Stormswept

Stormswept
Stormswept
	Promotional poster for Stormswept
Directed by	Robert Thornby
Written by	Winifred Dunn; H.H. Van Loan (story)
Starring	Wallace Beery; Noah Beery
Cinematography	Ben F. Reynolds
Distributed by	Film Booking Offices of America (FBO)
Release date	February 18, 1923;
Running time	5 reels
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Stormswept is a 1923 silent film starring brothers Wallace Beery and Noah Beery.^[1] The advertising phrase used for the movie was "Wallace and Noah Beery, The Two Greatest Character Actors on the American Screen." The film was written by Winifred Dunn from the H. H. Van Loan story, and directed by Robert Thornby.^[2]

Plot

As described in a film magazine,^[3] William McCabe is a bitter man seeking solitude in which to forget the wife whom he loved and who betrayed him. He wanders about the waterfront and, seeing a man falling from the deck, rescues him. The two become friends and when the rescued man, Shark Moran, learns that William wants solitude, he suggests that he take a job on a lightship as he is its captain. "You will find solitude there," he says. William takes the job, although the monotony of the life has upset the minds of many of the men who live on the Relief. There a tug that brings supplies the lightship also brings a ray of hope to William in the form of a beautiful young woman, Ann Reynolds, who is the daughter of the master of the tug. But William does not know if his wife is alive or dead, so his moodiness deepens. One day a small boat occupied by a young woman is sighted drifting near the lightship, and the captain goes out to give help. He brings the woman back to the Relief, thinking he finds favor in her eyes. However, this assumption is without grounds and his spurned advances lead to a fight between Shark Moran and William, who is shocked to see the woman is Hedda, the wife who deserted him. The captain then apologises to William, and their friendship is renewed. The unfaithful wife then departs, and William looks forward to his suit of the woman of the supply tug.

Cast

Wallace Beery as William McCabe
Noah Beery as Shark Moran
Virginia Browne Faire as Ann Reynolds
Arline Pretty as Hedda McCabe
Jack Carlyle as Snape

Production

Stormswept was filmed at Greenwood Plantation, built in 1830 by William Ruffin Barrow in Francisville, Louisiana. Greenwood was built in the Greek Revival style of architecture with 28 columns surrounding the mansion. It is considered the South's finest example of classic colonial.

Preservation

A complete print of Stormswept is held by the BFI in London.^[4]

References

↑ "Stormswept". afi.com. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
↑ Progressive Silent Film List: Stormswept at silentera.com
↑ "Stormswept: Distributed by F.B.O." Exhibitor's Trade Review. 13 (13). East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania: Exhibitor's Trade Review, Inc.: 676 February 24, 1923.
↑ "American Silent Feature Film Database: Stormswept". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2026.

External links

Stormswept at IMDb

This article related to an American silent drama film of the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

[afi-1] "Stormswept". afi.com. Retrieved April 5, 2026.

[2] Progressive Silent Film List: Stormswept at silentera.com

[ETR-3] "Stormswept: Distributed by F.B.O." Exhibitor's Trade Review. 13 (13). East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania: Exhibitor's Trade Review, Inc.: 676 February 24, 1923.

[American_Silent_Feature_Film_Database-4] "American Silent Feature Film Database: Stormswept". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2026.

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