The Heart of a Siren

1925 film

March 15, 1925 (1925-03-15)

Running time

7 reels; 6,700 feet (72 minutes at 24 frames per second)^[1]CountryUnited StatesLanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Heart of a Siren (also titled Heart of a Temptress) is a 1925 silent romantic drama film directed by Phil Rosen and distributed by First National Pictures. Barbara La Marr starred in one of her last movies. It was based on the Broadway play Hail and Farewell.^[2]

Plot

As described in a film magazine review,^[3] Isabella is a European siren who plays with men for her amusement. She is scorned by Gerald Rexford, an Englishman, and in revenge she brings him to her feet, but loses her heart to him. They live together until his mother persuades her that she is ruining Gerald's life. She makes him believe that she has given herself to a former admirer and he leaves her. Gerald learns of her sacrifice and returns to her, arriving just after she has supposedly drunk poison. Her watchful attendant, however, had emptied the bottle of poison and replaced it with a harmless liquid. The film ends on the promise of Isabella to marry Gerald.

Cast

Barbara La Marr as Isabella Echevaria
Conway Tearle as Gerald Rexford
Harry T. Morey as John Strong (credited as Harry Morey)
Paul Doucet as Mario Gonzalez
Benjamin F. Finney, Jr. as George Drew (credited as Ben Finney)
Florence Auer as Lisette, Isabella's Maid
Ida Darling as Mrs. Rexford, Duchess of Chatham
William Ricciardi as Emilio, Isabella's Uncle
Clifton Webb as Maxim
Florence Billings as Lady Louise Calvert
Michael Rayle as Pierre (credited as Mike Rayle)
Harry Semels as Barfly (uncredited)
Katherine Sullivan as Marie (uncredited)
Tammany Young as Pickpocket (uncredited)

Preservation

Prints of The Heart of a Siren are held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive,^[1] George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection, and Pacific Film Archive.^[4]^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b "Heart of a siren". UCLA Film and Television Archive. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
^ "Progressive Silent Film List: Heart of a Siren". silentera.com.
^ "New Pictures: The Heart of a Siren", Exhibitors Herald, 21 (2): 45, April 4, 1925, retrieved January 2, 2022 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: The Heart of a Siren
^ Catalog of Copyright Entries 1953 Motion Pictures And Filmstrips Jan-Dec 3D Ser Vol 7 Pts 12-13: Heart of a Temptress Page 72