The Gown of Destiny (1917)
The Mystery of the Hindu Image
(John B. O’Brien and Raoul Walsh, US 1914, 20 min., 35mm)
The Gown of Destiny
(Lynn Reynolds, US 1917, 50 min., 35mm)
35mm Preservation print
Based on a short story by Earl Derr Biggers, who would later become famous for his Charlie Chan novels, this film is a plea to contribute to the cause of The Great War, regardless of your talents and physical limitations. Distraught at having been rejected by the army because of his petite size, French dress designer Andre Leriche (Herrera Tejedde) conceives the idea of designing a gown that will aid his country. While not immediately successful, as the dress passes through women’s possession and it makes an impact on their life, a series of unlikely events bring people together and has a significant impact on Andre’s life. The battle scenes are realistic for the time. The gown of the title, a new style of bustle frock, which Photoplay magazine claimed was “the first real silhouette America has ever introduced,” was intended to prompt trends in women’s fashion. The film is preceded by The Mystery of the Hindu Image, another Mayer Foundation preservation, in which director and star Raoul Walsh investigates a murder with a mysterious pedigree.
With live piano accompaniment by Dr. Philip Carli.