The Daughter Pays is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Robert Ellis and starring Elaine Hammerstein, Norman Trevor, and Robert Ellis.Goble p. 730 Produced by Selznick Pictures and distributed by Select Pictures, it was released in the United States on November 10, 1920. The screenplay, written by Edward J. Montagne and R. Cecil Smith, is based on a novel by Baillie Reynolds.Goble p. 730
Plot Osbert Gault, a wealthy man, seeks to punish a woman who had "jilted" (rejected) him years earlier. To exact his revenge, he targets her daughter, Virginia Mynors. Unaware of Gault's bitter history with her mother, Virginia agrees to marry him. She consents to the union primarily to save her family from extreme poverty and to help her crippled sister. Once they are married, Gault carries out his plan to "make the daughter pay" for her mother's perceived sins. He subjects Virginia to continuous emotional humiliation and psychological strain, hoping to break her spirit.
Eventually, Virginia breaks down under the weight of his abuse. Her suffering triggers a change in Gault, who begins to feel genuine remorse for his actions. In an attempt to atone for his behavior, Gault grants Virginia her freedom and pays for the medical treatment needed to cure her crippled sister. After a series of "misadventures" and time apart, Gault realizes he has truly fallen in love with Virginia. Virginia, finding that she has also grown to love her husband despite his past cruelty, chooses to return to him.
Cast Elaine Hammerstein as Virginia Mynors Norman Trevor as Osbert Gault Robert Ellis as Gerald Roseborough Teresa Maxwell-Conover as Mrs. Mynors Byron Russell as Percy Ferris Dore Davidson as Mr. Roseborough Evelyn Times as Pansy Mynors Lota Cheek as Vivi Augustus Fleming as The Gentleman Nora Cecil as Stern Lady
Production and legacy The film was produced by Lewis J. Selznick for Selznick Pictures. It features Lota Cheek, an early 1920s beauty icon known as "America's Prettiest Girl," in her only known screen appearance. The film had a running time of approximately 50 minutes and is currently listed as a lost film, with no known copies residing in public archives.
References
Bibliography Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.
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