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Miss Marie Corelli

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Marie Corelli adaptions on screen
[Introduction to Marie Corelli],  [Corelli bibliographical list]

Here follows a listing of films based on novel:s by Marie Corelli. This list is likely not complete, however what is known to me has been documented. Any additonal information you may have, or even data re where to get a copy of these films is very welcome!
 

Original novels:
When 1st published:
When transformed into film:
   ‘Vendetta
 ‘Thelma’
 ‘Wormwood’
 ‘The Sorrows of Satan
 ‘Temporal Power’
 ‘God's Good Man’
 ‘Holy Orders’
 ‘Innocent
 ‘The Young Diana’
   1886
 1887
 1890
 1895
 1902
 1904
 1908
 1914
 1918
  1915
1916, 1918 & 1922
1915
1911&1916, 1917, (1920) & 1926
1916
1919
1917
1921
1922

The following novels were under negotiation to the film companies it is not sure if all of these were finally made into film or when they were released (that is if they were at all released):

     Novels:
    Film company:
Released:
‘Thelma’ (1887)
‘Temporal Power’ (1902)
‘The Treasure of Heaven’ (1906)
  I.B. Davidson & R.C. Pictures Corporation
  Marquis de Serra
  Globe
?
?
?

Then in 1943 the filmrights were being sold for ‘Barabbas’ (1893) & ‘The Life Everlasting’ (1911)

 
Go to top of this page  Vendetta (1915)
Note: “There is a record of the ‘Stratford Picture House’ showing a dramatization of ‘Vendetta’ in 5 parts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at sometime in 1915. Any further data is lacking.”  
Go to top of this page  A Modern Thelma (1916)
Directed by: John G. Adolfi
Writing credits: John G. Adolfi (adaptation), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘Thelma’ 1887)
Cast: (in credits order)
Vivian Martin .... Thelma
Harry Hilliard .... Sir Philip
William H. Tooker .... Thelma's Father
Also starring: Albert Roccardi, Maud Sinclair, Elizabeth Kennedy, Allan Walker, Stuart Russell, Albert Jovell, Richard Neill, Pauline Barry, Flora Nason, Lila Leslie, Gladys Wynne
Production companies: Fox Film Corporation [us]
Distributors: Fox Film Corporation [us]
Country: USA
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: 5 reels
 
Go to top of this page  Thelma (1918) (Reissued in 1920)
Directed by: A.E. Coleby & Arthur Rooke
Writing credits: Rowland Talbot (adaption), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘Thelma’ 1887)
Cast: (in credits order)
Malvina Longfellow .... Thelma
Arthur Rooke .... Sir Phillip Errington
Maud Yates .... Violet Vere
Marsh Allen .... Sir Francis Lennox
Leal Douglas .... The Blonde
Humberston Wright .... George Lorimer
Judd Green .... Olaf Olsen
Production companies: I.B. Davidson
Distributors: Ruffells British Exhibitors' Films (1920, reissue)
Country: UK
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: ?
 
Go to top of this page  Thelma Still from 'Thelma' 1922 (1922)
Directed by: Chester Bennett
Writing credits: Thomas F. Dixon Jr. (adaption), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘Thelma’ 1887)
Cast: (in credits order)
Jane Novak .... Thelma Guildmar
Barbara Tennant .... Britta
Gordon Mullen .... Lovissa
Bert Sprotte .... Olaf Guildmar
Vernon Steele .... Sir Phillip Errington
Peter Burke .... Lorimer
Jack Rollens .... Sigurd
Harvey Clark .... Dyceworthy
June Elvidge .... Lady Clara Winsleigh
Wedgwood Nowell .... Lennox
Virginia Novak .... Little Thelma
Harry Lonsdale .... Neville
Production companies: Chester Bennett Productions
Distributors: Film Booking Offices of America (FBO) [us]
Country: USA
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: 6 reels
 
