THE PIPES OF PAN

Released 10/4/14 by Universal/Rex; Director: Joseph De Grasse; Screenplay: uncredited, but probably Ida May Park; 2 reels

CAST: Pauline Bush (Marian Arnold), Joseph King (Stephen Arnold), Carmen Phillips (Caprice), Lon Chaney (Arthur Darrell)

SYNOPSIS: Stephen Arnold, a painter, dreams of a beautiful pastoral love scene between a faun and a wood-nymph that is interrupted by the daughter of Pan. When he awakens from his dream, he decides to capture the image on canvas and goes in search of a suitable model. He meets Caprice, a dancer who exemplifies the spirit of Pan's daughter. Stephen convinces the girl to pose for him and he soon becomes entranced by her. His wife Marian becomes jealous and angry at her husband's neglect of her and she seeks companionship with Arthur Darrell, her husband's best friend. Darrell falls in love with the wife and makes advances towards her, but she spurns his attempts. After the painting is finished, Stephen is unable to give the girl up and, in a passionate love scene, he wins her. Marian has decided to leave her husband and go off with Arthur and goes to the studio to tell him. There she finds the painting, and in a rage, she slashes it to ribbons. Suddenly, Caprice's strange hold over Stephen is broken. He leaves the girl and returns home to his forgiving wife.

"The model's abbreviated attire will undoubtedly raise the old question of just what constitutes real art in such matters. This will shock some viewers. The husband's conscientious scruples were rather too sudden to be very convincing. This holds the interest throughout, but it undoubtedly steps over the line of delicacy to an extent" --Moving Picture World


© 1996,2008 Jon C. Mirsalis


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