The Cheat

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Nick M Where to begin? When charting the legend of Cecil B. DeMille, this is the first picture in his filmography that feels unambiguously excellent. The cinematography is striking, and in one very memorable scene nothing short of ground breaking. I found the plot riveting, the direction vital and alive, and the first climax shocking even more than a century later. After that point I kept expecting the film to reach a quick conclusion, but then what I thought was the denouement began to extend into another act that ended in another climax that was just as exciting as the first one! I expected that this must have been an adaptation from a stage play or book, but it appears to be an original narrative by Hector Turnbull and Jeanie MacPherson! It also seems to be Turnbull's first screenplay, which is just astounding. MacPherson has much more experience, and co-wrote the wonderful film The Captive from earlier this year. Now, let's talk about the acting. Fannie Ward and Jack Dean (married in real life as well) are fine. They're stagey, which feels a bit tiresome at this point in the evolution of screen acting, but it wasn't enough to take me out of the picture because it's still common enough. Sessue Hayakawa, however... talk subtle to me, daddy. With a fractional arch of his eyebrow and the barest hint of a smile he communicates volumes more than the flailing hysterics and saucer-wide eyes of his costar. We are starting to see real screen acting here, and I am ready for it! He was so good (and devastatingly handsome) that even as a Japanese man in 1915 he became a Hollywood sex symbol. Give me more, DeMille, Hayakawa, and MacPherson! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/05/24 Full Review David K Hayakawa stands out in a film that is beautifully filmed. It's a story that would be hard to make 20 years later. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/15/24 Full Review Audience Member The best, GREATEST thrilling movie ever made! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the first major works of Cecile B. DeMille who went on to direct the Ten Commandments in 1956. An electrifying story of a young socialite (Fannie Ward) who gambles $10,000 from the Red Cross & loses it & strikes a deal with an Ivory Merchant. For 1915 this films pulls all the punches & would have been a controversial film in its day. Most famous is the scene where Fannie Ware unable to pay back the Ivory Merchant he brands her with a Hot Spoke. Made the career of Sessue Hayawaka largely known as the Japanese General from Bridge on the River Kwai. This film was a sensation in its Day & although 102 years old this year still is quite intriguing. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Portrays the debasement of Japanese in America. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Racist undertones aside, The Cheat is an excellent look at early cinema with its exquisite directing, believable characters, and revolutionary cinematrography (for the time). Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Cheat

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