The Silent Command (1923)

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The Silent Command is a 1923 American war film directed by J. Gordon Edwards featuring Bela Lugosi as a foreign saboteur in his American film debut. The silent film, written by Anthony Paul Kelly and Rufus King, also stars Edmund Lowe, Alma Tell, and Martha Mansfield. Shot in New York, The Silent Command began Lugosi's career in the American film industry. The film's focus on his eyes, at times in extreme close-up, helped to establish his image for later roles.

Production

Rufus King, later known for his detective novels, wrote the original story for The Silent Command, which was adapted into a screenplay by Anthony Paul Kelly. It was intended as a propaganda film to encourage popular support for expansion of the United States Navy and was made with the Navy's cooperation and support.

In December 1922, Lugosi had starred in a Greenwich Village play, The Red Poppy. The play performed poorly, but Lugosi, in the role of a thuggish Spaniard, received critical praise. He was cast as Hisston in The Silent Command based on the strength of that performance. Extreme close-ups of Lugosi's eyes were used throughout the film to reinforce perception of this character as evil.

The Silent Command was released in at least two editions. As shown at its New York premiere, it was an eight-reel film with a 91-minute run time. However, the version screened earlier in Chicago had been 18 minutes shorter, which reduced the film to seven reels; this cut was used for most subsequent releases. H.T. Hodge claimed to have shown a nine-reel version at the Palace Theatre in Abilene, Texas.

The Silent Command was also released internationally, including Australia and Cuba in 1924, and was retitled His Country for distribution in France.

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