"The White Sin" (1924) is available in both its 5-reel Kodascope cutdown (running 69 minutes) from Alpha and its original release length from Grapevine (running 75 minutes). It's hard to disguise the melodramatic nature of the plot but all the players except for the star, Madge Bellamy, have a good crack at it – and even Miss Bellamy manages to convince us in most of her scenes. The villain, played by Hallam Cooley, is almost in the same basket. As the heel of heels, Cooley is so convincing that it's difficult to believe he could have any change of heart at all, let alone
Comedian Billy Bevan is surprisingly at home as Cooley's evil accomplice, but the best acting in the movie comes from James Corrigan as the villain's millionaire dad. Director William A. Seiter of "The Little Church Around the Corner" (1923) is equally at home with tear-jerking melodrama here, and makes good use of his real locations, although he can do little to disguise some obvious short cuts in the fiery climax. 7/10 for the Alpha version, 8/10 for the Grapevine.
Review of The White Sin
