The Whirlwind is a 1920 American silent film serial written and directed by Joseph A. Golden and starring Charles Hutchison, Edith Thornton and Richard Neill. Produced by Allgood Pictures Corporation and distributed by Republic Distributing Corporation, it consisted of fifteen two-reel episodes.

The serial was Golden's third collaboration with Hutchison following Wolves of Kultur (1918) and The Great Gamble (1919), and was Golden's final completed work as a film director. Built around Hutchison's athletic abilities, The Whirlwind featured extensive location filming and stunt work.

Plot Robert Darrell, a celebrated motorcyclist known as "The Whirlwind", falls in love with Helen Graydon after rescuing her from a runaway horse. Helen is engaged to Neville Carnley, a wealthy society man who secretly leads a criminal gang and is interested in her fortune. After Darrell foils the gang's robbery of a bank messenger, he becomes Carnley's enemy.

Carnley repeatedly attempts to eliminate Darrell, while Darrell tries to expose him and protect Helen. Much of their struggle is carried out through Carnley's chief lieutenant, known as the Wolf.

Cast Charles Hutchison as Robert Darrell, "The Whirlwind" Edith Thornton as Helen Graydon Richard Neill as Neville Carnley Ben Walker as Benson Barbara Allen as Kate Delaro Karl Dane as the Wolf Edward Waters as Buckley John Lamont as Scotty Helen Griley as Mrs. Stockton Paul Fisher as Mr. Stockton Morton Thatcher as Baron de Langes Earl Douglas as Blacky Frank Hagney

Production Production of The Whirlwind was underway by October 1919, when interior scenes were being filmed at the Crystal Film Company studios on Claremont Parkway in the Bronx. The serial was produced by Allgood Pictures Corporation from a story by Joseph A. Golden, who also directed. Golden and Hutchison had previously collaborated on the serials Wolves of Kultur (1918) and The Great Gamble (1919).

The production was built around Hutchison's athletic abilities and made extensive use of location filming and elaborate action sequences. Contemporary advertising promoted motorcycle and railroad sequences, fights and falls from heights, motorboat and yacht action, burning structures and water stunts. Some of the location work was filmed at Ausable Chasm in northern New York. A contemporary account reported that Hutchison recognized additional possibilities in the location and, after consulting Golden, several new scenes were written into the serial to take advantage of the setting. Lahue described Hutchison and Thornton crossing the chasm together on a log during the fourth episode; Thornton recalled that Hutchison carried her across after she initially refused to attempt the crossing herself.

Location filming also took place in Florida. In early February 1920, Golden and the company were working in Jacksonville, where Hutchison performed several stunt sequences for the serial. The company also filmed at Silver Springs for underwater photography, taking advantage of the clarity of its water.

Several accidents were publicized during production. During a motorcycle sequence, Hutchison reportedly plunged into water and nearly drowned. Another contemporary publicity account stated that an explosive charge detonated prematurely during a burning-tower sequence, destroying the structure before Hutchison had descended and carrying him to the ground with the debris; he was reported to have escaped injury. Contemporary publicity also described Thornton as performing much of her own athletic and stunt work during the production. Lahue later wrote that Thornton was injured during a motorcycle sequence in the first episode, temporarily paralyzing one side of her face, and was subsequently photographed principally from the unaffected side. He also reported that every member of the cast suffered an injury during production.

After completing The Whirlwind, Golden underwent surgery and was hospitalized. A September 1920 profile in Moving Picture World described The Great Gamble and The Whirlwind as having established his reputation as a serial producer, while reporting that Golden intended to move away from serials toward films based on more literary material.

Release and distribution Distribution arrangements for The Whirlwind changed during production. In February 1920, The Billboard listed Allgood Pictures Corporation as both owner and distributor. By March 23, the serial was reported as completed and expected to be ready for distribution in April, with Republic Distributing Corporation identified as its distributor. Republic was promoting the production by late March.

Exhibitors Herald reported that The Whirlwind, Republic's first serial, had been "published" on April 18. The first episode was advertised at the Criterion Theatre in St. Louis for April 25, while two other St. Louis theaters advertised the serial during the same week. By May, Republic advertising described the serial as playing in leading theaters, and the Acadia Theatre in Crowley, Louisiana, announced an engagement beginning June 7.

Although retrospective sources give January 17, 1920, as the release date of the first episode, contemporary evidence does not support that date. The March 23 report described the completed serial as not expected to be ready for distribution until April, and documented theatrical engagements begin later that month.

Allgood Pictures Corporation held the copyrights to the individual episodes. Registrations began with The Trap in November 1919 and continued during production, with the final episodes registered in May 1920.

Episodes The Whirlwind consisted of fifteen two-reel episodes. The episode titles advertised by Republic are consistent with the contemporary copyright records.

No. Title 1 The Trap 2 The Waters of Death 3 Blown Skyward 4 The Drop to Death 5 Over the Precipice 6 On the Brink 7 In Mid Air 8 A Fight for Life 9 Amid the Flames 10 The Human Bridge 11 Thrown Overboard 12 A Fight at Sea 13 In the Lion's Cage 14 A Life at Stake 15 The Missing Bride

Reception Contemporary American exhibitor reports were generally favorable. In August 1920, the exhibitor at the Jewel Theatre in Lafayette, Colorado, reported that The Whirlwind "starts out fine" and described its first three episodes as "really first class". The following month, C. E. Smith of the United Theatre in St. Cloud, Minnesota, called it a "very good serial", although he noted that serials were drawing poorly because audiences increasingly preferred to see a complete story in one sitting.

In France, Paul de la Borie reviewed a presentation of the first two episodes in La Cinématographie française in March 1921 and predicted "an enormous success" for the serial. He praised Hutchison and Edith Thornton as "unquestionable virtuosos" and described their exploits as producing unusually harrowing situations on screen.

In Australia, The Brisbane Courier praised the serial's narrative construction, observing that The Whirlwind possessed a quality "so many serials lack—logic" and maintained continuity through its succession of thrills. The review also praised the rapid pace of the action, described Hutchison as "a master of the motor cycle", and noted Thornton's "fascinating personality".

Preservation The Whirlwind is presumed lost.

References

External links