
Clyde Fillmore
Maude George
Leo White
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Grace Goodwright, the wife of Warren Goodwright, a struggling playwright living in Paris, is an extravagant woman accustomed to living beyond her means. Grace is in arrears to dressmaker Madame Malot, who suggests that wealthy Rex Strong could provide the solution to Grace's financial ills. Strong offers Grace a loan in exchange for sexual favors. When Grace refuses, Madame Malot becomes enraged at the prospect of losing her money and attempts to ensnare Grace in a blackmail scheme. Warren reads the account of the scandal in a Paris journal in which no names are mentioned and decides to write a play around the main situation. The play becomes a great success, but all Paris is laughing at Warren, who is unaware that his main character is his wife. Upon discovering the true story, Warren decides to kill Strong but at the last minute relents, convinced of his wife's innocence.
Director
Erich Von Stroheim
Cast
Sam De Grasse
Una Trevelyn
Clyde Fillmore
Maude George
Leo White
Mae Busch
Jack Matheis
Ruth King
Al Edmondson
Ed Reinach
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Some contemporary sources call Baroness de Meyer's story, whose original title was "Clothes and Treachery," a "photoplay," written with von Stroheim, while others imply that it was a short story that von Stroheim adapted. Most sources credit von Stroheim as both co-writer and scenarist. De Meyer was a "London society woman" and the goddaughter of Edward VII, who also wrote short stories for various magzines. Clothes and Treachery and The Woman in the Plot were working titles for the film. Modern sources also mention His Great Success and The Charge Account as working titles. Writing and filming took place between September and December 1919 and editing required another four months. Tarkington Baker, the general manager of Universal, viewed a thirteen reel rough cut of the film in February 1920. According to modern sources, von Stroheim designed the settings and was closely involved with the editing. Modern sources state that Grant Whytock compiled the rough cut, and list "Jeanne Spencer" as an assistant director, not as an editor, as she is called in trade news items. Although the film was reviewed in April 1920, and had previews in various cities before Aug, it was not released generally until August 30, 1920. It opened in New York and Chicago on August 8, 1920. According to a pre-production news item, von Stroheim was to star in the production, and Lillie Leslie was to have a supporting role. Modern sources list the following additional credits: art titles, J. H. Buffum; additional photography, Howard Oswald; second camera, William Daniels; assistant directors, Edward Sowders, Jack Proctor and Jeanne Spencer. Sources vary on the length of the film, listing it as six and eight reels as well as seven.
