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The Wicked Darling

Alternate Title: The Rose of the Dark Director: Tod Browning (Dir) Release Date: 24 Feb 1919 Duration (in reels): 6			Print this page Display Movie Summary

Cast:	Priscilla Dean	(Mary Stevens)
	Wellington Playter	(Kent Mortimer)
	Lon Chaney	(Stoop Connors)
	Spottiswoode Aitken	(Fadem)
	Gertrude Astor	(Adele Hoyt)
	Kalla Pascha	(The bartender)

Summary:

Mary Stevens learned to be a pickpocket from her guardian Fadem, an unscrupulous pawnbroker, and her companion Stoop Connors. One evening, while Mary and Stoop wait outside a reception for opportunities to rob guests, inside Adele Hoyt breaks her engagement with Kent Mortimer when he confesses that he is broke. When the pearl necklace that Kent gave Adele falls into the crowd outside, Mary grabs it. She hides in Kent's house, and after they become acquainted, she quits her crooked life to work as a waitress. One night, Stoop attacks her and shoots Kent in the arm when he interferes. When Mary learns from Kent's landlady that he owes rent, she pawns two pearls with Fadem, who sends Stoop to find the rest. After Stoop informs Kent of Mary's theft, Kent denounces her, and she gives the necklace to Adele, who returns it to Kent. After Kent tracks Mary to Fadem's, he prevents Stoop from choking Mary. Just as Stoop is about to kill Kent, Mary brings a burly bartender to intercede. Mary and Kent then buy a farm out West.

Production Company:	Universal Film Mfg Co.
Distribution Company:	Universal Film Mfg Co.
Director:	Tod Browning	(Dir)
Writer:	Harvey Gates	(Scen)
	Evelyn Campbell	(Story)
Photography:	Alfred Gosden	(Cam)
Country:	United States

Copyright Claimant	Copyright Date	Copyright Number
Universal Film Mfg., Co., Inc.	3/2/1919 dd/mm/yyyy	LP13356

Physical Properties:	b&w:
	Si:


Genre:	Drama
Sub-Genre:	Crime

Subjects (Major):	Criminals--Rehabilitation
	Pearls
	Pickpockets

Subjects (Minor):	Attempted murder
	Bartenders
	Engagements
	Farms
	Gunshot wounds
	Landladies
	Pawnbrokers
	Rescues
	Waitresses
	Wards and guardians

Note:	Working titles for this film were The Gutter Rose , The Rose of the Dark , and The Rose of the Night . Some sources list Waldemar Young as the scenarist. Campbell's story was originally called "The Moth"; although some sources state that the source of the film was a story entitled "The Gutter Rose," this is probably erroneous. A trade article published during early production called this a Bluebird film. The man playing the bartender in the film was a former wrestler known as Kalla Pascha, the Terrible Turk.

Bibliographic Sources:	Date	Page
Camera	29 Sep 1918.
Camera	10 Nov 1918.
MPN	1 Feb 19	p. 735.
MPN	16 Feb 1919.
MPN	22 Feb 19	pp. 1189-93, 1232
MPW	15 Feb 19	p. 944.
Variety	7 Feb 19	p. 59.
Wid's	2 Feb 19	p. 22.

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