A silent film where gold literally destroys love—until love destroys capitalism. Wild, right?
Teddy Darman is the construction superintendent for the Continental Gold Dredging Company. But the farmers of the valley where the firm is doing its dredging are upset because it is ruining their land. Led by John Wade, the farmers form a fierce opposition. This doesn't bother Darman until he realizes that Dora (Lois Wilson), his sweetheart -- who is also Wade's daughter -- is siding with the farmers. This turns him around and the farmers mortgage their farms so that Darman can build a dredging machine that resoils the land.
Practical Effects
Real dredging machinery spectacle—1921 industrial porn, basically.
Acting
Wallace Reid: charisma so loud it doesn't need dialogue.
Director
Frank Urson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Wallace Reid was Paramount's biggest star when this released; he died of morphine addiction complications just two years later at 31.
This is essentially a corporate-sponsored film—the dredging company likely funded it as public relations during actual mining controversies.
US