Go to top of this page  Wormwood (1915)
Directed by: Marshall Farnum
Writing credits: Garfield Thompson (scenario), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘Wormwood’ 1890)
Cast: (in alphabetical order)
Charles Arthur .... Silvion Guidel
Mathilde Brundage .... Comtesse De Chamilles
Frank DeVernon .... Comte De Chamilles
Lillian Dilworth .... Heloise St. Cyr
Stephen Grattan .... Cure Vaudron
Philip Hahn .... Andre Gassonox
Caroline Harris .... Margot
John St. Polis .... Gaston Beauvais
Production companies: Fox Film Corporation [us]
Distributors: Fox Film Corporation [us]
Country: USA
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: 5 reels
 
Go to top of this page  The Sorrows of Satan (1911 & 1916)
Note: “This dramatization of Marie Corelli's novel was made without approval of Corelli herself, when showed to her she disapproved of it.  She wrote: “The ‘film’ is simply awful! ...” . The film was likely never released.  In 1916 she was apparently shown a new version made by the same production company.  Again Corelli disapproved, however she was prepared to write a new scenario for the film. Then the ‘Dreadnought Film Company’ started a collaboration with the 'Famous Players'. The final version was released in 1926.”Directed by: ?
Production companies: Dreadnought Film Company
Country: US
Length: ?
 
Go to top of this page  The Sorrows of Satan (1917)
Directed by: Alexander Butler
Writing credits: Harry Engholm (adaption), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘The Sorrows of Satan’ 1895)
Cast: (in credits order)
Gladys Cooper .... Lady Sybil Elton
Owen Nares .... Geoffrey Tempest
Cecil Humphreys .... Prince Ramirez
Lionel d'Aragon .... Earl Eaton
Winifred Delavente .... Diana Chesney
Alice De Winton .... Bit
Minna Grey .... Bit
Production companies: G.B. Samuelson
Distributors: Walker
Country: UK
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: ?
 
Go to top of this page  Blade af Satans Bog (1920)   (aka: ‘Leaves from Satan's Book’)
Note: This film is ónly inspired by Corelli's novel: ‘The Sorrows of Satan’, it does not attempt to follow the story of the book! It is only using the idea of Satan as portrayed in the book and builds 4 stories around that. Film is divided in 4 parts Plot: “After he is banished from Heaven, Satan must tempt mankind to sin in order to earn his way back. For each success, his time on Earth is decreased by 100 years; for each failure, it's increased by 1,000 years. The story is told through Satan's efforts in different eras beginning from the time of Jesus and including the Spanish Inquisition, the French Revolution and the Russo-Finnish War or 1918.”
Directed by: Carl Theodor Dreyer
Writing credits: Carl Theodor Dreyer & Edgar Høyer (adaption), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘Satans Sorger’ 1895)
Cast overview:
Hugo Bruun .... Count Manuel
Nalle Halden .... The Majordomo
Erling Hansson .... John
Hallander Helleman .... Don Gomez de Castro
Halvard Hoff .... Jesus
Wilhelm Jensen .... Carpenter
Tenna Kraft .... Marie Antoinette
Helge Nissen .... Satan
Elith Pio .... Joseph
Clara Pontoppidan .... Siri
Ebon Strandin .... Isabel, Castro's daughter
Jacob Texiere .... Judas
Emma Wiehe .... The Countess of Chambord
Viggo Wiehe .... Count de Chambord
Carlo Wieth .... Paavo
Also starring: Johannes Meyer
Production companies: Nordisk Film
Country: Denmark
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: 3254 m     Runtime: Sweden:149 min
 
