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Douglas Fairbanks (left) and Bessie Love.
Photograph: Silent Era image collection.
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The Good Bad-Man
Also known as The Good Bad Man in the USA : [Good Bad Man]
(1916) United States of America
B&W : Five reels
Directed by Allan Dwan
Cast: Douglas Fairbanks [‘Passin’ Through’], Bessie Love [Amy], Sam de Grasse [Bud Frazer], Doc Cannon (Pomeroy Cannon) [Bob Evans], Joseph Singleton [‘The Weasel’], Mary Alden [Jane Stuart], George Beranger (André Beranger) [Thomas Stuart], Fred Burns [the sheriff], Jim Mason [a bandit], Charles Stevens [a bandit]
The Fine Arts Film Company production; distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. / From a screen story by Douglas Fairbanks. Production supervised by D.W. Griffith. Cinematography by [?] Victor Fleming? / © 19 October 1923 by Tri-Stone Pictures, Incorporated [LP19514]. Premiered 21 April 1916 at the Rialto Theatre in New York, New York. Released 7 May 1916. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The film was reedited, retitled and rereleased in the USA as The Good Bad Man by Tri-Stone Pictures, Incorporated, on 19 October 1923; character names were changed. The film was also rereleased [?] (in the USA)? as Good Bad Man by Film Distributors League, Incorporated.
Drama: Western.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? An eccentric outlaw, himself ignorant of his parentage, exhibits as the motive for the majority of his crimes his desire to aid unfortunate children. For instance, he robs a grocery store and gives the loot to a little orphan kid. Always cheerful, always smiling, he goes to such lengths as to hold up the Pacific Express to get the conductor’s ticket punch. One day he rides into the alleged mine where Bud Frazer’s band of bandits made their rendezvous. Just “Passin’ Through,” he replies to their queries as to his identity. They send him to the shack of “The Weazel” for shelter and there he finds Amy. It is love at first sight and the stranger doesn’t stay long. He doesn’t know who he is so he rides away from the girl and shoots up a saloon in Maverick City just because he is in love and doesn’t care what happens. A sheriff handy with the rope puts a halt to the proceedings but a United States marshal prevents a lynching. The marshal proves to be a former suitor of the prisoner’s mother and from him “Passin’ Through” learns that he has a right to hold his head as high as any man’s. Bud Frazer coveted her and when he lost her he shot his rival and hounded mother and child until the former died. Meanwhile Frazer, now known as “The Wolf,” has learned the real identity of the stranger. He now covets Amy and she is forced to accompany his band to Maverick City to await the killing of “Passin’ Through” and then become the wife of “The Wolf” “Passin’ Through,” gunning for Frazer, is taken by surprise but escapes when the marshal arrives with his posse. Frazer is killed, the bandits are exterminated and “Passin’ Through” rides away to the horizon with Amy sitting behind. // Additional synopsis available in AFI-F1 n. F1.1655.
Survival status: Prints exist in the film holdings of Cohen Media Group (Raymond Rohauer collection) [35mm positive]; and in La Cinémathèque française film archive [35mm positive (1923 rerelease version), 35mm restoration negative, 35mm restoration positives].
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Charity - Crime: Kidnapping, Murder, Theft - Death: Murder - Police: Sheriffs - Revenge
Listing updated: 27 January 2024.
References: Film credits, film viewing : AFI-F1 n. F1.1655; Bardèche-History p. 115; Bogdanovich-Dwan pp. 7-8; Everson-American p. 107; Shipman-Cinema p. 60 : ClasIm-240 p. 45 : Website-AFI; Website-ASFFDb; Website-IMDb.
Home video: Blu-ray Disc; DVD.
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