For the Soul of Rafael

Harry Garson (director)
Marah Ellis Ryan (novel)
Dorothy Yost, Charles E. Whittaker (screenwriters)
Clara Kimball Young, Bertram Grassby, Eugenie Besserer, Juan de la Cruz (starring)

N.p. N.p., 1920. Vintage matte-finish publicity photograph of actress Clara Kimball Young from the 1920 film. Insignia of photographer Albert Witzel from the negative at the bottom left corner. With manuscript pencil annotations on the verso noting the film's title and the date 6-6-20, along with the stamp of N.Y. Sunday American reference library.

Based on the twentieth century novel by Marah Ellis Ryan. A young orphaned woman prepares for an arranged marriage to a ne'er-do-well known for his womanizing, drinking, and general bad behavior. Although she agrees to the union, the girl soon finds herself in love with another man, an American adventurer, leaving her torn between passion and duty.

Witzel Studios was founded in 1909 and rapidly rose to success as one of Hollywood's foremost portrait studios and society photographers, best known for their iconic, Rembrandt-style lighting and moody shadows. Witzel occasionally took on freelance assignments for film studios, work which gradually became less frequent as studios established their own portrait and stills departments. All but one of Witzel's portrait studios were closed following the photographer's death in 1929.

8 x 10 inches. Near Fine, lightly edgeworn to the corners.


[Book #150965]