A haunted house, a contested will, and a villain named Jules La Rocque — silent cinema doesn't get more deliciously dramatic.
According to the will of old Anthony Cole, his heir must live for one year in the spooky residence known as "the house of the tolling bell." The dread of the house and the superstitions enshrouding it are so great that only two people consent to undergo the ordeal. They are Cole's grandson Richard Steele, who had been disinherited when his mother ran away with a dance teacher, and Lucy Atherton. Jules La Rocque, a distant relative, plots to obtain both Lucy and the Cole millions.
Direction
Blackton co-founded Vitagraph — early cinema royalty at work.
Production
Atmospheric sets that defined the 'old dark house' template.
Acting
May McAvoy's expressive eyes do all the talking.
Director
J. Stuart Blackton
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This film arrived during the peak 'old dark house' craze, when audiences couldn't get enough of spooky mansions, contested wills, and hidden villains.
Director J. Stuart Blackton was a British-born pioneer who helped create the first American animated film in 1900 — decades before Disney.
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