Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About Irving Cummings' "Flesh And Blood" (1922)

Silent Guest Star: Rich Wagner

Herr Rich Wagner exclaimed: "Well Herr Graf, you're talking about an old favorite of mine that I must have watched at least a dozen times, but haven't seen in at least eight years. It was the first time that I actually got a good look at 'Herr Chaney's' pitiful and sorrowful facial expressions. No wonder the poor man never got the girl.

My only question to your post was you referring to this innocent man as a criminal? Here's the story from memory, so it might even be better than the film.
An innocent man, caught in the fangs of an unjust world, he's befriended by the Chinese who assist in his escape so he could see his sickly wife, but alas, she has died. Heartbroken and seeking revenge, with the Chinese help, he manages to befriend his own daughter without her even knowing who he was. Just as he's ready to plan his revenge against his former partner, he learns that the man's son is sweet on his daughter. He learns that the former partner is going to destroy the happy couple, so he strikes a deal; your son or your life. The man backs off and the daughter finds happiness in the arms of her lover. What's that saying about the apple not falling too far from the tree?

Anyway, when Herr Gaff wrote about this, the good Count omitted the final intertitle that says something like, "A man can sometimes be free behind bars."
I'm sure that's not correct (perhaps you could post it correctly?), but it was a typical softhearted film, much like many other Chancy films".

Und Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien answered: "Mein lieber Herr Wagner ( Herr Richard's family, this German Count presumes.. ):
Well, this German count was referring about David Wester ( Herr Lon Chaney ) that he was wrongfully incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit, and probably the right word in this case would be "offence" but in any case this German Count didn't named Herr Chaney a "criminal", heaven forbid!!... Obviously those misunderstandings were due Gunthell's simultaneous translation from German to Amerikan ( can't you hear from there asking his master for mercy?? ... )

Good Wester-Chaney says in the next to last intertitle: "I went out a hunted and marked man; I come back, free!" and the last one says: "Strange are the paths men tread to happiness".

"the good Count"... is this an Amerikan pun??!!

Finally Herr Rich Wagner added: "While it's not an 'Amerikan pun,' it was my rather inept way of trying to get a response to my question. You of course, obliged me with an answer.
Thank you for helping me to recall the final words in an old favorite of mine".


Published in "alt.movies.silent".