Go to top of this page  The Sorrows of Satan (1926)Lya de Putti
Note: This film is supposedly based on Corelli's novel: ‘The Sorrows of Satan’. In fact the actual charaters in this typical melodrama as we are used to from this time period, became to play a different role in this filmatization of Corelli's book. Mavis Claire became the lover of Geoffrey Tempest right from the start, both poor and living in misery. It is understandable why Marie Corelli objected so much to this. It is understood that this interpretation of the book was basing their plot on the earlier attempts putting this book on the screen. 'Sorrows of Satan' film announcement
Directed by: D.W. Griffith
Writing credits: Forrest Halsey, George C. Hull & John Russell (adaptation), Marie Corelli  (novel: ‘The Sorrows of Satan’ 1895)
Cast: (in credits order)
Adolphe Menjou .... Prince Lucio de Rimanez
Ricardo Cortez .... Geoffrey Tempest
Lya De Putti .... Princess Olga
Carol Dempster .... Mavis Claire
Ivan Lebedeff .... Amiel
Marcia Harris .... The Landlady
Lawrence D'Orsay .... Lord Elton
Nellie Savage .... The Dancer
Dorothy Hughes .... Mavis's Chum
Also starring: Josephine Dunn, Dorothy Nourse, Jeanne Morgan'Sorrows of Satan' filmposter
Original music: Hugo Riesenfeld
Production companies: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation [us]
Distributors: Paramount Pictures [us] Fright Video (video)
Country: USA
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: 9 reels (2649m)    Runtime: 111 min
 
Go to top of this page  Il Potere Sovrano(1916)
Directed by: Percy Nash & Baldassarre Negroni
Writing credits: Percy Nash & Baldassarre Negroni (adaption), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘Temporal Power’ 1902)
Cast: (in credits order)
Riccardo Achilli, Alfonso Cassini, Alberto Collo, Diana D'Amore, Floriana, Emilio Ghione, Gioacchino Grassi, Hesperia, Ignazio Lupi, Claudio Nicola, Orlando Ricci
Production companies: Tiber Film [it]
Country: Italy
Colour: Black and White
Length: 2257 m
 
Go to top of this page  God's Good Man
(1919)
Directed by: Maurice Elvey
Writing credits: Kate Gurney (adaption), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘God's good man’ 1904)
Cast: (in credits order)
Basil Gill .... Reverend John Walden
Peggy Carlisle .... Maryilla Vancourt
Barry Bernard .... Julien Adderley
Hugh Dabernon-Stoke .... Oliver Leach
Teddy Arundell....Bainton
Julian Henry .... Lord Roxmouth
Temple Bell .... Cicely Bourne
Kate Gurney .... Mrs. Spice
Production companies: Stoll
Distributors: Stoll
Country: UK
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: ?
 
Go to top of this page  Holy Orders
(1917)
Directed by: A.E. Coleby & Arthur Rooke 
Writing credits: Rowland Talbot  (adaption), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘Holy Orders’ 1908)
Cast: (in credits order)
Malvina Longfellow....Jacynth
A.E. Coleby....Dan Kiernan
Arthur Rooke....Reverend Richard Everton
Tammy White ....Azalea Everton
Terence Boddy....Lawrence
Maud Yates....Jenny Kiernan
H. Watt-Phillips
Olive Bell
Production companies: I.B. Davidson
Distributors: Ruffells
Country: UK
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: 1445.97 m
 
Go to top of this page  Innocent
(1921)
Directed by: Maurice Elvey
Writing credits: William J. Elliott (adaption), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘Innocent’ 1914)
Cast: (in credits order)
Madge Stuart .... Innocence
Basil Rathbone .... Amadis de Jocelyn
Lawrence Anderson .... Robin
Edward O'Neill .... Hugo de Jocelyn
Frank Dane .... Ned Langdon
W. Cronin Wilson .... Armitage
Ruth Mackay .... Lady Maude
Mme. d'Esterre .... Miss Leigh
Annie Esmond .... Housekeeper  
Production companies: Stoll
Distributors: Stoll
Country: UK
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: ?
 'The Young Diana' 1922 film
Go to top of this page  The Young Diana (1922)
Directed by: Albert Capellani & Robert G. Vignola
Writing credits: Luther Reed (adaption), Marie Corelli (novel: ‘The Young Diana’ 1918)
Cast: (in credits order)
Marion Davies .... Diana May
Macklyn Arbuckle .... James P. May
Forrest Stanley .... Commander Cleeve
Gypsy O'Brien .... Lady Anne
Pedro de Córdoba .... Dr. Dimitrius
'The Young Diana' 1922 filmProduction companies: Cosmopolitan Pictures [us]
Distributors: Paramount Pictures [us]
Country: USA
Colour: Black and White
Sound mix: Silent
Length: 7 reels

 

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