Shark Monroe

Shark Monroe
Film still
Directed byWilliam S. Hart
Screenplay byC. Gardner Sullivan
Produced byWilliam S. Hart
Thomas H. Ince
StarringWilliam S. Hart
Katherine MacDonald
Joseph Singleton
George A. McDaniel
Bert Sprotte
CinematographyJoseph H. August
Production
companies
Artcraft Pictures Corporation
William S. Hart Productions
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • June 30, 1918 (1918-06-30)
Running time
50 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Shark Monroe is a 1918 American silent adventure film directed by William S. Hart and written by C. Gardner Sullivan. The film stars William S. Hart, Katherine MacDonald, Joseph Singleton, George A. McDaniel, and Bert Sprotte. The film was released on June 30, 1918, by Paramount Pictures.[1][2]

Plot

As described in a film magazine,[3] Shark Monroe (Hart), owner of a sealing vessel, agrees to take Marjorie Hilton (MacDonald) and her brother Webster (McDaniel) to Skagway, provided Webster works his own passage. Majorie falls into the power of Big Baxter (Singleton), a notorious character of the Alaskan coast, and agrees to marry him. Shark appears and, while his men hold the wedding party at bay, marries and runs off with Marjorie. At the end of two weeks he agrees to safely return her to Baxter's camp. Webster and Baxter arrive, however, and to restore the young man confidence Shark allows Webster to beat him in a fist fight. Later, after overhearing Baxter lie about him, Shark kills Baxter with one blow, and Marjorie has her eyes opened as to the bigness of the man.

Cast

Reception

Like many American films of the time, Shark Monroe was subject to restrictions and cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors cut, in Reel 2, the intertitle "Prospering through the degradation of women" and, in Reel 5, the intertitle "He's dead".[4]

Preservation status

A copy of the film is preserved in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ Hal Erickson (2016). "Shark-Monroe - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Shark Monroe". AFI. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  3. ^ "Reviews: Shark Monroe". Exhibitors Herald. 7 (5). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 35. July 27, 1918.
  4. ^ "Official Cut-Outs by the Chicago Board of Censors". Exhibitors Herald. 7 (6): 41. August 3, 1918.
  5. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Shark Monroe
  6. ^ Progressive Silent Film List: Shark Monroe at silentera.com